Conference Being Hosted By Liberia Council Of Churches In Careysburg, Montserrado County
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com.
PHOTO: Participants pose for a group photo after day one session
The Liberia Council of Churches (LCC) in collaboration with the All African Council of Churches have begun a three-day regional consultative conference for religious leaders from East and West African countries on climatic change in Careysburg, Montserrado County.
Speaking at the ceremony marking the beginning of the conference, the Vice President of the All African Council of Churches, Bishop Doctor, Teyi Lawson-Kpavuvu, said the issue of climatic change is no longer a subject to be managed by others; but rather, it should claim the attention of religious leaders.
“It has become a constant concern in our lives and it affects us in many ways,” he said; adding: “climate change is present in our lives and there is a need to integrate welfare of the earth in our lives because what affects the earth also affects us.”
According to him, one needs to understand that the climate change and the environment are the equation of social justice as climatic crisis are also issues of social justice
He said the crisis imposes by climatic change are challenges that must be addressed as religious leaders in collaboration with other stake holders.
“I am saying that climatic change is a challenges, because it is an issue we must take as religious leaders and people of faith as this conference is way of looking at the problems and finding solutions.”
Also remarking, the Chairman of the African Faith Network on Climate Justice, Rev. Dr. Bliss Agbeko, said the matter of the welfare of the earth, which is about survival, is matter of life and death.
“Over the years, we have observed that the destruction of the earth is caused by human beings because we human beings are contributing negatively to the destruction of the earth.”
According to him, God created the earth and placed it in the hands of human beings to take care of is so as to preserve it for succeeding generations
Earlier in remarks, the Secretary General of the Liberia Council of Churches, Reverend Christopher Toe, described the gathering of faith leaders to discuss issues affecting the earth as special and historic.
Reverend Toe cautioned religious leaders to buttress government’s efforts in combating the challenges imposed by climatic change.
During the conference, participants will discuss the Islamic Perspective of Climatic Change, Christian Perspective of Climatic Change, The Theological Reflections on Climatic Change, Interreligious Engagements Critical for Climatic Mitigation, Unpacking the United Nations Framework Convention on Climatic Change, and panel discussion leveraging faith actors’ moral authority to advocate for climate justice by stakeholders
The consultative conference, which is under the theme: “The Welfare of the Erath is Our Welfare,” brought together over 50 representatives from the civil society organizations, environmentalists, Muslim and Christian religions from East and West African countries
The Bishop of the United Methodist Church, Reverenced Samuel Quire is expected to delivered the keynote speech marking the end of the conference.