Thank you to all the organizers participants presenters

Thank you to all the organizers, participants, presenters, sponsors, partners, and allies who have made this Gathering a truly extraordinary event! Find more information www. Transition. Gathering. org at Alliance for Sustainability - Animas Valley Institute - Citizens' Climate Lobby - Earth Learning Mindfulness for Changing Times - Nor. Cal Community Resilience Network - North American Permaculture Convergence - Northern Sun Merchandising - Northwest Earth Institute - Piece We Need - Slow Money - The Bridge - The Lexicon of Sustainability - The Pachamama Alliance - The Work That Reconnects - Transition Goshen - Transition Sarasota - Transition Town All St. Anthony Park - Wisconsin Permaculture Convergence

The Transition Movement and People of Faith

Language • How do we find ways to understand each other when we use different ways to share our beliefs and concerns? • What are ways to find common ground?

We call on all Hindus to expand our conception of dharma. We must consider the effects of our actions not just on ourselves and those humans around us, but also on all beings. We have a dharmic duty for each of us to do our part in ensuring that we have a functioning, abundant, and bountiful planet.

Rani Jayakumer I think my faith and Transition were always interconnected, even before I knew Transition existed. Here in the United States environmentalism can often be gloomy, with a dim view of the future, but in India social interaction is an essential component of a happy life.

For Jews, the environmental crisis is a religious challenge. As heirs to a tradition of stewardship that goes back to Genesis and that teaches us to be partners in the ongoing work of Creation, we cannot accept the escalating destruction of our environment and its effect on human health and livelihood.

Rabbi Katy Allen I was drawn to the Transition Movement because of its emphasis on gathering together neighbors to work on the issues of climate change and the other pressing concerns of the day. I see it as a bridge between my work with my own faith community and the multi-faith community, as well as support for my work in the local community.

The values of the Reclaiming (neopagan) tradition stem from our understanding that the earth is alive and all of life is sacred and interconnected. We see the Goddess as immanent in the earth’s cycles of birth, growth, death, decay and regeneration.

Starhawk Our practice arises from a deep, spiritual commitment to the earth, to healing, and to the linking of magic with political action. . Our tradition honors the wild, and calls for service to the earth and the community. . All living beings are worthy of respect.

a dramatic shift in global weather patterns has raised deep concerns about a lack of water, leading to a food crisis with its most dramatic effect in the global south. In addition to these events, the disastrous April-July 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico brought renewed urgency to a creation care movement concerned about the damage or depletion of natural resources. These disasters point to the importance of having Mennonite Church USA commit itself to increasing creation stewardship and to remain in vital partnership with relief and development agencies such as Mennonite Central Committee and Mennonite Disaster Service. Environmental disasters provide significant opportunities for the church to engage in holistic witness. …

Phil Metzler I draw on my faith background to see the difference between a dominant worldview and my faith worldview. I was fortunate to be exposed to permaculture to see how that can change the worldview, so I looked to find a different path. I was only able to bring the ideas from my faith community into the work, but not specifically, or as a tangible or significant, outward contribution. It made the Inner Transition work meaningful and maybe it sucked me into the Transition.

Islam’s message is strong and clear when it comes to preserving the environment and respecting nature: these are the inherent values of the faith. With the world’s attention shifting towards climate change and the role in the rapid destruction of our environment, ethical principles promoted by Islam that encourage green living need to be acknowledged and promoted. Islam and the Environment: Global Summit for Sustainable Living

Facing up to the global eco-justice crisis is good for the church. 1. It is an occasion to revisit scripture and theology. 2. It affirms to the world that we have an important moral witness. 3. It is an opportunity for us to announce good news. Rev. Peter Sawtell, United Church of Christ

Respect for Nature is ingrained in Sikh teachings. “You, Yourself created the Universe, and You are pleased…You, Yourself the bumblebee, flower, fruit and the tree. You, Yourself the water, desert, ocean and the pond. You, Yourself are the big fish, tortoise and the Cause of causes. ” Guru Granth Sahib, Maru Sohele, 1020

• the covenant of God’s love embraces not only human beings but all of creation; • creation is everywhere filled with God’s sacred presence; • human beings are the priests of creation, seeing God’s presence in it, and offering creation’s worship; • the Sabbath principle of “enoughness” is a challenge to us to rest from unnecessary consumption. • These principles lead us (Anglican Church of England) to a deeper awareness of the increasing strain which human activities are placing on the earth’s soil, water supplies, biological diversity, atmosphere and climate. These challenges require urgent and concentrated international action.

My faith community, like most I suppose, is populated by folks with a whole range of opinions, politics, personalities, theologies, and priorities. Transition and permaculture have helped me to see the value in this diversity and the importance of finding ways for all to participate, for all to have their voices heard and to be invited to share the gifts that they bring to the table. Ron Berezan, Anglican, Transition Powell River, British Columbia, Canada

I am not a person of faith, but my spiritual path has led me to write, speak, and teach about how to prepare emotionally and spiritually for living in a post-industrial world and a world profoundly altered by catastrophic climate change. If we are not able to make meaning of our predicament, and if we do not have a sense of what we came here to do and the gifts we can offer each other and the planet, then we are destined to be overcome with despair, cynicism, and possibly not wanting to be here at all. Carolyn Baker Navigating the Coming Chaos: A Handbook for Inner Transition

Without the label of “faith, ” the Transition Movement is a faithful community of people, respecting one another and Earth, looking for a transition from a fossil-fuel-based consumer society, to one that cares deeply for healthy relationships, walks gently on the earth, and rises to action on behalf of all that lives.