16-17 May 2023 – New York City, USA.
Invited workshop attendee, Council on Foreign Relations, Religion and Foreign Policy Workshop
As I write this retrospective of the One Billion for Peace World Tour, a highlight from the beginning of summer was when BioEarth was an invited participant in the 2023 Council on Foreign Policy’s Religion and Foreign Policy Workshop in New York City (May 16-17, 2023). As CFR puts it, this annual workshop “brings together high-level congregational and lay leaders, scholars of religion, and representatives of faith-based organizations from across the country for conversations on pressing global concerns with policymakers, CFR fellows, and other experts.” It was a chance for me to share the One Billion for Peace Pledge with fellow attendees and panelists, update those who knew about it on our progress, and for me as one of the leaders of BioEarth to deepen my knowledge by listening to some of the most informed scholars, officials, and activists who are passionately working on key areas related to sustainable peace, including hunger, climate, and geo-politics. Another high point for me was connecting with Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim (oh, I so should have snapped a selfie!), whose work in building the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology has created an invaluable resource for us all. I remain convinced that combatting climate crisis will take a global effort like the world has never before seen, in which the support of a broad range of different religious communities will be key.
(Pictured: Top Row Left: Albert Celoza, Executive Director of the Arizona Interfaith Movement, Stephanie Mitchem, Interim Director the Women and Gender Studies Program, University of South Carolina, and BioEarth Co-Founder Frances Flannery. Top Row, Right: Imam Mohamed Magid, Executive Religious Director of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society Center and BioEarth Co-Founder Frances Flannery). Next row down: The Just Society panel, including Akila Radhakrishnan, President of the Global Justice Center, moderating; Susan H. Farbstein, Director and Clinical Professor of Law, International Human Rights Clinic, Harvard Law School; Mohamed Magid, Executive Religious Director, All Dulles Area Muslim Society Center; and Melanne Verveer, Executive Director, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security. Bottom row: Climate, Food, and Water Security panel: Somini Sengupta, International Climate Reporter New York Times, moderating; Patricia Parera, Senior Research Fellow, Center for Climate and Security, Council on Strategic Risks; Lauren Herzer Risis, Program Director, Environmental Change and Security Program, Wilson Center; Caitlin Welsh, Director, Global Food Security Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies).