Conclusion
*****
The global crisis calls for a
holistic approach, involving consideration of all the dimensions of
sustainability -- environmental, economic, cultural, social, political,
community, personal and spiritual. We need a deeper understanding of what a
holistic approach means.
The values guiding development need to reflect a sustainable consensus of
the highest values of our relationships with each other and with the earth.
We need to look to the spirit, and to our common spiritual heritage, as we
search for that consensus.
Our individual actions need to embody these values, and we need to join
those actions with others -- locally, regionally, nationally and globally,
integrating local and global concerns.
As we work with others, we need a process that embodies an ethic of
inclusion, and that listens attentively and respectfully to dissent.
We need to support the United Nations in moderating the course of
sustainable development, and to work towards the establishment of a U.N. Earth
Stewardship Council.
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The nature of the
recommendations presented here are broad, and the opportunities for their
implementation are many. While there is value in developing an approach that
coordinates the implementation of the recommendations, in many respects it is
at least as important that they are implemented in many different contexts and
forms by individuals within their own faith communities. Further, the synergy
that can emerge from networking is most evident when it is based on bringing
together many independent sources of energy and activity.
There are growing indications of an awakening within the faith communities
of a concern with our relationship with nature. For example, in 1986, the
Declarations of Assisi, from Buddhists, Christians, Jews, Moslems, and Sikhs
emerged from a conference convened by the World Wildlife Fund. The
Environmental Sabbath has been established through the United Nations
Environment Programme as a time for faith communities to observe a day of rest
for the earth. And there are many individuals who have long harbored within
themselves a deep sense of the importance of the spiritual dimension of our
relationship with the earth.
The emergence of a "movement" based on a recognition of that importance is
providing -- for many of these individuals -- empowering opportunities to
express that inner sense beyond a few close friends, and to discover many
other who share their perspective on the natural world.
This renewed sense of legitimacy for the spiritual dimension of our
relationship with the earth is being juxtaposed with the sharply increasing
focus on the need to address environment and development issues. This
juxtaposition means that a sensitivity that had generally been considered
otherworldly is being seen by more and more people as containing within it
vital keys to coming to terms with the very concrete question of how we can
develop the basis for sustainable life of earth.
"Until recently, the planet was a large world in
which human activities and their effects were neatly
compartmentalized within nations, within sectors (energy,
agriculture, trade) and within broad areas of concern
(environmental, economic, social). These compartments have begun
to dissolve. This applies particularly to the various global
crises that have seized public concern, particularly over the past
decade. These are not separate crises: an environmental crisis, a
development crisis, an energy crisis. They are all one."
Our Common Future, p. 4
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Global concerns: developing a holistic approach
As the boundaries between sectors and compartments are dissolving, the
realization is growing that life on earth needs to be looked at as an
interlocking system. Just as we can not address issues of development without
issues of environment, so when we look at the sustainability of development,
we need to consider the sustainability of the social and political environment
accompanying the development. For social and political environments to be
sustainable, they must be supportive of sustainable individual, family, and
community environments. At the heart of sustaining individuals, families, and
communities is sustaining of the spiritual element of our lives.
The nature of holistic approach
While there is much talk of the
need for holistic approaches, much less tends to be said by way of description
of the nature and characteristics of a holistic approach. A holistic approach
goes beyond a recognition of the connectedness of the various elements of our
world: it involves an appreciation of process as well as of structure, of
right-brained and of left-brained approaches to the world, of body as well as
of mind. And, as the whole knows no boundaries, a holistic approach opens a
doorway to acknowledgement of the role of the spirit -- in human behavior, in
nature, and in our relationship with nature.
Holistic approach and healing
Often not noted is that "holistic"
stems from the same root as "heal", and a holistic approach is one that goes
beyond analysis and embodies a commitment to make whole, to heal. In the
context of sustainable development, a holistic approach must embody a
commitment to a process of healing the earth and of healing our selves.
Learning a holistic approach
There is a need for a concerted
effort to come to terms with the meaning and scope of a holistic approach, in
theory and in practice, and to seek systematic ways to introduce principles of
holistic methodology into the ways we think and act, for example through
curricula at all levels of our educational system.
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Value as foundations of development
Just as
recognition of spirit has been missing in much public dialogue on the affairs
of the world, so has been an examination of the role of values in an economy.
We need to recognize that the economy, and economic development, are systems
for the definition and transmission of values. Yet the nature of the values
that are transmitted by development are rarely questioned, nor is much
consideration given to specific ways that the mechanisms of the economy, and
the structure of laws and regulations that govern these mechanisms serve as a
powerful vehicle for the transmission of values.
Economic values and constraints
The basic values that guide our
economic systems reflect conditions before there was any substantial awareness
-- other than in the writings of Malthus -- of the nature of constraints to
economic growth, whether from depletion of the earth's resources or from the
effects of the accumulation of toxics and waste in our ecosystem. And, with
the exception of Marxist economic theory, economic analysis has paid scant
attention to the social and political ramifications of the economy and of
economic development.
Re-examining economic values
We need a fundamental re-examination
of the values that are represented by the workings of our economic system, and
we need to subject to rigorous scrutiny the question of the extent to which
those values, and our own individual behavior, are compatible with a
sustainable economy. We need that scrutiny to extend to an examination of the
social and political implications of our economic systems.
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Over the
span of human history on earth, the faith communities have played an
instrumental role in the development of culture, knowledge, the social order,
and of the economy. While it is commonly recognized how religious leadership
has frequently resulted in widespread abuses "in the name of God", at times
that realization has turned us away from an acknowledgement of the positive
contribution of spiritual leadings and of religions to the quality of life on
earth.
Spiritual responsibility for the earth
As the evidence has been
accumulating on the extent to which human activity is jeopardizing life on
earth, as we know it, there has been emerging within faith communities a
growing recognition of our spiritual responsibility for the earth.
Basis for common ground among faiths
This recognition has been
accompanied by a growing recognition of a basis for common ground among
religions, and to an emerging dialogue among those of different faiths. It
has also led to an exploration of ways in which less widely known spiritual
teachings -- for example from Native American traditions, or from the Tao --
speak to us as we seek to rediscover what our own faith teaches us of our
relationship with the natural world.
Interfaith dialogue and common values
This opening to a dialogue
between faiths on a shared concern for developing a spiritual ethic for our
relationship with the natural and material world represents an unprecedented
opportunity to bring together the richest traditions of value in human
history. The opportunity to engage in a process of inquiry and exploration of
the common ground among faiths concerning our relationship to the earth
naturally opens a door to exploring a broader basis of common ground. This
process could provide a remarkable foundation from which it may be possible to
move gently towards discerning a consensus as to a set of the highest shared
values of our relationship to the earth and to each other.
Interfaith dialogue or religious wars
Given the history of wars
that have been -- and still are being -- fought between representatives of
different faiths, any process of dialogue among faiths will at times not be an
easy one. Yet, we need to undertake it, not only to engage into a deeper
search for sustainable values, but also to answer the very real and direct
challenge to sustainable development posed by the tensions between those of
different faiths -- tensions perhaps most evident right now in the Middle
East. For, no matter how sound a strategy of development may be in other
respects, it can swiftly be undone by war.
Uniting justice, peace and environmental concerns
Just as there
has been a growing dialogue between different faiths on our relationship with
the earth, so, within the World Council of Churches is a movement that offers
another vital challenge for the faith communities that is intimately related
to the issues involved in environment and development. For this movement --
known as Justice Peace and the Integrity of Creation -- involves an
exploration of Biblical teachings, as well as those from other faiths, of the
relationships between issues of justice, peace and the environment, and a
commitment to address those concerns.
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The search
for religious values compatible with sustainable life on earth will have
little meaning without a parallel commitment to have those values guide our
words and actions into tangible steps to address the issues.
Within our faith community
We need to examine our own individual
and corporate lifestyles within our faith community, and to become clear as to
the effect of our lives on the earth and the earth's resources. We need to
share our concerns with others within our faith communities, and work to have
our faith community unite in support of these concerns.
Our words and actions in the world
To the extent that we are able,
we need to become actively involved in secular planning processes -- locally
regionally, nationally and globally -- that address concerns for our common
future. Whether a recycling or tree planting program in our neighborhood,
city or county; economic development plans for our region; or state or federal
pollution legislation, we have the opportunity to support appropriate action,
as well as to seek for ways of establishing links in practice and in
consciousness with the global context, and with its spiritual dimension.
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As we engage in
an active process to work with others to move towards a sustainable common
future, we will find many with whom we can discover a deeply held set of
common values, and with whom we can join in enthusiastic endeavors. We may
become increasingly aware of being part of a network of people who share our
concerns.
Developing networking skills
Addressing the seemingly immense
tasks of being part of a fundamental transformation in the way the world
works, we need to continue to find ways of being more effective in our words
and actions. As we become part of a network of committed people,
opportunities will continue to present themselves for us to deepen our
understanding and practice of ways we work with others -- ways of sharing
skills, information, resources, and support for each other.
Developing communication skills
Hand in hand with networking
skills we need to strengthen our skills of communication, learning ways to
speak and write more clearly, ways to share our messages -- and those of
others -- more deeply and more widely. We need to be sensitive to the words
we use, and to the meanings they evoke in others. We can move from the spoken
word to print, and as way opens, we can explore the power and effectiveness of
computers and electronic communications networks that can open doorways to
near instantaneous communications around the planet.
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While we can expect to encounter many friends and supporters on our
journeys, as we become involved in some of the more challenging arenas, we
will surely encounter those whose opinions and interests appear to run counter
to those we hold. Even, and especially, when convinced of the rightness of
our ideas, we need to listen attentively to those who differ from us, to hear
the truth in what they say. We need to be careful not to possess any idea too
firmly, knowing that another may draw us closer to truth.
Proceeding deliberately
While it is easy to sense an urgency to
implement efforts to provide a basis for sustainable development, we must be
wary not to be rushed into precipitate actions. While at times it may take
significantly longer to reach a point where decisions can be made that are
agreeable to all, and while it may be tempting to ride roughshod over
objections, there is a very special quality and power to actions that grow out
of a true consensus, and that embody respect for all the parties who are
involved.
Sensitivity to other cultures
Throughout the process of dialogue
on environment and development, we are likely to encounter people from
different cultures -- whether they are from distant countries, or represent
different cultures and values from within our own society. In order for the
dialogue to move towards resolution of differences in perspective, we need to
maintain a sensitivity to cultures different from our own, and to be slow to
pass judgment.
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The U.N. International Conference scheduled for 1992
represents a unique opportunity to channel the concern and energy for
sustainable development into an agenda and process for setting global policy,
and for building mechanisms for addressing global environmental concerns.
U.N. Earth Stewardship Council
Laying the groundwork for the
establishment of an Earth Stewardship Council, to become one of the six major
components of the United Nations, has been advocated by some as one of the
goals for the 1992 U.N. Conference. The Earth Stewardship Council would fill
a gap that is being created by the completion of the tasks of the U.N.
Trusteeship Council, which had the responsibility for supporting the passage
to independence of territories that were in a trusteeship status at the time
the U.N. was established. The creation of an Earth Stewardship Council would
be an acknowledgement that the task of caring for the survival of the earth
should be a primary responsibility of the United Nations.
Environmental Sabbath
An Environmental Sabbath, observed during
the first weekend in June, has been established through the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) as a time to observe a day of rest for the earth,
and to examine the teachings of one's own and other faiths on our relationship
with the earth. Organizing interfaith events around national and local
observations of the Environmental Sabbath can be a powerful means of involving
faith communities in that issue, as well as of drawing specific attention to
environment and development, and the 1992 United Nations Conference.
Non-government participation
In what is unusual language for a
United Nations Conference, the Governing Council of UNEP is calling for
systematic efforts to involve non-government organizations in the planning and
preparation for the 1992 Conference. This call is an acknowledgement of the
vital grassroots leadership role in environmental movements everywhere, and
represents a wonderful opportunity for grassroots participation in setting a
global agenda and in developing global policies.
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The faith communities are
faced with an opportunity to play a vital role in speaking to a fundamental
aspect of the challenge of sustainable development -- the spiritual dimension
of our relationship with the earth -- that to date has received little
attention. Exploration of this spiritual dimension opens a doorway to an
interfaith dialogue, a dialogue whose importance goes beyond issues of
environment and development to a search for a common ground among all faiths,
a common ground based on a shared commitment to the relationship that each of
us has with nature and with an earth which has provided spiritual and material
sustenance since the dawn of human history.