Convention on Biological Diversity

Real change in any social or environmental systems must begin - and be sustained- in minds and hearts of human beings. Awakening biodiversity consciousness means reminding ourselves that the loss of biodiversity is not a problem external to us that can be changed unless we change our awareness and so our entire thinking around the issue. To heal the living system of nature, we must first bring a change in our awareness and heal the living system of our thinking.

There has been a tendency to create policy on the basis of quantitative data without looking more deeply at the qualitative attitudes that drive our policy and lie at the heart of human behavior. Identifying and understanding changes in human habits, preferences, feelings and behavior requires an approach grounded in spiritual and holistic values.

At the core of the Brahma Kumaris' work is the understanding of the connection among awareness, attitude, vision, action and the world. All real change – big changes in the world and small changes in a single life – occurs as a sequence of subtle shifts, beginning with a change in awareness.

This booklet, along with the side events, exhibitions, and field trips held during this conference give some examples of how the Brahma Kumaris have applied concrete change based on spiritual awareness and values.