Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist and Daoist and Indigenous leaders from 21 countries have launched a global effort to end deforestation in rainforests. Launching the Interfaith Rainforest Initiative at a conference in Oslo on June 19-21, religious and indigenous leaders spoke with forest advocates, climate scientists and human rights experts to develop goals and actions, along with milestones to mark their progress. They intend to follow up with an action plan and a global interfaith rainforest summit in 2018.<\/p>\n
This marks the first time religious leaders from a broad spectrum of faiths are working hand-in-hand with indigenous peoples, the world\u2019s leading rainforest guardians, to call upon and activate billions of people of faith worldwide to stand up for rainforests. The leaders said the initiative will bring needed moral attention and spiritual commitment to bear on global efforts to end deforestation and protect the tropical rainforests \u2013 forests that are fundamental to human life, the planet\u2019s health and reducing the emissions fueling climate change.<\/p>\n
The group was convened by Norway\u2019s International Climate and Forest Initiative, Rainforest Foundation Norway and the United Nations Development Program, in cooperation with the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale University, Green Faith, the Parliament of the World\u2019s Religions, Religions for Peace, REIL Network and the WCC. The gathering was attended by His Majesty King Harald V of Norway.
\nThe initiative is linked to a surge of recent grassroots action in which environmental, climate and indigenous rights issues are being embraced as spiritual imperatives that strike a chord with multiple faiths and traditions.<\/p>\n