The connection between conservation and faith is strong. Monks in Cambodia advocate for protecting the endangered dolphins that swim in the rivers near their Buddhist temples. Nunneries across the Himalayas invest in solar power.

The connection also is empowering. Given their large number—more than 80 percent of people in the world follow a specific faith—and their passion for protecting what was put on the Earth, people who are motivated by their faith can “move mountains if they want to,” says Dekila Chungyalpa, director of WWF’s Sacred Earth Program. Their determination to address climate change or to protect wildlife has enormous potential to influence the fate of natural spaces and species.

Catholic youth from around the world will be asked to become advocates for conservation in July 2013, when they gather in Brazil—not far from the globally important Amazon region—for World Youth Day. The importance of people of all faiths being stewards of the environment and protectors of creation will be one of the major themes of Pope Francis’ remarks at the Vatican-sponsored event.

WWF extends this call to youth of all faiths and religions, from all over the world. Start by sharing your thoughts on conservation. Send us your story. Doing so will demonstrate to the world that youth respect the natural beauty that surrounds them—in their own neighborhoods and in developing countries thousands of miles away. It will show that they can be leaders in helping to solve the environmental ills that face the Amazon region and other critically important natural areas around the world.

WWF will coordinate and participate in a panel discussion on faith and conservation at World Youth Day. The Amazon and what WWF is doing to protect it will be highlighted during the discussion. We also are producing several WWF / World Youth Day branded videos about the faith/conservation connection to show at the event, including these videos:

                 • Water is Life
                 • We Are All Connected
                 • People, Nature and Biodiversity
                 • The Amazon
            


More about WWF's Sacred Earth Program:

WWF’s Sacred Earth program works with a diverse range of religious leaders and faith institutions—Buddhist monasteries that practice compassion toward the Earth as part of their Bodhisattva vow, faithful Christian congregations that seek to become better stewards of Creation, and Muslim imams who see the protection of nature as a trust from Allah.