Water and Spirituality for Climate Adaptation: UNFCC COP 26

Water and Spirituality for Climate Adaptation: A Community Webinar
Tuesday, October 19
7 a.m. New York | 1 p.m. CEST

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What does a spiritual view on climate challenges look like? Can spirituality prove to be a source of resilience to climate change effects? How do we build upon our water-related cultural heritage to forge strategies for climate change adaptation?

On Tuesday, October 19, join Senior Fellow Mona Polacca, CEE Advisory Board member Marvie Misolas, and other representatives of Indigenous groups and faith-based communities for a dialogue that will address these and other questions about water-related spirituality.

People have always understood the dependence on water to sustain life, health, economies and ecosystems. All societies and religions have developed visions, rituals and practices related to water. Despite this water-related cultural heritage, its significance for present and future climate challenges is not widely recognized, because of the complexity of our relations with water and disciplinary and institutional divides between water managers and heritage experts.

The dialogue aims to initiate a converation among spiritual leaders in advance of the UN Water Decade Midterm Review in New York in 2023.

The program (subject to change) includes the following:

• Moderator: Sergio Ribeiro, Director General of CIRAT, Brazil, and Board Member of ICOMOS ISC Water
• A vision on adaptation to climate change in the Laudato si’, the second encyclical of Pope Francis: Maria Hammershoy, Secretary General, Caritas Denmark
• A vision on adaptation to climate change: Austin Núñez, Leader of the Wa:k Community, San Xavier District of the Tohono O’odham Nation near Tucson, Arizona, USA and Mona Polacca, Native American Spiritual Elder: Hopi, Tewa, Havasupai traditions, Arizona, USA
• A vision on adaptation to climate change: Valériane Bernard, Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University UN Representative
• A vision on adaptation to climate change – A Buddhist Perspective: Dharma Master Hsin Tao, Founding Abbot of the Ling Jiou Mountain Buddhist Society and founder of the Museum of World Religions
• A vision on adaptation to climate change – Iberê Guarani Mbyá, Leadership, Guanary People, Brazil
• A vision on adaptation to climate change – Sister Marvie Misolas, Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic’s
• Reflection on the dialogue by representative of the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations

The dialogue aims to initiate a conversation among spiritual leaders to inspire the UN Water Decade Midterm Review to be held in New York in 2023. It is organized by the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Water and Heritage, or ISC Water, which bridges these divides through dialogues among political, professional and spiritual leaders, interdisciplinary research, collecting and disseminating best practices, and developing guidance.

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