Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development

Interfaith Center for
Sustainable Development

Type	Non-governmental organization
Focus	Interfaith, Environmental Sustainability
Location	Jerusalem, Israel
Website	http://www.interfaithsustain.com

The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development (ICSD) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to catalyze a transition to a sustainable, thriving, and spiritually aware society through the leadership of faith communities. Its projects promote inter-religious cooperation on environmental sustainability and involve religious leaders, seminary students, and communities in several countries. Founded in 2010, ICSD is based in Jerusalem.^[1]

Engaging Seminaries Project

This project encourages divinity schools, seminaries, and theological schools to educate their students on the relationship between faith and ecology. As part of the project, ICSD has published multiple reports about courses for seminarians on faith and ecology being offered by seminaries around the world, and created the world's largest online syllabus collection of such courses.^[2]

Report on Faith and Ecology Courses in North American Seminaries

ICSD published a Report on Faith and Ecology Courses in North American Seminaries, based on support of the Julia Burke Foundation. The release of the report in June 2015 coincided with the release of Pope Francis’s Encyclical "Laudato Si: On care for our Common Home." The report was revised and expanded in September and November, 2015, following input from seminary deans about additional courses being offered.^[3] Research for the report indicated that the number as well as the diversity of courses on faith and ecology at institutions training seminarians in North America increased in the past number of years. Out of 231 seminaries investigated, over 165 courses were found to have been offered at over 55 seminaries, theological schools, and divinity schools in the United States and Canada.^[4]

Report on Catholic Ecology Courses in Catholic Seminaries

This report highlights ecologically themed courses offered at Catholic seminaries in North America, Rome, and the Holy Land.^[5]

Report on Faith and Ecology Teaching in Holy Land Seminaries

Released in March 2016, the Report on Faith and Ecology Teaching in the Holy Land Seminaries highlights the faith and ecology courses offered by various seminaries in the Holy Land, with a focus on Christian and Jewish seminaries.^[6]

Online Faith and Ecology Syllabus Collection

In collaboration with the Green Seminary Initiative and the Seminary Stewardship Alliance, ICSD provides an online, searchable syllabus collection of courses on faith and ecology.^[7]

The Faith and Science Earth Alliance

Founding members of the Faith and Science Earth Alliance

The Faith and Science Earth Alliance (FSEA) is a project of ICSD that holds low-impact, web-based meetings of eminent scientists and faith leaders from across the globe. These meetings are edited into short, powerful videos and disseminated through social media and news outlets to promote public awareness, political will, policy, and action.^[8] The FSEA also holds public events featuring presentations by these leaders. FSEA works to mobilize a coalition of faith and science that will recognize and help solve our ecological problems. In December 2014, FSEA organized an event at Columbia University in New York City. that featured eleven clergy, scientists, and others speaking on faith, science and ecology. A short video was produced following the event and distributed on social media.^[9] The event was held in advance of the People's Climate March.

Interfaith Environmental Conferences

The 17 Participants at ISSREC in Torreciudad, June 2016

Participation in the International Seminar on Science & Religion for Environment Care, Spain, 2016

In June, 2016, the International Seminar on Science and Religion for Environment Care^[10][11][12] took place in Torreciudad, Spain, and was organized by the Environmental Ethics chair of University of Alcalá, the Tatiana Perez de Guzman el Bueno Foundation and the Social Promotion of Culture Foundation. ICSD's founder and executive director, Rabbi Yonatan Neril, was one of seventeen participants in the Seminar, and participated in a press conference in Madrid following the event.^[13][14][15]

The Seminar produced a declaration, which stated: "The vast majority of people living on our planet believe in the importance of spiritual and religious traditions in their daily lives [...]." As Pope Francis wrote in Laudato Si': "This should spur religions to dialogue among themselves for the sake of protecting nature, defending the poor, and building networks of respect and fraternity” (§201).^[16] The Declaration contained six points on the impact science and religions can have together in promoting ecological sustainability, and emphasized how "we need Science and Religion working together to make this necessary change happen."^[17]

Participation in the Parliament of World Religions, Salt Lake City, 2015

The Parliament was partially focused on climate change, and featured religious leaders speaking out on the moral imperative to act. At the ‘Climate Change and You’ event, speakers included H.H. Swami Chidanand Saraswati, Rev. Michael Bernard Beckwith, Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, and ICSD director Rabbi Yonatan Neril.^[18] The event was organized and facilitated by the Global Interfaith WASH alliance. Rabbi Neril also spoke on a panel on Values Based Approaches to Social Justice & Sacred Activism, which was organized by Brahma Kumaris.^[19]

Participation in the Islamic Climate Change Symposium, Istanbul, 2015

The International Islamic Climate Change Symposium took place on August 17–18, 2015 in Istanbul and centered upon the launch of the Islamic Climate Change Declaration. Muslim clerics gathered with clergy of other faiths to offer, in the words of the Declaration, an "urgent and radical reappraisal" of modern society.^[20] Rabbi Yonatan Neril, ICSD's founder and director, attended and spoke at the Symposium.

Faith and Ecology Conference for Seminarians, Jerusalem, 2014

Faith and Ecology Conference for Seminarians in Jerusalem, 2014

On October 22, 2014, ICSD organized the Faith and Ecology Conference in Jerusalem, which brought together Christians, Jewish and Muslim clergy and seminary students. The gathering provided tools and inspiration to expand faith-based environmental teaching and action within seminaries. Over 100 clergy, seminary students and others participated in the event, which aimed to empower current and emerging faith leaders to be a powerful vehicle for environmental stewardship.^[21] Religious figures of all three Abrahamic faiths spoke on the connection between faith teachings and ecological stewardship, including Bishop William Shomali of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, head of Yeshivat Hesder Petach Tikva, and Imam Wassim Barhum of Ein Rafa. A scientific perspective on climate change and ecological issues was provided by Dr. Nurit Hashimony Yaffe from the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yafo.^[22]

The Conference was held at the Mishkenot Sha’ananim Conference Center in Jerusalem, and was co-organized by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development, and the Salesian Pontifical University—Jerusalem campus.^[23]

Interfaith Climate and Energy Conference, Jerusalem, 2012

The ICSD and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, held the Interfaith Climate and Energy Conference^[24] in Jerusalem on March 19, 2012. The Conference featured Jewish, Muslim, and Christian leaders^[25] from Israel, and via pre-recorded religious leaders who spoke on the ethical need^[26] and religious basis for improvements on climate change and the use of renewable energy. The conference aimed to promote change for environmental sustainability within religious communities in Israel and worldwide. A video was filmed as part of the conference.^[27] This conference was reported on from approximately thirty news outlets worldwide.

Panel of religious leaders from the 2012 Interfaith Climate and Energy Conference. From left to right: Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III, Rabbi Daniel Sperber, and Sheik Muhammed Amara.

Collaboration on Interfaith Event at UN Climate Change Conference, South Africa, 2011

ICSD collaborated with the Southern Africa Faith Communities Environment Institute and The Interfaith Declaration on Climate Change^[28] to organize two events in conjunction with the 2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference.^[29] The events featured a number of religious leaders and scientists who called for immediate action to address climate change.^[30] The speakers included Bishop Geoff Davis representing Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Christiana Figueres, head of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and Ela Gandhi, granddaughter of Mohandas Gandhi and a Member of Parliament in South Africa from 1994-2004.^[31]

2011 UN Climate Change Conference

Interfaith Eco Forum, Jerusalem, 2011

In July 2011, ICSD held a panel discussion featuring Christian, Jewish, and Muslim religious figures speaking on the importance of environmental conservation and how it relates to their respective religions.^[32] One speaker, Auxiliary Bishop to the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Msgr. William Shomali, stressed, "We are tourists on this land, and we will leave it one day, but we must leave it clean for the next generations, we must be accountable for how we use this common home."^[33] These sentiments were echoed by Deputy Minister of the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Religious Affairs Haj Salah Zuheika and AJC International Director of Inter-religious Affairs Rabbi David Rosen, who agreed that respect for nature is equivalent to a respect for G-d and for G-d's creations.^[34][35]

One Home Video Project

ICSD undertook a social media campaign based on the unique interfaith eco video, "We Have Only One Home: Global Faith Leaders Addressing the Ecological Crisis." Global faith leaders - including the Dalai Lama, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and Chief Rabbi Sacks - deliver a message of hope and inspiration on the importance of protecting the earth, our common home. They speak out on ecology, and advocating action for environmental sustainability.^[36][37] "We Have Only One Home" is the most recent addition to the web's largest video collection on faith and ecology, assembled by the ICSD. The video was posted on a number of sites including Deseret News^[38] and the Huffington Post.^[39] The video has been produced based on the support of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung^[40] and the Julia Burke Foundation.^[41]

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Holy Land Faith Leaders

ICSD submitted a statement to the Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land (CRIHL) pertaining to the Rio +20 United Nations Earth Summit.^[42] CRIHL represents the highest religious authorities in Israel. The statement by the ICSD proposed that inter-religious strife should be put aside so that people can work together to better the future of future generations. The statement also called on leaders everywhere to adopt science-based targets that society as a whole can work towards.

In May 2011, The Council of the Religious Institutions of the Holy Land endorsed a statement submitted by ICSD calling for religious and political leaders and faith communities to act to curb climate change. Some of the statement read, "We call on adherents of our faiths in the Holy Land and worldwide to address this crisis by undertaking a deep reassessment of our spiritual and physical relationship to this God-given planet and how we consume, use and dispose of its blessed resources ... We hope that environmental challenges in our common home of the Holy Land and Planet Earth move religious adherents to overcome inter-religious strife and work together for ours and our children’s common well-being."^[43]

Eco Israel Tours

Eco Tourism Israel.

Eco Israel Tours is a branch of the ICSD which provides a range of eco-tourism programs in Israel.^[44] Israel is – despite its challenges – a global leader in green solutions to environmental problems. Eco Israel Tours is looking to provide an interactive, dynamic experience of this exciting world within Israel by exploring contemporary challenges and solutions such as water and energy. Tours include a range of ecologically-oriented travel packages throughout Israel focussing on nature sites, eco innovation sites, and eco volunteering. These trips cover topics from "Israel in the Age of Globalized Food. Machane Yehuda Market, Jerusalem",^[45] over "Israeli Organic Farming",^[46] and "Green Tech and Renewable Energy in the Golan",^[47] to "Addressing Israel's Water Challenge. Ein Sataf Nature Reserve, Jerusalem Hills."^[48]

Jewish Eco Seminars

Summer 2012 Jewish Eco Seminars program.

Jewish Eco Seminars (JES) is another ICSD initiative that works with a range of Jews in Israel and North America to increase their ecological awareness and strengthen their Jewish identity.^[49] Currently JES offers 12 programs on a range of subjects for groups, couples and individuals, available in English, Spanish, and Hebrew. These programs include outdoor, experiential activities as well as talks and site visits.^[50] JES also offers programs in North America including talks, classes, and activities on Israel-focused Jewish environmental topics.^[51]

Core teachings on Judaism and the environment

From Tu Bishvat 5772 and 5773 (February 8, 2012 – January 26, 2013), Canfei Nesharim^[52] and Jewcology^[53] partnered to create a year of Jewish learning on environmental topics. The end result was 18 articles that relate information about Jewish tradition and teachings in regards to the environment. Rabbi Yonatan Neril, contributed to each of these articles.^[54] Topics include protecting flora and fauna, not wasting and focusing on sustainability, and improving individuals so they can better care for the Earth.

Jewish Climate Initiative

The Jewish Climate Initiative is a branch of JES and the ICSD. It focuses on tikkun olam (literally "repairing the world" in Hebrew) by providing a Jewish response to the current climate change crisis that threatens the ecosystems of Earth. Its focus areas are ethics, policy and activism, and science and technology, and how to utilize those areas to make a difference in the world.^[55]

Interfaith Workshops for Seminary Students on Sustainability

Yarkon Park Seminar Group.

The Interfaith Seminary Students Sustainability Project brings together Jewish, Muslim, and Christian seminary students^[56] from Israel for seminars on coexistence and ecological sustainability. These seminary students use their religious backgrounds to address the pressing matters of the environment. The seminars focus on environmental sustainability and human sustainability. Each session includes explorations of modern ecological and social challenges which are led by experts of the Jewish, Muslim, and Christian faiths.

Interfaith Eco Poetry Events

Two Performers in 2016

On Thursday, June 30, 2016, ICSD organized its second annual Interfaith Eco Spoken-word Poetry Slam^[57] in Jerusalem about the relationship between ecology and faith. The event, held at the Tmol Shilshom Cafe in Jerusalem, brought together a diverse lineup of poets and audience members from different faiths, cultures and nationalities with over 15 performers and 80 audience members. The performances focused on the common challenges and goals of environmental sustainability from a faith-based perspective. The event was organized by Marilena Bekierz of ICSD. Videos of many of the performances can be found on the official YouTube channel of ICSD.

On June 4, 2015, the ICSD organized its first Interfaith Eco Sermon Slam^[58] titled Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care in honor of the World Environment Day. This event took place in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Nachlaot, with about 60 Jewish, Christian, and Muslim attendees. The event was organized by Nadav Slovin and Ricki Silver of ICSD.

References