A Green Attica for a Sustainable Environment

Dear friends,

We are delighted to announce an international ecological symposium entitled “A GREEN ATTICA FOR A SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT: Preserving the Planet and Protecting its People” to be held in Athens, Greece, from June 5-8, 2018. The symposium is jointly sponsored by the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Region of Attica. The President of the Hellenic Republic will be in attendance, while the President of the French Republic has been invited to open the symposium of some 250 distinguished governmental, environmental and religious leaders.

As you are already aware, over the last three decades, the Ecumenical Patriarchate has highlighted the religious and spiritual roots of the ecological crisis, while emphasizing that the necessary spiritual transformation of human beings and their attitude toward creation requires the collaboration of all social sectors and scientific disciplines. Moreover, we have pioneered diverse international, interdisciplinary and interfaith initiatives for environmental sustainability, organizing symposia, seminars and summits, while inspiring and motivating theologians and scientists, political and business leaders, as well as activists and journalists from all over the world. This is why we were personally involved in the process leading up to the historic Paris Agreement adopted in December 2015.

At the same time, the current Administration of the Region of Attica has emphasized environmental and public health issues in national and European level, participating in numerous environmental EU projects concerning the awareness raising issue and taking part in the COP 21 conference. Furthermore, the Region of Attica, having in mind the great importance of the migration/refugee phenomenon for the local societies, tries to address the issue of reception and social integration of migrants/refugees in terms of respecting democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Both the government and people of Greece have extended their hospitality to refugees from the Middle East and Northern Africa as a result of war, violence and poverty.

Therefore, the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Region of Attica are organizing this symposium in order to explore the pressing environmental problems of the region and its islands, examining the connections between ecology and economy, particularly in the context of pressing social and environmental challenges of our time. Our aim is to affirm a collaborative response to the ecological crisis, while advocating for a sustainable planet as a sacred legacy for all people and especially our children.

Prayerfully yours,

+ BARTHOLOMEW
Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch