COP18 – Doha Qatar

Faith Based Leaders Discuss Ethical Dimensions of Climate Change

December 7th – As the closing of COP 18 looms, particularly given how things are going, if one is a person of faith, it is befitting to start this day with prayer, as it the prospective outcomes are far from promising. After the now-routine 1-hour bus ride and 20 minute walk from where the shuttle bus drops us to where the sessions occur, I started my day at the session, “Ethical and Religious Insights on the Climate Crisis,” organized by the World Council of Churches(WCC).

Report for 6 & 7 Dec 2012

Side event at the Intercontinental Hotel: Sustainable Innovation Forum
As COP18 Qatar draws to a close, business and government leaders gathered at the Sustainable Innovation Forum. The forum took place in the Intercontinental Hotel overlooking the beautiful Al Corniche area of Doha and the Arabian Gulf. It was hosted by Climate Action in partnership with UNEP led by Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director and Under Secretary General of the United Nations.

Report for 5 Dec 2012

Qatar Foundation Presentation
Opposite the Qatar National Convention Centre, where COP18 , the venue of COP 18, a new Education City is being built by Qatar Foundation. Many innovative buildings and arenas are in this area, where many international universities are also established. The Qatar Foundation is under the patronage of Her Highness Sheika Mozah.

Report for 4 Dec 2012

Inter-religious Coordination Meeting
This meeting focussed on the need to start preparing now for COP 19 meeting in Warsaw, especially building an inter-religious presence based on partnerships with Polish faith and inter-faith organisations and networks as hosts. It was agreed that faiths are diverse and yet there is a clear common purpose to do what is noble and right, to protect nature, to reduce harm, and to act wisely and in line with faith-based scriptures and values.

Report for 3 Dec 2012

Side event on “Environmental Protection: Religious Perspective”
Dr Ibrahim Saleh Al Naimi, Chairman-Board of Directors, DICID, gave an introduction stating that different religions have in common the devotion to God, and His creation, the environment, needs to be protected.

Report for 30 Nov to 2 Dec 2012

30 November 2012
The international delegation had another wonderful day. The early morning lesson was held together with all the Brahma Kumaris members in Qatar and those who came from Dubai and Oman. It was a very warm gathering, in which we shared experiences, presents and a delicious breakfast together.

Report for 29 November 2012

RINGO morning meeting
RINGO is the constituency Brahma Kumaris is affiliated with, it stands for Research and Independent NGO. Valeriane Bernard attended several RINGO meetings. On 29 November, all the participants informed about their activities in COP 18. Some of them followed meetings on mitigation, others on poverty or adaptation.

8th Conference of Youth

The BK Environment Initiative (BKEI) youth participation was scaled up in 2012 with a meaningful and effective participation at COY8 as part of the overall UN set of meetings on climate change in Doha. COY8 was held on 23rd to 25th November 2012 at the Doha Student Centre in Qatar.

Report for 28 November 2012

RINGO meeting
This morning Valeriane Bernard participated in the RINGO meeting (Research Institutions NGO), as Brahma Kumaris is part of this constituency within the Major Groups of the United Nations. It was a short meeting but Valeriane had the opportunity to meet some of the drafters of the declaration that RINGO will present at the COP 18 (text will follow).

Report for 27 November 2012

Side Event: Gender and Climate: Moving beyond the Rhetoric
BKWSU delegates: Sister Jayanti, Golo Piltz, Anthony Phelips, Sonja Ohlsson, Jyothi Hulmani, Teresa Mungazi and Teresa Lugones.

Report for 26 November 2012

Background
Since the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) entered into force in 1994, the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC has been meeting annually to assess progress in dealing with climate change. The COP is the highest decision-making authority of the Convention. There are now 195 parties to the convention taking part in climate change negotiations.

What is needed now is a profound shift in global awareness

Think globally, act locally.
For twenty years this slogan has been used to catch the world’s attention. The good news is that thousands of small scale green projects have popped up all over the world: people acting locally.

This we have done. This we already do.