Brahma Kumaris at COP29, 18th – 19th November

Over the years, food has become an increasingly important issue at COP conferences.  This is partly due to the concerns over food security because of climate change but also because of the predominance of unsustainable farming methods used worldwide.  This year, the COP team hosted regular reflections and meditations in the Food Action Hub and took part in a number of events related to food and food systems.

In the second week of the conference, the Faith Pavilion continues to play an important role in providing a platform for faiths to explore both practical solutions to climate issues such as food sustainability but also to discuss faith based perspectives on maintaining hope in the current crisis. Hope and visions of the future tend to go hand in hand and an event in the Nordic Pavilion went one step further and explored what life might be like in a climate neutral society in 2050.  In the Climate Wisdom studio similar themes are aired in discussions focused on the power of positive action and the importance of global unity in moving forward.

18th November Inner Nutrition for the Day

The Action in Food Hub Pavilion hosted reflective and meditation sessions led alternately by the Brahma Kumaris and Conscious Food System Alliance, CoFSA.

Vini Goyal leading the ‘Inner Nutrition’ workshop.

The BK team facilitated a workshop titled “Inner Nutrition”, allowing participants to connect deeply with themselves and nature. The session began with reflections on nature as a teacher, exploring how its qualities and wisdom can inspire us to understand our inner world better. This was followed by a body scan meditation for relaxation.

18th November Just Transition to Sustainable Food Systems in Communities

This panel presented a range of ‘best practice’ projects and initiatives to encourage the development of sustainable food systems designed to foster both food sovereignty and spiritual empowerment.

Left to Right: Steve Chiu, Representative to the UN, Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation; Maureen Goodman, Programme Director Brahma Kumaris, UK; Rania Rashad, BfdW Climate Justice Advisor in the MENA region; Romario Dohmann, Youth from Lutheran World Foundation

Rania Rashad shared three projects in Egypt designed to empower women in food production, including collective ownership of production units intensive in women’s labour and managed by women’s Community Based Organisations (CBOs).  “Women are main active players in food security and just food systems.”

Romario Dohmann talked about a project in North Argentina working with local farmers with support from local government and agricultural cooperatives, to plant four hundred thousand native trees. Drought had been affecting crop yields in the region. “Planting a tree today is not just an act of hope but an urgent climate action that can make a difference for future generations.”

Maureen Goodman spoke about sustainable yogic agriculture in India, where organic farming is combined with meditation to improve crop yield and quality and the mental health of farmers.  “There is a direct connection between the way we think, the kind of attitude we have and the impact (that has) on the land and what we grow as food.”

Steve Chui highlighted the need for bringing the values of compassion and empathy into the design of our food systems and also emphasised adopting a plant based diet.  “As faith based organisations, we play a key role in showcasing how our vision of aligning our values with actions [can] look like.”

November 18^th Climate Wisdom: The Power of Positive Action

An enlightening and empowering exchange of experiences between Sister Jayanti, Mark Lawrence and Kalyani Raj with Sonja Ohlsson moderating the conversation.

Left to Right: Sister Jayanti, Add. Admin. Head of the Brahma Kumaris and Mark Lawrence, Scientific Dir. RIFS Potsdam.

Mark Lawrence on sustainability endeavours: “Do what you can, as far as you can. Don’t worry that it is not perfect, worry that it is not as good as you can do. Keep continuing that effort in doing what we can do together, until this world becomes, maybe not perfect, but glorious.”

Sister Jayanti on what gives hope at COP: “One is dialogue and the other is that conscious ability to cooperate where we are able to overcome the egos of the limited identity of ‘my this’ and ‘my that’. When we go beyond that, then the quality of cooperation that comes together is going to create a better world for the future.”

Sonja Ohlsson: “When we get influenced by the COP conference atmosphere, sometimes, it can make us lose hope. It is very stressful out there. So let us do the little bit we can. What positive action can I do today that has a small impact? Everyone can think of this.”

Left to Right: Sonja Ohlsson; Sister Jayanti and Kalyani Raj, President All India Women’s Conference.

Sister Jayanti: “When there is resilience within a woman through spiritual empowerment, she’s able to overcome the challenges that face not only her, but also her family and help them move forward too.”

Kalyani Raj: “Climate-induced or natural disasters are bound to happen; we do not have control over them. What we have control over is preparedness. That is what we are looking at.”

 19th November Hope Alongside Optimism: How People of Faith Can Help Nurture the Transformative Hope which Leads to Tangible Actions in the Midst of Overwhelming Climate Challenges

The conversation during this event centred around how each panellist's faith tradition has equipped them to cultivate hope for the future.

Left to Right: Dr Jim Stump, moderator, Vice President of Programs at Biologos; Dr Ben Richards, Youth with a Mission; Rabbi Yonatan Neril, Founder and Director of The Interfaith Centre for Sustainable Development; Sister Jayanti Kirpalani, Additional Administrative Head of the Brahma Kumaris; Litara Ieremia-Allan, Pacific educator, public servant and follower of Christ, currently holds the title of Miss Samoa.

Rabbi Yonatan Neril said that we can have hope that there is the ability within humanity to live sustainably.  However, to move from where we are now to where we need to be requires deep spiritual work. “The key work of the faith communities is to help to accelerate that spiritual evolution so that the next generation inherits a thriving spiritually aware and sustainable planet.”

Sister Jayanti Kirpalani shared that hope is based on the knowledge that we are in a time of transition from darkness into light and that each one needs to be the light by understanding our original goodness and enhancing that through our respective spiritual practices:  “When I come into that awareness of action then hope is the motivating factor that will allow me to rise above the boundaries that divide us and work together to do something good.”

Litara Ieremia-Allan stressed the importance of the value of collaboration and making sure that everyone in the community is involved and young people in particular. “So I want to encourage us that in your climate action, are you including youth in your decision making, in your planning and your dreaming?  Because having youth with you helps you to come on the journey of seeing everything as hopeful.”

Dr Ben Richards said that hope is not wishful thinking or just petitioning God to do something but has to be grounded in a clear understanding of where we have gone wrong and taking action to change.  He also emphasised the role of community and of spiritual practices in sustaining hope, as through them..”...we can then become more empowered to have the hope needed to get through extremely difficult times ahead.”

19th November Peace and Cooperation to Enhance Ambitious Climate Action

This Press Conference explored the connection between peace and climate action.

Left to Right: Mohamed Bahr, Head of Strategic Planning, Faith Pavilion; Sister Jayanti, Add Admin Head of Brahma Kumaris; Aneta Loj, UNCCD Focal Point; Sonja Ohlsson, UNFCCC Focal Point (Moderator).

Aneta Loj highlighted the conflict's environmental toll, noting that military activities account for 5.5% of global carbon emissions and that $2.4 trillion spent on military operations in 2023 could instead fund climate solutions. Mohamed Bahr discussed the Faith Pavilion initiative, showcasing the vital role of faith-based organisations in leading 1.5 million sustainability projects and promoting inclusive, locally driven solutions. Sister Jayanti emphasised the power of inner peace, explaining how self-awareness and respect for all life combat exploitation and aggression.

19th November Climate Neutral Visions for 2050: Notions of the Good Life, New Economic Models and Welfare Beyond-GDP at the Nordic Pavilion

This event explores alternative welfare measurements drawing on Nordic research and how beyond-GDP approaches might inform visions of social-ecologically sustainable future societies. The panel explored the visions of what a good life in a climate-neutral society in 2050 can look like.

Left to Right: Isabella Lövin EU Parliamentarian, former Swedish Dep. Prime Minister, Minister for Climate; Sister Jayanti Additional Administrative Head of Brahma Kumaris; Lise Coermann Nygaard Danish Youth Delegate to the UNFCCC

Aaron Tuckey, moderator, asked the panel and audience to share their vision of the future of a carbon neutral society.

Theo Cox, Nordic Council Minister (online) said there is a need to go beyond GDP and realise that how we measure really matters – there is a need for really significantly high quality and current data – not those that make rich countries look good. The results are “… not the Nordics performing uniquely badly … it is a sign of a world gone awry”.

Isabella Lövin said that people have become customers. We need a new narrative,  where everyone can contribute and everyone feels needed, to become citizens not customers. There is an enormous potential within each one for good because our entire civilization is threatened by the global crisis.

Sister Jayanti said that she foresees a future where there is harmony, justice and truth if we allow that goodness to emerge.  A connection with the Divine will allow us to move in that direction. We are arriving at a critical mass of people who understand that to tap into inner resources we need to be aware that we are one family sharing one home, one planet and working together on the basis of values – that is the way of transformation towards utopia.

Lise Coermann Nygaard said she could see a time when we value things differently than we do now. Not economic wealth above everything else. We need to talk more about what a good life is and what we want to create. One step on the way would be to have a deeper democratic engagement; more citizen assemblies that will demonstrate that we are equal and want the same things.

Case Study from India on 25 years Renewable Energy Projects

Aneta Loj, UNCCD Focal Point

Aneta Loj presented the Brahma Kumaris solar projects that have been developed over the last 25 years.  This includes India One, a one MegaWatt solar thermal power plant which supplies 60 to 80% of the energy requirements of the large Shantivan campus at Abu Road in India.  Aneta also spoke about the novel solar cooking systems which can cook up to 35,000 meals a day.   In addition an innovative biogas plant has recently been constructed.  Now all the organic waste from the kitchens is collected and brought to the plant, and from this power is generated and a natural fertiliser is made which is used on the gardens.

“What is specific and very special  is that it (the BK solar programme) is a combination of science and spirituality.  This also shows that when you are able to have a  peaceful mind, control your thoughts then you can become creative and the impossible becomes possible.”

November 19^th Climate Wisdom: Global Unity – Spirituality’s Role in Climate Diplomacy

Tonight’s conversation looked at the power of changing our vision of ourselves and our world, a spiritual understanding of the self, the strength of the inter-faith community at COP, the importance of faith and hope,  and the power of individual action, as is being witnessed with the work of the eco-restoration camps.  Golo Pilz conversed with Sister Jayanti, John D. Liu and Margareta Koltai.

Left to Right: Golo Pilz, Adviser Renewable Energy for BK; Sister Jayanti, Add. Admin. Head of the Brahma Kumaris; John D. Liu, Filmmaker and Founder Ecosystem Restoration Camp

Left to Right: Golo Pilz; Sister Jayanti; Margareta Koltai, Policy Advisor for Climate Justice, Act Church of Sweden

Sister Jayanti. “From a spiritual perspective it is actually very simple...  When I understand that I am a spiritual being then my vision towards others changes… Also where there is a belief in God and I recognise that there is One Creator and that we are the creation and that  the earth is our home…. I recognise that I am a sacred being and others are too.

John D. Liu. “We have 80 eco restoration camps around the world and we can see that people are ready to take action... All of these places are living laboratories showing us that  it is possible to restore the soil and completely cover the earth again with natural vegetation…Biodiversity increases and these places also become animal sanctuaries.

Margareta Kolta.  “Following the negotiations, coming back to the interfaith circle gives me strength… In the interfaith circle we know we are one humanity and we care for each other and nature.  In this we can serve as an example…..  We are connected to each other as humans, but are also connected to the life of Mother Earth.