Churches Caring for Creation and Climate Justice
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Caring for Creation Time for climate justice What can you do? • Engage with your local church on activities which care for creation. • Pray for those most vulnerable to climate change consequences. Remember 1 September – 4 October 2009 is Time for Creation and visit http://oikoumene.org. • To learn more what the WCC is doing on care for creation and climate change and support this work, visit the WCC web site at http://oikoumene.org/climatechange. • Subscribe free for WCC climate change updates at the WCC website: http://oikoumene.org and click on “Sign-up for e-news.” • Join the Ecumenical Countdown to Copenhagen Campaign and sign the international pledge at http://countdowntocopenhagen.org. • Join others who work to save the earth and call for an ambitious, fair and binding deal in Copenhagen. See, the tck, tck, tck campaign, http://tcktcktck.org, in which the WCC participates. For more information: Guillermo Kerber E-mail: [email protected] Tel: +41 22 791 64 24 Some WCC Resources on These Issues • HALLMAN, David G. (ed.), Ecotheology. Voices from South and North, Geneva/New York, WCC/ Orbis Books, 1994. • RASMUSSEN, Larry L., Earth community, earth ethics, Geneva, WCC, 1996. • HALLMAN, David G., Spiritual values for earth community, Geneva, WCC, 2000. • Check for statements and other documents, including the dossier, Climate Change and the World Council of Churches at http://oikoumene.org/climatechange. The receding Franz Josef Glacier in Southern New Zealand. NASA/courtesy of nasaimages.org Kevin Connors
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Churches Caring for Creation and Climate Justice
Transcript of Churches Caring for Creation and Climate Justice
- 1. Some WCC Resources on These Issues HALLMAN,DavidG.(ed.),Ecotheology. Voices from South and North,Geneva/NewYork,WCC/ Caring for OrbisBooks,1994. RASMUSSEN,LarryL.,Earth community, earth Creation ethics,Geneva,WCC,1996.Time for climate justice HALLMAN,DavidG., Spiritual values for earth community,Geneva,WCC,2000. Checkforstatementsandotherdocuments, includingthedossier,Climate Change and the World Council of Churchesathttp://oikoumene.org/climatechange.Kevin Connors The receding Franz Josef Glacier in Southern New Zealand. What can you do? Engagewithyourlocalchurchonactivities whichcareforcreation. Prayforthosemostvulnerabletoclimatechange consequences.Remember1September 4October2009isTimeforCreationandvisit http://oikoumene.org. TolearnmorewhattheWCCisdoingoncare forcreationandclimatechangeandsupportthis work,visittheWCCwebsiteat http://oikoumene.org/climatechange. SubscribefreeforWCCclimatechangeupdates attheWCCwebsite:http:/ /oikoumene.organd clickonSign-upfore-news. JointheEcumenicalCountdowntoCopenhagen Campaignandsigntheinternationalpledgeat http:/ /countdowntocopenhagen.org. Joinotherswhoworktosavetheearthand callforanambitious,fairandbindingdealinFor more information: Copenhagen.See,thetck,tck,tckcampaign,NASA/courtesy of nasaimages.orgGuillermo Kerber http://tcktcktck.org,inwhichtheWCCparticipates. E-mail: [email protected]: +41 22 791 64 24
2. The effects ofsocietyorganizationstobemoreeffectiveintheiractionandadvocacyforclimatejustice.climate change are Theurgencyof thesituationcallspeoplesandchurchestoactimmediately.Thisactionforbeing experienced climatejusticeshouldbeseenaspartof thecalltoconversion,whichimpliesaprofoundchangedramatically in intherelationshipwithnature,economicpolicies,consumption,productionanddevelopmentpatterns.some countries andSharing and Advocatingregions of the world,particularly in Africa, TheWCCeffortshavecombinedthesharingof initiativesdevelopedbychurchesandotherthe Caribbean, theecumenicalpartnerswithadvocacyrelatedtotheUnitedNations.ChurchesareincreasinglyaddressingPacific and South thecausesandconsequencesof climatechange.TheWCCdelegationshaveadvocatedatallConferenceEast Asia.of Parties(COP)of theUNFrameworkConventiononClimateChange,havingsubmittedstatements, ComprehensivepoliciesareurgentlyneededTheinspirationandcalltoorganizedside-eventsandecumenicalandinter-topromoteadaptationprogrammesincountries careforcreationandaddress religiouscelebrations.severelyaffectedbyclimatechange.Atthesame climatechangearerootedinthetimestrongmitigationmeasures(especiallythroughBible,whichteachesthewholenessthereductionof CO2emissions)shouldbetaken of creation.Godcreateshumantoreversetheincreasingglobalwarming.Christianbeingsandchargeshumanitytocareforchurchesaredeeplyengagedintheseendeavours. theearth,tobestewardsof it(Genesis1:28). TheClimateChangeprogrammeof theWorldThewholecreationhasbeengroaningasintheCouncilof Churchesstartedin1988,asafollow-painsof childbirthrightuptothepresenttimeupof theworkdoneonsustainablecommunities (Romans8:22).beginninginthemid70s.Theseeffortsbrought FromaChristianecumenicalperspectiveclimateenvironment,economicandsocialconcernstogether. changeisapproachedinaholisticwaytakingitsTheConvocationonJustice,PeaceandIntegrityof differentdimensions(environmental,social,politicalCreation,heldinSeoul,Korea,in1990,framedworkandcultural)intoconsideration.whichhascontinueduptonow. Climatechangeisalsoamatterof justice,asthosewhoareandwillincreasinglybeaffectedare theimpoverishedandvulnerablecommunitiesof theA Biblical and Ethical ImperativeglobalSouthwhodonothavethemeanstoadaptto thechange(MinuteonGlobalWarmingandClimateWhencreationisthreatenedbyclimatechangechurchesChange,WCCCentralCommittee,Geneva,Feb.2008).andChristiansarecalledtospeakoutandactasan Nowisthetimeforclimatejustice.TheWCCexpressionof theircommitmenttolife,justiceandlove. hasjoinedchurches,otherecumenicalactorsandcivil Niksa ArneCO2 emissions are one of the most prevalent causes of global warming. Kiribati, 2005: king tides wash over islands.
