The Student Parliament of World Religions on Climate Justice held a summit in Kerala, India, this month, fully funded by the John Paul II Center for Interreligious Dialogue.
The three-day event focused on climate justice and included group discussions, workshops, and presentations. Around 100 emerging leaders, between the ages of 15 and 25 years old, attended, from around the world including Canada, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and India.
“With immense faith in the youth, a way was prepared for them to preserve the mother Earth created by the Almighty, which is on the verge of extinction. Religions are the key to build people in the world,” the summit said in a statement.
All speakers and participants of the event, held from January 10 to 12, expressed their “appreciation and gratitude” towards the John Paul II Center, in a statement.
The distinguished keynote speaker was 18-year-old environmental activist Kehkashan Basu, founder of Green Hope and a recipient of the International Children’s Peace Prize. Other attendees included John Samuel, an international adviser to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and Father Roby Kannanchira, Secretary General of the World Fellowship of Interreligious Councils.
The event was organized by John Paul II Center alum Father Bovas Matthew ’12 of India and Dr. Abraham Karickam, Secretary General of United Religious Initiative (URI) Asia.
