Delegate List available now, click here to view
Delegate Biographies in Alphabetical Order
Please note these are the biographies received by ARC before 31 October
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Yosef Israel Abramowitz, founding father of Israel's domestic solar industry, serves as President of the Arava Power Company. A long-time human rights and anti-apartheid activist, Yosef has been co-nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in building a human rights movement in post-Soviet Russia. He is the winner of the Covenant Award for Excellence in Jewish Education, serves on the editorial board of the Journal Sh'ma, is a member of Kol Dor, and is one of the driving forces to designate the second Hebrew month (Cheshvan) as global Jewish Social Action Month (www.Cheshvan.org). Yosef has served in Jewish leadership positions for thirty years, including on the Executive of the World Jewish Congress and as the elected Chairperson of the World Union of Jewish Students. He blogs at Peoplehood.org, is the father of five and is married to Rabbi Susan Silverman.
Dr Mahmoud Akef was educated at Eim Shams University in Egypt and in the USA. He graduated with a doctorate in Economic Development and International Trade. Among other high level posts he was CEO of the Center for Civilization Studies in Egypt, and Economic Advisor for the Supreme Committee of Applied Sharia in Kuwait. He is Professor of Economics at Cairo University and has published many papers in the field of Islamic economics and other economic fields. As founder of the Earth-Mates Dialogue Centre in the UK he has been a leading force in working with Islamic leaders and scholars to create, and agree, the Muslim Seven Year Action Plan to Deal with Global Climate Change.
Bishop John Arnold was ordained Bishop and appointed as an Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Westminster on 3rd February 2006. John Arnold was born in Sheffield. In 1975 he graduated with a Law Degree from Trinity College, Oxford and was called to the Bar in the Middle Temple in 1976. In the autumn of the same year he entered the novitiate of the Institute of Charity (Rosminians), taking simple vows in 1978 before beginning studies at the Gregorian University in Rome. He was ordained by Cardinal Basil Hume as a deacon in November 1982, and a priest in July 1983.
In 1989 he was appointed as Sub Administrator of the Westminster Cathedral. In 1993 he became parish priest of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St George in Enfield. In 2001 he was appointed as Chancellor and Vicar General by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor. In 2003 he was made a Chaplain to the Papal Household.
The Right Reverend Francis Amenu is the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana (E. P. Church, Ghana). He has served in various capacities in the E. P. Church as District, General Secretary of the E. P. Church Pastors Association and Parish Pastor including being the head pastor at the Evangelical Presbyterian Headquarters Church in Ho and the Accra New Town branch of the church. He was subsequently posted to London in the United Kingdom where he served as the Ghanaian Minister to the United Reformed Church in the UK and Chaplain to the Ghanaian community in the UK between 1999 and 2003. On his return to Ghana in the same year, he has been the pastor of the Madina branch of the church. He has also served as a lecturer at the Trinity Theological Seminary, Legon and the new Evangelical Presbyterian University at Ho in Ghana. Rev. Amenu was elected as the first Moderator of the General Assembly of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church at its 67th Synod at Ho in August 2008 when the E P Church changed from the old synodal system of church polity and governance to the General Assembly concept and was officially inducted into office on Sunday, 11th January, 2009.
Chris Bain became Director of CAFOD in July 2003. His work in international development began as a VSO volunteer and Field Officer in Fiji, where he stayed on to be director of a community housing trust. Returning to the UK in 1981, Chris worked for Christian Aid in education and fundraising. After completing an MBA, he joined Oxfam as special Campaigns Advisor before being appointed Head of Campaigns in 1992, leading the department responsible for Oxfam's campaigns, education and regional fundraising. He rejoined VSO in 1996, becoming Head of International Programmes in 1999. CAFOD works in partnership with local Church and secular organisations in 60 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and plays an active role in Caritas International, the Catholic Church's global network of humanitarian relief agencies. CAFOD currently has over 300 staff based in England and Wales and also with its programmes overseas. Its annual turnover for 2008/9 was £47.7 million.
Sally has brought widespread attention to the link between religious faith and the environment through her work on The Regeneration Project and the Interfaith Power and Light campaign. As one of the first faith leaders to fully recognize global warming as a core moral issue, she has mobilized thousands of religious people to put their faith into action through energy stewardship. Sally serves as the Environmental Minister at Grace Episcopal Cathedral and chairs the Commission on the Environment for the Diocese of California where she was installed as Canon for Environmental Ministry. Sally is the lead author of Love God Heal Earth, published by St. Lynn's Press in 2009.
The Bishop of London was educated at Hertford Grammar School and studied history at Trinity College Cambridge. Before ordination he taught Ancient History at the International School in Seville. He was ordained in 1973 and served as a curate in St Andrew's Bedford. In 1975 he was appointed Chaplain to Robert Runcie, then Bishop of St Albans, and from 1980-84 he served as the Archbishop's Chaplain at Lambeth and Canterbury. He moved to St Stephen's Rochester Row in the Diocese of London in 1984. During eight years in the parish he also served as Director of Ordinands for the Central Area and as Gresham Professor of Divinity. He was consecrated Bishop of Stepney in 1992. After his move to the see of London, he was appointed Dean of HM Chapels Royal in 1996 and a Privy Counsellor. This accounts for the curious fact that the Bishop of London is the only bishop who bears the title 'Right Honourable' in addition to the usual 'Right Reverend'. He is an ex officio member of the House of Lords.
He is an Honorary Bencher of the Middle Temple, Chairman of the Ecumenical "London Church Leaders", a director of Coexist Foundation - a charity promoting interfaith understanding - and is associated with numerous other London organisations.
He is also Chairman of the Church Buildings Division of the Church of England and deputises for the Archbishop of Canterbury as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Church Commissioners. He is also responsible on behalf of the Archbishop for relations with the Orthodox Churches. He founded St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace and is currently the Chairman of the Trustees. His publications include "The History of Gresham College 1597-1997" (with David Vermont) and "Tree of Knowledge, Tree of Life" [2005] and many articles and essays especially on religion and the environment. He is married to Caroline, a freelance writer, and they have four children - Alexander, Sophie, Louis and Clio
Sheila Chauhan is an Environmental Awareness Officer at Dacorum Borough Council and she specialises in waste management. She has written award winning reports on waste management practises. In 2000 she volunteered as an Environmental Impact Assessor for a proposed hotel development in South India. This became one of the first eco friendly hotels to be built in Kerala. Sheila splits her spare time as a Publicity Officer for Hemel Hempstead Rotaract Club and as an Environmental Consultant for the Hare Krishna Temple in Watford where she passionately campaigns on Karma to Climate Change and Cruelty Free Milk.
Aimée Christensen is a founding member of the Executive Team of the Global Observatory, a non-profit communications organization, informing the public about climate change. For nearly two decades, Aimée has developed climate change strategy in the corporate, governmental, and philanthropic sectors. She has worked with the Clinton Global Initiative, Duke Energy, Google.org, Virgin Unite, & Wolfensohn & Co. She negotiated the first bilateral and regional agreements on climate change while with the U.S. Department of Energy in the 1990s. Aimée introduced Al Gore at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and addressed the 2008 Democratic National Convention. She has a BA from Smith College, and a JD from Stanford Law School, where she wrote the University's "Climate Change and Investment Responsibility Policy" adopted by the Trustees in 1999.
Ian Christie is an associate of the think-tank Green Alliance and is a visiting professor at the Centre for Environmental Strategy, University of Surrey. He is an independent advisor, researcher, teacher and writer on sustainable development and environmental issues. He has worked in central and local government, in business and in civil society organisations. He has been the lead researcher and writer for the Church of England's Seven Year Plan for environmental action. He is a member of the Church of England and worships at Christ Church, West Wimbledon in SW London.
Dekila has led WWF's efforts for the Mekong region since 2005. Prior to this, she worked for WWF in the Eastern Himalayas and South Asia for five years. She has a Bachelor's Degree in International Environmental Policy from College of Wooster, Ohio and a Master's Degree in Sustainable Development from American University, Washington DC. Dekila - who speaks Sikkimese, Tibetan, Hindi and Nepali - has helped establish programs that benefit both local communities and wildlife in both the Himalayas and the Mekong region. She has extensive experience working with local communities and developing environmental solutions at multiple scales. In the Mekong, she is working on largescale issues including climate change adaptation and sustainable infrastructure development. Dekila serves as the Environmental Advisor for His Holiness, the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Thinley Dorje from the Kagyu Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Under his guidance, she advises over forty monasteries in the Himalayas on environmental projects ranging from source water conservation to green monastery design.
After studying Japanese and English Language at university, Xanthe Clay backpacked through China, Arabia and South America before settling into a more conventional life as a cookery bookseller in London. The next step was to set up the kitchen at a trendy wine bar in Bath. Here, as the only chef, speed and fresh ingredients were paramount, as well as responding to the foibles of the Bathians. Meanwhile, Xanthe also offered private catering for dinner parties and functions, which allowed her to come to terms with the idiosyncrasies of other people's Agas. Seven happy years of weekly columns, and two books of readers' recipes later, and Xanthe was offered a promotion to Weekend cookery writer.
Brian Cuthbertson is a Christian and a life-long Anglican. After a secondary education in the physical sciences, he graduated in Architecture from Cambridge, then practised as an architect in private practice for 14 years, undertaking conservation-restoration work to major public buildings. In 1993 he joined the Diocese of London; running the Diocesan Advisory Committee which scrutinises works to church buildings under the 'ecclesiastical exemption' from ancient monuments legislation; then in the new role of Head of Environmental Challenge, working to deliver the Diocese's commitments regarding climate change and the environment; and with the Bishop of London and the Steering Group for the national Seven-Year Plan project with Alliance of Religions and Conservation.
Prof. Arthur Lyon DAHL (Geneva, Switzerland; originally from California) is a biologist (Ph.D. University of California) and retired Deputy Assistant Executive Director of UNEP with 40 year's experience in ecology, environment, and sustainability. He represented the Baha'i International Community at the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment (1972); was in the Secretariat of the Rio Earth Summit (1992); participated in the World Summit on Religions and Conservation (Windsor, 1995); coordinates the UNEP/ University of Geneva Environmental Diplomacy Programme; and is Visiting Professor at University of Brighton. He is President of the International Environment Forum, a Baha'i-inspired environmental organization.
Odell Dickerson, Jr. is the Church Executive for the New Psalmist Baptist Church in Baltimore, MD, where Bishop Walter Scott Thomas, Sr. is the Pastor. New Psalmist is a ministry that specializes in empowering people for a better quality of life through preaching, teaching, and outreach. Currently, there are over 7,000 active members. Odell is the pastoral liaison for Bishop Thomas and also specializes in organizing special events, and conferences. Odell currently serves as the Coordinator for the Kingdom Association of Covenant Pastors (KACP) and "Conversations," an annual Pastoral Summit for Senior Pastors held in Paradise Valley, AZ. Some other notable accomplishments include Coordinator for Kingdom Conference and the Hampton University Minister's Conference, which both registered over 10,000 participants each year. Furthermore, He served as Coordinator for the Millennium Pastor's Conference, which was an international non-denominational organization of Pastors that served in Nassau, Bahamas for four years to develop strategies for ministry in the New Millennium.
Mark Dowd is a writer and television broadcaster. After pursuing a vocation as a Dominican friar in the Catholic Church, Mark was tempted out of religious life by a postgraduate degree in International Relations at St Antony's College Oxford. This proved a useful base for twelve years in the BBC on Newsnight and Panorama. In 2001, Mark became a national figure in front of the camera, fronting a number of award-winning documentaries on Channel Four , including Children of Abraham: a post 9/11 journey through the monotheistic faiths and Tsunami: Where was God? He was awarded the prestigious "Religious Broadcaster of the Year" by the Churches' Media Council, in June 2006. His most recent film, GOD IS GREEN, which challenged the world's faiths over Climate Change, aired in February 2007. Since January 2008, Mark has been a full time campaigner on the issue of global warming with the ecumenical NGO, Operation Noah, based in London.
On the 27th August the Norwegian theologian and pastor Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, 48, was elected the 7th general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC). This is the WCC's highest administrative post. Tveit will be the youngest general secretary since Willem A. Visser 't Hooft led the WCC 61 years ago. Since 2002, he was the general secretary of the Church of Norway Council on Ecumenical and International Relations. Tveit is a member of the WCC Faith and Order Plenary Commission and the board of directors and executive committee of the Christian Council of Norway.
Betsy Gaines Quammen is the Executive Director of The Tributary Fund (TTF), a secular organization she founded in 2002 after falling in love with the rivers, landscapes and people of Mongolia. She has a Master's of Science from University of Montana in Environmental Studies and is a PhD candidate in Religion and Environmental History at Montana State University. She has worked on conservation issues with Swara (the magazine of the East African Wildlife Society), American Wildlands, the Alliance for the Wild Rockies, and served on the Sierra Club national board of directors. TTF works with religious leaders and scientists in Mongolia, Bhutan and the US.
Currently I am director and research professor of Daoism Centre of Shaanxi Academy of Social Science, Shaanxi, China. I am also part time professor of Centre of Religious Study of Shaanxi Teaching University, the deputy chief editor of " Daoism of SanQin", and member of a council of Chinese Religious Association. I started research and compilation work in 1979 on local history and records. Since 1988, I have focused on study on history and current status of regional Daoist. The major publications are: "A brief history of Daoist in mountain Zhongnan, Changan", " 2000 years of Daoist in Shaanxi", "Daoist and Daoist temple in Changan".
Ms. Jessica Haller is an environmental entrepreneur and activist. Her goal is social, political and corporate action towards sustainability, and she is serving as the director of the Jewish Climate Campaign to pursue that goal within the global Jewish community. Jessica is the CEO of Svante Scientific, Inc, a climate change intelligence company. She has an M.P.A. in environmental science and policy from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and the Earth Institute and a B.S. in economics from the Wharton School of Business. She is a LEED Accredited Professional with the US Green Building Council, and a member of The Climate Project, trained and charged by Al Gore to speak publicly on issues of climate change.
Alan Hamilton has a Doctorate in Philosophy from the University of East Africa, his thesis being on the history of climate change, tropical forest and land use over the lat few thousand years in East Africa. Between 1972 and 1989 he was employed as a Lecturer in Environmental Science at the University of Ulster, with a period as a Lecturer in Botany at Makerere University, Uganda. Between 1989 and 2004 he was Plants Conservation Officer for WWF-International and, from 2005 to 2008, Manager of the Plant Conservation and Livelihoods Programme Manager of Plantlife International. At WWF, he was responsible for managing numerous projects including the People and Plants Initiative, which built capacity in many countries for work on botanical aspects of conservation and sustainable development. At Plantlife, he managed a programme involving partners in eight countries in East Africa and the Himalayas aimed at answering the question: "How best can communities conserve their medicinal plants?". He has written 8 books on the environment and over 50 scientific papers. He is a Doctor of Science of the University of Cambridge and an Honorary Professor of the Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
From 1997 to 2009, KH was the Cultural Director of Asia House, London.
Working with arts organisations (the Royal Festival Hall, Sadlers Wells, the Royal Academy, SOAS, the British Library, the British Museum, the V&A) KH initiated and developed an innovative programme of performances, lectures and exhibitions on Asian culture, and established Asia House as the major venue for Asian arts in the UK, operating from a central London building with purpose-built art gallery, lecture rooms and cafe. Prior to this she ran events, curated exhibitions and specialised in museum education at the Commonwealth Institute, the National Museums of Scotland and the Scottish Arts Council.
Born in 1966, Hilarion Alfeyev received his initial education in music, studying violin, piano and composition, at the Moscow Gnessins School and the Moscow State Conservatory. After military service from 1984-86, he entered, in January 1987, the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Vilnius, Lithuania, where he was tonsured a monk on 19 June, ordained deacon on 21 June and ordained priest on 19 August the same year. On 31 March 2009 he was appointed Bishop of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations. On 20 April 2009 he was elevated to the dignity of Archbishop. Archbishop Hilarion is the author of more than 300 publications, including numerous books in Russian, English, French, Italian, German and Finnish. Apart from his doctoral degree in philosophy from Oxford, he also holds a doctorate in theology from St Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute in Paris.
Alison Hilliard began working for ARC in 2004 based in Ethiopia -pioneering new projects with ARC, the World Bank and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Addis Ababa. Since returning to live in the UK in 2006, she has co-ordinated the current UNDP/ARC project. Alison has worked as a journalist for the British Broadcasting Corporation since 1983. After leaving Oxford University, she has been a Television producer and director on award winning programmes. She joined the Religious Department of the BBC in 1989 presenting BBC Radio's 4's weekly flagship religious current affairs programme 'Sunday' and the World Service's sister programme as well as a weekly series on BBC 1 Television on how faith affect people's lives.
Alison was Israel correspondent for World Service Religion in the mid 90's, travelling extensively in the Middle East to make award-winning documentaries. From 1997-99 she was Executive Producer of BBC Religion, World Service. From 1999-2003 she lived in Kampala, Uganda, producing and presenting radio documentary programmes for BBC World Service and moved to Ethiopia to continue broadcasting from Addis for the World Service and to teach journalism skills at Addis University.
Michael Holman has been a Jesuit for 35 years and a Jesuit priest for 21 years. He studied at Heythrop College (London University), the London Institute of Education, and in the USA at the Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Massachusetts ad at Fordham University, New York. Michael has taught at St Aloysius College, Glasgow; Mount St Mary's College, Sheffield (Deputy Head) and at Wimbledon College (Head Teacher, 1995-2004). He has also worked in the British Jesuit mission in Guyana, South America, helping develop a moral education programme. Spirituality is the other ministry in which Michael has been most involved, along with prison and hospital chaplaincy whilst in Guyana. In July 2005 Michael became Provincial Superior of the Jesuits in Britain. His province also has responsibility for Jesuit work in Guyana and South Africa.
Rupert Howes became Chief Executive of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) in October 2004. The MSC is the world's leading marine eco-labelling and certification programme for wild capture fisheries. Operating from offices in Cape Town, Tokyo, Sydney, London, Seattle, Berlin, Edinburgh and the Hague, the organisation's overarching objective is to contribute to reversing the decline in wild capture fisheries, perhaps the second biggest sustainability challenge facing the world after global climate change, by identifying and promoting 'the best environmental choice' in seafood. Rupert is based in MSC's London offices. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant (ICAEW) and holds an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College, London and a BA (Econ) Hons from Sussex University.
Katsuji was born in 1970 as a son of Shinto priest family. Graduated from Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, he studies at Kokugakuin University postgraduate course and obtained MA Shinto Studies. Joined in Jinja Shimpo, a newspaper specialized for Shinto shrines in 1997, he gained his career as a reporter, and joined in Jinja Honcho, the Association of Shinto Shrines in 2001. He was sent by the organization to study Japanese Religion at SOAS, University London and obtained MA Japanese Studies in 2005. Katsuji now works for Jinja Honcho in International Section and involved in interreligious dialogues and international activities.
Hironobu was born on 3rd April 1967 in Tokyo. He majored Shinto Studies at Kokugakuin University. He graduated in 1983 and joined in Prince Hotel Group. He learned hospitality and sales management as a hotel clerk. In October 1990, he moved to Jinja Honcho, the Association of Shinto Shrines which administrates approximately 80,000 Shinto shrines in Japan. As a Shinto priest, Hironobu worked in sections of legal administration, priest training, financial and Ise Grand Shrine affairs. In July 2008, he was assigned chief of International Section of newly established Jinja Honcho Public Relation Center. Currently, he is involved in public relation activities such as international religious dialogues and environment conservation conferences.
His Eminence, Seraphim was born in Galataria, Paphos, Cyprus. At 12 years old he was accepted as a lay-brother at the monastery of Kykkos, Cyprus. After four years, having obtained a scholarship, he was sent to the Pan-Cypriot High School as a boarder and then to the Lyceum of Kykkos from which he graduated in 1982 with honours. From Sept 1998 with the blessing of His Beatitude Petro VII, he assumed the position of Patriarchal member of the mission of Bokomba of Tansania . In the year 2000, he was given the responsibility of the durastriction of Dar-es-Salam and environs. In 2001, at the invitation of His Beatitude Petros VII, he was elected unanimously by the Holy Synod as Archbishop of the Mertropolis of Johannesburg and Pretoria.
Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, of the Methodist Church in Kenya, was elected general secretary of the World Council of Churches in August 2003, and took up his new post in January 2004. Earlier in 2003, he served as director and special representative for Africa of the WCC.
From 1999 to end-2002, Kobia directed the WCC Cluster on "Issues and Themes" From 1987-1993, Kobia was general secretary of Kenya's National Council of Churches, having previously worked since 1984 as director of church development activities with the NCCK, advising its member churches on the formulation, implementation, management and evaluation of development projects. From 1978 to 1984, Kobia was WCC executive secretary for Urban Rural Mission, and also served as secretary of the WCC Africa Task Force. During a ceremony at the University of Buenos Aires on 15 November 2004 he was given the title of honorary professor of Argentina's oldest university. In recognition of his position within the ecumenical family in Kenya and beyond, Kobia was awarded the country's National Ecumenical Award and appointed chancellor of St. Paul's University, Limuru, Kenya, in 2007.
Barney Leith has been an active Bahá'í since the mid 1960s. He has been a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the UK since 1993 and has served successively as its Secretary, Secretary for External Affairs, and Director for Diplomatic Relations. He is currently the Director of the Bahá'í community's Office of Public Information. He was a member of the Bahá'í International Community's delegation to the UN Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) in Istanbul in 1996 and to the five-year review of the UN Conference on Environment and Development at the UN HQ in New York in 1997. He is an international speaker and has delivered training programmes in a number of countries. He has been a regular contributor to "Pause for Thought" slots on the BBC World Service and BBC and has published articles in a range of newspapers and magazines.
Lorraine works as an international consultant and executive coach, specialising in working with entrepreneurs and senior management in early stage companies. Her professional logo is: 'insight, awareness, vision, action.' As a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Lorraine is an advocate of an enterprise society that is ecologically aware, sustainable and produces zero waste. She supports practices that enhance bio-diversity and cultural integrity. Lorraine has worked as an investment executive in the City of London, a freelance writer, an aid worker and a teacher in the USA, Europe and Africa. An environmental campaigner and charitable fund raiser, she have supported organisations including the Maasai Girls' Education Fund, the Soil Association, Friends of the Earth and 'Kids Kidney Appeal' of Great Ormond Street Childrens' Hospital, London.
Since 1982, Dan Misleh has been involved in the social mission of the Church beginning with two years in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Alaska through today. He is currently Executive Director of the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change (CCCC). Prior to founding the Coalition, he assisted the public policy arm of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops as the Director of Diocesan Relations for the Department of Social Development and World Peace (now Justice, Peace and Human Development). As Executive Director of the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change—which includes 12 national Catholic organizations including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops—he has engaged the Catholic community at the national, state and diocesan levels in a serious and sustained conversation about a Catholic approach to climate change focusing on the promotion of the common good, the protection of poor people and the exercise of prudence and to more fully implement the U.S. Catholic bishops' 2001 statement on climate change.
Nicki McHugh grew up on the east coast of Scotland and spent her childhood holidays horse-riding, camping, fishing and swimming near her country home. She joined the Diplomatic Service in 1991 serving in Athens, Moscow and Warsaw. Nicki met her husband Richard in Reykjavik, and they married in 2005. Richard is a serving Royal Naval Officer and was awarded a Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in 2007. They live in Bath with their daughter Florence. Nicki has worked with ARC for almost 2 years as a Research and Communications Consultant and is the Event Coordinator for the Windsor Celebration.
James Morant of the NPBC Choir, was born in Baltimore, Maryland USA. He began singing in church at an early age, but did not find his niche as a soloist until a choir director heard him singing in the background at a music taping session. He was asked to be a lead vocalist at the very next concert given by that choir director. For more on James's vocal career click here. James holds a degree in history from Morgan State University (Baltimore, Maryland), with additional graduate work in public administration from the American University (Washington, D.C.), and has traveled extensively, both domestically and internationally on health policy and environmental policy assignments for the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. He is the recipient of numerous awards and commendations from government and non-government entities with whom he has been associated. He retired from Federal Service in July 2009.
Táhirih Naylor serves as a representative of the Bahá'í International Community to the United Nations with a focus on social and sustainable development. In this position, she has represented the Bahá'í Community in numerous sessions of United Nations organs such as the General Assembly, the Commission on Social Development and the Commission on Sustainable Development. Prior to coming to New York, Ms. Naylor worked as an external affairs representative in the Office of Governmental Relations for the Bahá'í Community of Canada. She has completed a degree in sociology and graduated with a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School specializing in international, comparative and transnational law. Táhirih has participated in volunteer service in over twenty-five countries and lived in South America and Canada.
Gateen Patel works for the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies. He is currently the administrative head for the Hindu Nine Year Plan, overseeing all aspects of the Plan's development and implementation. Prior to this, Gateen was living and serving at the ISKCON Bhaktivedanta Manor Temple outside of London. During this time, he was the head of their student outreach programme. He hold an undergraduate degree in Computing and a Masters degree in Humanities Computing, where he focused on the impact the Internet has on new religious movements.
Michael Pawlyn set up Exploration in 2007 to focus on environmentally sustainable architecture inspired by nature. From 1997 to 2007 he worked with Grimshaw Architects and was instrumental in the design development of the Eden Project. He was responsible for leading the design of the Biomes and proposals for a third major climatic enclosure. He initiated and developed the Grimshaw environmental management system resulting, in December 2000, in the company becoming the first firm of European architects to achieve certification to ISO14001. He has lectured widely on the subject of sustainable design in the UK and abroad and in May 2005 delivered a talk at the Royal Society of Arts with Ray Anderson, CEO of Interface. In 2006 he was appointed to represent Grimshaw as a Founder Member of the UK Green Building Council and in 2007 was elected as a committee member of 'The Edge', a think-tank dedicated to addressing important political, social and professional issues. In June 2009 he taught a one-week intensive course in Biomimicry at Schumacher College.
Claire Powell graduated from Swansea University with a degree in Spanish and Business Studies, and then travelled extensively worldwide. Claire began her nine year career with Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd in 1995 which encompassed a wide range of roles from Store Management, Personal Assistant (PA), Communications Analyst, Project Manager, Retail and Trading Standards Manager, to Operations Manager for the Companies Fresh Produce and Floral departments, during which time Sainsbury's were Fresh Produce Retailer of the Year for two consecutive years. Since relocating to Bath in 2003 Claire has undertaken paid and unpaid work - a PA and Office Manager for a local business entrepreneur to fundraising for the local Infants and Pre School. Claire joined ARC in 2009 as Assistant to the Secretary General.
H. E. Mr. Cherif Rahmani's career has been guided by a profound commitment to the protection of our planet. As a Minister, he has worked tirelessly to greatly advance environmental law in Algeria. Under his guidance, new specialized institutions have been established with the aim of creating and implementing an environmental policy, which is at the service of sustainable development.
Shaunaka Rishi Das is Director of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, a Recognised Independent Centre of Oxford University. The Centre is committed to the interdisciplinary study of Hindu cultures in all periods and in all parts of the world. Shaunaka is engaged in inter-religious and theological dialogue and has served as an executive member of the Interfaith Network UK and as Chairman of the Northern Ireland Interfaith Forum. Shaunaka has practiced as a Vaishnava priest for more than thirty years. He serves as an executive member of the ISKCON Studies Institute, is a trustee of Bhaktivedanta College in Belgium, and is Editor-in-Chief of the ISKCON Studies Journal. Shaunaka is married to Keshava Devi.
Tri Robinson is the author of Saving God's Green Earth and Small Footprint, Big Handprint - two books that have been instrumental in the awakening of evangelicals to the Biblical mandate to care for creation. He is also Senior Pastor of the Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Boise, Idaho, which through their environmental efforts captured the attention of PBS and was featured on a documentary entitled 'Is God Green?'. Recently Tri has gained momentum as a national voice for influencing church leaders to lead their congregations in environmental stewardship ministries. As founder of Re:Form Ministries, Tri has connected the global environmental crisis with the escalation of world poverty. Re:Form is working to unite national and international leaders from Christian denominations to bring solutions and hope to a suffering world.
Helen Rowlands is a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). From 1998 - 2001 she served as Clerk of the Yearly Meeting of Quakers in Britain, and from 2006 - 2009 she has been Assistant Clerk of the national trustee body. She works as Head of Education at Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre, Birmingham, England, where she is responsible for a teaching programme which serves the Quaker community in Europe and beyond. Along with long-standing Quaker spiritual witness in the fields of peace, social justice and equality, the programme now includes the Good Lives project, working on the social, community, psychological and spiritual dimensions of climate change, peak oil and sustainability.
Dr David Ryall is Assistant General Secretary for International Affairs at the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. His most recent publication is The Price of Peace: Just War in the Twenty-First Century (Cambridge University Press, Charles Reed, co-editor).
Claire is the Director of Community Relations of The Tributary Fund (TTF), a secular organization that engages communities in conservation solutions by connecting religious, scientific and local leaders. Claire is new to work in conservation, religion and international affairs. However, she brings with her almost twenty years of non-profit management and development experience. Previous positions have focused on education and the arts, however, Claire's favorite approach to any project is multi-faceted and community-centred. TTF works with religious leaders and scientists in Mongolia, Bhutan and the US.
Nigel Savage, originally from Manchester, England, founded Hazon (Hebrew for "vision") in 2000. Before founding Hazon Nigel was a professional fund manager in the English equivalent of Wall Street, where he worked for the Rothschilds and was co-head of UK Equities at John Govett & Co. He has an MA in American Jewish History from Georgetown, and learned at Pardes, Yakar, Hebrew University and Jerusalem Fellows. He serves on the board of the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center, is a founder and advisory board member of Limmud NY, and a member of the international Limmud board. In 2008 Hazon was recognized by the Sierra Club as one of 50 leading faith-based environmental organizations; Hazon was in the Slingshot 50 for the fourth consecutive year; and Nigel was named a member of the Forward 50 - together with Rahm Emanuel, Jon Stewart and Sarah Silverman, among others.
Rabbi Yedidya (Julian) Sinclair, Co-founder and Director of Education at Jewish Climate Initiative, is a scholar, Jewish educator, and an economist. He holds a BA from Oxford University in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard University and rabbinic ordination. He has been an economic adviser for the UK government, and Jewish Chaplain and Instructor in the Divinity School, Cambridge University. He also serves as Senior Rabbinical Fellow at Hazon. Rabbi Sinclair is Co-author of the Seven Year Plan for the Jewish People for the UNDP and ARC and co-creator of the Jewish Climate Change Campaign
A social reformer all of whose projects are community based, an environmentalist and a spiritual leader. Praised by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the former President of India, as the preacher of "A Noble Mission" and acclaimed by international Time Magazine as "The Hero of Environment". Born in Seechewal in 1962, Balbir joined the company of Sant Avtar Singh in 1981 at Nirmal Kuteya Seechewal and was made the Head of Nirmal Kuteya Seechewal in 1988. He is currently Chairman of Ek Onkar Charitable Trust in Seechewal. Furthermore he is the patron of Tug-of War Association Punjab, patron of Nirmal Noor, an environmental tri-lingual magazine, patron of Body Building Amateur Association, Kapurthala and many others.
Dr. Rajwant Singh is the Washington-based National Chairman of the Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE). He was the first Sikh president of the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington, an organization which brings together nine world religions for dialogue and joint work on critical issues. Born in Calcutta in 1961, Rajwant migrated to the United States in 1979, and since his early days has taken a keen interest in Sikh philosophy and religion. He was instrumental in having the White House issue the message of greetings on Guru Nanak's birth anniversary every year, and under his leadership, SCORE has launched a worldwide campaign to create more awareness about Sikh religion. Furthermore, Rajwant is the Executive Director of Guru Gobind Singh Foundation and conducts camps for Sikh children throughout the US. The foundation promotes the Sikh way of life among youngsters and trains them for wider active civic participation in American society. He has been an influential contributor to the Sikh 5-year plan.
Master Yang became Daoist monk of Daosit Orthodox One Sect in 1982. He has worked as the accountant of the Maoshan Daoist temples. Because of his outstanding work, he has been elected as the secretary general, and vice president of Maosan Daoist Association and the abbot of Maoshan Daoist temples. There, he has led his temples to become a model of environment friendly temples. He is also director of the Maoshan Daoist Research Centre, president of Jiansu (province) Daoist Association, and special master of the Daoist charming ceremony of the Daosit Orthodox One Sect.
Rev Shoo was born in 1959 and grew up in Hai District, Kilimanjaro region. For many years he lectured at several theological colleges. As a leader in his diocese he has been observing with much concern the destruction done to the environment around Mt Kilimanjaro. Millions of his church members have been seriously affected by prolonged droughts and by drying rivers. Due to such developments, Rev shoo initiated a seven year plan for environmental conservation. Throughout the diocese, all church members are encouraged to plant trees. They are going to establish tree nurseries in their 152 parishes, and expect to plant at least 8.5 million trees in their 7 years plan. Furthermore, they continue to provide the necessary knowledge about environmental conservation and risks of destruction to their members. As head of diaconical and mission departments in the diocese Rev Shoo is keen to see that environment-conservation education is also introduced in school curricula and in the faith teachings of the church.
The Rt. Reverend William E. Swing served as Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California, U.S.A. for twenty-seven years. Prior to that, he served as a parish priest in Washington, D.C. and West Virginia. He was a pioneer in responding to the HIV AIDS epidemic and to the homelessness. In 1996 he founded the United Religions Initiative (URI) and currently serves as the President. He is the author of several books; he is the recipient of many honorary doctoral degrees including the Jesuit sponsored University in San Francisco and he has served for over two decades on the Board of the American Foundation for AIDS Research.
Susan oversees The Regeneration Project and its Interfaith Power and Light campaign. Susan has over twelve years experience developing and implementing issue-advocacy and electoral campaigns for environmental and other public interest organizations. Prior to joining The Regeneration Project, she served as vice president of the Oakland-based campaign consulting firm The Next Generation. Beginning in 1999, she organized and coordinated the California Global Warming Campaign, which implemented a proactive strategy resulting in several landmark legislative victories. She has been involved with California Interfaith Power and Light since its inception in 2000. Susan received a B.A. in English Literature from the University of North Carolina.
Ellen Teague is a London-based freelance Catholic journalist who writes and campaigns on Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) issues. She has worked with the National Justice and Peace Network of England and Wales for 25 years, including a ten-year stint on its Executive. She currently chairs its Environment Working Group. Rooted in Catholic tradition, the Network liaises with the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales on JPIC issues. She has worked for the Church in the World section of The Tablet for ten years, specialising in stories from the global south. She is a regular guest on discussion programmes for London-based Premier Christian Radio. In the lead-up to Copenhagen she is doing press work for Christian agencies involved in the international day of climate change campaigning on 5th December 2009.
Bishop Thomas has served as the pastor of the New Psalmist Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland since 1975. Under his leadership, the church body has grown from 200 to more than 7,000 active members. He has developed programs of evangelism, mission and education. The church also has a national television broadcast, "Empowering Disciples". The Bishop is the presiding prelate of Kingdom Association of Covenant Pastors, a fellowship that endeavours to encourage, assist, edify, and celebrate Pastors in kingdom work. He has also served as the past president of the Hampton University Minister's Conference 1999-2002. Furthermore, he is the author of the books Spiritual Navigation for the 21st Century and Good Meat Makes its Own Gravy, and editor of Outstanding Black Sermons Volume 4 in which he is featured as one of the contributors. Bishop Thomas holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland in Economics, a Master of Divinity degree from the Howard University School of Religion in Washington, D.C. and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Saint Mary's Seminary & University in Baltimore, Maryland, in addition to honorary degrees from Virginia Seminary and Bethune Cookman College.
Ms. Tsur is frequently invited to speak at International Conferences on the Environment and on Civil Society in Israel. She represented Sustainable Jerusalem at the WSSD in Johannesburg, South Africa in September 2002. At the International Healthy City Conference in Belfast, 2003, Ms. Tsur headed a delegation of presenters from the Sustainable Jerusalem team. She led a Sustainable Jerusalem delegation to the ICLEI conference in Capetown, 2006, and a municipal delegation to the ICLEI congress in Edmonton, Alberta, in June 2009. Ms. Tsur was a guest speaker at the Limmud Conference in 2003 and again in 2007. Ms. Tsur has published articles on participatory democracy and the urban environment.
Mary Evelyn Tucker is a professor at Yale University where she teaches in a graduate program in religion and ecology between the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, the Divinity School, and Department of Religious Studies. She is a co-director of the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale and organized a series of ten conferences on World Religions and Ecology at the Harvard Centre for the Study of World Religions. She has authored and edited many volumes on religion and ecology and on her specialty, Confucianism. She served on the International Earth Charter Drafting Committee and is a member of the Earth Charter International Council.
Archbishop Valentine Mokiwa is the President of the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC). He was elected at the just concluded AACC 9th General Assembly held in Maputo, Mozambique from 7 - 12 December, 2008. Archbishop Mokiwa was inducted into office on December 12, 2008 in Maputo, Mozambique, at a ceremony attended by H.E. Thabo Mbeki, former president of South Africa. At the same ceremony other members of the governing body were inducted including Rev. Dr. André Karamaga, the new AACC General Secretary. Archbishop Mokiwa joins the AACC leadership at a time when the Church in Africa is faced with a lot of critical challenges among them the crisis of governance such as in Zimbabwe; wars and insecurity e.g. in the Great Lakes Region and in the Horn of Africa and widespread poverty. Archbishop Mokiwa is bringing his vast experience into the ecumenical movement and will contribute towards reconstruction and transformation of the continent. AACC is a Pan-African Christian organisation founded in 1963 in Kampala, Uganda. It brings together in fellowship 173 churches and Christian councils from 40 African countries.
A graduate of the University of Nairobi and Texas A&M University, Kusum Vyas was born in Nairobi and grew up in Kampala. She now lives in Texas. Her focus is on issues that threaten the earth's environment and raise awareness about the devastating effects which humanity is inflicting on the planet. Kusum, who is a Hindu, believes that inside each of us lies a wealth of power to learn how to live on Earth in ways that honour the web of life, each other and future generations. She has been the key organiser in bringing attention to the plight of the ecologically fragile and religiously significant Mannar Strait, between India and Sri Lanka, the calving grounds for the whale populations of Bengal, threatened by proposals for a ship canal. The canal was to have cut through Ram Sethu, or Adam's Bridge, which Hindus believe was created by Lord Rama to rescue his wife Sita. Kusum is founder of Living Planet Foundation and Esha Vasyam, both US based non-profit organizations and Energy and Environmental Management Research Institute (EEMRI), an international NGO in Kenya.
Dr. Tarek Wafik has a Ph.D of natural resources planning from Colorado State University, USA. He is professor of environmental and urban planning in Cairo University, Faculty of Regional and Urban Planning. He has a wide and diverse consulting experience in the areas of environmental, regional and urban planning in Egypt, Arab countries and other countries in Africa. This has been conducted through working with many UN agencies, such as UNDP, UNCHS and through private consulting. Dr. Wafik is a member of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Planning and Urban Development, headed by the Prime Minister of Egypt. He is also very active in the civic society arena, as he is the secretary general of two prominent NGOs, Forum for Dialogue and Partnership for Development (FDPD) and Arab Center for Urban and Environmental Studies (ACUES). He has a special concern in the issues of dialogue and partnership. He published a book on 2000 - supported by UNDP Egypt - that analyzes the problems of dialogue and social discourse in the Egyptian society.
Ken Wilson is the senior pastor of Vineyard Church of Ann Arbor. He is the co-author with Rich Nathan of Empowered Evangelicals (Ampelon). His new book is Jesus Brand Spirituality: He Wants His Religion Back (Thomas Nelson, May 2008). He is co-founder with Carl Safina of The Friendship Collaborative, a "reconciling community" effort at bringing together secular environmental scientists and evangelical leaders at colleges and universities to explore common ground in concern for the environment. He is a participant of Evangelicals & Scientists United to Protect Creation, a bridge building effort between top environmental scientists and evangelical leaders. Along with Tri Robertson he drew up the American evangelicals environmental plan.
Kristin Wimberg is a producer/editor who has specialized in documentary and non-profit production on a breadth of subjects that examine the intersection of people and the natural world. She has been a post production supervisor and editor for the National Geographic Specials in Los Angeles, has created videos illustrating the work of non-profit organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund, American Wildlands and Keystone Conservation, and designs video productions for the rapidly changing broadcast methods of the internet, as well as for traditional broadcasting. She has also been a Visiting Professor of video editing and post production methods in the graduate program in Science and Natural History Filmmaking at Montana State University.
Master Ren became a Daoist Monk of the Daoist Complete Reality Sect (QuanZhen) in 1992. From 1992 to 1995, He had been resident Daoist monk at Dragon Gate Cave of county Long of Shannxi province. Since 1995, he has been resident monk of Louguantai Daoist temple. There, he focused his Monasticism on Daoist earth-care and temple management. He is also dedicated environmental protection. Currently Master Ren is abbot of the Lountai Daoist temple, and Vice President of Shaanxi (province ) Daoist Association.
Deeply influenced by his family, Master Huang became Daoist Monk of the Daoist Complete Reality Sect (QuanZhen) in 1974 when he was 12. In 1983, he became resident Daoist monk of the White Cloud Temple in Beijing. There, he devoted himself to study and to promoting traditional Daoist teaching, and has since been elected as Abbot of White Cloud Temple, deputy director of the China Daoist Association- the leading body representing mainland China. Currently, he is the vice president of the China Daoist Association.