Network of Earthkeeping
Christian Communities in South Africa
NECCSA Update: January
2005
A
monthly newsletter on Church and Environment in South Africa
An
Ecumenical Environmental Institute
In this NECCSA Update we cover the upcoming conference on the
establishment of an Ecumenical Environmental Institute in some detail.
Press
Release
The
South African Council of Churches (SACC) has endorsed the need to set up an
Ecumenical Environmental Institute to help faith communities meet the
increasingly serious environmental challenges facing humanity.
The Global Environmental Facility’s Small Grants Programme has awarded
the SACC a grant to hold a national ecumenical conference to deliberate the way
forward for the Institute.
This
has been announced by the General Secretary of the SACC, Dr. Molefe Tsele.
“Two years after the World Summit on Sustainable Development it is becoming
clear that a comprehensive plan of action by the faith communities is needed,”
Dr. Tsele said. “With the threat
of climate change, food insecurity, water shortages, air pollution, toxic waste
and the degradation of natural resources and the environment, we really need to
assist churches to take on their God-given responsibilities.”
“This
is tremendously exciting and timely,” said Bishop Geoff Davies who has been
pushing for more active involvement of the churches in promoting more
sustainable lifestyles and greater responsibility for the environment. “It is
strange that Christians, who worship a creator God, have been noticeably quiet
when it comes to environmental issues. Yet
God has told us to look after this world. I
hope this institute will help us to do so.”
Bishop
Davies, through the SACC, will be organizing a national conference to be held at
Hartebeespoort, near Pretoria, from 14 to 17 March 2005.
It is hoped that not only will there be a wide spectrum of Christian
churches, but that major faiths and environmental organizations will also
attend. It should also include Christian environmental bodies like NECCSA
(Network of Earthkeeping Christian Communities of SA) and A Rocha, concerned
NGO’S and women’s groups.
“Just
as the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Archbishop Desmond Tutu helped focus
attention of the injustices of apartheid, so the awarding of the Peace Prize to
Wangari Maathai will help us focus on the need for environmental justice,”
Bishop Davies stated. “She has brought the connections together.
Sustainable management of the environment, peace, democracy and equitable
development are all inextricably linked.”
14th
December 2004
National
Conference on the establishment of an Ecumenical Environmental Institute
March
14th to 17th 2005, Good Shepherd Retreat Centre, Hartebeespoortdam
Invitation
to Church Leaders
The
SACC National Executive Committee has agreed on the need to establish an
Ecumenical Environmental Institute. In the light of the contemporary threats of
climate change, biodiversity loss, food insecurity, pollution, economic
injustice, there is ample need for the churches - and faith communities in
general - to take on our God-given responsibilities for the environment.
The
NEC has therefore extended an invitation to church leaders to attend a national
ecumenical conference to consider critical issues facing humanity and the need
to establish an Environmental Institute. It is hoped that each member church of
the SACC would send two representatives to the conference.
The idea is to have people who already have some awareness of
environmental concerns, but it would also be important to have participants who
can feed information back into their church communities.
Bishop
Geoff Davies, previously Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Umzimvubu is working
with the SACC staff in preparing for this conference. A grant from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Small Grants Programme (SGP) will help to cover the costs of this national
ecumenical conference.
After
presentations on the critical issues facing humanity, the conference will
consider the establishment of an Ecumenical Environmental Institute.
If it is agreed this is the right way to move
ahead, the vision, aim and objectives of
the institute will be considered.
An
Ecumenical Environmental Institute
The
conference programme has not yet been finalised. It will include sessions on the
following topics:
The
purpose of these presentations will be to assist religious leaders to become
more aware of our God-given responsibilities to care for creation and the need
to involve faith communities in this care.
These
sessions will be followed by a discussion of the vision, aims and structures of
the proposed Ecumenical Environmental Institute. The conference will then
discuss two further items:
1)
A decision on whether it is right to establish an Environmental Institute.
2)
If this is agreed to, the Conference should then establish:
§
The direction and guidelines of the proposed Ecumenical Environmental
Institute, setting out its vision, aims and objectives and
§
The appropriate governing structure for the institute.
Apart
from addressing environmental issues, the establishment of an Ecumenical
Environmental Institute will be a significant step towards cooperation between
churches and environmental groups. The
UNDP hopes that the establishment of an Environmental Institute will be a means
of providing greater opportunity for faith communities to become involved in
development projects.
SACC’s
Commitment to establishing an Environmental Institute
The
World Council of Churches (WCC) established a programme called Justice, Peace
and Integrity of Creation (JPIC), with an international gathering in Seoul,
South Korea, in 1989. This placed environmental care on the agenda of national
councils of churches.
At
the National Executive Committee of the South African Council of Churches (SACC)
meeting on 2nd October, 2004, The
General Secretary of the SACC, The Revd. Dr. Molefe Tsele, reported that the
SACC had discussed the issue of the environment and sustainable development
prior to the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development and had appointed a
consultant who worked among the churches for a year.
He
explained that two years after WSSD it was clear that a more comprehensive plan
of action was needed. The Network
of Earthkeeping Christian Communities in South Africa (NECCSA) had been
established prior to the World Summit, but it was insufficient to meet the
challenges facing humanity through the growing environmental crisis.
It
was felt that the proposal to establish an Environmental Institute was too
important for the NEC to endorse and leave. The NEC agreed that a national
ecumenical consultation should be held with all denominations, ecumenical
environmental groups, NECCSA, and should include academics, NGO’s, women’s
groups and that the NEC should take ownership.
A
start will be made with the ecumenical Conference on the theme of “Celebrating God’s Creation”.
The NEC should take responsibility and the General Secretary of the SACC,
The Revd. Dr. Molefe Tsele, and Bishop Geoff Davies should guide it and ensure
its implementation.
The
NEC therefore endorsed a national ecumenical conference which would establish an
Environmental Institute and give direction to its operation.
NECCSA website address: www.neccsa.org
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Distributed by EM Conradie 26/01/2005