The Baha’i International Community (BIC) Addis Ababa Office joined a range of non-governmental organizations across Ethiopia and the continent of Africa more broadly in issuing a statement marking World Environment Day.

“Ensuring a vibrant and flourishing natural world is of central importance to the well-being of peoples and communities across Africa,” noted Solomon Belay, a BIC representative in Addis Ababa Office. 

The statement, endorsed by other faith-based organizations such as the Inter-Religious Council of Ethiopia and the All Africa Conference of Churches, noted the particular role that religious communities and leaders can play in creating awareness on sound environmental management, climate change mitigation, and addressing the safety of wildlife.

“We charge and remind ourselves of our responsibility to be catalysts to prevent, reverse and halt damage to the earth’s ecosystems. We create awareness on the steps we can take as faith communities in taking positive action steps to restore the earth’s ecosystems,” the statement read. 

The BIC Addis Ababa Office works with a team of Baha'i collaborators across Africa to engage with other faith-based organizations and partner organizations working on examining where science and faith meet in protecting the environment.

World Environment Day is celebrated annually on 5 June to create awareness and action for the protection of the environment. The theme for this year is “Ecosystems Restoration”.