________________
RELIGION
AND ENVIRONMENT
by: DR. NARENDRA P. JAIN FORMER INDIAN AMBASSADOR TO UN
NEW DELHI, INDIA
June 6th, 1992
SPEECH DELIVERED AT THE PLENARY SESSION OF THE
PARLIAMENTARY EARTH SUMMIT
1. To create a global disaster relief program of volunteer and expert service, that can respond to environmental disaster much in the same way as the International Red Cross, when humans are endangered; 2. To mobilize a global volunteer corps of citizens, banded together through Green Cross Chapters who are trained to be environmentally astute, and who are alert and ready to solve local problems and monitor community programs for this and future generations. It is intended to be a grass-roots movement - both populist and democratic. This is all quite fine and let us wish success to the new venture. I would, however, like to propose the simultaneous formation of an International Spiritual Green Brigade which could bring priests, preachers and monks from different religions to a single platform of active service in an effort to promote healthy ecology. Let the preachers and the priests, monks and Bhikshus, go out to the streets and homes where social evils are to be eradicated by inculcating spiritual culture and conviction. God lives in the hearts of the abused and abandoned children and the poorest of the poor. We were all
The dialogue on "Religion and Environment" has been thought provoking. It is a welcome sign that the approach to linking Religion and Environment is at once dynamic and not ridden with dogma. It is not a question of bringing the church and the state together; it is more the issue of applying the lofty principles of religion in the policy-making process which would influence the future of humanity on this planet. Both thinking and action on the part of individuals, society, or state, must be inspired by the deeper considerations of humanitarianism, compassion and cooperative co-existence. One of the panelists put it very beautifully: "No religion is an island." Let a message go out of this Parliamentary Earth Summit that all religious leaders will unite to work together for a better ecology, both internally and externally. There may be nuances of differences in religious theory, perceptions, customs and traditions, but in the field of arousing awareness among human beings, let them work together. Indeed they have to, if we wish to save the Earth from ecological devastation. We have heard of a proposal to launch an International Green Cross. Indeed it is to be adopted at tomorrow's concluding plenary session. President Mikhail Gorbachev has consented to be its first Chairman. The mission of the I.G.C. is two fold:
Peace will never happen until we can laugh at the stitches in
our maps where we think we really split the planet into parts....
- Joseph Pintauro
Page 24
His Holiness Acharya Sushil Kumar Ji Maharaj
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