Report 16th June
Family Boat Trip in Rio
Brahma Kumaris in Brazil invited the international delegation for a day out in nature and took us on a beautiful boat ride around the Baia da Guanabara. 30 BKs enjoyed the three hour trip around the bay on a specially reserved boat, as well as the opportunity for the international delegation and the Brazilian BKs to enjoy each others company. We passed under the famous Rio-Niteroi bridge, saw the cities and villages around the bay, as well as huge oil tankers digging through the water into the earth to extract oil and fortresses that in the past used to protect the bay from enemies. All these experiences gave us the opportunity to reflect and churn deeply. After the boat ride, we went to the very top of Rio, to see the famous Statue of Christ on the Corcovado. You can reach there by walking or a slow train ride through the tropical forest of Tijuca. Once we arrived at the top, the view of Rio from above was astonishing.
![christ [600]](https://eco.brahmakumaris.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/christ-600.jpg "christ [600]")
Despite the tourists up there taking pictures, there was a silence that impressed us all, and so we took the opportunity to meditate and share vibrations of love, compassion and brotherhood (the original message of Christ) with the city, beaches, mountains, and people below.
![bridge [338]](https://eco.brahmakumaris.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/bridge-338.jpg "bridge [338]")
![view from christ [338]](https://eco.brahmakumaris.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/view-from-christ-338.jpg "view from christ [338]")
![boat ride [338]](https://eco.brahmakumaris.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/boat-ride-338.jpg "boat ride [338]")
Peoples Summit
In the People’s Summit in Flamengo Park, the conversations by the people for a sustainable society continue. The Society for Sustainable Education have had a strong presence during Rio + 20, and Teresa Christina from a centre in Rio de Janeiro was delighted to participate on behalf of the Brahma Kumaris Environment Initiative.
A committed and enthusiastic gathering of a few hundred people launched The Planetary Network of Environmental Education Treaty today.
Bahai Faith had organised a side event “Spiritual Principels for Sustainable Development” with the participation: Brahma Kumaris, Bahai, Wicca, Prebisteriana; Universalist. The Bahai panelist shared that justice, fairness and care which promote guardianship, eradication of extreme wealth and poverty with universal participation. Unity will generate a union and a sense of guardianship. Spirituality is a driving force for action and transformation. Regardless of religious identification, universal values exist. Sister Prem from Belo Horisonte BK center shared that : cooperation, love, harmony and respect are fundamental to human development and consequently in their relationship with the environment. But we have to put this into practice. It can not be purely theoretical. For there to be an effective transformation we have to assimilate and make it day by day. The Wicca panelist shared that by assimilating the principles of nature and interact ing with it, we promote a transformation within us.
Related News
![Globo news_SD_needs P [300]](https://eco.brahmakumaris.org/wp-content/uploads/bb-plugin/cache/Globo-news_SD_needs-P-300-square-de8e80f12166124b18b3401d77bb3512-.jpg "Globo news_SD_needs P [300]")
BK Youth Activities in Rio+20
![Youth blast [450]](https://eco.brahmakumaris.org/wp-content/uploads/bb-plugin/cache/Youth-blast-450-square-79811d062a9f600e5192a732782db63a-.jpg "Youth blast [450]")
