The 7th Symposium entitled ‘Arctic: mirror of life’, promoted by the Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I in collaboration with the NGO “Religion, Science and Environment, ended on 12 September. The uniqueness of the Symposium was that it was held on board a ship, which hosted some 150 delegates for a week, including religious leaders, scientists, experts and researchers on climate change and environmental problems. Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu and Sikh representatives participated in the symposium, together with representatives of the Inuit and Saami peoples from the Arctic Circle. All joined together for a special “silent prayer for the planet”. Pope Benedict XVI also sent a message to the participants. A study of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has estimated that, if the ice cap should continue to melt at its current rate, the ice sheet that covers the Arctic would be reduced by 40% by 2050. The Patriarch convened this symposium to express his “concern”. “The Arctic is in danger”, he said. “The action of a single individual can cause irreparable damage for the whole of humanity”. “For good or for ill, we are living in an age in which the destinies of all human beings, and of the whole international community, are ever more strongly interdependent and the conduct of some individuals in one corner of the planet can have effects on the lives of people who live on the opposite side of the world”. The religious representatives launched from Greenland a “pledge” for the Arctic regions: “It’s the task of our generation to leave this sacred land, in all its wisdom and beauty, to future generations. Let us set to work. Let us assume this commitment for the whole of creation”.
