Online Forum Explores Climate Change, Women and Faith

On October 8, the Women, Faith, and Climate Network (WFCN) and the Soka Gakkai Women’s Peace Committee (WPC) cohosted an online forum titled “Kitchen Talk: The nexus of climate and conflict,” attended by some 500 people. Following opening remarks by WPC Chair Miyuki Hashiguchi, two Soka Gakkai members reported on their local initiatives. One had created a version of Farm to School, connecting local farmers with schools in Iwaki City. Today, five of the seven school lunch centers there receive locally grown produce. The other member runs an eco-friendly coffee shop. In her presentation, Meryne Warah, a WFCN Steering Group member and the Global Program Director of GreenFaith, shared how Christian and Muslim women in Ghana had joined with traditional women’s leaders to raise issues affecting their communities and bring change, illustrating that women of faith are uniquely positioned to work for climate solutions in their local communities.