International Environment Forum

WHAT IS THE IEF?

The IEF is a Bahá'í-inspired organization addressing the environment and sustainability

• Oneness of humankind
• Unity in diversity
• Fundamental reality of increasing levels of cooperation, complexity, and reciprocity throughout the planet
• Moderation
• Ecological balance of vital importance to all...

https://iefworld.org/

BACKGROUND

The problems of the human and planetary environment and the transition to sustainability are the major challenges of our time. While scientific knowledge is helping to define solutions, implementation is hindered by a lack of motivation and commitment, suggesting that the problems are as much social, cultural and spiritual as they are technical or scientific. Since environmental problems and development aspirations are both global and diverse in scope, so too must solutions be sought through exploration of the many approaches and rich experience of different communities, peoples, cultures and faiths. Also important is the exploration of the complementary roles played by the educational, scientific and value-oriented communities to support sustainable development.

The International Environment Forum, through its global membership and expertise, provides a platform for addressing this broad context of environment and sustainability. It offers its support to the international community of nations, which has both recognized the importance of the protection and wise management of the environment and encouraged the involvement of non-governmental organizations.

CORE VALUES

The preservation of the ecological balance of the world is of vital concern to all humanity, requiring action for the environment and sustainable development at all levels, from the local to the global, in harmony with the rhythm of life in communities.

Spiritual principles are relevant for the environment and sustainability. Some of these principles include:

• a moderation in consumption and development to avoid the dangers of material civilization carried to excess,
• recognition of the oneness of humankind and the interrelatedness of all things, and
• the importance of unity in diversity and the fundamental reality of increasing levels of cooperation, complexity and reciprocity across all of creation.

Our inner life cannot be separated from the environment around us, requiring that we address issues of environment and sustainability at the level of fundamental ethical and moral values and principles.

Vollkommene Harmonie zwischen Wissenschaft und Religion ist wesentlich für ein glückliches, friedliches Zusammenleben in der menschlichen Gemeinschaft.

Abdu’l Bahá