Creating a Culture of Connection:
Inner Dimensions of Climate Change Middle East
Major international conferences and summits in 2015 – on financing for development, sustainable development, and climate change – have defined a new sustainable development agenda for the next 15 years. At all levels, from global to local, eyes will now be turned on implementing this ambitious agenda. A change in understanding is needed, a deeper recognition of the interconnection between all. Stakeholders began to utilize approaches that examines sets of issues as a whole and focus on the connections between them. The concepts of interconnection and interdependence have entered the mainstream and are words commonly used today. How will this understanding help us address the climate and ecological crisis, which is also connected to the crisis of poverty, disease, and injustice? What is the deeper link that binds these problems together?
Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association (DDMBA – US) in partnership with the Global Peace Initiative of Women and the Earth Charter have been organizing a series of regional gatherings of young people to explore the crisis of our times. Inner Dimensions of Climate Change – Middle East, the 5th in the series of this gathering, was held at Polis, Cyprus, on Oct 20-25. 35 young ecologists from different countries of the Middle East came together to build solidarity and deeper connections.
Mr. Walid Ali from the UNDP Regional Climate Change Specialist in the Arab region gave a stark overview of the state of the region in the Middle East. Climate change has exacerbated regional conflicts over water resources and gender inequality. He shared about the implementation of UNDP's flagship initiatives in the region bringing multidisciplinary perspectives to connect environment, climate change, Disaster Relief Reduction, poverty reduction, and achieve related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The young ecologists shared grim realities of what is happening in their own countries and what they are doing to address them.
Chang Ji Fa Shi (常濟法師), representative of DDMBA and one of the organizers, pointed out that the silver lining of these challenges is that they may be the catalyst to bring out the greatness of humanity because this is an opportunity for us to come up with a different perspective on reality and how we relate to all living systems on this planet. Problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them. Master Sheng Yen had pointed out that in our age, we should open our minds to learn about others so as not to find ourselves in self-imposed isolation with narrow horizons, like a frog gazing up at the sky from the bottom of a well. Chang Ji Fa Shi drew on Master Sheng Yen’s teaching to seek common ground while preserving differences. Cooperation among different groups does not mean that they come together to find out who is superior or inferior, higher or lower, greater or lesser, better or worse. This will only lead to conflict and opposition. If we can put down all our concepts and views to follow the principle of mutual respect, then we can all interact peacefully. In facing complicated situations and problems, people judge things in dichotomous ways. People think they stand on the side of the truth and justice, and that whoever or whatever disagrees with them is evil and wrong. They perceive two sharply divided sides and see no room for compromise and coexistence. So great feuds and animosity arise, and mutual slaughter continues endlessly.
As this group of 35 young ecologists engaged in meaningful conversation over the 5 days, they felt called outward and to each other. In our individualistic cultures, they have forgotten the wisdom they possess as a group that is unavailable to them as individuals. Diversity of thought and experience is perhaps the single most important criterion for gaining new insight and accessing collective wisdom. It allowed them to deepen their collective understanding of each other’s perspectives. This collective insight is something that is larger than themselves, to which they can connect, contribute and co-evolve. They have found that this create more of a learning conversation than the normal stale debate about problems. A culture of connection can bring forth human community and fraternity that is essential as one of the building blocks to which the sustainable development agenda can be achieved.
Text: Venerable Chang Ji (常濟法師)
Photo: Gauri De Santis