Centre for Applied Buddhism

June is Buddhist Action Month - BAM! And the theme is Mindful Money. How does your bank use your money? What effect is it having on the world?
https://www.nbo.org.uk/june-is-buddhist-actio

Great to be attending the Faith and Development conference today organised by Christian Aid and Islamic Relief UK 👏

The panel discussions brought up so many important topics and delved into some of the top concerns for faith-based organisations and individuals working in the field of development. We're leaving the event with a lot of food for thought, feeling inspired and having made some new connections!

Thank you Faith for the Climate and Christian Climate Action for organising last weekend's No Faith in Fossil Fuels interfaith walk 🙌🙏

We are saddened to hear of the passing of Johan Galtung, a dedicated peace advocate and founder of the International Peace Research Institute, whose contributions to the practice and study of peace-building have left an indelible mark on the world.

Johan Galtung and SGI President Daisaku Ikeda met on a number of occasions, engaging in a series of dialogues in which they explored various key topics and issues from the perspective of Buddhism and nonviolence as solutions. In 1995, their dialogues were published in a book titled ‘Choose Peace’ and contain timeless wisdom for addressing the complexities and contradictions of global society based on a firm commitment to nonviolence and peace.

We wish to express our deepest appreciation and gratitude for the life of Johan Galtung.

“The answer is dialogue, inner and outer, among all parties concerned. Crowded on this Earth we find that our karmas intersect. When something goes wrong, we should follow the excellent Buddhist tradition of meditating within ourselves and seeking solutions among ourselves. In addition, we must project the Buddhist idea that, far from being a gift from above, self-improvement, individual and collective, while possible, results only from hard work. The work for peace needs not merely a handful of governments or peoples at the top, but all of us.” - Johan Galtung

Image credit: Galtung Institut

This Sunday 18th Feb we'll be joining representatives from various faith traditions for a 'No Faith in Fossil Fuels' interfaith walk in central London with Faith for the Climate 🙌

The walk is part of the Christian Climate Action lent vigil 🙏🌍

If you're in London, come and join us!

FFTC-CCA interfaith vigil Feb 2024 - Faith For The Climate No Faith in Fossil Fuels interfaith walk 18 Feb 2024 Christian Climate Action and other members of the Faith Bridge at the Oily Money action, 18 Oct 2023 (pic: Shanon Shah) As part of the No Faith in Fossil Fuels Lent Vigil (14-24 Feb), Faith for the Climate is partnering with Christian Climate Acti...

We are excited to announce our up-coming conference - Being Buddhist in Britain 💫

Tickets are LIVE and can be purchased for £5 through Eventbrite here - https://bit.ly/3qvF3Dh

More details on key speakers, group discussions & workshops will be shared soon 😃

We're looking forward to attending the Bridging Divides, Loving Earth Conference next week at St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace 🙌

The 1-day conference will explore the intersection of climate and peace and asks, how can we come together for the sake of the Earth in a time of division and climate heartbreak? There'll be workshops, inspiring panel discussions, and keynotes speeches, and a vegetarian lunch 🫶

Tickets are still available here if you'd like to attend - https://stethelburgas.org/event/bridging-divides-loving-earth-conference/

Bridging Divides, Loving Earth Conference - St Ethelburga's Join us for a 1-day conference exploring the intersection of climate and peace. How can we come together for the sake of the Earth in a time of division and climate heartbreak? With Kaira Jewel Lingo, Scilla Elworthy, David Hinton, Sam Lee and many more.

“As Buddhists engaged in the UN climate process, we advocate for human rights to be part of the discussions on climate change because when we do that, we contribute to building the safeguards and the social structure that encourage and support the change of heart that is needed to transform the course of human history."

The UKABS - UK Association for Buddhist Studies conference 2023 kicked off yesterday with a stimulating panel discussion titled Buddhists Engaging at the UN.

This evening our very own CfAB Director, Jamie will be playing the Buddha in Alan Wagner's 'Lives of the Buddha' play at The Byre Theatre.

Fun fact: Jamie's debut as an Actor (pre-CfAB days!) was at the same Byre Theatre too! 🤩

If you are around St Andrews, come along! (this is a ticketed, offline event!)

UKABS - UK Association for Buddhist Studies

We’re excited to be in St Andrews for the UKABS - UK Association for Buddhist Studies conference!

This weekend we're excited to attend The Great Big Green Weekend: Interfaith Picnic for the Climate at St Johns Church, Waterloo, London! Our centre Director Jamie Cresswell will be speaking at the interfaith reflection to kickstart the event at 11am. This will be followed by a vegetarian & vegan picnic and an Eco Festival featuring various forms of entertainment!

The event is open to all and free of charge 🤩

Find out more about the event here - https://stjohnswaterloo.org/event/the-great-big-green-weekend-picnic-for-the-climate/

Our centre coordinator Lucy is attending this year's COP inter-sessional meetings (known as SB58) in Bonn, Germany next week!

As a Researcher on Youth with an interest in young people’s participation and engagement in climate, environmental and sustainability issues, Lucy will be following events and discussions on the thematic of Youth Inclusion in climate action and decision-making. Lucy is also a member of YOUNGO, the official Children and Youth constituency to the UN Climate Convention (or UNFCCC).

Keep an eye out next week for some updates directly from SB58!

Find out more about SB58 here - https://unfccc.int/sb58

The UKABS - UK Association for Buddhist Studies annual conference will be taking place next month at St. Andrews University and we're excited to be attending! This year's theme is 'Negotiating Boundaries in Buddhism and Buddhist Studies'.

Registrations are open until June 1st!

2023 Conference - UKABS UKABS 2023 Conference

Today we attended the first of a 3-part series on Conversations on the Arms Industry hosted by the SOAS University of London’s disarmament initiative, SCRAP Weapons, a student-led project advocating for general and complete disarmament.

The conversation delved into themes around engaging in constructive dialogue with weapons industry actors, the important role of members of society, in particular young people, in initiating grassroots conversations and keeping the conversation going with their national government representatives, and our collective responsibility to universalise norms such as the human right to life and to live in security.

In connection to this conversation, Peacebuilder and Buddhist philosopher Daisaku Ikeda today issued a statement calling on leaders of the G7 countries who will gather next month in Hiroshima to take bold steps towards resolving the conflict in Ukraine and guarantee the security of all humanity by taking the lead in discussions on pledges of ’No First Use’ of nuclear weapons.

In the statement, he writes: 'If agreement could be reached on the principle of No First Use (…) this would establish the basis on which states could together transform the challenging security environments in which they find themselves. I believe it is vital to make the shift to a “common security” paradigm congruent with the spirit “Let’s live together, not die together”.

Read the full statement here - https://sgi-peace.org/resources/statement-on-the-g7-hiroshima-summit

You can also register for the SCRAP Weapons conversation series on the Arms industry here - https://soas-ac-uk.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__rg0bWhqR2-UdsCzLzL9WA #/registration

SGI - Statement on the Ukraine Crisis and No First Use of Nuclear Weapons On 27 April 2023, Buddhist philosopher and peacebuilder Daisaku Ikeda, president of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), issued a statement calling on the leaders of the G7 countries meeting in Hiroshima from May 19-21 to take bold steps toward resolving the conflict in Ukraine and taking the lead i...

On 4th May (19:00-20:30) one of our partner organisations Eco Dharma Network is hosting an online webinar focusing on important discussions around the ecological, social, and economic implications of our current food system. The speakers, who include Anna Chworow, Deputy Director at Nourish Scotland, and Rebecca Laughton from the Landworkers’ Alliance will outline principles and practices for sustainable food production and distribution, and explore what actions we can take towards system change, both in our local communities and as individuals.

Register to attend the meeting here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/feeding-ourselves-feeding-the-earth-tickets-617056521667

Feeding Ourselves, Feeding the Earth An exploration of our food system in relation to the ecological crisis

"Nature and climate do not exist separate or apart from ourselves. We ourselves are nature, we are the ecosystem. All damage to the climate is ultimately self-damage."

Check out this recent interview with Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Applied Buddhism Dr. Michele Lamb on the topic of ecocide for De Nieuwe Koers, a Christian Publication from the Netherlands.

In the interview, Michele offers insights from a Buddhist perspective while advocating for the inclusion of ecocide as the fifth major crime before the International Criminal Court as part of the Faith for Ecocide international initiative.

https://denieuwekoers.nl/artikel/ecocide-is-een-misdrijf-vinden-deze-religieuzen/

(You can translate the article from Dutch to English when clicking on the link)

Ecocide is een misdrijf, vinden deze religieuzen Het zal niemand tegenwoordig nog verbazen dat er religieuze leiders zijn die zich stevig uitspreken tegen de vervuiling, uitputting en verwoesting van onze planeet. Een van de vooraanstaande klimaatactivisten van ons land, Rozemarijn van ’t Einde, is dominee. Een jaar geleden heeft De Nieuwe Koers...

We are proud to contribute a Buddhist perspective to Faith Voices for Ecocide Law, a book written in support of the Faith for Ecocide Law initiative which is an interreligious coalition gathering religious and spiritual leaders and voices to express support for an international crime of ecocide.

The book was launched on 9th November at COP27 and is available to read online for free here - https://bit.ly/43tAOqu

Learn more about the Faith for Ecocide Law here - https://www.faithforecocidelaw.earth/

Join us and some great speakers on the launch of the new book, Faith Voices for Ecocide Law. Everyone is welcome. Please register here -

Faith for Ecocide Law A discussion on the need for the implementation of an Ecocide Law from different faith perspectives

The Bodhisattva/Ecosattva Path Today: An in-person workshop with David Loy A workshop with renowned Buddhist teacher David R. Loy.

Eco Dharma - The Burning House - Shantigarbha
We welcome you to join us tomorrow for a talk/workshop with Shantigarbha based on his recenlty published book.
The Burning House: A Buddhist response to the climate and ecological emergency
Tuesday 22 March 7 - 9pm
Shantigarbha, Buddhist activist, mediator and author, discusses his most recent book The Burning House: A Buddhist response to the Climate and Ecologica Emergency. Her argues that the climate and ecological emergenc is Buddhist 'business' and that no one gets to sit this one out.
You can sign up via Eventbrite or just click on the zoom link to join.
https://nbo.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=494b055a75aaff6a3af16352a&id=2b35a749b2&e=1bb4c65faf

Shantigarbha, Buddhist activist, mediator and author, discusses his most recent book The Burning House: A Buddhist response to the Climate and Ecologica Emergency. He argues that the climate and ecological emergency is Buddhist 'business' and that no one gets to sit this one out..

https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhumanrightsandclimatejustice.eventbrite.co.uk%2F&data=04%7C01%7Cjc%40appliedbuddhism.org.uk%7Cf578b29c7b08477292a508d9e737c8f4%7C98c22d07d8ce4d9f80c24c3049020046%7C0%7C0%7C637795049038982078%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=5PomLx4eKoNEvlLoPeiVN98M9Cj81LET8BbsJyhQG7A%3D&reserved=0

Please join us at the first of our Climate Webinars for 2022.
The next Climate webinar run by the Centre for Applied Buddhism r will take place on 24th February 7 pm to 8.30 pm.

Human Rights and Climate Justice
An important outcome of COP26 was a growing awareness that the climate crisis cannot be averted without also addressing social justice and protecting human rights. This webinar brings together members of faith-based organisations and experts in human rights to share ideas on how religious teachings and practitioners can contribute to this growing movement for climate justice and human rights. It explores such questions as ‘What is loss and damage? How can we reverse the growing inequalities at the heart of our societies? What tools do we have to support those most affected by the climate crisis? And what can faith-based organisations do to support and protect human rights and climate justice?

Speakers
Shanon Shah- Director Faith for the Climate
Dr Damien Short – University of London
Dr Alexandra Masako Goossens-Ishii - Soka Gakkai International (SGI) Office for UN Affairs, Geneva

please register here
https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhumanrightsandclimatejustice.eventbrite.co.uk%2F&data=04%7C01%7Cjc%40appliedbuddhism.org.uk%7Cf578b29c7b08477292a508d9e737c8f4%7C98c22d07d8ce4d9f80c24c3049020046%7C0%7C0%7C637795049038982078%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=5PomLx4eKoNEvlLoPeiVN98M9Cj81LET8BbsJyhQG7A%3D&reserved=0

Human Rights and Climate Justice SGI-UK and The Centre for Applied Buddhism host the second Climate Webinar of 2022.

As you know CfAB were at COP26 and organised many activities during the first week at Websters Theatre In Glasgow. Here is a small video that gives a good outline of what happened and took place. CfAB was particularly involved in the Exhibition and Panel discussions which took place at Websters Theatre in Glasgow.
https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DSAIFRmJFtGE%26t%3D33s&data=04%7C01%7Cjc%40appliedbuddhism.org.uk%7C5d39d79cc1864e0dc48008d9bc9cde15%7C98c22d07d8ce4d9f80c24c3049020046%7C0%7C0%7C637748204190631972%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=v7lVLBVqM%2Bf7xtFbfFedYgqsrMLKSDQ4VwXma9cyTLk%3D&reserved=0

Buddhists Create Space for Dialogue during COP26 Events hosted by the SGI during COP26 brought together youth activists, faith leaders and other stakeholders to raise the call for climate action.

CAN-International People's Plenary

Thank you to everyone who came along to the powerful & inspiring spread second stories event last night! Also our open mic night after!🌍♥️

Thank you to everyone for coming along to our event last night !!