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Cerro Azul: Where the Amazon Preserves Its Memory
During the second session of IRI-Colombia’s Amazon Scientific Immersion Day, lawmakers, religious and community leaders, scientists, and journalists visited the La Lindosa mountain range—a living
Ethics, Spirituality, and Public Policy: A New Perspective for Addressing the Climate Crisis
Why should we talk about ethics or moral, religious, or spiritual imperatives when considering environmental justice? The need to integrate these dimensions into public policy,
Indigenous Autonomy Reshapes the Country’s Governance
Colombia stands as the only country in the Amazon biome to have transformed its political governance by granting indigenous communities full administrative rights over their
The Delicate Balance of the Amazon Biome
It took millions of years for one of the planet’s most complex ecological systems—the Amazon—to form. Today, various factors threaten to destroy it. At IRI-Colombia’s
The First Step Toward Parliamentary Action for the Amazon
Over the course of three days, members of Congress, scientists, religious leaders, and local officials toured the Amazon, observed the impact of deforestation from the
Understanding to Protect: The Amazon at the Heart of Colombia’s Decisions
Blanca Lucía Echeverry Bedoya, Director of IRI-Colombia There are places that cannot be understood from behind a desk. The Amazon is unique. We can analyze
They are irreplaceable. Not only do they exhibit creation in its most exquisite beauty, they provide millions of people with food, shelter, livelihoods, medicine and clean water. They are also the best climate solution we have. If protected and restored, rainforests can provide an indispensable contribution to sustainable development. Instead, they are at grave risk.
Extractive industries and land conversion for agricultural products like beef, soy, palm oil, and pulp and paper are driving tropical deforestation. In the last decade alone, an area of forest the size of the United Kingdom, France and Germany combined has been lost forever. This destruction is unnecessary and is undermining efforts by the international community to address climate change, sustainable development and human rights.
A coalition of indigenous peoples, government, business, science, NGO and civil society partners are working to halt deforestation. However, to achieve the speed and scale of change required, we need to bring the moral, ethical and spiritual dimension of humanity to bear more strongly on these efforts.
ABOUT US
The Interfaith Rainforest Initiative is an international, multi-faith alliance that aims to bring moral urgency and faith-based leadership to global efforts to end tropical deforestation. It is a platform for religious leaders to work hand-in-hand with indigenous peoples, governments, civil society and business on actions that protect rainforests and safeguard those that serve as their guardians.
We focus on three main goals:
Raise awareness of the tropical deforestation crisis by equipping religious leaders with the science, information and tools needed to serve as effective advocates for rainforest protection.
WHERE WE WORK
We work globally and in major rainforest countries to support religious leaders and spiritual communities that are mobilizing to protect rainforests.
We currently work in Brazil, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia and Peru, which together contain 70% of the world’s remaining tropical forests.
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