Faith and Spirituality at the University of Westminster

N.B. To obtain a copy of the pdf including the photographs discussed by Alan McFetridge, please email interfaith@westminster.ac.uk

A Themed Interactive Discussion Event (TIDE), hosted by the University of Westminster’s Interfaith Advice team, featuring a panel of speakers responding to the question:

What works, and what doesn’t work, in raising awareness of the climate crisis in your faith, spiritual or other community?

With:  Melanie Nazareth (Christian Climate Action)  Mothiur Rahman (Muslims Declare)  Dr Jasdev Rai (Sikh Human Rights Group)  Alan McFetridge (Centre for Ecological Philosophy)  Katja Behrendt (XR Buddhists)

Speaker biographies

Mothiur Rahman is a founding member of Muslims Declare, an initiative working with community leaders, Islamic scholars, activists and the public to develop Muslim-orientated environmental programmes. He is also the founder of New Economy Law and teaches p/t at the University of Law.

Katja Behrendt is a Buddhist based in London. She is part of the Triratna Buddhist community and the 'Triratna Earth Sangha' bringing together people interested in climate change from the same tradition across the globe. She is also one of the coordinators of XR Buddhists, a group of Buddhists from different traditions aligned with XR. Katja trained as a doctor in Germany and is working in the NHS.

Melanie Nazareth, mother to four young adults and a barrister with a practice in children work, whose ecological conversion followed an encounter with Extinction Rebellion in April 2019, is an activist within Christian Climate Action.

Dr Jasdev Rai founded the Sikh Human Rights Group (SHRG), an NGO with UN ECOSOC status promoting pluralism, environment, diversity, human rights & responsibilities. He has written academic papers on ethics, gender foeticide, anti terrorism, freedom of conscience, conflict resolution and Sikh philosophy. Developed and written a critique on Universalism for UNESCO in the ethics agenda for UNESCO.

Alan McFetridge is a photographer who has been awarded the Royal Photographic Society’s Environmental Awareness Bursary and has been shown at The National Portrait Gallery and The Royal Photographic Society amongst others. His current quest is to understand dispossession through photography, resulting in an extensive body of work based on field experiences in the fiery landscapes of Canada, Australia and Greece. In 2021 he founded The Centre for Ecological Philosophy.