LEAVES 26 (7) - July 2024

        Newsletter of the
         INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT FORUM
         Volume 26, Number 7 --- 15 July 2024    

Website: iefworld.org 
Article submission: newsletter@iefworld.org Deadline next issue 10 August 2024
Secretariat Email: ief@iefworld.org Christine Muller General Secretary 
Postal address: 12B Chemin de Maisonneuve, CH-1219 Chatelaine, Geneva, Switzerland
Download the easier to read pdf version

    From the Editor, Request for information for upcoming newsletters

This newsletter is an opportunity for IEF members to share their experiences, activities, and  initiatives that are taking place at the community level on environment, climate change  and sustainability. All members are welcome to contribute information about related  activities, upcoming conferences, news from like-minded organizations, recommended  websites, book reviews, etc. Please send information to newsletter@iefworld.org.

Please share the Leaves newsletter and IEF membership  information with family, friends and associates, and encourage interested persons to consider becoming a member of the IEF.

Members Corner

The IEF warmly welcomes the following new associates:

Claire Azordegan, USA 
A.K.M. Humayan KabirDewan, Bangladesh 
Mohammad Zishan Patel, India

Quote of the Month

That seeker must, at all times, put his trust in God, must renounce the peoples of the earth, must detach himself from the world of dust, and cleave unto Him Who is the Lord of Lords. He must never seek to exalt himself above anyone, must wash away from the tablet of his heart every trace of pride and vainglory, … He should be content with little, and be freed from all inordinate desire.

(Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh)

IEF 28th Annual Conference

This year’s conference will take place alongside the UN Summit of the Future (SoTF) (22-23 September) and will be entirely virtual. So, everyone will be able to attend, and you and your friends are warmly invited! The conference will focus again on the two areas of IEF's mission:

A. strengthening awareness of and commitment to global governance and  
B. supporting members in grassroots social action. 

The overall conference theme is A World-embracing Vision for a Sustainable Future.

Our tentative plans are for four events: a conversation with youth and three panel discussions. (The August newsletter will provide more details.)

Interactive event: A vision for a Sustainable Future - a Conversation with Youth 
Saturday, 14 September, 1pm EDT / 7pm CEST 

1. Panel: Developing a vision for global collaboration  
Friday, 19 September, time TBA  

2. Panel: Building Futures in Communities  
Sunday, 22 September, 1pm EDT / 7pm CEST 

3. Panel: Where Do We Go from Here? - Deeds not Words  
Saturday, 28 September, 1pm EDT / 7pm CEST

Wilmette Institute Sustainable Development Course

Faculty members Laurent Mesbah, Rebecca Teclemariam-Mesbah, Arthur Dahl, and Christine Muller - all IEF members - warmly invite your participation in this course! For more information and to register, go here.

The Journey of Transformation for Native American Youth

Webinar by the Agriculture Group of the Association of Baha’i Studies 
Sunday, July 28 at 1:00pm EDT /7pm CEST

Speaker: Rose High Bear, Elderberry Wisdom Farm

In this session we will learn about the journey of Native American youth at Elderberry Wisdom Farm, especially their health and wellness resilience. Rose High Bear, founding director of Elderberry Wisdom Farm, will discuss several of their programs and projects including career pathway planning services, and a learning model specifically designed for Native American and other students of color. The farm’s emphasis on training Native youth helps fulfill the organization's mission and vision, assisting Native Americans as they integrate academics, experiential service-learning activities and cultural and ecological knowledge while creating their own agricultural and horticultural career pathways.

How to join the webinar:  Subscribers to the ABS Agriculture Group Mailchimp page will receive an announcement with the link the week before presentations. People are free to unsubscribe at any time. Sign up here to receive a link: https://agriculture-working-group.mailchimpsites.com/

IEF Webinars

The IEF webinars are on summer break. They will resume after the IEF conference in the fall.

If you have missed the 1 June 2024 IEF Webinar with Austin Bowden-Kerby or want to see it again because it was so interesting, you can now watch the recording here: Reefs of Hope: Helping Coral Reefs Adapt to Rapidly Warming Seas.

‘Adasíyyih

New book by IEF Member Paul Hanley

In 1901, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá purchased land in what is now Jordan that would become the village of ‘Adasíyyih. Through His guidance and unending inspiration, Bahá’í pioneers from Iran would soon settle there and transform a degraded parcel of land—which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá reportedly described as the most inhospitable place on Earth—into the site of a thriving farm and prosperous community whose residents embodied the Bahá’í teachings.

The story of ‘Adasíyyih is offered within the context of the extensive agricultural activities of the Central Figures of the Bahá’í Faith and the early Bahá’í communities They nurtured. It was this farming village—along with several others in the region of the Galilee—that produced a surplus of crops, which enabled ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to keep famine at bay for so many people during World War I, a feat that would earn Him a knighthood from the British Empire and a title that He would never use. In time, ‘Adasíyyih would become a model village for Jordanians, and Jordan’s royalty would become frequent guests.

Author Paul Hanley’s extensive research, along with his deep interest in agricultural systems, provides a fascinating glimpse of this remarkable history and the lessons that can be gleaned from it and applied to current community building and agroecological efforts.

Read a preview of the book by IEF President Arthur Dahl here: https://iefworld.org/Dahl2024f_Adasiyyih

The book is available from the Baha’i Bookstore: https://www.bahaibookstore.com/Adasiyyih-P10838

Source: Baha’i Book Store

How I navigated the rhetoric and realities of climate change through a spiritual lens

Commentary By IEF Member Pete Haug

FāVS News recently published this article which you can read here: https://favs.news/navigating-the-rhetoric-and-realities-of-climate-chan…

With an engaging language, Pete takes the reader on his journey of understanding the scientific foundation of climate change and of spiritual insights that motivated him to raise awareness and take action regarding this global challenge.

Oneness of humanity essential to food system reform

BIC BRUSSELS — An overarching principle that should underpin any conversation on agriculture is the oneness of humanity, says the Brussels Office of the Bahá’í International Community (BIC) in a new statement on the future of agriculture in the European Union.  

The statement—addressed to a recent meeting of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting—highlights several broad considerations essential to effective reforms to food systems, including: justice as a guiding principle in international relations to ensure that trade is fair and beneficial to all; the need to revisit the assumption that competition and relentless growth are essential for material well-being; prioritizing the needs of farmers of all scales of production in agricultural deliberations and policymaking; and fostering educational systems that emphasize the nobility of farming and encourage youth to apply their intellectual and scientific capabilities toward the development of new, sustainable, and context-appropriate technologies.  

The Brussels Office further states that Europe’s decisions regarding agriculture have far-reaching impacts, necessitating a deep appreciation of the broader global context. It stresses that the agricultural well-being of all societies is not just a strategic imperative but, above all, a moral one, especially given Europe’s “pivotal role in the global economic and financial order.”  

Rachel Bayani, a representative of the BIC Brussels Office, spoke with the News Service, discussing the essential interconnectedness of global food systems and the moral imperative to collectively address the challenges of developing more sustainable, equitable, and resilient food systems.   

“The future of agriculture hinges not only on technical solutions but on our recognition of the oneness of humanity,” she stated.   

“We must embrace justice and cooperation at every level,” continued Mrs. Bayani, “reimagine our economic assumptions, and place the needs of farmers and the environment at the heart of our policies. By doing so, we can cultivate a world where the prosperity and sustainability of the agricultural sector worldwide reinforces our shared humanity.”  

The statement, which can be viewed here, is part of the BIC’s ongoing efforts to contribute to the discourse on food security by exploring how spiritual principles—such as oneness, justice, and the harmony of science and religion—can be applied to building sustainable food systems.

To read the story online or view photos, visit news.bahai.org.

Future of Agriculture in the European Union

The Baha'i International Community appreciates the questions being raised by the conclusions on the future of agriculture in the European Union, which are set to be adopted during today’s Agriculture and Fisheries Council.

Given the centrality of agriculture to humanity’s future, the need to revise critical aspects of current food systems will only grow in the years ahead. Whether these aspects pertain to various stages of the food supply chain, the allocation of land, or mechanisms for controlling food prices, effective reforms to food systems must be framed by broader considerations.

The Baha'i International Community believes that these broader considerations, including those highlighted below, are essential to a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient future for agriculture.

The future of agriculture in Europe in light of the oneness of humanity

The overarching principle that should underpin any conversation on agriculture is the oneness of humanity. Agriculture and food systems have global ramifications and are interwoven with international trade, environmental policies, and economic dynamics. Decisions made within Europe regarding the agricultural sector have significant impacts globally, just as agricultural policies and practices implemented elsewhere have effects on European food systems.

Recognition of this interconnectedness does not diminish the critical importance of examining, for instance, the extent to which Europe should strive for self-sufficiency or prioritise locally grown products, nor does it lessen the necessity of rethinking international trade to minimise ecological impact. Rather, it requires that such decisions must be made with a deep understanding and appreciation of the broader global context. It is essential to recognize that, in the long term, the prosperity and sustainability of the agricultural sector worldwide are vital for the future of agriculture and farmers in Europe too.

The need to consider the agricultural well-being of the global community is not merely a strategic imperative, but above all a moral one. Indeed, this moral imperative is particularly pressing for Europe, given its pivotal role in the global economic and financial order.

Justice as a guiding principle

Unless and until a framework of just relationships among nations can be established, the fabric of global society will continue to experience disruptions and crises with far-reaching ramifications for all countries involved. In the arena of food systems, one of the numerous implications of the principle of justice is that trade is carried out in a manner that is fair and beneficial to all, and importantly, does not result in any one country or region becoming overly dependent on another. Efforts must be made so that every country - not only those privileged in the existing economic order - can work towards food sovereignty, ensure its resilience to ecological, economic, or other pressures, and maintain the ability to make independent decisions.

Revisiting assumptions related to economic systems

One overarching feature of current economic systems is the assumption that competition and the relentless pursuit of growth are inherent to material well-being. This assumption shapes agricultural systems in ways which promote harmful incentives and leave farmers struggling with seemingly incompatible objectives, such as environmental protection and economic security.

Conversations about agriculture should therefore investigate alternative societal and economic models that align with all of humanity’s needs.

Farmers at the heart of shaping agricultural policy and food systems

One of the predominant themes emerging from recent discussions on agriculture is the pervasive sense of powerlessness felt by many farmers. This sentiment is especially acute among small-scale farmers, who often find themselves at the mercy of various economic, social, and environmental forces, and who face immense pressure from external factors, including the market and the supply chains.

In such complex and challenging circumstances, farmers struggle to maintain autonomy over their production processes and to make decisions that best suit their unique reality and the needs of the environment. This leads to overarching questions: how can the needs of European farmers engaged in all scales of production become central to agricultural deliberations and policy-making? And how can these needs be aligned with the interests of the worldwide farming community, as well as global ecosystems?

A new generation of farmers

Addressing the challenge of an ageing farming population necessitates adjustments across many policy sectors. It especially requires ensuring that farming is an economically viable and desirable prospect. While there is much to be said, we wish to highlight the role of education in particular.

Central to raising a new generation of farmers is an educational system that emphasises the nobility of farming and that encourages youth to apply their intellectual and scientific capabilities towards the development of new, sustainable and context-appropriate technologies. Importantly, education should link the choice to become a farmer with a higher purpose and a vision for social change. Young people are often motivated by the desire to make a positive impact on the world. By framing farming as a pathway to apply one’s intellect and creativity to, for example, reverse biodiversity loss, prevent environmental degradation or eliminate social inequities, the aspirations of youth can be aligned with the needs of our agricultural systems.

A global and cross-disciplinary conversation

The complex nature of agriculture's future, as highlighted by the various aspects mentioned above, underscores the necessity for continued and substantive dialogue among actors from various policy sectors. Such a dialogue should encompass participants from the grassroots level to policymakers, extending beyond occasional events and especially beyond European perspectives.

It is particularly crucial to explore creative avenues through which Europe can better understand the reality of the agricultural sector beyond its borders, in particular by engaging meaningfully with agricultural and other relevant stakeholders worldwide.

Such ongoing engagement will enable the integration of diverse perspectives, facilitate continuous reassessment of policies, and support the gradual refinement of a collective vision for the future of global agriculture.

SOURCE: https://www.bic.org/statements/future-agriculture-european-union-some-c…
PDF document: https://www.bic.org/sites/default/files/the_future_of_agriculture_in_th…

Climate Change Conflict and Freedom of Religion and Belief

The intersection of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and climate change is often overlooked by national governments and international organizations, despite the potential for cultural and religious diversity to aid in developing sustainable solutions.  This policy report, published by Search for Common Ground highlights the critical need for complementary climate and Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) programming to achieve sustainable outcomes for communities, particularly in conflict zones. Interdependence and interconnectedness are related to ideas of stewardship in Christianity or khalifa in Islam, it’s a common value across religions. From those common values we are telling the world there is so much that brings religions together, more than what can divide them.

Interfaith collaboration is not just part of the multilateral system but an important implementation mechanism for multilateral action. Faith actors have both the shared values and traditional knowledge that are key to the implementation of sustainable development. Indigenous peoples manage 80% of endangered resources but they are not heard in decision-making, so it is important for the interfaith community to bring that out. The multilateral system learns from centuries long practices with which people have lived in harmony within the Earth’s resources.

Click here to access the report.

Source: Search for Common Ground: https://www.sfcg.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Climate-change-conflict…

SUMMARY 

Mitigating climate change necessitates global cooperation, yet global data on individuals’ willingness to act remain scarce. A representative survey across 125 countries interviewed nearly 130,000 individuals, revealing widespread support for climate action. Notably, 69% of the global population expresses a willingness to contribute 1% of their personal income, 86% endorse pro-climate social norms and 89% demand intensified political action. Countries facing heightened vulnerability to climate change show a particularly high willingness to contribute.

However individuals around the globe systematically underestimate the willingness of their fellow citizens to act. Therefore, raising awareness about the broad global support for climate action becomes critically important in promoting a unified response to climate change.

The central question was the extent to which individuals around the globe are willing to contribute to the common good, and how do they perceive other people’s willingness to contribute?

The study focused on four aspects that have been identified as critical in promoting cooperation in the context of common goods: the individual willingness to make costly contributions, the approval of pro-climate norms, the demand for political action, and beliefs about the support of others.

A Global Climate Change Survey was administered as part of the Gallup World Poll 2021/2022 in 125 countries using a common sampling and survey methodology. The countries included account for 96% of the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, 96% of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) and 92% of the global population.

Most country samples included approximately 1,000 respondents, and the global sample comprised a total of 129,902 individuals.

The globally representative data reveal strong support for climate action around the world. First, a large majority of individuals — 69% — state they would be willing to contribute 1% of their household income every month to fight global warming. An additional 6% report they would be willing to contribute a smaller fraction of their income, and 26% state they would not be willing to contribute any amount. The proportion of respondents willing to contribute 1% of their income varies considerably across countries, ranging from 30% to 93%. In the vast majority of countries (114 of 125) the proportion is greater than 50%, and in a large number of countries (81 of 125) the proportion is greater than two-thirds.

Second, there is widespread approval of pro-climate social norms in almost all countries. Overall, 86% of respondents state that people in their country should try to fight global warming. In 119 of 125 countries, the proportion of supporters exceeds two-thirds.

Third, there is an almost universal global demand for intensified political action. Across the globe, 89% of respondents state that their national government should do more to fight global warming. In more than half the countries, the demand for more government action exceeds 90%. It is in countries that are most resilient that individuals are least willing to contribute 1% of their income to climate action.

The average proportion of people who are willing to contribute increases from 64% among the coldest countries to 77% among the warmest countries. Average annual temperature captures how exposed a country is to global warming risks. Countries with higher annual temperatures have already experienced greater damage due to global warming, potentially making future threats from climate change more evident to their residents. People living in more vulnerable countries report a stronger willingness to contribute.

The critical role of beliefs raises the question of whether beliefs correspond to reality. In fact, there is a sizeable and systematic global misperception. At the global level, there is a 26-percentage-point gap between the actual proportion of respondents who report being willing to contribute 1% of their income towards climate action (69%) and the average perceived proportion (43%). Put differently, individuals around the globe strongly underestimate their fellow citizens’ actual willingness to contribute to the common good.

The results are encouraging. About two-thirds of the global population report being willing to incur a personal cost to fight climate change, and the overwhelming majority demands political action and supports pro-climate norms. This indicates that the world is united in its normative judgement about climate change and the need to act. Rather than echoing the concerns of a vocal minority that opposes any form of climate action, we need to effectively communicate that the vast majority of people around the world are willing to act against climate change and expect their national government to act.

SOURCE: extracts from Andre, P., Boneva, T., Chopra, F. et al. Globally representative evidence on the actual and perceived support for climate action. Nature Climate Change 14, 253–259 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-024-01925-3
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-024-01925-3

A Human Rights Economy

Olivier De Schutter
UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights
The Guardian 2 July 2024

Obsession with growth is enriching elites and killing the planet. We need an economy based on human rights.

Economic growth allows the few to grow ever-wealthier. Ending poverty and environmental catastrophe demands fresh thinking

Economic growth will bring prosperity to all. This is the mantra that guides the decision-making of the vast majority of politicians, economists and even human rights bodies.

Yet the reality – as detailed in a report to the United Nations Human Rights Council this month – shows that while poverty eradication has historically been promised through the “trickling down” or “redistribution” of wealth, economic growth largely “gushes up” to a privileged few.

In the past four years alone the world’s five richest men have more than doubled their fortunes, while nearly 5 billion people have been made poorer. If current trends continue, 575 million people will still be trapped in extreme poverty in 2030 – the deadline set by the world’s governments to eradicate it. Currently, more than 4 billion people have no access whatsoever to social protection.

Hundreds of millions of people are struggling to survive in a world that has never been wealthier; many are driven to exhaustion in poorly paid, often dangerous jobs to satisfy the needs of the elite and to boost corporate profits. In low-income countries, where significant investment is still required, growth can still serve a useful role. In practice, however, it is often extractive, relying on the exploitation of a cheap workforce and the plundering of natural resources.

The endless quest for growth at all costs, and the escalating use of the natural resources it demands, is pushing our planet way beyond its limits. Six of the nine “planetary boundaries” – Earth’s life-support systems – have already been crossed. For too long, the health of our planet has been sacrificed for inequitable material gain.

Our economies are failing us. We urgently need to look beyond profit, beyond the short term and beyond the interests of the few.

A “human rights economy” can deliver for people and the planet because it shifts our focus from growth to humanity – grounding the purpose of the economy in fundamental, universal human values. It offers human rights as a guardrail to keep the economy on track – meeting the challenges of the climate crisis, addressing inequalities and eradicating poverty.

This proposition is not some fairytale. Concrete steps can be taken now, starting with choosing measures of progress other than gross domestic product (GDP) – which tells us nothing about the ecological or social fallout of economic activity.

And we need to start valuing what really counts. GDP has no way of accounting for the estimated 16.4bn hours spent every day worldwide on unpaid work, largely carried out by women, that underpins the global economy: caring for children, people with disabilities and older citizens.

Unpaid domestic and care work should be remunerated through paid parental and carers’ leave, included in pension calculations, and supported through access to safe water, sanitation, affordable childcare facilities and other essential services.

Financing these services while reducing our dependence on GDP growth is achievable through progressive tax policies such as inheritance and wealth taxes, preventing illegal financial flows and tax evasion, and tackling corruption. More effective international cooperation on tax, debt and social protection is also needed.

This is a major undertaking. The barriers are real: most people have been led to believe that economic growth equals human progress. Yet a growing movement is rallying against our growth-driven economic model: climate activists, workers and trade unions, scientists and academics, young people, environmental and human rights defenders, Indigenous peoples, progressive economists, and activists fighting inequality, gender disparities and colonialism are speaking out.

As world leaders prepare to gather for the Summit of the Future in September – a UN initiative that aims to forge a global consensus around what our future should look like – this groundswell of support for an alternative vision of progress must be embraced. Without a roadmap for a global economy that protects human rights, including the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, the final document leaders agree in New York will continue to lead us down the path to extinction.

SOURCE: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/article/2024/jul/02/obse…  

UN reform for Sustainable Development Goals

Sustainable Development Report 2024
Released 17 June 2024

Urgent Reform of the United Nations Can Restore Global Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals

Ahead of the UN Summit of the Future in September 2024, a new SDSN report calls for a United Nations 2.0 to strengthen global cooperation and financing for sustainable development.

None of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are on track to be achieved by 2030, and only an estimated 16% of the SDG targets are progressing, reveals the 9th edition of the Sustainable Development Report (SDR) by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). The first report’s chapter, endorsed by 100+ leading scientists and practitioners worldwide, identifies priorities to upgrade the United Nations to meet the great challenges of the 21st Century and achieve sustainable development, including five strategies to address the chronic shortfalls in SDG financing. Published each year since 2016, the global edition of the SDR includes the SDG Index and Dashboards ranking the performance of all UN Member States on the SDGs. In addition to the SDG Index, this year’s edition includes a new Index of countries’ support for UN-based multilateralism covering all 193 UN Member States and new FABLE pathways demonstrating how to achieve sustainable food and land systems by mid-century.

Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, President of the SDSN and a lead author of the report, emphasizes the following:
“Midway between the founding of the UN in 1945 and the year 2100, we cannot rely on business as usual. The world faces great global challenges, including dire ecological crises, widening inequalities, disruptive and potentially hazardous technologies, and deadly conflicts, we are at a crossroads. Ahead of the UN’s Summit of the Future, the international community must take stock of the vital accomplishments and the limitations of the United Nations system, and work toward upgrading multilateralism for the decades ahead.”

This year’s SDR highlights five key findings:

1. On average, globally, only 16% of the SDG targets are on track to be achieved by 2030, with the remaining 84% demonstrating limited or a reversal of progress.

2. The pace of SDG progress varies significantly across country groups. Nordic countries continue to lead on SDG achievement, with BRICS demonstrating strong progress and poor and vulnerable nations lagging far behind.

3. Sustainable development remains a long-term investment challenge. Reforming the Global Financial Architecture is more urgent than ever.

4. Global challenges require global cooperation. Barbados ranks the highest in its commitment to UN-based multilateralism; the United States ranks last.

5. SDG targets related to food and land systems are particularly off-track. The SDR presents new FABLE pathways to support sustainable food and land systems.

Citation Details: Sachs, J.D., Lafortune, G., Fuller, G. (2024). The SDGs and the UN Summit of the Future. Sustainable Development Report 2024. Paris: SDSN, Dublin: Dublin University Press. doi:10.25546/108572

Website: https://sdgtransformationcenter.org/

SOURCE: https://s3.amazonaws.com/sustainabledevelopment.report/2024/press-relea…