The spiritual dimension is an important part of overcoming the climate crisis and environmental damage. To explore this, the Joint Initiative for Strategic Religious Action (JISRA) is holding a Global Conference on Women’s Rights in Islam (GCWRI) at ‘Aisyiyah University Yogyakarta (UNISA) on 14-16 May 2024. This conference is a discussion space to voice the ecofeminism movement, as part of efforts to build a peaceful and just society.
In the midst of a series of conferences attended by participants from various regions of the world, JISRA held a talk show on Wednesday 15 May 2024 with the theme: Ecofeminism and Freedom of Religion & Belief: Strengthening the Role of Women and Young People in Maintaining Interfaith Harmony and Peace Building in Indonesia.
Mutiara Pasaribu, Country Coordinator of JISRA Indonesia, said that this talk show was a space to share experiences and stories of women’s and environmental movements carried out by JISRA Indonesia’s local partners. “At this event, representatives from JISRA Indonesia partner organizations: Muhammadiyah, Mosintuwu, and Fahmina Institute, will share lessons related to the work of women and young people across faiths in caring for the environment and diversity of identities, as well as strengthening perspectives and public support for existing initiatives in Indonesia,” she explained.
JISRA is a global consortium that works together to foster diversity and promote tolerance across religious groups and beliefs. The consortium consists of 50 local partners in Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iraq, Kenya, Mali, Uganda and Nigeria. In Indonesia, there are ten civil society organizations that are members of this consortium: AMAN Indonesia, Fahmina Institute, Fatayat NU West Java, GUSDURian Network, Imparsial, Institute DIAN/ Interfidei, Mosintuwu Institute, Muhammadiyah, Nasyiatul Aisyiyah, and Peace Generation.
Furthermore, the Director of the Eco Bhinneka Muhammadiyah Program, Hening Parlan, invited friends from across religions and beliefs, including young people and women, to move together, using the values of their respective beliefs in preserving nature. “With the value of faith that we have, we can work together in a humanitarian context. Let’s create movement to care for the environment as the way for us to maintain harmony,” she said.
It is hoped that this activity will produce documentation regarding experiences and lessons learned regarding initiatives to care for harmony and the environment carried out by women’s groups and young people at the local level. From this experience, it is hoped that will inspire and motivate the public, including the government, to support and make the same efforts.
The series of activities of the Global Conference on Women’s Rights in Islam (GCWRI) itself can be accessed via the website https://aisyiyahstudies.org/.
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