Rome and Assisi
June 27 – July 4, 2017
The aim of this conference was to bring together people from a range of ecological and spiritual perspectives, centers and movements to create networks and seek transformative global change based upon principles related to spirituality and sustainability. A means to achieve that goal was a series of focused conversations to identify recommendations for moving forward to a just, sustainable and peaceful future that would support human development for all in a flourishing Earth community. The conference drew inspiration from earlier Assisi conferences in the 1990’s which featured the visionary environmentalist and eminent scholar, the late Thomas Berry. This conference was also inspired by the vision of St. Francis and St. Clare in the context of the recent papal encyclical on ecology “Laudato Si,” as well as from the Earth Charter and other thought leaders in spirituality and sustainability. The conference focused on explaining the worldviews of participants (grounded in ecological spirituality), on sharing transformative paths for education, lifestyles and communities and on emerging new paradigms for science, economics and law. Strategies to deepen the United Nations new development agenda were explored, with a specific view to including environmental principles in education and protecting and nurturing sacred places. Directors from the Forum 21 Institute worked on the planning of this conference, made key presentations and helped with the recruitment of sponsors. Forum 21 saw this conference as especially important as it was an opportunity to bring together a wide range of faith and value based organizations and NGO’s to work in harmony in the future on important goals. Convenors and several sponsors included the Center for Earth Ethics at Union Theological Seminar, the Center for Ethics at Saint Thomas University, the Center for Environmental & amp; Sustainability Education at Florida State University, the Thomas Berry Foundation, Earth Charter International (Costa Rica), the Franciscan Action Network, the Forum on Religion & amp; Ecology at Yale, the Institute of Noetic Sciences, the Covergence Academy, Sukyo Mahikari Europe (Luxembourg).
For photos of the event click here