Faith Leaders Unite in Leh, Ladakh to Harness the Power of Mind-Heart Dialogue for Climate Action and Child Wellbeing
Leh, Ladakh : The Global Interfaith WASH Alliance (GIWA), with the support of UNICEF India, and in collaboration with the Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre (MIMC), Leh, today inaugurated the two-day national workshop, “Harnessing the Power of Faith for Climate & Child Wellbeing through Mind-Heart Dialogue.”
Bringing together faith leaders, development practitioners, educators, civil society organisations, environmental experts, youth representatives and social and behaviour change specialists from across India and Ladakh, the workshop seeks to strengthen the role of faith-inspired leadership in advancing climate resilience, environmental stewardship and the wellbeing of children and future generations.
The workshop builds upon the growing recognition that faith communities are among the world’s most trusted institutions and possess an unparalleled ability to inspire positive social and behavioural change. Through the Mind-Heart Dialogue approach, participants are exploring how compassion, shared values and collective action can help communities respond more effectively to the climate crisis while safeguarding children’s health, wellbeing and future.
The inaugural session was led by Venerable Bhikkhu Sanghasena, Founder of the Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre, together with eminent faith leaders from Ladakh and distinguished representatives from UNICEF India and partner organisations, including:
· Venerable Bhikkhu Sanghasena – Founder, Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre (MIMC), Leh
· Reverend Daechen Chamga, President, Ladakh Moravian Christian Association
· Mrs. Ayesha Malo, President, Anjuman Moin Ul Islam (Women’s Wing)
· Mrs. Nasreen Marium, President, Anjuman E Imamia (Women’s Wing)
· Ms. Shalini Prasad – Social and Behaviour Change Specialist, UNICEF India
· Mr. Yusuf Kabir – Programme Specialist – Climate and Environment, WASH Section, UNICEF India
· Ms. Ganga Nandini – Director, Global Interfaith WASH Alliance (GIWA)
· Swami Bhavatej – Representative, Art of Living
· Dr. Supreet Kaur – President, EcoSikh India
· Sister Lucy Kurien – Founder, Maher, Pune
· BK Shikha Chhabra – Representative, Brahma Kumaris Mt. Abu Centre
The workshop also welcomed many other eminent faith leaders, civil society representatives, educators, environmental practitioners, development partners, youth leaders and community representatives from across Ladakh and India, reflecting a shared commitment to advancing climate resilience, environmental stewardship and child wellbeing through interfaith collaboration.
The inauguration featured a traditional lamp-lighting ceremony, interfaith messages, and the collective Interfaith Environmental Pledge, reaffirming a shared commitment to protect the Earth, nurture every child and work together across faiths for a healthier and more sustainable future.
Workshop Highlights
Over the two days, participants will engage in:
· Mind-Heart Dialogue sessions
· Expert presentations on climate change, child wellbeing and social behaviour change
· Interfaith dialogue and collaborative learning
· Interactive group discussions and action planning
· Intergenerational engagement with children and youth
· Development of practical recommendations for faith-led climate action
The workshop aims to strengthen collaboration between faith communities, government institutions, development partners and civil society while equipping participants with practical tools to inspire community-led environmental action.
KEY QUOTES FROM SPEAKERS
Venerable Bhikkhu Sanghasenaji, Founder of MIMC started by providing his gratitude to HH Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, Founder of Global Interfaith WASH Alliance, President, Parmarth Niketan for the vision and leadership to bring together the Multi Faith Action Coordination Committee (MFACC) and for His decades of work to bring faith leaders together for sustainable development and important social issues.
He offered his gratitude to UNICEF India to have faith in the faith leaders in being key agents of change to address our society’s most challenging problems and inspiring behaviour challenge.
He added, “We are going to discuss and share with each other knowledge today about climate change, sustainability, gender equality and the future of our children. Today the world is going through so many challenges- violence against each other, violence against animals, violence against Mother Earth on who we all depend. We need this kind of discussion which should be there as the foundation of all conversation on science and technology, development. This kind of issues should be addressed by faith leaders as they are important in society. Most people listen to religious/faith leaders more than politicians so faith leaders have serious responsibility. Thank you, GIWA and UNICEF for catalysing this vital conversation.”
“Your 3G, 4G, 5G will be useless without Guruji. With speed we must have direction and faith leaders provide us direction that is why we are here together to harness the power of faith for climate & child wellbeing through Mind-Heart Dialogue.” – added Venerable Sanghasenaji
Ms. Shalini Prasad, Social and Behaviour Change Specialist, UNICEF India “As UNICEF we are committed to bring multi faith leaders together. The context for the workshop has been set already. We believe religious and faith leaders hold a position of influence and can influence social behaviour when they come together and keep sharing a consistent message. Another key objective is to bring in scientific knowledge and demystify the same to make climate action a regular part of our lives. We also want to understand what communication tools impact communities the best.”
Reverend Daechen Chamga, President, Ladakh Moravian Christian Association “The responsibility for climate change awareness has been given to religious leaders because religious leaders can share this important message in their respective congregations. In the Christian tradition, we believe that God has created this world so as God is holy, everything He has made is holy. It is thus easier for religious leaders like myself to encourage followers of the tradition to be responsible in engaging with the Earth and its resources.
In Ladakh, it is easy to witness climate change in real time so many researchers choose to study climate change here. We as Ladakhis see this every day.”
Mrs. Ayesha Malo, President, Anjuman Moin Ul Islam (Women’s Wing) – “I hope that this workshop’s learnings do not remain limited to these halls. I hope we take the learnings and implement them in our lives to actually make a difference.”
Mrs. Nasreen Marium, President, Anjuman E Imamia (Women’s Wing) – “Islam and every other religion teaches us that the Earth is our shared responsibility. We should all equally make an effort to take care of our environment together. Islam mentions that we should not pollute or cause destruction to our environment. Clean and safe environment is the right of our children. Let us pledge to preserve our environment to preserve the future of our children. At Anjuman Imamiya, we have been campaigning for environmental preservation, for example we worked actively to ban plastics here. We should do more together.”
Swami Bhavatej, Representative, Art of Living, spoke to the students directly, “Maa Saraswatiji in her hands has three things in her hands: scripture/book, veena/instrument and japa mala. This reminds us that we must have three things in our life: music, knowledge and dhyaan to protect our inner environment so that we can work together for protecting our outer environment. Pujya Gurudev often reminds us geet, gyaan and dhyaan are the key to a healthy and harmonious life.” He added that meditation and sanitation must go hand in hand and they complete each other.
Ms. Nancy Tripathi (Ganga Nandini), Director, Global Interfaith WASH Alliance, led the pledge as everyone recited together: Together, with compassion in our hearts and responsibility in our hands, we pledge to protect the Earth, nurture every child, and inspire hope through our words, our choices and our actions.
We commit to lead by example, to care for nature as a sacred trust, to strengthen climate resilience within our communities, and to work across faiths and sectors in the spirit of unity for this one planet we call home.
The participants left the inaugural session inspired and committed to making the most of the workshop. Through the collective manthan of ideas, experiences and faith traditions, they will work towards a shared declaration and report to be presented to the Government of India. Just as every manthan produces amrit, it is hoped that the churning of minds and hearts over these two days will produce the nectar of wisdom, unity and practical action, guiding faith communities, policymakers and citizens alike towards a more compassionate, resilient and sustainable future for all.
