At the 10th World Assembly of Religions for Peace, religious and spiritual leaders from all over the world united to affirm their commitment to end tropical deforestation and stand in solidarity with the indigenous peoples that serve as their guardians.
Recognizing the need for urgent and decisive action to address deforestation as a driver of species loss, deepening inequality and climate change, over 900 religious leaders from 125 countries endorsed the “Faiths for Forests Declaration.”
The Declaration recognizes a “profound moral obligation to make care for tropical forests a top spiritual priority” and commits religious leaders to raising awareness about the deforestation crisis within their communities, places of worship and congregations as an expression of their care for the Earth.
The Declaration was presented to the World Assembly by Bishop Gunnar J. Stålsett, Honorary President of Religions for Peace and Bishop Emeritus of Oslo (Norway), and Sonia Guajajara, indigenous representative of Brazil, signaling a new era of cooperation between faith communities and indigenous peoples for common action on one of the most pressing issues of our time.
The Interfaith Rainforest Initiative is currently working on protecting the rainforests of Brazil, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia and Peru. For more information, you can follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @iriforests or visit www.interfaithrainforest.org