“Towards a global transformation” : Brahma Kumaris at COP26, Glasgow

Glasgow, Scotland ( UK ): The climate conference entered its second week, with the ministers and negotiators trying to hammer out and finalise the agreement. The first week was peppered with optimistic announcements, but it seems that was due more to a P&R spinning campaign by the UK government to declare the conference a huge success. Two days ago Climate Action Tracker (CAT), the world’s most respected climate analysis coalition came up with a sobering assessment of a rise of 2.4C based on countries’ short-term goals for the next decade.For details see.  
Uniting Hearts to Heal the World
On the opening day of the Peoples Summit for Climate Justice organised by Cop26 Coalition Brahma Kumaris organised an interreligious event, Uniting Hearts to Heal the World, at the Fred Paton Centre, Glasgow. This was part of the Scottish Interfaith Week. Andrew and Grace from Terra Attune set up giant monoliths made from plastic litter collected from beach clean-ups in North Cornwall.  These were arranged to form a ‘Plastic Age stone healing circle’.  They also contributed music created using specially selected frequencies to activate the chakras.

Faith leaders of different traditions, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Sikhism, Bahai, Hinduism and Buddhism offered prayers, chants, and readings from sacred books on the theme of love and peace, each followed by moments of silence. Sister Jayanti shared a meditation for healing and forgiveness, sending pure, altruistic love from the source to nature and all those who are suffering. Some of the deep reflections shared were: “Conquer the mind, conquer the world”; “Your mind can be your greatest friend or your greatest enemy”; and “There is only one God”.  The speakers and audience responded to the questions: What can I do?  What can we do?:

  • to stay human in the face of this very dehumanising process
  • to pray for the respect and dignity of all life
  • that human beings can bring about transformation
  • to choose to livein the change we all want to see; to live our hope
  • to see the goodness and act with compassion
  • to see the divine light in all and want to help everyone and everything flourish
  • to stay human in overwhelming dehumanness
  • master the mind in the face of challenge; never be defeated
  • courage and compassion are needed
  • do things we love and care about
  • have faith in our ability to create

As the evening progressed, a powerful atmosphere was generated, ending with a shared moment of silence and a moment of solidarity when everyone shone light from their mobile phones.

Sunday 7th November

On Sunday the COP conference is paused and hence the green team and the Scottish BK group met nearby in a small town hall for morning BK class. Everybody enjoyed the class by sister Jayanti and meeting in person after the long Covid pause.

Monday 8th November,  Energy Transition – Deciding our Future

At the Peoples Summit BK organised a program to discuss  ways of accelerating the implementation of new technologies.Presenters were Golo, Paul Allen, Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales, Katarina Kuhnert, Youth delegate Lutheran World Federation, Catherine Allinson,  Future Earth Ltd. and moderator Sonja. Some points from the workshop

  • We need to develop evidence-based positive visions of the world we need to build
  • Bringing them to life in our minds, will help us build them in real life
  • Zero carbon end-point scenarios also help us think across silos to reveal the many co-benefits
  • Our inner world and outer world are connected.
  • An unlimited mindset is needed for energy transition
  • Meditation is powerful for transformation

Katarina did an exercise to reveal how little time is actually spent in nature over a lifetime.The state environment minister of the Northern Western Terrority of Canada visited our program  especially to support Katarina, who comes from his region. He briefly shared his views and stressed the importance of global youthin the climate movment.

 

Local Heroes – Planting Seeds for the Future

Shantanu opened the workshop with the questions: Who is your favorite hero? Why? and What qualities do you share with this character? The participants then introduced themselves and shared their responses.  A meditation commentary with the theme “Let’s travel in time”, was given by Shantanu, after which the participants shared their personal image of a future perfect world.  Then small groups discussed the questions:   1) What has to happen to make this future sustainable world come about?  2) Who can make it possible? And 3) What new collaborations or partnerships are needed to make this new world a reality? Each of the ‘local heroes’ then shared about their organization’s activities.  Jill Asher – Incredible Edible (growing edible plants in public spaces); Sophie Unwin – Remade Network (repairing and repurposing discarded computers/electrical items); Kartikeya Sarabhai – Centre for Environment Education, (raising Indian children’s awareness about aspects of food production), and Maureen Goodman, Brahma Kumaris, (sustainable yogic agriculture).A closing meditation by Sr. Maureen was followed by the distribution of blessings and networking opportunities.

Local Heroes workshop at Peoples Summit

 

The Future is Us – Yogis for Future workshop was held by Golo and Sonja in the Unitarian Church for a smaller and engaged group. The ECO blessing cards were used to go deep into meditation and future spiritual aspirations. Learn more about the project here:https://yogisforfuture.org/

 

Wednesday 10th November

Press Conference – Visionary Leadership in climate emergency

The day started with a press conference moderated by Sonja. Speakers were Golo, Sister Jayanti and Mahesh Pandya, Directorof Friends of Environment, India. Golo shared his experience with Dadi Janki which inspired and supported all the renewable energy activities whole heartedly. Sister Jayanti highlighted the importance of having a vision of goodness. This then makes goodness practical in our lives, our relations and creates harmony in nature. Mahesh informed the audience of Mahatma Ghandi’s philosophy specially handling or avoiding waste. He said “Your life is your message “.
See the press conference here.

 Building trust

Geneva Interfaith Forum held an event at the Albany Centre in Glasgow, ‘Human Rights and Ethics in the field of Adaptation and Resilience: Building Trust’, with speakers: Lindsey Fielder Cook, Quakers UN Office; Iemaima Jennifer Vaai, Fiji Pacific Conference of Churches; Athena Peralta, Philippines/Switzerland, World Council of Churches; Sister Maureen Goodman, Brahma Kumaris; Yeb Sano, Video Message Pilgrimages; Natan Schumann, LWF delegate; and Dr Alexandra Masako Goossens-Ishii, Soka Gakkai International.  The first presentation given by Yeb Sano, sharing through video from the Philippines was followed by the other panellists who shared in turn and responded to questions from the audience. The panel was expertly moderated by Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, ACT Alliance. Valeriane, founding member of Geneva Interfaith Forum, and Ruth also participated.

Swedish Ambassador to the UK Johanna Nilsson meeting UNEP youth representatives to
Stockholm + 50 conference next year – Jin Tanaka from Japan and BK Shantanu from India.

Towards a global transformation

Among the many calls for action during COP26, perhaps one of the most persuasive and urgent has been for a transformation in the way we think, which would – in turn – change how we behave towards the planet.

Finding alternative ways of thinking, acting and being, featured in two events this week organized by the Brahma Kumaris. Speakers gave deep insight into perspectives that draw on feminine wisdom, and on indigenous traditions and practices. Audience reaction was overwhelmingly positive.

 

Tread lightly on the earth

In “Healthy Minds, Healthy Planet”, organized by Inner Space, Glasgow in the city’s Trades Hall, Sister Jayanti said that we are comfortable when we connect with our original qualities of peace, love and joy. By contrast, we know that negative feelings and states of mind disturb us.

Following the principle: “When I change, the world changes”, we can decide to reconnect with the positive qualities, and transform our relationships with ourselves, with others and with the planet. Anger dissipates and we feel gratitude for what we have.

Tread lightly on the earth. Don’t walk with heaviness – feel light and easy,” she said.

Physician, writer and speaker Dr. David Hamilton said bringing a habit of kindness into our lives could be transformative.

He advocated practicing “kindfulness rather than mindfulness”. This brings physiological benefits by enhancing the neuroplasticity of the brain, and heart and cardiovascular health. And it leads to a happier life, in which moments of joy become part of our daily experience, and our relationships benefit.

The capacity of the mind to “create a new reality” featured in Golo Pilz’s speech, as he described how working on renewable energy projects at BK headquarters in Rajasthan, India, led him to approach obstacles afresh.

The Energy Advisor to the Brahma Kumaris said whenever a challenge arose, the senior spiritual leaders, or “wise elders”, advised him to eschew worry, and visualize the solution. It clearly demonstrated – in practice – the power of positive thinking, and this applies across the board, including in climate action.

Speaking up: the feminine and indigenous view

Feminine and Indigenous Leadership for a Sustainable World

The SDG Pavilion hosted a panel of five women from various backgrounds in academia, indigenous and spiritual cultures, media and policy advice. The conversation, on the topic of “Feminine and indigenous leadership towards a sustainable world,” led to profound insights and an empowering, inclusive atmosphere. Speakers stated that enhancing resilience means anchoring yourself in belonging to the world family instead of just a country or territory. They added that it is essential to reconnect to our roots within our connectedness, wisdom, and strength. That requires decolonizing our thinking, overcoming inferiorization and reclaiming our original dignity. They added that leadership styles are an expression of care that comes from understanding the needs of others — one in which humility, listening and collaborating are core values that are being lived.

Re-discovering our connectivity with the whole system of the natural world, and with each other, was a central theme of an inspiring discussion hosted by the Institute of Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) in the Blue Zone.

Facilitated by Carolin Fraude, IASS researcher, it brought scholarly, spiritual and personal perspectives to a discussion on feminine and indigenous ways of leadership.

In traditional (indigenous) cultures, connectivity encompasses land, natural resources, and social and economic structures. Speakers outlined balanced and mutually sustaining relationships between humans and the natural world, with examples from India, Papua New Guinea and Sudan.

Far from being a commodity, land is viewed in the spirit of custodianship, and there is a long ancestral connection to it, noted Azza Dirar, University of East Anglia.

Sister Jayanti added that a sense of “belonging” may rest on a spiritual foundation. Travelling extensively, she finds stability in the consciousness of being part of the whole human family. On this we build a sense of love and respect for others.

Turning to leadership qualities, Sister Jayanti identified humility and a collaborative approach as key characteristics. While not exclusive to women, they are qualities she has seen in practice among the BKs’ leaders: Highly unusually in the context of the Sub-continent, the movement’s leadership is all female.

The position of indigenous Indian women was taken up by youth activist, Archana Soreng from Orissa, who called for them to have safe, enabling spaces in which to take full part in the discourse and in action:

Make us leaders of climate action, not victims of climate policy,” she urged.

The discussion touched the hearts of speakers and audience. Clearly moved, panelist Lisa Plattner said young people (in the west) are “over-schooled.” The emphasis on developing head rather than heart leads also to thinking in silos, when what is needed is system-change to solve the climate crisis:

I see a clear path now for us across the globe, in respecting all living individuals on the planet. We know how to do it.

Summarizing, Carolin Fraude highlighted rediscovering our inner voice and place in harmony with the rhythm of life, anchored in a sense of spiritual connection.

Audience reaction was notably positive – a few comments:

“This is what we seek – an inclusive world”….. “The authenticity and integrity of the conversation” …… “The idea of belonging, with different layers and dimensions”….. “We don’t have to know the solutions, but have a feminine approach of connection and collaboration” …… “On a spiritual level, I felt very encouraged.”

Raising their voices, calling for justice

A recurring theme – and social media meme – surrounding COP26 is how far the concerns of ordinary people are being heard. Cries of “greenwashing” are getting louder.

“Is anyone listening to us?” has become a leitmotif, especially among the young.

Meanwhile, faith groups have called for climate justice to move centre-stage, with meetings this week to advocate for financial support for nations most affected by global heating, and to call for ecocide to become enshrined in international criminal law.

On Saturday, up to 100,000 people marched through Glasgow to voice their concern about the climate emergency and to underscore their right to be heard.

Cries of -greenwashing- are getting louder

The march was organized by COP26 Coalition, the group behind the People’s Summit, a multi-faceted gathering for civil society that runs alongside the official UN-sponsored negotiations. It was among some 250 marches in cities across the world, and followed Fridays’ protest with speakers including Greta Thunberg and Vanessa Nakate.

BK delegates joined the faith block and spent four hours waiting and walking. It poured with rain and the wind blew cold, but meeting many friends along the way warmed our hearts’” said Ruth Liddle, from Inner Space, Manchester.

Valériane Bernard, BK UN representative, added: “The sound of songs and laughter, the smiles of strangers becoming one, the warmth of human fragility and the desire to make a difference filled the rainy climate with sun in such a way that when a rainbow shone in the sky all celebrated in an impromptu cheer.”

A rainbow was cheered by all

Creating safe spaces for dialogue

Also on Saturday, in the UNFCCC Blue Zone, an event by Open Dialogues on Climate Change heard young and indigenous people around the globe put forward ideas for tackling the crisis.

Established earlier this year by Zuzanna Borowska and Daniel Polak, the Dialogues have reached over 50 countries, with local teams on the ground organizing forums where people from politics, business and science meet youth and others. The focus is on exchanging experiences, empowering participants, and finding solutions, respectfully and openly.

BK Shantanu Mandal, from India, highlighted individual and collective awareness of climate concerns, and of prioritizing education to raise awareness among both teachers and students. Jordanian activist Zara Abu Taher emphasized translating awareness into practice, according to community needs and priorities.

National teams reported on outcomes. Among them: from the UK, a call for a “pay to pollute” statute; from Mexico, a focus on coastal zones and water resources, and a call for institutional protection for environmental activists (the organization Global Witness reported that, across the world, 227 activists were murdered in 2020 – including a campaigner for indigenous rights in Mexico*); and from Indonesia, where a Mandala Open Dialogue for local and indigenous youth provided a safe space to speak up and build capacity.

Inside the blue zone

Towards climate justice

The need to establish an adequate financial mechanism to help the world’s poorest deal with the climate emergency was highlighted this week, with faith groups urging rich countries to fulfill their moral obligations. They drew attention to the link between climate justice and human rights.

Make COP Count, an informal group drawn from UK faith communities, highlighted the huge loss and damage suffered by countries least able to bear the costs.

Wealthy countries should provide finance – as grants rather than loans that simply increase their debt burden – on the principle of “the polluter pays”; and public funds must no longer be used for fossil fuels, they said.

This came at a time when a US-based hedge fund was reported by the British newspaper The Financial Times to have profited to the tune of $400 million in October alone from volatility in natural gas prices, by speculative buying as prices fell, and selling as they rose.

At another meeting on Monday, Faith for Ecocide Law, Rev. James Bhagwan, Pacific Islands, noted that ecocide law – like human rights law – would provide an essential safety net. He argued that it establishes “a line that is not to be crossed” and it is essential – now.

*Source: BBC News report, 13 September

Windy and wet conditions did not deter Saturday’s marchers….

Climate Justice

Christian Aid and Make COP Count invited faithleaders to share on the topic of climate justice in  a series of talks. Sister Jayanti shared a panel together with Lowell Bliss, Director of Eden Vigil, and Alton P. Bell, Pastor of Wembley Church on the questions: Why is climate justice an issue for you and what are the issues that are close to your heart?How can people of faith play a role i n working for climate justice?

Panelists Christian Aid Program

Wednesday 10th November

 Stockholm + 50

In June2022 UNEP will commemorate the 50thanniversary of the UN conference on Human Environment which took place in Stockholm. A youth task force was established during COP26 in order to bring the voice of youth to the conference. Shantanu, who is the facilitator of the youth group at UNEP was invited to facilitate an intergenerational panel. Mr. Per Bolund, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Environment and Climate, Sweden, and Ms. Inger Anderson, Executive Director UNEP, appointed as the Secretary General for Stockholm+50, amongst others, participated in the online event hosted at the EU pavilion.

Co-Creative Reflection & Dialogue Pavilion Space

The Brahma Kumaris hosted several sessions at the Co-Creative Reflection & Dialogue Pavilion Space of the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS). The overall intention of the pavilion is to foster an integrative communication culture to support delegations in their work and to build networks for change. This is connected to a research project, more information here. Some programs were:

Shifting Consciousness and Paradigms towards a Sustainable Future – Maureen and Carolin facilitated a reflective process to enable deeper understanding on the nature of paradigms that need to shift and how these interrelate with the needed change in consciousness.

Feminine Leadership – moderated by Carolin and Lisa Planner with Sister Jayanti as a guest speaker. The topic of “Serving Leadership” was taken up, considering all the selfishness around.  Instead, by becoming an example for humility, we can see what is really needed for others.

Spirit of Humanity Forum & IASS – Is COP 26 leading us towards a loving world? This was the question posed to a small dialogue group at the Co-creative and reflective dialogue space at the pavilion of IASS. In a reflective dialogue, hosted by Maureen Goodman and Tom Bruhn, the group discussed the tensions that arise when we work in silos and ‘fight’ for a cause. We understand love through its many expressions including empathy and generosity. A holistic vision enables healing and a movement towards flourishing for all life on earth.  As a basis for decision making, one needs a balance of head and heart and a vision of equal value for all beings.  The group expressed a deep motivation to honour the importance of a spiritual practice to empower actions.

While trying out the Virtual Reality Headsets Sister Jayanyti and Golo got lost in outer space.

 

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