The Official Launch of Sunway Charter

Venerable Napan Thawornbanjob, as Chair of IBHAP Foundation and Honorable Advisor of 30 x 30 Thailand Coalition participated as a panelist in COP16’s side event “Integral Ecology to Reverse Biodiversity Loss”, by the support of EcoCitiZen, in Cali, Colombia.

Venerable Napan stated that it was the opportunity to learn from and exchange ideas with people from all over the world who share a mutual dedication and good intentions to make this world a better place to live, not only for our generation, but also the future ones. 

Additionally, it was an honor, as a Buddhist monk, to have the opportunity to convey the issues of natural resource consumption and biodiversity by integrating Buddhist teachings and the concept of mindfulness, and share with the researchers, scholars, and environmental practitioners from various countries, called “Integral Ecology Research Network (IERN)”, which was officially launched at the event.

The key points he shared were:

1. While we are consuming natural resources for our survival, we must remain mindful and not forget that we must pass on this right to future generations for their survival as well.

2. In Buddhism, the concept of “karma” means that what we think, say, or do will affect us. The same goes for how we treat the world. As the Buddhist proverb says, “Kammuna vattati loko,” meaning “the world is driven by karma”. Through the lens of “Planetary Health,” the term “world” here can include both the planet itself and the living beings on it.

3. Three key points regarding addressing biodiversity loss, including

 – Communication

 – Strategic collaboration

 – Meaningful engagement

We need to be patient in repeating these messages until awareness is raised, followed by serious action that leads to change. We must also collaborate to amplify the voices of those who are voiceless. Furthermore, we must use strategic communication to keep these issues in the public consciousness, so they are not forgotten, and the problems are not left unresolved as they often are.

He emphasised at the end of his talk that

“No more engagement, Let’s get married. As a Buddhist monk , I cannot get married but you know what I mean… Let’s connect to each other not just contact. The time for “loose engagement” through meetings and discussions is over. We need to collaborate seriously and act to achieve tangible results.”

Thanks to EcoCitizen for supporting his participation in the event, including the travel and accommodation arrangements, CELAM (Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council) for their warm hospitality and providing the Monsignor Jesús Antonio Castro Becerra Meeting and Training House for his stay in Cali, Colombia.

Special thanks to Salvatore Coppola-Finegan and everyone at EcoCitizen for everything and Ms. Siriporn SRIARAM for coordinating the invitation to participate in this event, as well as Father Peter Rožič and Jafeth Rodriguez for the friendships. 

And thank you to EcoCitizen, Ms. Siriporn, Father Peter and Jafeth for the photos.