EarthAction

Sir David Attenborough as the recipient of the Champions of the Earth Lifetime Achievement Award

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) announced today that Sir David Attenborough will receive the Champions of the Earth Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication to research, documentation, and advocacy for the protection of nature and its restoration.

Sir David Attenborough’s career as a broadcaster, natural historian, author, and environmental advocate spans over seven decades. He is most famous for his work with the BBC’s Natural History Unit, including landmark documentaries such as Life on Earth, the Living Planet, Our Planet and Our Blue Planet. In addition, his renowned advocacy work to preserve and restore biodiversity, transition to renewable energy, mitigate climate change and promote plant-rich diets contribute to the realization of many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The award is the UN’s highest environmental honour, and celebrates those who have dedicated their lives to tackling crises like climate change, species loss and pollution. To date, the Champions of the Earth has recognized 106 laureates, ranging from world leaders to technology inventors. They include 26 world leaders, 64 individuals and 16 groups or organizations.

The Press Release may be viewed here: https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/david-attenborough-receives-uns-most-distinguished-environment-award

Feature Story may be viewed here: https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/un-recognizes-broadcaster-attenborough-lifetime-achievement-award

David Attenborough exclusive interview with UNEP ED Inger Andersen: https://youtu.be/2YoLsUt4F58

Profile Video: https://youtu.be/Vlvn23rSt0M

Should you have any questions or further clarification please contact UNEP´s Director of Communication, Mr. Daniel Cooney, [email protected]

Radhika Ochalik

Secretary of Governing Bodies

Director, Governance Affairs Office

UN Environment Programme

UNCCD Press Release - UN conference in Riyadh charts a path for global action on land, drought

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 14 December - After two weeks of intense negotiations on how to tackle land degradation, desertification and drought, the largest and most inclusive United Nations land conference wrapped up in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The nearly 200 countries convening at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) committed to prioritize land restoration and drought resilience in national policies and international cooperation as an essential strategy for food security and climate adaptation. Nations also made significant progress in laying the groundwork for  a future global drought regime, which they intend to complete at COP17 in Mongolia in 2026. In the meanwhile, more than USD 12 billion were pledged to tackle desertification, land degradation and drought around the world, especially in the most vulnerable countries.

Among the main agreements reached at COP16 were the creation of a Caucus for Indigenous Peoples and a Caucus for Local Communities to ensure that their unique perspectives and challenges are adequately represented; a continuation of the Convention’s Science-Policy Interface to strengthen science-based decision-making, and the mobilization of private sector engagement under the Business4Land initiative.

COP16 was the largest and most inclusive UNCCD COP to date: it attracted more than 20,000 participants, around 3,500 of them from civil society, and featured more than 600 events as part of the first Action Agenda to involve non-state actors in the work of the Convention.

In a prepared statement, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed emphasized “Our work does not end with the closing of COP16. We must continue to tackle the climate crisis—it is a call to action for all of us to embrace inclusivity, innovation, and resilience. Youth and Indigenous peoples must be at the heart of these conversations. Their wisdom, their voices, and their creativity are indispensable as we craft a sustainable future with renewed hope for generations to come.”

In his closing remarks, COP16 President, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Alfadley, said the meeting marked a turning point in raising international awareness of the pressing need to accelerate land restoration and drought resilience. 

“The Kingdom’s hosting of this important conference reflects its ongoing commitment to environmental issues and sustainable development. It reaffirms its dedication to working with all parties to preserve ecosystems, enhance international cooperation to combat desertification and land degradation, and address drought. We hope the outcomes of this session will lead to a significant shift that strengthens efforts to preserve land, reduce its degradation, build capacities to address drought, and contribute to the wellbeing of communities around the world.”

Addressing COP16 closing plenary, Under-Secretary-General and UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw stated: “As we have discussed and witnessed, the solutions are within our grasp. The actions we took today will shape not only the future of our planet but also the lives, livelihoods, and opportunities of those who depend on it.”

He further emphasized a significant shift in the global approach to land and drought issues, highlighting the interconnected challenges with broader global issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, food security, forced migration, and global stability.

Read more here.

UNCCD PRESS RELEASE: ‘Silent Demise’ of Vast Rangelands Threatens Climate, Food, Wellbeing of Billions

Rangelands cover 54% of all land; as much as 50% are degraded,
imperiling 1/6th of humanity’s food supply, 1/3rd of Earth’s carbon reservoir
UNCCD report points way to restore, better manage rangelands,
urges protection of pastoralism

Bonn/Ulaanbaatar 21 May 2024 – Degradation of Earth’s extensive, often immense natural pastures and other rangelands due to overuse, misuse, climate change and biodiversity loss poses a severe threat to humanity’s food supply and the wellbeing or survival of billions of people, the UN warns in a stark report today. 

Authors of the Global Land Outlook Thematic Report on Rangelands and Pastoralists,launched in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia by the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), say up to 50% of rangelands are degraded. 

Symptoms of the problem include diminished soil fertility and nutrients, erosion, salinization, alkalinization, and soil compaction inhibiting plant growth, all of which contribute to drought, precipitation fluctuations, and biodiversity loss both above and below the ground. 

The problem is driven largely by converting pastures to cropland and other land use changes due to population growth and urban expansion, rapidly rising food, fibre and fuel demands, excessive grazing, abandonment (end of maintenance by pastoralists), and policies that incentivise overexploitation. 

What are rangelands? 

The rangelands category of Earth’s land cover consists mostly of the natural grasslands used by livestock and wild animals to graze and forage.  

They also include savannas, shrublands, wetlands, tundra and deserts.   

Added together, these lands constitute 54% of all land cover, account for one sixth of global food production and represent nearly one third of the planet’s carbon reservoir. 

“When we cut down a forest, when we see a 100-year-old tree fall, it rightly evokes an emotional response in many of us. The conversion of ancient rangelands, on the other hand, happens in ‘silence’ and generates little public reaction,” says UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw.  

“Sadly, these expansive landscapes and the pastoralists and livestock breeders who depend on them, are usually under-appreciated,” Mr. Thiaw adds. “Despite numbering an estimated half a billion individuals worldwide, pastoralist communities are frequently overlooked, lack a voice in policy-making that directly affects their livelihoods, marginalised, and even often seen as outsiders in their own lands.” 

Mongolia Environment Minister H.E. Bat-Erdene Bat-Ulzii says: “As custodian of the largest grasslands in Eurasia, Mongolia has always been cautious in transforming rangelands. Mongolian traditions are built on the appreciation of resource limits, which defined mobility as a strategy, established shared responsibilities over the land, and set limits in consumption. We hope this report helps focus attention on rangelands and their many enormous values – cultural, environmental, and economic –  which cannot be overstated. If these rangelands cannot support these massive numbers of people, what alternatives can they turn to?” 

Mongolia will host the 17th UNCCD Conference of the Parties meeting in 2026, the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP), declared by the United Nations General Assembly on Mongolia’s initiative.

Read more here

UN General Assembly calls for an end to the war in Ukraine

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution late last night (Feb 23), calling for an end to the war and demanding Russia’s withdrawal from Ukraine, in line with the UN Charter.

Coming just hours before the war entered its second year, the resolution was adopted under the Uniting for Peace mandate, which provides the possibility for the UN General Assembly to take action to address acts of aggression or other serious threats to international peace when the Security Council is blocked by the veto power of one of the Permanent Five Members.

The UNGA resolution, entitled Principles of the Charter of the United Nations underlying a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine contains 11 key points including;

• Deploring the dire human rights and humanitarian consequences of the war;
• Expressing deep concern about the adverse impact of the war on global food security, energy, nuclear security and safety and the environment;
• Calling for full adherence by the parties to the armed conflict to their obligations under international humanitarian law;
• Emphasizing the need to ensure accountability for the most serious crimes under international law committed on the territory of Ukraine through independent investigations and prosecutions at the national or international level, and ensure justice for all victims and the prevention of future crimes;
• Underscoring the need to reach, as soon as possible, a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine in line with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations;
• Reaffirming that no territorial acquisition resulting from the threat or use of force shall be recognized as legal;
• Demanding that the Russian Federation withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized border;
• Calling for a cessation of hostilities.

Time for Russia to End the Continuing War Against Ukraine
InDepthNews, February 23

"Russia should end its invasion of Ukraine, withdraw its troops from Ukrainian territory and enter into negotiations with Ukraine to resolve historical disputes and establish a lasting and just peace that guarantees the security of both nations," says the World Future Council in an article Time for Russia to End Continuing War Against Ukraine published in InDepthNews yesterday.

“Regardless of any grievances and unresolved conflicts that Russia may have with Ukraine and the United States/NATO, the use of force to resolve such conflicts is prohibited under Article 2 of the UN Charter,” says Alyn Ware, Director of the World Future Council Peace and Disarmament program.

"War has no place in the 21st century when humanity already needs to address so many pressing issues such as climate change and implementing the Sustainable Development Goals” says Angelina Davydova, in the InDepthNews article. Ms Davydova is a Member of the Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work Group and Council Member of World Future Council.

“We regret that better use is not made of diplomacy, mediation and Common Security mechanisms earlier in conflicts to address and resolve historical grievances." says international lawyer Neshan Gunasekera, Co-Chair of the World Future Council Peace and Disarmament Commission and a Director of the International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms. “We call on the United Nations and the international community to make better use of these common security mechanisms to address unresolved conflicts and prevent war." 

Such Common Security mechanisms include the UN Security Council, UN General Assembly, International Court of Justice, UN mediation services, UN Human Rights Council, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and others.

EarthAction has provided support to the Cordillera Peoples Alliance for many years and now we stand with Bestang

MANIFESTO OF UNITY: STAND WITH SARAH "BESTANG" DEKDEKEN!

We, as peace-loving and rights-upholding people, express our support and solidarity for indigenous rights defender Sarah ‘Bestang’ Dekdeken as she faces continuous judicial harassment for her activism and work as the secretary-general of the Cordillera Peoples Alliance.  

Bestang was convicted of cyber libel after a local court ruled in favor of the charges made by former Cordillera police chief R’win Pagkalinawan on the truthful remarks she made regarding the police director’s role on the dismantling of the Chico Dam Struggle heroes monument in Tinglayan, Kalinga.

We stand that Bestang’s conviction was in error. Her remarks that were subjected to the court’s ruling were true and backed up by the community, concretized through resolutions and reports from April 2021. In fact, the Butbut tribe themselves had put the monument back up after reiterating that the police were to blame for its destruction.

We believe that the court’s ruling is another manifestation of the weaponization of the law by powers-that-be. This is not the first time that a government official in this country has wielded judicial remedies to intimidate—and silence—critics and truth-tellers.

We stand by Bestang’s credibility and integrity as an activist and development worker. For the longest time, Bestang’s work for indigenous people’s rights and human rights has resonated in her homeland—the Cordillera—and beyond. She has been instrumental in forging solidarities with other struggling peoples for the defense of the ancestral land and for the right to self-determination.

These precarious times warrant our strengthened unity to guard Philippine democracy from attacks at all fronts. At a time when truth-telling is challenged, we vow to defend it by standing by truth-tellers like Bestang and other human rights defenders and media workers.

Democracy dies in darkness. We shall keep it lit through our continued solidarity and action.
 
Stand with Bestang!
Fight for judicial independence! Decriminalize Libel!
Stop the political persecution of human rights defenders!
Stop the attacks!

SIGN THE MANIFESTO OF UNITY FOLLOW THE STAND WITH BESTANG FACEBOOK PAGE

Vanuatu circulates draft UN resolution to take the climate crisis to the World Court

H.E. Odo Tevi, Permanent Representative of Vanuatu to the United Nations, delivering a video message about the ICJ Climate Crisis initiative to the Normandy Chair for Peace Summer School in Caen, France. The students debated a Model UN Resolution to Request an Advisory Opinion from the International Court of Justice on the Climate Crisis.

A new milestone in the campaign to take climate change to the International Court of Justice

In January 2021, Basel Peace Office awarded one of the 2021 PACEY Prizes (€5000 for each prize) to World's Youth for Climate Justice (WY4CJ) for their campaign to seek an Advisory Opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the issue of the climate crisis. We celebrate the incredible progress by WY4CJ and the campaign so far.

In order to get the case to the ICJ, the campaign needed to find a group of 'Climate Champion'countries that would introduced a resolution into the UN General Assembly to officially request the court to consider the case.

By September 2021, the campaign succeeded in finding a lead country - Vanuatu. Since then, the campaign has been building support from additional countries, developing the legal elements and arguments for the case, building strong civil society support and providing input for the draft UN Resolution.

A milestone was reached yesterday (November 29, 2022) when Vanuatu and 15 other Climate Champion Countries released a draft UN resolution entitled Request for an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the obligations of States in respect of climate change and circulated it to UN Member states in preparation for a vote in the UN General Assembly in the near future.

 

Power of the People: An introductory video on the ICJ Climate Crisis campaign produced by World's Youth for Climate Crisis

 

 

Draft UN Resolution

The draft UN Resolution Request for an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the obligations of States in respect of climate change requests the ICJ to render its opinion on the following questions:

1. What are the obligations of States under the above-mentioned body of international law to ensure the protection of the climate system and other parts of the environment for present and future generations;
    
2. What are the legal consequences under these obligations for States which, by their acts and omissions, have caused significant harm to the climate system and other parts of the environment, with respect to:
   
   a) Small island developing States and other States which, due to their geographical circumstances and level of development, are injured or specially affected by or are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change?
   
   b)  Peoples and individuals of the present and future generations affected by the adverse effects of climate change?"

 

Why ask the ICJ to render an Advisory Opinion?

Members of the United Nations would benefit from such advice at the present moment in history, given the need to urgently take ambitious measures to curb emissions of greenhouse gases within the narrow window of opportunity that remains to avert catastrophic climate change. An opinion of the International Court of Justice could, among other things:

● clarify the rights and obligations of States in respect of the adverse impacts of climate change on small island developing states and other climate vulnerable states, in particular, thereby facilitating international cooperation in this area;

● encourage States to reflect their highest possible level of ambition, in keeping with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities in light of their different national circumstances, in preparing their NDCs under the Paris Agreement and supporting climate action;

● clarify the due diligence requirements relating to climate action for emitters of greenhouse gases– past, present and future, and

● clarify the implications for the human rights of present and future generations.

Statement by Vanuatu to the UN General Assembly by the Permanent Representative of Vanuatu on behalf of the core group of countries leading the initiative: Antigua & Barbuda, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Federated States of Micronesia, Morocco, Mozambique, New Zealand, Portugal, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Uganda, Vanuatu, and Vietnam. October 27, 2022.

 

Support from governments

The key objective now is to move at least a majority of UN Member States to commit to voting for the resolution so that it will be adopted and the request will be sent by the UNGA to the ICJ. However, an equally important objective is to achieve an overwhelming majority in support. Countries that vote in favour are more likely to support a strong and effective decision from the ICJ, and are more likely to take a lead in its implementation.

Basel Peace Office encourages you to congratulate your government if they are a member of the core group, and to urge your government to vote in favour of the resolution if they have not already indicated their support.

Calling for urgent action to protect children from escalating heatwaves ahead of COP27

Our new report, The Coldest Year Of The Rest Of Their Lives: Protecting Children From The Escalating Impacts Of Heatwaves, warns that urgent action is needed to increase funding for adaptation to protect children and vulnerable communities from worsening heatwaves and other climate shocks. The report can be found here.

Released ahead of COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, the report finds that 559 million children are currently exposed to high heatwave frequency (defined as an average of 4.5 or more heatwaves per year). Further, 624 million children are exposed to one of three other high heat measures - high heatwave duration, high heatwave severity, or extremely high temperatures.

“The mercury is rising and so are the impacts on children,” said ED Cathy Russell.

Following up on 2021’s, Introducing the Children’s Climate Risk Index, our new study focuses on one specific hazard – heat. It was developed in collaboration with partners including the Data Collaborative for Children and aims to help us better understand children’s exposure to the impacts of climate change to help prioritize action for those most at risk and ultimately ensure today's children inherit a livable planet.

 

World Day of Prayer and Action for Children

The World Day of Prayer and Action for Children is celebrated every year on November 20, the same day as the anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and World Children’s Day.

Arigatou International launched the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children in 2008 to make this an opportunity for people of different religions and cultures to come together to pray and meditate, but also to take action for children’s rights and well-being.

This year also, organizations working for children’s rights and well-being have joined Arigatou International and UNICEF to celebrate the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children and the Wear My Shoes Campaign.
 
The Wear My Shoes Campaign aims to mobilize children and adults - including religious leaders, policymakers, parents/caregivers, and educators - to protect Children’s dignity.

Visit our landing page for more information. 

Please click HERE to register for the event.

From Unicef

Emergency Notice regarding Vulcan Materials from Aquatic Ecologist Ed Boles

Dear Colleagues,

As a concerned citizen of Belize, I am providing information about Vulcan Materials Company (attached), a multi-billion dollar aggregate mining company in the United States, and its purchase of White Ridge Farm in the Stann Creek District of Belize.  Their intent is to blast, pulverize, and ship Sugar Hills, a limestone formation, to the southeastern US for use as road fill. Blasting shall disrupt local hydrologic systems in the Southern Lagoon area, threatening the largest concentration of Caribbean manatees, as well as Central American River Turtles, American Crocodiles, and other fauna. The crushed material shall be carried by a conveyer bridge that passes over an important Hawks Bill Sea Turtle nesting beach to waiting cargo ships in the dredged out center of the Inner Channel behind the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. Spokes persons for the current Belize Government have stated that no strip mining shall occur in this area.

However, Vulcan Materials is persistent and maybe even desperate to open their first mine in Belize.  The Mexican Government temporarily shut down the Vulcan Calica Mine south of Playa del Carmen in February and again on May 5, 2022, this time closing it due to the extensive damage the mining operation was causing to the local environment and the water table. This mine was producing 12 million tons of crushed limestone for the US market. In response these shutdowns, Vulcan has two lawsuit against the Mexican Government for $1.1 and $1.5 billion USD and the International Center for Investment Disputes shall be issuing a decision. Ten US republican senators are urging US President Biden to protect Vulcan and put strong pressure on Mexico. Vulcan Materials has a long history of litigation within many areas of the United States where they operate mines, so this is nothing new to their legal team and their US political support.

This web address, https://www.whiteridgeproject.com/, takes you to the site where Vulcan Materials describes benefits of having this company within Belize. The attached document tells a very different story, reviewing the scientific literature describing ecological and social impacts of limestone mining and taking a close look at the Vulcan site near Playa del Carmen, Mexico. The Calica Mine in Mexico is an indicator of what can happen in Belize if this corporation gets set up in our small country. If the Government of Belize had to take action against Vulcan for violations of their agreement and failure to protect the environment, as is occurring in many places where Vulcan is operating, we too could face a billion dollar plus lawsuit backed by a powerful and well-funded group of corporate lawyers. If this mega corporation gets a foothold in our small country, our world renowned ecological resources and cultural/social identity may change forever. 

The Vulcan team arrives this month to begin groundwork to get the mine eventually opened. The word needs to get out. The people need to know who we are up against and what the real stakes are, the real cost we and our great grandchildren shall have to bare. If this is of concern to you, please help us spread the word. Forward this document to anyone who may be interested in helping us protect our country from this corporate resource grab. We need all the assistance and support we can muster against this threat that if realized shall impact our ecosystems, water resources, ecotourism, economy, and cultural integrity. We need to collectively speak out.

Please share this with your Belize networks. Thank you for your attention and your concern.

Ed Boles

Aquatic Ecologist

Background on Vulcan Materials Company and Expected Impacts should

White Ridge Farm Karst Hills Become an Aggregate Mine

Executive Summary

Letter from Vulcan Rep Janet Kavinoky in Response to Ed Boles Analysis

Sign 2 Petitions

• GOB Says No to Vulcan
• Letter published in Belize AgReport from Board of Directos of Pro-Organic Belize.
• Tennessee Senators Urging US President Biden to Intervene on Behalf of Vulcan in Mexico

Health Risks Associated with Residents Living Near Quarrying Operations

Check https://www.facebook.com/groups/belizeumbrella
for more TV coverage posts

• No Vulcan for Gales Point
• Sambai Musicians of Gales Point Sing Against Mining Project Proposal
• Erosion -- award winning documentary on what happened in Playa del Carmen
• Vulcan Responds to NO on 7 Belize
• Stop Vulcan Manatee Strip-mining at Gales Point Manatee

Summer Series: Social, Psychological and Spiritual dimensions of the Great Transition

Dear Friends of Choosing Earth,

Our Summer Series starts this Wednesday with climate psychology and the following week with a workshop on deepening your contribution. We have added two more events to the series — Francis Weller on grief and initiation and Ladybird Morgan on lessons from the end of life. Discounted early registration is available through this weekend for both of these new events.  

All four in the series are described below. We highly recommend these interesting, wise, and heartfelt beings. 

For the Earth and all of life,

Duane and Coleen

 

Summer Series

 

Two new events. Each event will be recorded. Please register to receive the recording. 

 

July 22nd 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM (PST)

At the Threshold: Grief, Initiation, and Transformation

Duane and Coleen Elgin will engage Francis Weller in a spirited and searching conversation based on his work as a psychotherapist and soul activist. Francis is also the author of the powerful preface for the second edition of Duane's book, Choosing Earth. The title of his preface describes what we focus on in this impactful conversation: “At the Threshold: Grief, Initiation, and Transformation.” You can download the full book with preface for free here.

 

Learn more and register here

 

July 29th 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM (PST)

Lessons from the Front Lines – Life, Loss, and Healing

Duane and Coleen are delighted to have a conversation with Ladybird Morgan. In addition to more than 20+ years working in hospice and palliative medicine, Ladybird has a wealth of experience dealing with trauma, mental health, and the painful repercussions of sexual violence.

We’ll explore a variety of themes including: front line workers shouldering weight within systems breakdown; trauma; end of life/death and dying; what it means to be human; lessons from work in prisons; and psychedelics for healing and transformation.

This online conversation is part of a series that explores the social, psychological and spiritual dimensions of the Great Transition. No one turned away for lack of funds. Please contact us if you need a scholarship. 

 

Learn more and register here

 

 

July 29th 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM (PST)

Lessons from the Front Lines – Life, Loss, and Healing

Duane and Coleen are delighted to have a conversation with Ladybird Morgan. In addition to more than 20+ years working in hospice and palliative medicine, Ladybird has a wealth of experience dealing with trauma, mental health, and the painful repercussions of sexual violence.

We’ll explore a variety of themes including: front line workers shouldering weight within systems breakdown; trauma; end of life/death and dying; what it means to be human; lessons from work in prisons; and psychedelics for healing and transformation.

This online conversation is part of a series that explores the social, psychological and spiritual dimensions of the Great Transition. No one turned away for lack of funds. Please contact us if you need a scholarship. 

 

July 20th 5:30 - 7:00pm (PST)

Contributing Effectively in Times of Crisis

We are all painfully aware of the many dangers facing our world, and this awareness naturally calls forth a desire to contribute. Effective contributions need to be multidimensional, encouraging not only outer social change but also fostering both individual and collective psychological healing and maturation. The key questions for each of us then become, “What can I do?”  In this workshop, participants will use multiple methods—including guiding principles, guided meditations, visualization, reflection, and dialogue—to explore these questions and to support people in discovery of their own unique, strategic contributions.

This workshop will be led by Roger Walsh MD, PhD, DHL, a University of California professor of psychiatry, philosophy, and anthropology, and a lama in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.  He is the author of Essential Spirituality: The Seven Central Practices, and other books.

 

Learn more and register here

 

 

Choosing Earth: An Online Experiential Book Study Group (starts August 11) 

 

Led by Marianne Rowe, Founding Teacher of Monterey Bay Medication Studio.

 

Learn more and register here

UN to Publish Comprehensive Global Land Outlook 2

Media Advisory
 

Chronic Land Degradation: UN to Publish Comprehensive Global Land Outlook 2 Report Wednesday, 27 April 2022

 

Contacts: 
Terry Collins, +1-416-878-8712 (m), [email protected]
Wagaki Wischnewski, +49-228-815-2820;
+49-173-268-7593; 
[email protected]

 

A new report from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), to be released Wednesday, 27 April 2022, offers both stark warnings and hundreds of practical ways to effect local, national and regional land and ecosystem restoration. 
 
UNCCD’s evidence-based flagship Global Land Outlook 2 (GLO2) report, five years in development with 21 partner organizations, and with over 1,000 references, is the most comprehensive consolidation of information on the topic ever assembled. 
 
It offers an overview of unprecedented breadth that includes new analyses of various future land scenarios and the potential contributions of land restoration investments to climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, poverty reduction, human health and other key sustainable development goals.
 
Report embargo: Wednesday, 27 April 2022
09:00 US EDT / 13:00 GMT / 14:00 UK Summer Time / 15:00 CEST
(check local time here) 
 
GLO2 is being released shortly before the UNCCD’s 15th session of the Conference of Parties opens in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire (COP15, 9-20 May, www.unccd.int/cop15). 

The first GLO edition in 2017 underscored the wide-ranging drivers, risks, and impacts of persistent land degradation, which have intensified considerably in the last five years – increasingly evident in the deterioration of human health and stable livelihoods.
 
The new report sets out the rationale, enabling conditions, and diverse pathways by which countries and communities can design and implement a customized land restoration agenda. 

Advance access to the GLO2 report and a summary for decision makers, will be available next week. 
 
Advance embargoed interviews with report authors and officials are also available.
 
A high-level virtual launch will be followed by a press conference Wednesday,27 April 2022

The press conference will begin 27 April 2022 at 09:00 US EDT / 13:00 GMT / 14:00 UK Summer Time / 15:00 CEST (check local time here)  

To register for the press conference, and to receive the advance embargoed media materials, please email the following to [email protected] 

• Media organization 
• First Name
• Last Name
• Position
• Email
• Telephone
• City
• Country

 
A formal launch of GLO2 will take place Tuesday, 10 May 2022, during the high-level segment of the UNCCD’s 15th Conference of Parties (COP15, 9-20 May), Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.  
 
COP15 programme, registration and other media information: https://www.unccd.int/cop15

 

About the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
 

The UNCCD, established in 1994, is the only legally binding framework set up to address desertification and the effects of drought. There are 197 Parties to the Convention, including 196 country Parties and the European Union. The Convention aims to mitigate the impact of land degradation by uniting governments, scientists, policymakers, the private sector and communities around a shared vision to restore and manage the world’s land, and to ensure the sustainability of the planet and the prosperity of future generations.

Peace Educator and Engaged Buddhist Dr. Paula Green Dies Aged 84

The renowned and internationally respected American peace-builder, psychologist, educator, and engaged Buddhist Dr. Paula Green has died at the age of 84. She passed away on 21 February due to complications related to cancer.

Dr. Green, founder and executive director of the Karuna Center for Peacebuilding NGO, had 40 years’ experience as a psychologist and a peace educator and mentor in intergroup relations and conflict resolution. She was also on the National Council of the Fellowship of Reconciliation and the steering committee of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB).

“Paula Green was very suddenly diagnosed with end-stage lung cancer, which spread throughout her body. She passed away last night,” shared INEB executive secretary Somboon Chungprampree. “This is very sad news. Paula has contributed so much over many years to the world and to our engaged Buddhist circles.” 

Dr. Green received plaudits and international recognition for her peace-building efforts in the Middle East and Bosnia, and was selected as one of the Unsung Heroes of Compassion award for 2009, which was presented to her by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in April of that year. The Unsung Heroes award is given to “individuals who, through their loving-kindness and service to others, have made their communities and our world a better place.” She also won the first-ever Prize for US Peacebuilding from the Alliance for Peacebuilding in 2018; the Outstanding Human Rights Activist Award from Kean University in 2015; the Psychology of Peace and Justice Prize from Psychologists for Social Responsibility in 2012; and the Leadership and Service as a Peacemaker Award from the Symposium for Engaged Buddhism in 2010.

“In my journey as a peace-builder, whether in my home country of the US or across the world in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe, I have been privileged to serve as a peace-builder, educator, and dialogue facilitator, partnering with courageous and resilient community leaders in some of the world’s most difficult circumstances,” Dr. Green stated about her work. “It has been my mission to encourage those separated by war, enmity, prejudices, or perceived differences to seek understanding, discover common ground, learn new skills, and increase their capacity to promote peaceful societies for the benefit of all.” (Paula Green)

Read more at Buddhistdoor.net