Deputy Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Calls on Religious Leaders to Inspire Action to Protect the Environment.
The Deputy Minister, Hon. Mima Yema Sobba-Stephens, made this disclosure at the launch of the National Faith-Based Network on Climate Change and Gender Justice organized by the Inter-Religious Council of Sierra Leone in partnership with the Council of Churches in Sierra Leone, at the New Brookfields Hotel.
The launch was done under the theme “Faith in Action for Climate and Gender Justice.”
Delivering her statement at the launch, Hon. Sobba-Stephens acknowledged that the theme reminded everybody that faith is not just what is being preached inside churches, mosques, and temples, but it also constitutes actions taken in communities, how people treat one another, and how people care for the earth that has been created by God.
“Climate change is no longer a distant worry. It is something we can see and feel every day. We see it in the strange weather, the heavy rains, the flooding, the heat, the damaged farmlands, the rising cost of food, and the suffering of poor families who depend on nature”, she stated. She entreated people of faith to believe that God made the earth and commanded man to protect it which indicates that climate action is not just a scientific issue but a moral duty to show respect to God’s creation and protecting it for the future.
The Deputy Minister recognized the relevance of faith in Gender Justic, nothing that girls, women, boys, and men all have equal rights, equal opportunities, and equal respect. Consequently, she affirmed that women suffered the most from climate change. “When water becomes scarce, it is women who walk long distances. When crops fail, women struggle to feed their homes. When disasters strike, women and girls are often the most vulnerable. Our faith teaches us that all human beings are created equal and deserve dignity. So, supporting gender justice is not going against religion but living out the true teachings of love, fairness, and compassion”, she reaffirmed.
Hon. Sobba-Stephens took cognizance of the role of Inter-Religious Council in promoting climate and gender justice by underscoring key critical factors notably, to bring different faiths together by speaking with one voice, to influence communities through their teachings to change attitudes, reshape behaviour, and inspire actions, to promote peace and understanding. She discloed that Inter-religious councils should helped reduce tensions and bring harmony, support government and civil society, work with national and local authorities to ensure that climate and gender policies reached the people who needed them most. Similarly, she noted that Religious leaders should remind communities about caring for the earth, respecting women, protecting children, and helping the mosr vulnerable people.
She said that faith is powerful when people joined hands across religions and used their faith to inspire actions to protect the environment, support women and girls, and build a just and peaceful nation.
“Let us leave here ready to act.
Let us speak boldly.
Let us teach strongly.
Let us protect the earth faithfully.
And let us stand together for both climate justice and gender justice. Because when faith is put into action, real change happens”, she affirmed.