Brahma Kumaris at COP29, 14th – 16th November

Faith groups play a crucial role at COP29, contributing to the global climate action discourse and influencing policy decisions. They also provide a moral and ethical framework for climate action grounding it in spiritual teachings and values which can help to mobilise individuals and communities to take action. As we move into the end of the first week of COP29, we hear many examples in our events of the sustaining role that faiths provide especially amongst people directly affected by climate change.
Youth groups are also playing a significant role in the conference, shaping the conversation and pushing for ambitious climate action as we see in the Press Conference reported below. In the Climate Wisdom Studio, we hear about the importance of enabling the voices of women to be heard and the need for gender-responsive climate policies and including women in the decision-making processes.

14th November: Dialogue on Impact - The Role of Faiths and Science at the Climate Negotiations

This was a special event bringing together scientists and faith leaders to share about what each brings to the climate negotiations and how they can collaborate together.

Left to Right: Athena Peralta, Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development; Dr Alan Channer, Evergreening Alliance; Dr Ramon Pichs-Madruga, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; Rt Rev Lydia Neshangwe, All Africa Conference of Churches; Wara Iris Condori, Memoria Indigena, Bolivia; Lucy Plummer, Soka Gakkai International UK.

The main themes were:

1. there are common values across faiths and they are advocating together for values to come into policy making and bring about behaviour change
2. faith brings ethical responsibility, climate justice and bridge-building possibilities
3. science brings understanding of interconnectedness of our eco-systems
4. science can bring nature-based solutions and evidence-based solutions
5. the biggest natural re-greening has happened in Nigeria from a low-cost and farmer lead natural regeneration of the underground forest
6. traditional and native knowledge can feed into solutions
7. we need values, evidence-based solutions and co-operation
8. people think of science and faith like oil and water – it begins with dialogue and we need one another to make a difference

14th November: The Role of Nature based education in community adaptation and building resilience.

A conversation highlighting the importance that nature has in the education of young and adolescent children, and the impact it has later on in their lives.

Left to Right: Moderator: Shantanu Mandal, Brahma Kumaris; Viacheslav Shadrin, Chair of Yukagir Peoples Elders Council, Deputy Director of the Institute on Humanitarian Sciences and Indigenous Peoples from Yakutsk (Russia);

Viacheslav Shadrin said that we have bridged the gap between formal education and nature based education by establishing programmes in schools for language, history and our indigenous culture. Children who participate in these programmes preserve this connection with nature, many return to help with adaptation.

Shubam Agrawal Executive Head of SDG at Gram Saarthi, Youth representative, India shared via video from India. Nature based education in India has shown how children living in nature understand their plants and animals and know how to help themselves. Urban education lacks this foundation of the connection with nature.

Carolin Fraude Affiliated researcher, RIFS (Research Institute for Sustainability), Germany
highlighted that the spiritual perspective is what sees the connection between ourselves, the bodies we live in and how we treat them, and nature. We need to spend time in nature, to notice the patterns and contexts. We need to build resilience for what we know is ahead of us.

14th November: Climate Wisdom - Climate change and gender equality

An inspiring conversation around empowering women to feel they have a voice to take their equal part in decision-making. Sonja Ohlsson in conversation with Maureen Goodman, Shreya Ghodawat and Maryam Majidova.

Left to right: Sonja Ohlsson, Focal Point UNFCCC for the BKs; Maureen Goodman, Programme Dir., Brahma Kumaris, UK; Maryam Majidova, Co-founder and Executive Director of Gender HUB Azerbaijan; Shreya Ghodawat, Sustainability & climate activist, and the India Ambassador for Project Dandelion and SHE Changes Climate

Here are some clips from the conversations:

Maureen Goodman “I love the idea of sacred activism… Sacred activism is to speak out from a place of values and love. So, whatever you do has a different energy and I have found it is much more effective.”

Shreya Ghodawat “We advocate for more women to be part of the climate leadership and political leadership, because so many times decisions are being made for us but without us… So, we want women to have a seat at the decision-making table, because we bring solutions and lead with empathy, resilience and healing energy.“

Maryam Majidova “If you are impacted by something you need to have a say in that and be part of the solution. Not just a ‘user’ of decisions made by the system. We really want women to be on board, especially in issues that impact their own lives, household, children and community.”

Sonja Ohlsson “We care, we share and we inspire in the midst of a world in crisis.”

15th November: Faith and Sustainability: A Spiritual Approach towards Environmental Responsibility

Left to Right: Massamba Thioye, Project executive, UN Climate; Maureen Goodman; Emilce Cude, Secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

Panellists Maureen Goodman and Emilce Cude explored the links between spirituality, inner
development, outer actions and system change. The discussion highlighted the Global Innovation Hub’s core values: caring, sharing, and daring, and their application in decision-making. Emilce Cude emphasised translating core faith beliefs into secular values such as linking a love for God to social justice, and a belief in the afterlife to hope. Maureen highlighted the interconnection of personal and collective well-being, noting, "When I uplift myself, I uplift humanity."

15th November: Non-Economic Impacts: Faith-Based Insights for a Loss and Damage Fund

Climate change presents a range of challenges that extend far beyond economic losses and damage, delving into spiritual, emotional, cultural and human rights dimensions. In this Side Event, panellists representing different countries in the global South spoke, often very movingly, about many overlooked impacts of climate change that have profoundly affected individuals and communities.

From Left to Right: Bishop Julio Murray, Anglican Church, Panama; Wara Iris Condori, Memoria Indigena; Maro Maua, Young Climate Activist, Evangelical Lutheran Church, Kenya; Stephanie Stephens, Representative of the Government of Vanuatu; Maureen Goodman, Programme Director Brahma Kumaris, UK; Rev Dr Lesmore G Ezeliel, Program Director, All Africa Conference of Churches; Igor Bastos, Laudato Si Movement

Bishop Julio Murray spoke about how the priesthood supports people facing climate-related anxiety and challenges. He said that we need to become voices for the voiceless, and create spaces where these voices can be heard.

Wanda Iris Condori, a young Aymaran indigenous woman from Bolivia, described how drought had led to food shortages, displacing children and causing a loss of language and culture.

Stephanie Stephens shared how unseasonal weather had disrupted traditional timings for planting crops and having to migrate to other places led to a loss of traditional knowledge and practices such as using particular plants as medicines.

Maro Maua shared very movingly how his grandmother's passing required him to return home to Kenya for a crucial ceremony. He felt it was especially important to honour this tradition as so many other cultural practices had been eroded due to forced migration from ancestral lands.

Maureen Goodman emphasised the importance of listening to women’s voices and that there was a need to shift our motivation and intention from one of greed to one of generosity of spirit. The input of faith gives us courage and we must not underestimate the power of silence, prayer and meditation to help with losses incurred.

15th November: Climate Wisdom- Transformative Moments

This conversation was a heart-warming and inspiring sharing of ideas, insights and inspirations by Maureen Goodman, Thomas Hirsch and Professor Husnah Ahmad.

Left to Right: Thomas Hirsch, Founder and Director Climate Development Advice, Germany; Golo Pilz, Adviser Renewable Energy of Brahma Kumaris; Maureen Goodman, Programme Dir., Brahma Kumaris, UK; Prof Husnah Ahmad, CEO Global One 2025, Sonja Ohlsson.

Thomas Hirsch: “When you want to provide real advice, when you want to be heard, it is not enough to talk about principles, you have to be more specific. In these times where we have so much fake news, it’s good for science to be backed by someone who has the moral compass.”

Prof. Husna Ahmad: “As people of faith, we have to return to the ways of faith which are habits of conservation, of living simple lives and in balance. Within the COP, there have been moments of interaction with people which have brought love, joy and peace into my heart because of those meetings – having that connectivity.”

Maureen Goodman: “If you can share something with people that helps them see things in a different way, then this gives us hope for the future. Change has to happen with individuals, and hopefully key individuals, who have a really profound change of heart.”

16th November: We are the Present and the Future - Voices of Young Climate Heroes

Young people outlining the global initiatives being undertaken by youth, to bring about a change in consciousness and defend the rights of indigenous youth and women.

Left to Right: Shantanu Mandal, Brahma Kumaris; Leo Cerda, Founder of the Hakhu Project, Indigenous Youth Representative; Vini Goyal, Brahma Kumaris Youth Representative for CYMG and Faith for Earth Youth Coalition; Birajith Baskaran, Brahma Kumaris Youth Representative for YOUNGO

Leo Cerda as a climate activist from the Kichwa community of Serena in the Ecuadorian Amazon, spoke of indigenous communities, who are the most severely impacted by the exploitation of fossil fuel and mining extraction. They are establishing mutual solidarity to urge governments to ensure a just transition for all.

Vini Goyal spoke of the work already being undertaken by young people, based on mutual respect, and the peace and love generated by the awareness of youth being trustees of the planet. We call the earth Mother Earth, and yet only now have women been given a seat at the table. Women keep the values of care at the forefront.

Birajith Baskaran outlined all the projects being carried out across the world by young people. They are the superheroes who can step into their inner power to save the world. He said that the Brahma Kumaris provide meditation classes of three main aspects: self-realisation, self-transformation and world transformation. Youth can become examples for the world and lead the way for everyone.

November 16th: Climate Wisdom Studio: From Prayer to Power for Global Action

The conversation in the climate studio tonight was very rich and varied, covering the message of faith to the climate negotiators; integral ecology; sacred activism; eco-anxiety and helping young people feel empowered. We also heard about how the environmental crisis is affecting people on the ground in Africa.

Left to Right: Sonja Ohlsson, Focal Point UNFCCC for the BK; Maureen Goodman, Programme Dir., Brahma Kumaris, UK and Josianne Gauthier, Secretary General CIDSE, Belgium

left to Right: Sonja Ohlsson, Focal Point UNFCCC for the BK; Maureen Goodman and Kenneth Nana Amoateng, Climate Action Network West Africa, Policy Advisor Development Local communities

Maureen Goodman: “The essence of the advocacy is to put humanity at the heart, not the numbers, economics and so on. .. It has to be humanity at the heart, otherwise we lose sight of what is really happening in the environmental crisis. “

Josianne Gauthier: “Integral ecology is a concept [that] gained a lot of visibility and understanding after Pope Francis wrote a letter to the world…It is how all the causes of injustice and suffering in the world are interlinked. The cry of the earth and the cry of the poor are one cry…There can’t be climate justice without social justice, human rights and peace.“

Kenneth Nana Amoateng: “We can change our minds, our hearts, our thoughts… We need to come back to ourselves and ask ourselves ‘What can I do?’… If we want to change the environment we need to change our minds and hearts. “