Jonathan Patz to Participate in Loka Initiative and Symposium

The Loka Initiative is a new education and outreach program at the University of Wisconsin–Madison for faith leaders and religious institutions. Our mission is to support faith-led environmental efforts locally and around the world through collaborations with faith leaders and religious institutions on environmental protection, sustainable development and global health issues.

The Loka Initiative is an interdisciplinary collaboration among different programs at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and is housed in the Center for Healthy Minds in partnership with Center for the Humanities, Center for Religion and Global Citizenry, Division of Continuing Studies, the Global Health Institute, the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and the Religious Studies Program.

The Loka Symposium will be held from May 28th to May 30th in Madison, Wisconsin under the auspices of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The symposium will bring together faith leaders and culture keepers from diverse religious and indigenous traditions with scientists, scholars, policy makers, philanthropists, and experts to develop new and stronger faith-led environmental partnerships. The theme of the symposium is “Faith in Action for a Flourishing Planet” and will examine global progress in environmental and climate change strategies while investigating the potential for faith-led environmental action by building understanding, motivating change, and creating practical goals. As such, the symposium will integrate spiritual resources such as scripture, meditation, sacrament, ritual and symbolic art to support this exchange of faith-based and scientific ideas and strategies.

The symposium aspires to be inclusive and representative of faith communities and religious institutions that are dedicated to environmental change, reflecting diversity in traditions, nationality, ethnicity and perspectives and welcome expertise from the domains of ecology, climatology, psychology, neuroscience, health, education, religious studies and research.

Read the full article at: https://centerhealthyminds.org/loka-initiative