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Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight program. I’m Liz Waid.
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And I’m Joshua Leo. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier to understand no matter where in the world they live.
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Since ancient times, people have fought religious wars. Christians and Muslims fought. Catholics and Protestants fought. Muslims and Jews fought. Hindus and Muslims fought. The list goes on and on.
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Still today, religious groups fight against other religious groups. And there are hundreds of different religions in the world. That is a lot of disagreement. But one group is trying to bring people from different religions together. What subject could do this? It is the environment! Today’s Spotlight is on the Alliance of Religions and Conservation.
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When people talk about protecting the environment, they often talk about science or politics. People often use science to argue that the environment is important. And they use politics to make changes in policy to protect the environment, from the local to the global level. Protecting the environment can be a difficult job. But one man had an idea to make that job easier. He believes that science is not the best ways to change people’s thoughts about the environment. And he believes that politics is not the only way to change actions. Instead, he believes religion is the best way.
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Martin Palmer is a Christian minister. He believes that religious groups are very important. They can spread the message of protecting the environment. From Christians, to Sikhs, Reverend Palmer wants to bring people from all religions together to save the earth. He does this by working for a group called The Alliance of Religions and Conservation or ARC.
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In 1986 Prince Philip from England was the president of WWF International, an important environmental group. It was not religious. But he thought that more religious people should be involved. So he asked five religious leaders to meet together. These leaders represented the five major world religions " Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. The Prince wanted these leaders to talk about how their faiths could help save the natural world. Some people were worried that the leaders could not work together. But this was not the case. Prince Philip asked the leaders to “Come, proud of your own tradition, but humble enough to learn from others.”
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People all over the world were excited about this meeting. It was the start of something important. It was the start of ARC. Shortly after the meeting, Martin Palmer began working with religious leaders on environmental projects through WWF. These leaders came from the five major faiths. By 1995, four other religious groups joined the group. Prince Philip saw the important work from the religious leaders. It was clear that there was enough work for a separate organization. So that year, he formed ARC.
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Since that time, the group has grown to include eleven [11] religions. It has worked with many groups around the world to encourage environmental protection. The group’s goal is simple. The group says this:
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“ARC’s image is of people, through their beliefs, walking more gently upon the earth.”
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The group wants to help religious groups understand their ability to affect the environment for good. It also wants to encourage non-religious groups to work with religious groups in protecting the environment. Around the world, religious groups control many resources. They own land, buildings and money. They invest in many projects. And they also reach into every village and community. People trust religious leaders for guidance. So the world’s religions can have a big effect on the environment.
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ARC works in four different ways. The first is by forming partnerships between religious and non-religious groups. The second is by communicating with religious groups to encourage environmental protection. The third way is through projects. These projects try to solve environmental problems. And the fourth way ARC works is by holding events and small groups to encourage environmental protection.
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Most religions hold beliefs about nature. But each religion has a different relationship with nature. Some religions believe that gods live in nature, in things such as rocks, and the wind. Other religions believe that humans are the caretakers of nature. But most religions believe that caring for the earth is important. This is the belief behind each ARC project. Let’s look at some of the projects that ARC has worked on throughout the world.
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In Thailand, ARC is working with Buddhist monks. The monks in the Nakon Ratchasima province often pray in the forests. People consider some of these forests to be holy. Arc works with the monks to keep these forests safe. The group also uses these forests as areas to teach people about how to care for forests.
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In Africa, ARC helped to form the African Muslim Environment Network, or AMEN. This group shares information about successful environmental development. They share this information with Muslim groups all around Africa. For example, AMEN is working with Muslim fishermen on the Kenyan coast. The group is encouraging them to bring back traditional fishing methods. These methods are better for the environment. The group also helps the fishermen sell the fish to hotels and restaurants - places where people share meals together.
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In the United Kingdom, ARC works with religious communities to protect the coast and local water areas. The group wants to use the religious history in this area to form a connection with the land and seas. ARC calls this work Sacred Seas.
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Martin Palmer helps organise many of these projects. He feels that religion is the best way to encourage people to care for the environment. He says this:
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“I work with many many many different religious traditions. And my understanding of my God is that he is not there to solve the problems. My God says ‘you are co-creators with me.’ It is not about, if we pray hard enough, God will end climate change. Yes, we should pray to God, but we should also get off our backsides, get out there, and do something about it.”
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And that is exactly what ARC is doing. They are showing the world that religious people care for the environment. They are showing that by working together, we can make a difference no matter what we believe. ARC is showing that we can look past our differences, and find a common desire to care for the earth.
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