On April 20th 2021 at 12pm (CEST), the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (DPIHD) and the Vatican COVID-19 Commission, in collaboration with their partners LISTEN, GCCM, REBAC, RAOEN, CIDSE, CYNESA, USG and UISG, ISVUMI, Columban Missionaries, Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology and the Parliament of the World’s Religions, hosted the online event “A Laudato Si’ inspired Biodiversity Webinar: The Road to Cop15”. The webinar featured Cardinal Peter K.A. Turkson, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Development and Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE Founder - the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger for Peace, and explored how Laudato si’ and its reflection on biodiversity can contribute to transformative change within the global community.
The online event shared wisdom, understandings, experiences, examples and insights on biodiversity to educate, advocate and inspire biodiversity protection and restoration ahead of the two global events: COP15 and COP26. The goal of the online dialogue was to find new pathways forward as a human family and rebalance social systems with nature in the wake of Covid-19.
“We must act together so that there is no more biodiversity loss and prioritize restoring degraded ecosystems, including on church land. We can grow Laudato Si’ gardens, living chapels, support regenerative agriculture and agroecology practices that protect and nourish human and planetary health,” said Cardinal Peter Turkson in his opening remarks.
Dr. Jane Goodall reflected on how everyone has a role to play in protecting the biodiversity. “We need to reduce the unsustainable lifestyles of so many of us on this planet who have way more than we need (and very often more than we want), “ she said “We have to think about the choices we make each day."
The webinar, which was held in English with French, Italian, Portoguese and Spanish translations, highlighted the vital role that faith-science dialogue had to rebalance social systems with nature in the wake of Covid-19. The speakers were moderated by Susana Espinosa-Soto, Coord. of Covid-19 project for the pan-amazon region - PUCE University and the Q&A session was moderated by Jacqueline Remond, Co-Coordinator of the Ecology Taskforce of the Vatican Covid-19 Commission. Closing remarks were given by Rev. Dr. Joshtrom Isaac Kureethadam, Coordinator of the Ecology sector at the DPIHD and of the Ecology Taskforce of the Vatican Covid-19 Commission.
The event was organized with the support of the above mentioned partners and was streamed in English through the YouTube channel of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development “Vatican IHD”: www.youtube.com/VaticanIHD where is now also available the Spanish version