30th January – 1st February, 2020
Jakarta, Indonesia
Over 250 leaders gathered this week to launch an historic commitment to protect the third largest tropical rainforest area in the world! The two-day launch event of the Interfaith Rainforest Initiative convened religious and indigenous representatives from major forest areas across Indonesia at the Indonesian Ministry of Environment & Forestry. The event inspired a whole new vision for the collaboration among all faith traditions to end tropical deforestation and defend the rights of indigenous peoples. Moved by the urgency of preserving this vital ecosystem, the leaders of the 8 major religions of Indonesia stood together with the Indigenous Peoples’ Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN), and declared: “The destruction and loss of tropical forests is not consistent with the teachings and principles of religion, traditional beliefs and values, nor the State Constitution, which mandates that every human being maintain the integrity of nature and social justice. We recognize the destruction and loss of tropical forests as a threat to the sustainability of human life for generations to come, so we demand immediate and decisive action.” The Interfaith Rainforest Initiative in Indonesia will be carried forward by an Advisory Council, representing the broad coalition between religious communities, indigenous peoples, civil society, the scientific community and the United Nations.
