A Proposal from People of Religion
To leaders of the Group of Eight

Kyoto/ Osaka, JapanJune 2008
This is the third communiqué from religious to political leadership since the G8 meetings began
a decade ago.
Preamble: Living with the Earth: Messages from World Religions
As leaders and members of different religions, we met in Osaka and Kyoto for several days prior
to the G8 leaders meeting. We addressed our shared concerns and commitments to face up toenvironmental dangers and disasters, to economic and social failures, and to political and moral
crises. These disfigure our shared planet and too often divide what should be our interdependent
human communities. We contemplated these issues in centuries-old shrines and temples, some ofwhich are set within complexes of industrial achievement. But we also walked through a shelter
where social workers and volunteers try to care of hundreds of jobless and homeless people whosleep on cardboard sheets or makeshift bunks. We described to each other situations of suchprosperity and destitution around the world. Together we sought to commit ourselves to adopting
more sustainable lifestyles, to share our riches more equitably, and to put into action ourcompassion for the victims of disasters natural and man-made, and injustices world-wide.
Our Commitment
There is a powerful symbolism in the venue of the G8 summit this year being Japan, at a moment
when the degree of concern for our global environment has finally reached critical mass in global
popular consciousness. This is because, notwithstanding recent industrializations in Asia, thedharmic, pantheistic and ancestor traditions of Eastern societies remain a practical tool formobilization in defence of the environment in spite of recent histories of rupture and loss.
But common to all our religious traditions is the belief that justice and the preservation ofhuman rights, including gender parity, must be given primacy. In the interests of mutual
prosperity and co-existence, every possible measure should be taken to avert wars.
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Living with Nature
The current global environmental crisis has so heightened fears around the world thatmany are considering sincerely whether we can survive on the Earth. Species diversity is
being lost at a rate one thousand times faster than that in the era of dinosaur extinction.
The note of emergency around climate change is heard from the joint science academiesof the G8, who have said “A step-change in our response is needed, with action at global,
national and local level. Local actors must be engaged in impact assessment and inidentifying solutions”.11(G8+5 joint Academies of Science statement Climate Change Adaptation and the Transition to a Low Carbon
Society, 2008).

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We therefore now commit our resources and mobilizing power to the transition toa low-carbon society, and the innovations which the just-held G8 Environment Ministers’Meeting in Kobe has declared will be necessary for all countries in their lifestyle,production and consumption patterns, and social infrastructure (Chair’s Summary).
These innovations will undergird the technological innovations which must be brought tobear. We shall seek to qualify materialism and consumerism, control the overloading ofdesire to the point of the destruction of nature, and reflect life’s brilliance by moving thehearts of our followings to prayer for the happiness and flourishing of others, and theshowing of mercy by the powerful.
2Ethnic and Religious Diversity: A Commitment
The cosmos, as the divine creation, is decorated with the enormous beauty named“diversity”. Diversity is most spectacularly expressed in ethnic and religious cultures.
Therefore no authority, either religious or secular, is given any right to negate this sacredendowment. Throughout our history, humankind has repeated the same mistake, ofannihilating diversity under the pattern of the strong oppressing the weak. Fortunately ourmodern sensibility now recognises this as inhumane, and contrary to the UN Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (celebrating its 60th anniversary this year). Yet we witness
today in many instances, on every continent, situations of social and political oppressionthat totally violate the principle of due admiration for divine diversity — Tibet andMyanmar most recently. There are also cross-cutting issues such as promoting gender
equity and closing the wealth gap. Rather than blaming others, however, we should feel
profound pain at our own implication in these tragedies. To ignore tragic incidents in ourglobal community is irresponsible, and ultimately denial of the divine. It then becomes
clear what we have to do. In the spirit of optimism and countering any mood of despair,religious people commit themselves to be part of the solution, to pray and to act withcompassion for all victims. We seek to be considered equal partners in the solution ofthese entangled problems.

3Africa: Reckoning with Poverty
Africa continues to be plagued by neo-colonialism, reproducing various forms of poverty
that in turn both create and compound the environmental and political problems. Africa’s
future can take either direction; its resource potential means it holds the key as the‘experimental’ continent that could sway the future of the human race in the twenty-firstcentury.
African poverty has been on the G8 agenda since 2005. Recently prime minister
Fukuda of Japan received proposals stating that without education there can no economic
development in Africa. And the Japanese Science Academy has submitted proposals tothis G8 Summit concerning the importance of higher education to lifestyle changes fortransitioning to a low-carbon society. Accordingly we religious leaders advocate theestablishment of a Scholarship Foundation for wide-ranging mutual exchange of students
between African and G8 nations, so as to contribute to the fulfillment of the objectives
discussed in this G8 Summit.
This particular recommendation reflects the critical necessity of education in thedevelopment of global community. It is in complete accord with both the substance andA Proposal from People of Religion to the leaders of the G8 nations, 2008
2 of 3spirit of Just Participation: A Call from Cologne, the statement of our 2007 summit, withits emphasis on the Millennium Development Goals as an ongoing basis for conversation
between global religious and political leaders.
Conclusion:
This proposal attaches a timeframe of a year, within which this forum will monitor progressunder areas 1, 2 and 3 above. It will also scrutinize its own constituent bodies’ progress inengaging and educating their followings, and produce a balance sheet by the time of the 2009 G8
Religious Leaders Summit in Canada.
In common with many today, we are concerned about “short-termism”. The kinds oflong-term responsibility and accountability by which we shall save our children’s future are notyet devised anywhere. This is a matter for the urgent attention of all in authority, and all thinking
citizens, in the mere year we have until the next round of these meetings, when we must appraise
ruthlessly what we have achieved for our ailing world, in these times of planetary emergency.
All religions hold life to be sacred and interconnected. Human beings, at the highest level ofconsciousness in the chain of the life process, have a responsibility to look after and care for theweak, the vulnerable, the less fortunate. This compels us to ask of you that you reformulate ourgovernments’ policies to be fair to all life on Earth.

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