Churches in the Mediterranean: Addressing Desertification Through Responsible Banking
A Webinar Organized by the WCC
MECC Highlights the Church’s Response in the Region to the Environmental Crises
You can find some photos at the end of the text.
In a world burdened by environmental disasters that have cast their shadows on the planet, the World Council of Churches (WCC) held an international webinar entitled “Churches in the Mediterranean: Addressing Desertification Through Responsible Banking,” in order to raise awareness about the various environmental issues that threaten human life.
The webinar, which was held on Monday, December 9, 2024, featured speakers from Member Churches in the region, experts from the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) represented by Deacon Garen Yosolkanian, the Coordinator of the MECC Eco-Justice Unit, the Conference of European Churches (CEC), and All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), as well as Dr. Mercedes Caron, Scientific Researcher at the European Forest Institute.
Attendees were also specialists and concerned participants from various countries around the world. The sessions focused on the issue of desertification in the Mediterranean region, its causes and repercussions, in addition to ways to confront it and reduce its negative effects. In this context, the speakers presented various facts and data about this worsening issue due to the ongoing increase of CO2 emissions, and how Churches respond to this problem.
For his part, Deacon Garen Yosolkanian provided an overview about the general context of the Middle East region, mentioning its diversity in nature and heritages, highlighting the crisis of the presence of highly populated areas, the absence of governmental clear governance to the natural resources, and the loss of human rights amidst wars that have burdened the people of the East.
In this context, Deacon Garen talked about the Church’s response to the various environmental issues, speaking about the Season of Creation and its dimensions, as well as the Church’s environmental initiatives. He also highlighted the Middle East Council of Churches’ environmental activities and its constant endeavor to promote environmental awareness through the various programs it implements in the region.
In addition, a new a new handbook about the legal avenues for climate action and responsible banking was shared during the webinar.
