WEASC News · Webinars
Webinar “People and Planet 2.0 – Can the Covid-19 tragedy be a historic reset?”
Tuesday, March 31, 2020, 2:00–3:30 PM CEST
On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus a global pandemic. Since its outbreak in January in Wuhan, China, the world had increasingly been gripped by fear as the virus spread. Normal life and societies in many places were disrupted — businesses, schools, and industries affected, countries in lockdown, and large populations under quarantine in an effort to contain the spread of the virus. This was a global challenge. We expressed deep concern and sympathy for all who were affected, especially those in parts of the world where this challenge was being most acutely felt, and our deep regret at the fatalities that occurred.
The outbreak of the COVID-19 virus and its rapid spread had a great deal to do with how humanity (mis-)manages and (mis-)uses the environment. It also carried very practical implications for creation care work around the globe — both on the advocacy and the implementation level.
The webinar wrestled with three key questions:
- Stepping back — What can we learn about humanity, our societies, and our planet from this crisis?
- Stepping out — In which way does the COVID-19 crisis provide a historic chance to rethink and redo the "People and Planet partnership"?
- Stepping up — How can people of faith be inspiring voices of hope and helpful hands of good, spreading the positive virus of transformation globally?
Amid global crisis and suffering, the webinar looked at ways to find hope for humanity and the planet — and how we needed to start communicating and acting to make "People and Planet 2.0" a healthier, more stable new normal after COVID-19.
Speakers
- Kuki Rokhum, Head of Training and Mobilization, Evangelical Fellowship of India Commission on Relief (EFICOR)
- Matthias Boehning, Director, WEA Sustainability Center
- Dave Bookless, Director for Theology, A Rocha International
- Katharine Hayhoe, Climate Ambassador of the World Evangelical Alliance
- Ben Niblett, Coordinator of Renew our World, Tearfund
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