Dear Friends,
Earth Day feels especially pressing this year. But what can we do about it? Watch my friends Pastor James and Imam Ashafa detail their initiative to re-green Nigeria.
As we mourn the loss and celebrate the life of Pope Francis, I’m reminded of the countless ways he taught us to love our earth (read his encyclical Laudato Si’), a divine love that I see the Peacemakers in Action shepherd in their own communities.
Over the next few weeks, we will share narratives on “Sacred Earth: Faith, Climate, and the Power of Listening” in collaboration with our friends at the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers.
In the first installment, we spoke with Pastor James and Imam Ashafa about their Peace Trees Initiative.
Nigerian peace activists and Tanenbaum Peacemakers in Action Pastor James Wuye and Imam Muhammad Ashafa work with local schools and community-focused organizations to re-green their home country. They relay their passion for planting trees by explaining how they arrived at the idea, how deforestation in Nigeria contributes to violent conflict, and how involving local communities in ecological peacebuilding will build a more peaceful climate.
The autochthonous trees that Pastor James and Imam Ashafa raise and help plant combine their ecological and peacebuilding missions. As Imam Ashafa says, “When you plant a tree, you are investing into your future, not into the present alone. So, that is something new I want people to know, especially those who don’t know, and to invest in the future and in the life beyond the present.”
Wishing you a prosperous and meaningful Earth Day.
Warmly,
Rev. Mark Fowler, CEO, Tanenbaum