Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University
Global Peace Initiative for Women
Temple of Understanding
The Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CoNGO)
United Religions Initiative

Rio+20 is an opportunity to redress the breakdown of virtually every system in our interconnected world. There is a collective understanding among major groups and governments, that the need for action is critical. Yet, creating systems and frameworks that enable long-term sustainable living, directly addressing poverty and wellbeing, do not happen only through policies. There are many avenues through which change occurs, yet the foundation of all of them is our awareness; our awareness directly determines our actions and behaviors. In the past, our limited awareness has created actions of exploitation leading to over-consumption, widespread famine and ecological demise. Creating a new awareness that assigns deep value to the self, our global family, and the natural world can facilitate true change. Our panel of experts will speak on different topics considering awareness, so we may understand how to voluntarily, wisely and transparently commit, to realize the future we want.

Rio+20 is an opportunity to redress the breakdown of virtually every system in our interconnected world. There is a collective understanding among all stakeholders, including governments, that the need for collective vision and action is now critical. Many cite the effects of fragmented thinking as the foundation of our global problem, and call for holistic solutions. But it seems that finding our way back to a unified vision of the world is more challenging than we had hoped. We know that creating systems and frameworks that enable long-term sustainable living, directly addressing poverty and wellbeing, do not happen through policies alone. Dialogues such as these are one of the many important avenues through which change occurs. However, to properly address the complex problems in our social, environmental and economic infrastructures, we must approach change at the fundamental level of human awareness. Otherwise, fragmented thinking will continue to affect our vision of the world and subsequent behavior, and real transformation will elude us.

We believe the best descriptor with which to begin addressing this change is one that nature herself provides: a holistic systemic one. Nature, science and religion are all useful for explaining fundamental laws that are constantly at work: certain kinds of energy bear certain kinds of fruit, change is inevitable and cyclic, and nothing may exist, thrive or survive in isolation. Everything impacts upon everything else, and all things are deeply interrelated. This includes the nested environmental, social and economic facets of our current crises, and also includes the connection between thought, attitude and action.

Most of us here would accept that the world ? on its current trajectory - is on the path of descent. Yet, just as hidden within winter hibernation is the seed of spring growth, when looking at the current crises of environmental breakdown and multi-systemic collapse, it is possible to sense an ascending energy at work. This offers some hope. The call of our time then, is to become cognizant of these two energies of descent and ascent and to decide where we wish to align ourselves: with the ascending energy of construction, renewal and holism or the descending energy of piecemeal actions and fragmented thinking that will only result in continued global disintegration.

As an example of these two energies, consider for a moment two people of different mindsets who enter a forest. One may see a commodity to be cut, turned into a sellable product for immediate financial gain, which may even be considered ?good? for a certain population. The other may see great long-term social, environmental and economic value in leaving a tree standing in its rightful place. The decision to cut the tree or to let it be will be determined by her or his awareness and thinking, which will then move each one to decide and then to act. Deciding and acting is easy. But the connection between awareness, thought and action needs to be further understood and strengthened in all of us if we are to make the changes in our lives, in our communities and in our governments, that we need to make.

Today's panel will explore this point of connection between awareness and action from a number of diverse perspectives. A spiritual teacher with 50 years of practice in exploring this very issue, will look at the way in which spiritual and natural laws intersect and may offer real solutions to our current problems. A German entrepreneur will illuminate the way in which one of the most significant solar energy experiments in the world became possible, contributing green jobs and offering alternative energy to a vulnerable population. An Italian farmer will present on Yogic Farming, an experiment being conducted in India and Italy which combines the energy of positive thought with the practice of organic farming. Indigenous women, youth and inter-faith leaders will also be represented in our discussion.

Creating a new awareness that assigns deep value to the self, our global family, and the natural world can facilitate true change. Each of our experts will deeply consider the harmonic intersections between thought, awareness and behavior, so we may understand how to voluntarily, wisely and transparently commit, to realize the future we want.


Speakers
Sister Jayanti (India)
Main NGO Representative to the United Nations, Geneva. Head of Delegation.
BRAHMA KUMARIS WORLD SPIRITUAL UNIVERSITY

Joachim Golo Pilz (Germany)
Solar Entrepeneur
WORLD RENEWAL SPIRITUAL TRUST

Piero Musini (Italy)
Yogic Farmer
BRAHMA KUMARIS WORLD SPIRITUAL UNIVERSITY

Beatriz Schulthess
Co-Founder and President
CONSEJO ESPIRITUAL ANCESTRAL DE PUEBLOS INDÍGENAS (CEAPI)
(INDIGENOUS PEOPLES ANCESTRAL SPIRITUAL COUNCIL)

Grove Harris
NGO Representative
TEMPLE OF UNDERSTANDING

Sierra Flanigan
Campus Sustainability Coordinator
ECO-MOTION - THE POWER OF THE INCREMENT; UNITED RELIGIONS INITIATIVE