Eco-Justice; basis of sustaining peace in the ‘Oikos’

Eco-justice is the basis of peace and harmony of the ‘Oikos’ and in this context eco-justice is not merely concerned with ecology or “environment” alone. As eco-justice  links to issues of hunger, poverty, sustainability of natural resources, production of energy and its use, economic development, equitable distribution of wealth,  debt relief, fair trade, environmental safety, etc., all these factors are ultimately needed to sustain the oikos in balanced ways and also to build a peaceful society.

The world is passing through a period of immense challenges to its sustainability. Billions of people continue to live in poverty and are denied a life with dignity. As the inequalities rise, disparities in opportunities become enormous and the societies become unbalanced in terms of distribution of wealth, power, employment, health care, education facilities, etc.  The exploitation of natural resources and unsustainable development policies cause more frequent and intense natural disasters, loss of biodiversity, forced displacements, humanitarian crises. In such situations, people are forced to experience lack of adequate support to their peaceful living. The communities and nations experience spiraling conflicts, violent extremism. Often impoverished and unemployed young people are easily lured to terrorism.

Eco-justice is linked with social justice an essential parameter for building peace. Healthy earth communities require advocacy and action on urgent environmental issues in ways that connect with struggles for social and economic justice. Eco-justice envisions and values ecology and justice together, since there will be little environmental health without socio-economic justice, and vice versa. Today, there is growing appreciation for and “construction of what is often called an ‘eco-justice’ ethic…that holds together concerns for the natural world and for human life, that recognizes that devastation of the environment and economic injustice go hand in hand, and that affirms that environmental and human rights are indivisible” (Pedersen, 1998). The vision and values of eco-justice express a spiritually grounded moral posture of respect and fairness toward all creation, human and nonhuman. Eco-justice is shaped by religious insights and scientific knowledge, interwoven with social, economic and political experience – all these factors are essential for a peaceful society.

Christian theology teaches us that creation is the house of life within which human beings are called to dwell in peace and harmony. Churches have the framework here to bring about eco-justice as a priority concern for which churches ought to work for eco-justice literacy which will contribute to develop an ethic of intrinsic worth of protecting all God’s creation and building peace with justice in God’s ‘oikos’. As the vulnerable situations in Asia continue to grow, Asian churches need to be involved in eco-justice concerns more deeply, for which CCA will have to take a leading role in facilitating and equipping its constituencies in order to emphasize and develop an ethic of eco-justice for sustaining peace. It is in this background that CCA will engage in assisting the Asian churches to promote eco-justice literacy through awareness programs, encourage biblical and theological reflections of eco-justice for sustaining peace and to conduct consultations and studies to strategize on a plan of action that will lead “Towards a Culture Eco-justice Ethics for Sustaining Peace in Asia.”