BK at COP30 : Spiritual and Indigenous Voices for the Earth

Report 6: Thursday 20th November to Friday 21st November

As COP30 draws to a close with a deadlock in negotiations, the spiritual message of the Brahma Kumaris is all the more poignant with the final events collectively emphasising that spiritual consciousness and universal values are crucial, foundational elements often missing from climate diplomacy.

The Transforming Systems panel debated the role of ethics versus realpolitik and market forces, with Sister Jayanti asserting that the core problem lies in a loss of spiritual identity (peace, non-violence) and the consciousness that humanity is "one family."  Discussions in the Climate Wisdom Studio amplified this by stressing the need for faith-based and Indigenous voices to bring the concept of the sacredness of nature and interconnectedness to the negotiating table.  The Global Meditation for the Climate, which provided a virtual backdrop for the Conference, aimed at achieving global, values-driven climate care by linking personal transformation (through daily meditation themes like cooperation and non-violence) with collective action.

To find out about this Indigenous member of the BK COP30 team and what she is doing click here.

Transforming Systems Through Ethical Leadership - Values as Catalysts for Climate and Development Synergies

From Left to Right: Prof. Deliang Chen, IPCC Author, Dept. of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University; Sister Jayanti, Add. Admin. Head, Brahma Kumaris Worldwide; Dr Nsikan-George Emana, Senior Project Manager Bilateral Cooperation, myclimate; Jeremy J.R. Dommnich, Senior Lecturer, The Hague University of Applied Sciences; Carolin Fraude (Moderator) Brahma Kumaris Germany, Affiliate Scholar R2FS Potsdam.

The event began with each speaker giving their views on the topic. This was followed by a general discussion and final statements.

Jeremy J.R. Dommnich: Ethical considerations come second to maximising the interests of individual countries. We are stuck between a realist world where only power dictates and the very human drive for cooperation.  Great friendships are formed between negotiators and on the other hand there is the cold, hard rationale that dictates policies.

 Nsikan-George Emana: The Power of multilateralism subdues the role of ethics. The damage, scale and depth of climate change is not a problem that ethics can solve. In a diverse world with global challenges ethics cannot solve all the problems we face.  We need markets and regulations to force people to do certain things. Ethics can play a deeper role in developing a code of conduct and appealing to consciences, as part of other solutions, but not a central role.

 Sister Jayanti: From a spiritual perspective – I would like to define values, virtues and ethics. Values are the inherent qualities that every single soul has – every soul has goodness and kindness. The five intrinsic values of every soul are peace, love, truth, joy and purity. The problem arises when we move from the consciousness of our spiritual identity and we focus only on the physical identity.  Peace manifests in the practical message of non-violence - do no harm to anything or anyone. The journey back to the spiritual consciousness that we are all one family is the journey we have to make.

Prof Deliang Chen: Ethics is necessary in our negotiations otherwise they will not be meaningful.   We need to have governments that instigate policies with people’s values or they will not be successful. We need to work hard to make sure we work on the highest levels and on the individual levels and challenge ourselves in an ethical way.  If governments only act out of their own national interest it will be very difficult.

Climate Wisdom Studio: Spiritual and Indigenous Voices for the Earth
20th November

This evening Sonja Ohlsson, International Coordinator Brahma Kumaris Environmental Initiative,  spoke with Isabel Pereira, Coordinator, Religion and Environment Institute (ISER), Abigail Quic,  Co-Executive Dir. of SERES (Social Equity Resilience and Ecological Sustainability) and Sister Jayanti, Add. Admin. Head of the Brahma Kumaris.

This episode explored the importance of faith-based and spiritual voices for dealing with the climate crisis.

From Left to Right: Isabel Pereira, Sr Jayanti, Sonja Ohlsson

Isabel Pereira said that ISER had worked in the interfaith arena since 1992, starting from the Rio conference around faith and environment. After the Paris agreement ISER has worked closely with climate justice and environmental issues and mobilizing faith communities to face climate crises. She expressed that COP is a harsh environment but a very important one where communities, faith-based organizations and indigenous people create a different atmosphere and bring their voices to the decision-making table.  She shared her personal learning that when everyone comes together collectively it really builds strength and momentum to the cause.

Sister Jayanti shared how inspirational it had been to see the involvement of children and young people at this COP.  Faith-based organizations had also been given a very good platform at COP30. There were many panels and events that the Brahma Kumaris were invited to where we learned a lot about other organizations. She reminded us of the sacredness of nature and the cry for help to support nature at this point in time.

From Left to Right: Abigail Quic, Sr Jayanti, Sonja Ohlsson

Abigail Quic is a female youth leader of the Mayan Tzotzil indigenous community from San Juan La Lagona in Guatemala. She shared how she learned the way of life, to live in harmony with nature and ancestral knowledge from her immediate family and the women around her. She also shared that in Guatemala even the Christian principles are based on Mayan culture, that we are all born with a purpose. The gift of birth comes with the energy to share that with the world. Secondly, the interconnection with nature, mountains, trees and soil. To understand that everything is alive and we are alive and to reconnect with it.

Global Meditation for the Climate

For the duration of COP30, the Global Meditation for the Climate was held online in cooperation with The Pavilion for People and hosted daily by the Brahma Kumaris Halifax Centre in Canada.  The Pavilion for People is a virtual, inclusive platform running alongside COP30 that enables everyone to share their climate stories and solutions, expanding participation beyond physical attendees.

Participants from around the world joined each session, forming a global circle of peace, awareness, and values-driven climate care. Each gathering combined a guided meditation with an experiential workshop, creating a shared field of presence and goodwill. Daily themes such as Clean, Light, Constant, Cooperative, Silent, Abundant, Patient, Magnificent, Rich, Non-violent, and Powerful encouraged participants to connect inner transformation with meaningful climate action, from simple daily choices to compassionate engagement with the world.

In line with the mission of the Pavilion for People, the collaboration added a human-centered dimension to COP30, highlighting the power of personal transformation and shared intention of those unable to attend in Belém.

Overall, the initiative was a beautiful and powerful experience of how collective reflective practice can inspire hope, responsibility, and empowered Earth care, while generating subtle but powerful energy to reinforce clarity, compassion, and courage among COP30 delegates.