UN and CEE to Host Global Interfaith Dialogue on September 2

Access to food is a human right, but it remains out of reach for far too many. On Thursday, September 2, at 4 p.m. East Africa Time (9 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time), the Center for Earth Ethics will host the “Global Inter-faith Dialogue on Food Systems” which will address shared values and collaborations to improve food access, just transitions to achieve food security, and the next steps countries must take to achieve equitable food systems.

Confirmed speakers at the dialogue include the following:

• Dr. Meera Baindur, philosophy professor and ethics expert at Globalethics.net
• Rev. Dr Sabu K. Cherian, bishop of the Madhya Kerala Diocese of the Church of South India
• Steve Chiu, Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation’s representative at the United Nations
• Karenna Gore, founder and executive director of the Center for Earth Ethics
• Anwar Khan, president of Islamic Relief USA
• Lyla June Johnston, Indigenous public speaker, artist, scholar and community organizer of Diné (Navajo), Tsétsêhéstâhese (Cheyenne) and European lineages
• Rev. Andrew Morley, president and CEO of World Vision International

Dr. Agnes Kalibata, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy to the 2021 Food Systems Summit, and Andrew Schwartz, director of sustainability and global affairs at the Center for Earth Ethics, are the dialogue’s co-conveners. Dr. Manoj Kurian of the World Council of Churches is the dialogue’s curator.

The Global Inter-faith Dialogue on Food Systems will be the latest in a series of CEE-organized events leading up to the UN Food Systems Summit in New York on September 23, during the UN General Assembly. The dialogue is sponsored by hosted by CEE, Bread for the World, Islamic Relief Worldwide, the World Council of Churches, and World Vision.

In May and June, the Faith + Food Coalition convened five dialogues—organized along the Summit’s official Action Tracks—to offer faith-based, ethical perspectives on the global food crisis. The five dialogues explored how faith communities—including Indigenous communities—could support the transformation of global food systems toward something that was truly sustainable, accessible, equitable, and regenerative. Subsequently, CEE convened meetings to discuss faith-based approaches to food security for the WHO and for the United Nations Pre-Summit in Rome.

The Global Dialogue will be an opportunity for grassroots organizers, farmers, food advocates, and policymakers to share insights, critique the status quo, and develop holistic, inclusive recommendations.

We will post details—including speaker biographies—as they become available. This event is open to all at no charge, but registration is required.

REGISTER HERE