Journey Spirituality and Conservation at the World Conservation Congress

From September 1-10 the IUCN World Conservation Congress, an event held every four years, was held in Hawaii. In the final document, “The Commitments Hawaii” the first opportunity discussed to achieve the transformation required to promote a ‘Culture of Conservation’ is:
Linking Spirituality, Religion, Culture and Conservation: The world’s rich diversity of cultures and faith traditions are a major source of our ethical values and provide insights into ways of valuing nature. The wisdom of indigenous traditions is of particular significance as we begin to re-learn how to live in communion with, rather than in dominance over, the natural world. The Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’, the Islamic Declaration on Global Climate Change, and the Interfaith Climate Change Statement to World Leaders among many other statements from world religions, provide insights.
Solutions: To create a stronger culture of conservation, we need to look beyond mere technical means. The values and wisdom of indigenous peoples, Elders, and the world’s rich faith and spiritual communities offer a deeper understanding of our connections with nature, and help inform the necessary transformational changes in the financial, technological, industrial, governance and regulatory systems of our societies. To incorporate such insights, spiritual leaders and the conservation community need to come together to share the values that connect us. Artists, educators and innovators all can contribute to this expanded vision.
To know more or download the document:>> The Hawai’i Commitments – IUCN World Conservation Congress, Hawai’i 2016