Parliament of Worlds Religion 1999 Capetown SA

Author(s): Parliament of the World’s Religions
Publisher: USA Parliament of the Worlds Religions

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1 9 9 9 PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD S RELIGIONS Ρ Α R L Ι Α Μ Ε Ν Τ S Υ Μ Ρ Ο S Ι Α
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: A Religious Perspective on Integrating Ecology, Economy and Community
The future of the Earth depends upon our ability to create a new balance between ecology, economy, and communitywhat we now call sustainable development. We must move from the exploitation of people and the rest of nature to a relationship of cooperation and interdependence. Religious communities are where this kind of learning and reflection needs to occur, but there are many unanswered questions: • How can religious congregations mine the depths of their
own traditions as sources of understanding and motivation for compelling visions of sustainability? How can those visions be turned into a comprehensive program of transformation? What is the particular role of cities in moving toward a
sustainable world? This symposium provides an opportunity for an inclusive discussion of sustainable development from many different perspectives. It will explore common goals and potentially. greater cooperation on specific action agendas. Because cities are increasingly where the world's peoples live, specific focus will be given to issues of urban sustainability. Schedule and Location: This symposium will take place at the University of Cape Town, Leslie Building, on the following dates: Saturday, December 4 2:00 pm - 5:30 p.m. Sunday, December 5 2:00 p.m. -5:30 p.m. 4 December, 10:00 am - 11:00 a.m., Room 2D Major Presentation Nature: Nice or Necessity? In this session Dr. Brendan Mackey shares his understanding that the underpinning concept of Sustainable Development is the notion that human well-being is ultimately dependent on a healthy Biosphere. This is often defined in terms of the need to protect global life-support systems. But what exactly are these systems, how are they being degraded, and if they are to be protected what kinds of constraints does this impose on the human enterprise? These questions are addressed with reference to the hydrological and carbon cycles. The implications for rural and urban life in the new millennium are also examined. Dr. Mackey is a Reader in Ecology and Environmental Science at the Australian National University. His current main field of research is the role of forests in the global carbon cycle. He is also Associate Editor for Environmental Conservation, an international journal of environmental science published by Cambridge University Press. Mackey is also involved in the Earth Charter Project. Concurrent Sesssions 4 December, 11:15 am - 12:15 am Session A: Lecture Room A Training Clergy: Educating for Sustainability Richard Clugston, USA Director, Earth Charter Campaign, Director, Center for Respect for Life and the Environment, Washington, D.C., USA Session B: Lecture Room B
Green Nuns: Religious Women and Congregations as Creators of Sustainable Development On Their Lands Prof. Rosemary Ruether, Georgia Harkness Professor of Applied Theology, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Evanston, IL, USA. In this presentation Rosemary Ruether, feminist ecological theologian will review some of the history of monasticism in relation to harmony with nature to show resources for ecological communtarianism today. She will then discuss some of the development of eco-justice centers among American women religious, both in their theoretical roots, and spirituality and in their current practices. Session C: Lecture Room C Corporate Social Responsibility Dr. David W. Chappell, Professor, University of Hawaii at Manoa In this workshop, Dr. Chapple will outline the evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility in the United States, and outline the reasons for its death in the 1980s (globalization, new technologies and informed customers). Discussions will then commence on the programs and organizations business leaders have created and supported, in transforming their companies, both within the United States and in developing countries, to become partners with, and not exploiters of communities, as well as caretakers of the environment. 4 December, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., Room 2D Major Presentation The Particular Contribution that Religions Have to Make to Development In this presentation, Ms. Tyndale will address the practical contributions which religions make to sustainable development (such as, their closeness to and thus intimate knowledge of the poor and their sense of service and willingness to give voluntary help). She will also address some of the problems like religious tradition's diversion from their true role which development work can sometimes cause and the temptation to use development work to recruit people. Finally, she will explore the spiritual contribution that religious institutions make to sustainable development. Ms. Wendy Tyndale is the co-coordinator of the World Faiths Development Dialogue. From 1986-1994 she was head of the Latin America and Caribbean Department of Christian Aid. She then spent two years in Guatemala coordinating a joint Central American office of five major European ecumenical agencies. In 1998, she was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury to become the co-coordinator of the World Faiths Development Dialogue. Wendy Tyndale has also worked as a free lance journalist and has published many articles on development and social issues Concurrent Sesssions 4 December, 3:15 p.m. - 4:15 pm Session A: Lecture Room A Global Financial Markets Kimberly Powers, Students for Responsible Business, Vice President, Net Impact, University of Hawaii at Manoa. The world economy increasingly affects the quality of life for more people than any other single factor. However, as George Soros has observed, global financial markets are amoral at best, and are capable of threatening entire economies. How can religious communities keep informed, help to evaluate, and work to influence multinational corporations and global financial practices? Discussion will focus both on general principles and practical methods.
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