Nathan Kyamanyara, an Anglican bishop from Uganda, said his diocese is already involved in a number of small scale projects that directly address the SDGs. “The Great Forest Wall costs almost nothing – mainly the cost of raising seedlings and transporting them to the site. “So much of the discussion about the SDGs has been about ‘How much will they cost?’” he said. Tomoski Takahasi, for example, told of a project undertaken by the Shinto community of Japan to plan trees and create a “Great Forest Wall” to protect against future tsunamis. We can take this good start and make it transformational.” We have the opportunity now to commit ourselves to a global, universal endeavor, agreed upon by the nations of the world. “It is these small actions, endowed with purity of motive that, in the aggregate, will change the world. “We can all think of examples where the central figures of our faiths have changed hearts, minds, and lives – the course of history – through seemingly small actions,” said Daniel Perell, a representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations.
One common theme that emerged from the discussions in Bristol was the important role of individual and community-level actions in efforts by faith groups to assist in meeting the SDGs. “Knowing this, it becomes clear that the UN needs to work closely with faith communities over the next 15 years if the new global goals for sustainable development are to be achieved.” “More than 80 percent of the world’s people express a religious affiliation,” said Mr. Paul Ladd, director of UNDP’s team on the post-2015 development agenda, formally accepted the Bristol Commitments from the faith communities on behalf of the UN. Also known as Agenda 2030, the goals promise a broad, universal approach to ending poverty, protecting the environment, and improving education and gender equity worldwide. The SDGs are a set of 17 development goals scheduled to be adopted by world leaders at the UN on 25 September in New York. “They have been working on many aspects of the SDGs for centuries, whether that’s feeding millions of people, caring for them through schools, managing the land, or simply seeking to be a compassionate presence in a world that for many is extraordinarily tough,” said Mr. Palmer also said activities to promote sustainable development are not new to religious communities. “The Bristol Commitments are specific, faith-related, detailed programs of work by faith communities from around the world,” said Martin Palmer, ARC secretary general. These “practical pledges” were offered alongside the overarching efforts that faith communities make every day to fight poverty, provide education, and promote environmental stewardship. The plans include specific pledges to develop microcredit programs for the poor, increase access to education, plant trees, invest in clean energy and green pilgrimage. The plans, called the Bristol Commitments, were presented and discussed at a pageant-trimmed, two-day event held here 8-9 September 2015, which was co-hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC).
AGENDA 2030 EXPOSED SERIES
Representatives of the world’s major religions, including the Baha’i Faith, have offered to the United Nations a series of action plans and other contributions in support for the proposed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the UN’s primary development agenda for the next 15 years.
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