“Many Heavens, One Earth”

Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Information Services Nov 6, 2009 11:29 AM

From November 2-4, 2009, religious leaders from around the world met at Windsor Castle in Great Britain, at an event hosted by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, with the participation of the Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki-moon. The meeting was entitled "Many Heavens, One Earth". Both lay and clergy attendees representing a wide variety of organizations participated in the event. Organised by the Alliance of Religions and Conservation the meeting between the world's religious leaders and UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon was to exchange ideas on the steps that faith groups can take to tackle climate change. 　

With the blessings of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Rev. Fr. Mkrtich Proshian, Locum Tenens of the Diocese of Aragatsotn and Dr. Karen Nazarian, Executive Director of the Armenia Round Table Foundation of the World Council of Churches represented the Armenian Apostolic Church in the meeting. They delivered the Armenian Church’s seven year ecological strategic plan of "Generational Change" being proposed for implementation.

During the meeting several creative initiatives were presented such as solar powered Daoist Temples in China; faith-based eco-labelling systems in Islam, Hinduism and Judaism; protecting sacred forests; and creating educational programmes that can be used in the faiths' formal and informal education systems.

Prince Philip and the Secretary General praised those groups that have committed themselves to significant seven year action plans "to protect the living planet'.