United Nations / American Museum of Natural History Culminating Conferences
Religion and Ecology: Discovering the Common Ground
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October 20, 1998
United Nations Conference
- Press Conference and Luncheon
- Symposium
- The Search for a New Ecological Balance
- Religious Perspectives on the Environment
October 21, 1998
American Museum of Natural History Conference
- Welcome and Overview
- Setting the Context
- Roundtable Discussion with Bill Moyers
- Charting the Course: The Implications of the Earth Charter
- Evening Activities
- Biographical Sketches of Conference Participants
United Nations Conference
Sponsored by: the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Harvard University Center for the Study of World Religions (CSWR), Center for Respect of Life and Environment (CRLE), Bucknell University, Interfaith Center of New York, and Institute on Religion in an Age of Science (IRAS)
Press Conference and Luncheon
Press Conference
Maurice Strong, Senior Advisor to the UN Secretary General
Timothy Wirth, President, the United Nations Foundation
Adnan Amin, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme, Regional Office, North America
Lawrence Sullivan, Director, Harvard Center for the Study of World Religions
John Grim and Mary Evelyn Tucker, Project Coordinators, Harvard Center for the Study of World Religions and Bucknell University
Tu Weiming, Director, The Harvard-Yenching Institute
Michael McElroy, Chair, Harvard University Committee on the Environment
The press conference addressed the significance and the urgency of the role of the world's religions in helping to solve environmental problems. The results of the three-year Harvard conference series was reported and summary papers on the potential contributions of each of these religions will be made available. An announcement was made of an ongoing Forum on Religions of the World and Ecology to carry this work forward.
Press Luncheon
The press and invited guests will have an opportunity to interact with the participants from the press conference and the afternoon conference.
Symposium
Key UN representatives, policy makers, and scientists will discuss developments regarding environmental issues since the Stockholm (1972) and Rio (1992) conferences on environment and sustainable development. Following this, participants from the Harvard conferences on Religions of the World and Ecology will report to the larger UN and NGO Community on what these traditions have to offer for renewing human-Earth relations.
The Search for a New Ecological Balance
Welcome - Lawrence Sullivan, Harvard University, CSWR
Moderator - Mary Evelyn Tucker, Bucknell University, CSWR
Maurice Strong, United Nations - From Stockholm to Rio
Timothy Wirth, United Nations Foundation - From Rio to Now
Adnan Amin, Executive Director, UNEP, RONA - Future Prospects
Michael McElroy, Harvard University - Science, Society, and Sustainability
Niles Eldredge, American Museum of Natural History - Why Environmental Ethics Matter
Religious Perspectives on the Environment
Welcome - James Parks Morton, President, Interfaith Center of NY
Moderator - John Grim, Bucknell University, CSWR
Tu Weiming, The Harvard-Yenching Institute - Beyond the Enlightenment Mentality
L. M. Singhvi, Member of Parliament, India - Cosmology and Ethics for Ecology
Ismar Schorsch, Chancellor, Jewish Theological Seminary - A New Covenant with Creation
Sallie McFague, Vanderbilt University - Voices for the Earth
Seyyed Hossein Nasr, George Washington University - The Order of Nature
Oren Lyons, Faithkeeper of Haudenosaunee, SUNY Buffalo - The Call from Words to Wisdom
Concluding Comments
Moderator - Douglas Candland, Bucknell University
Speaker - Brian Swimme, California Institute of Integral Studies
American Museum of Natural History Conference
Sponsored by: the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Harvard University Center for the Study of World Religions (CSWR), Center for Respect of Life and Environment (CRLE), Bucknell University, Interfaith Center of New York, and Institute on Religion in an Age of Science (IRAS)
Welcome and Overview
Welcome
Ellen Futter, President, American Museum of Natural History
James Sniffen, UNEP, Regional Office for North America
Paul Irwin, President, CRLE & Humane Society of the U.S.
Overview
Lawrence Sullivan, Harvard University
John Grim, Bucknell University, CSWR
Mary Evelyn Tucker, Bucknell University, CSWR
Setting the Context
Evolution, Ecology, and Ethics
Chair - Mary Evelyn Tucker, Bucknell University
Speaker - Brian Swimme, California Institute of Integral Studies
Science, Society, and the Environment
Chair - Joseph Humphrey, Bucknell University
Speaker - Jane Lubchenco, Oregon State University
Speaker - Michael Novacek, American Museum of Natural History
The Challenge of the Environmental Crisis to Economics
Chair - Daniel Little, Bucknell University
Speaker - Ismail Serageldin, World Bank
The Role of Education and the Environment
Chair - William Adams, President, Bucknell University
Speaker - George Rupp, President, Columbia University
The Call to Reflection and Action
Paul Gorman, National Religious Partnership for the Environment
James Forbes, Riverside Church
Roundtable Discussion with Bill Moyers
Indigenous Traditions - Oren Lyons, Faithkeeper of Haudenosaunee, SUNY Buffalo
Judaism - Ismar Schorsh, Jewish Theological Seminary
Christianity - Sallie McFague, Vanderbilt University
Islam - Seyyed Hossein Nasr, George Washingon University
Jainism - L.M. Singhvi, Member of Parliament, India
Hinduism - Vasudha Narayanan, University of Florida
Buddhism - Donald Swearer, Swarthmore College
Confucianism - Tu Weiming, Harvard University
Taoism - Liu Xiaogan, National University of Singapore
Shinto - Sonoda Minoru, Kyoto University
Charting the Course: The Implications of the Earth Charter
Chair - John Hoyt, President Emeritus, Humane Society of the US
Speaker - Steven Rockefeller, Middlebury College
Speaker - Wangari Maathai, Green Belt Movement, Kenya
Concluding Comments
Chair - Mary Pearl, Columbia University
Speaker - Michael McElroy, Harvard University
Speaker - Niles Eldredge, American Museum of Natural History
Speaker - Thomas Berry, Fordham University, Emeritus
Evening Activities
An Evening of Celebration with Thomas Berry and Brian Swimme and the Indigenous Musical Group from Peru, INCA SON.
“Range of Light: The John Muir Story” - A one-man play written and performed by Duane Tucker.
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