Ecumenical Institute of Youth to spread awareness on eco-friendly life

To celebrate the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity, the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) last week organised an 'Ecumenical Institute of Youth on Ecological Concerns'.

The ecumenical institute was a joint effort of the New Apostolic Church and Commission on Youth of the NCCI to spread awareness among youth for leading an eco-friendly life.

The September 9-11 event brought together young people from different parts of the country to mull over creative possibilities "for closely relating with this habitat and biodiversity".

"Ecumenical institute will focus and study deeply on theology of creation, climate justice, issues of Biodiversity, Electronic or E waste management and recycling," said Fr Vineeth Koshy, secretary of the Commission on Youth of the NCCI.

In addition to that, the institute would study on the "Polavaram Irrigation Project, privatization of Water, Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, Nuclear Plants hazards, Eco-Just-Tourism, Eco-Conservation movements, Vedanta Bauxite mining project and Niyamgiri mining."

The Christian vocation, says Vineeth, "is to live and consider this as a 'home'; to protect the integrity of creation and to transform the situations that threaten life."

"2010 year is significant in many ways, especially for the ecologically conscious and concerned citizens, this year is dedicated and celebrated by United Nations as the International of Year of Biodiversity," he added.

"Biodiversity is considered to be the pillar of human civilization. Biodiversity encompasses the wide variety of plants, animals, mammals, insects, birds, trees, micro-organisms etc. Scientists till now have identified only 1.75 million species on this earth. However, scientists claim in that there are actually about 13 million species, though estimates range from three to 100 million which are un-identified, " he continued

He informed that South Asia will be one of the major regions which will bear the maximum brunt of the ecological crisis, like the melting of Glaciers in the Himalayas that will affect water resources within the next two to three decades.

Also, freshwater availability in Central, South, East and South-East Asia, particularly in large river basins decrease could adversely affect more than a billion people by 2050's.

Says Angelious Michael, Vice-President of NCCI, "Our aim is to think about the possible alternatives against the contemporary trends of consumerist and greedy culture."