The Temple of Understanding continues work toward protecting biodiversity with Faiths for Biodiversity, participating in the Biodiversity COP 16 in Cali, Colombia, towards Making Peace with Nature held from 21 October -1 November 2024.
The success of this COP was manifested in the spirit of the huge all-of-society participation in the Green Zone throughout the downtown area, with so many meetings and activities for all ages, including a butterfly tent, displays on innovative building materials, crickets as a protein source, and so much creativity on display. The deliberations in the Green Zone were brought into the Blue Zone, where negotiations were happening through a Women’s Forum, which featured reports back, including youth activists.
Photo by IISD/ENB | Mike Muzurakis
The Global Youth Biodiversity Network had a great presence in the Green Zone, mostly in the civil society parts and with some voices in the negotiation spaces, as well. Faiths for Biodiversity had a busy convening space, where the Temple of Understanding offered two sessions and supported many more. The presence of Indigenous People’s voices was amplified through many convening spaces, as the Colombian COP leadership was well aware of the front-line work of Indigenous groups and the violence they have faced.
Participating in such an event is an opportunity to make connections with so many deeply concerned people working from diverse angles toward protecting diversity. Travel is always educational, and the city of Cali, Colombia is known as the capital of salsa dancing. The prevalence of this energetic form of dance is a key part of the culture and the quality of life, perhaps even a force for healing from trauma and insisting on enjoying life, music, community, and embodiment.
Read about the landmark decisions here, including the historic precedent-setting decision to recognize Indigenous Peoples and people of African descent as caretakers of biodiversity.
However, the COP lost quorum as delegates left to catch their planes and adjourned without finalizing the more contentious financing issues. There will be some budgetary concerns in the near future to allow the secretariat to continue to be funded.
The next COP will be held in Armenia.
Additional Reporting
The Earth Negotiations Bulletin’s full coverage and their summary report of the Biodiversity COP 16 2024 is online.
Faiths for Biodiversity released a report at the COP on faith-based efforts to preserve biodiversity, Uniting for Nature: Faiths at the Forefront of Kunming- Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Implementation. A wide range of projects, from around the globe, are included in the report, showing faith actions towards implementing the framework adopted in Montreal. The report can also serve to inspire additional faith-based actions, as the whole world needs to pull together towards Peace with Nature.
Here are details on the two events the Temple of Understanding hosted:
Monday, Oct 28, 10:45 in the Faith Pavilion, Blue Zone, in-person event at the Biodiversity COP 15, Cali, Columbia
Biodiversity: Agriculture as Living System
This session explored the spiritual underpinnings and the practical means of reclaiming agricultural systems. We must move towards increasing biodiversity rather than increasing industrialization mono-crop, financialization, and profiteering. We heard video clips from Vandana Shiva, Anastasia Nesvetailova, and Linley Dixon, with subsequent discussion. This event addressed Goals A, B, C and Targets 4,7, 10, 23, 24, 25, 28.
In-person event at the Biodiversity COP 16, 10:45 am Thursday Oct 24, Blue Zone Faith Paviliion.
Mining, Water and Biodiversity: Protection and Accountability for the Community of Life
As part of the Mining Working Group and as a co-sponsor, the Temple of Understanding proudly supported this event under the leadership of Waterspirit- a spiritual ecology nonprofit that informs, inspires, and empowers people of all beliefs to deepen their consciousness of the sacredness of water and the interdependence of all Earth’s systems.
This in-person panel highlighted the challenges in protecting biodiversity and the human right to equitable access to water. Particular attention was paid to the role that extractive industries like mining pose toward meeting the targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Mining’s threats to water and biodiversity touch on a number of cross-cutting issues, including but not limited to health, migration, gender, Indigenous rights, education, and climate change.
You can read more about the TOU’s prior participation in COP 15 here and listen to the session, “The Species We Save May Be Our Own.
Grove Harris, M.Div.
groveharris.org