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The Seven-Year Plan: Partnerships, Eco-Twinning and Eco Departments
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Link here to download the latest guidelines document to the full Seven Year Plan (Note this is a file of 2MB).
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Link here to download the latest guidelines document to the full Seven Year Plan (Note this is a file of 2MB).
a.) Dedicated staff:
*** Do you have staff dedicated to developing environmental work?
*** If not, could you consider developing an environment office?
b.) Lay people:
*** Have you tried to involve lay people who are active in environmental fields to help you develop appropriate ecological responses to issues?
*** Lay people often want to contribute but no-one asks them to do so. Try establishing an Advisory Group of members of your faith who are specialists in different fields related to the environment – law, water management, land management, education, waste management etc. The Advisory Group will not only offer you the most professional advice; it can also link your programmes into the wider work of local, national or international agencies and governments, and mean that your own efforts are multiplied, or leveraged.
c.) Partnerships and Eco-Twinning
*** Do you have existing links or twinnings with other groups - churches, mosques, temples, dioceses etc in different parts of the world? If they are in places that are already experiencing climate change at a critical level then have you thought of partnering with them on an environmental basis? And if you are in a place that is experiencing climate change at a critical level then have you thought about bringing that into your twinning relationship? See our Eco-Twinning initiative for more details and ideas.
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"Look around and see who might partner with you because they share the same interest in organic farming, clean energy usage, recycling etc. There is no need always to reinvent the wheel." Cambodian monks have found fruitful partnerships in their environmental projects with groups like CI, and other local NGOs.
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*** Look around and see who might partner with you because they share the same interest in organic farming, clean energy usage, recycling etc. There is no need always to reinvent the wheel.
*** Have you made links with secular bodies that are working, environmentally, in the field?
*** Have you made links with other faith bodies in your region that are interested in improving their environmental impact? Are there areas where you can share expertise and experience and avoid duplication?
*** Are there any commercial groups involved in the environment who would work with you, and who might give you a significant discount because you would give their product a greater profile?
SOME IDEAS AND EXAMPLES
* Re: Dedicated Staff: The Buddhists in Cambodia have set up their own environmental organisation – the Association of Buddhists for the Environment. It is staffed and run by monks, assisted by many secular agencies in projects such as reforestation, environmental education and sustainable housing. At first it seemed quite expensive and time consuming, but the Buddhists have realised that it is an important element of reaching out to young people, that their work has required new skills, like making films, developing websites, as well as old skills like growing and caring for trees, and that this is now an important way for the faith to live its ancient beliefs, and to live in the modern world at the same time.
* Re: Dedicated Staff: The Daoists of Lou Guan Dai temple in China - the temple where the Dao De Ching is said to have been written - have set up their own eco-department on the sacred pilgrimage mountain of Tai Bai Shan, where ARC and Dutch environmental group EMF have helped them build their first "eco-temple".
* Re: Lay People: The Board of Deputies of British Judaism established an environment group which drew together some of the greatest minds and most professional environmentalists in the UK. They had never before been asked to think about how their faith shaped their work or how their work could shape their faith. It led to many new initiatives throughout the UK.
* Re: Working with other faith traditions: When the Church of South India decided to hold a conference on faith and the environment in February 2008 in Kerala, they linked with many other Christian traditions in the area. The event was attended extensively by seminarians from the Syrian tradition, by Catholics, as well as by many Hindus. Link here for more details about ARC's collaboration with the Church of South India.
* Re: Working with local secular bodies: The team at ABE in Cambodia (see above) had not thought to make contact with Conservation International (nor v.v.) until 2006, at a meeting engineered by ARC. The two groups realised they could work with each other, and the meeting inspired the extension of CI's project in the Cardamom Mountains to work extensively with the pagodas. ABE's film of its work has also been promoted (and given an award) by CI.
* Re: Working with local secular bodies: Meanwhile in Indonesia, the local Conservation Office helped all the faiths have a strong role in the Bali COP in December 2007. They held a meeting on faiths in the environment - to which ARC contributed a booklet of prayers about Creation from all Indonesia's major faiths - which was attended by the Indonesian president and religious leaders. Link here for the report.
LINKS
Link here for the main project page to explain the Seven Year Programme.
Link to the
Link here for the full Seven Year Plan guidelines (Note this is a file of 2MB).
Link to the Frequently Asked Questions
page.
The Other Six Key Areas are:
1. Faith-consistent use of Assets: land, investments, purchasing and property
2. Education and Young People
3. Pastoral Care: theological education, training, rediscovering past traditions and wisdom
4. Lifestyles
5. Media and Advocacy
7. Celebration
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