Cycles of Conferences
30 November - 12 December 2023
Download the Visualisation for this Conference
"As we stand at the precipice of history, considering the gravity of the challenges we collectively face, we remain mindful of the legacy we will leave for generations to come. We ardently implore all decision makers assembled at COP28 to seize this decisive moment and to act with urgency, weaving a tapestry of shared action and profound responsibility. The urgency of the hour demands that we act swiftly, collaboratively, and resolutely to heal our wounded world and preserve the splendor of our common home. In the process, we need to bring back hope for future generations. Together, we extend our open arms to all people, inviting them to embark on this journey towards a future of resilience, harmony, and flourishing for all life on Earth."
Abu Dhabi Interfaith Statement for COP28
Dear Co-worker,
The Cycle of Conferences is placing a focus, beginning today, on the UN Climate Change Conference taking place this year in Dubai. An international environmental treaty, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, was negotiated at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Under the terms of this Treaty nations agreed to "stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system".
Although the Treaty does not set legally binding limits on the greenhouse gas emissions from individual countries, it provides a framework for all 198 parties (governments plus the EU) to negotiate protocols that could set binding limits on greenhouse gases. For this reason, the annual UN Climate Change Conferences have become the key space where multilateral negotiation and discussion of climate change matters takes place. It is hard to over-emphasize the significance of these conferences in the complex world of international diplomacy as humanity struggles to respond to the challenges of living in an interdependent world.
The numbers of government heads of state, ministers and officials attending the annual COP meetings continues to increase as the public demand for action to reduce greenhouse gases increases, especially in the face of the acceleration of extreme floods, droughts, and other climate events. In addition to this, representatives of civil society groups from around the world gather for associated side events designed to influence the negotiations, and the worlds media outlets attend en masse.
This years Conference has added significance because it will mark the conclusion of the First Global Stocktake following the Paris Agreement in 2018. Stocktakes, which take place every 5 years, involve a two-year process of assessing data to determine “the world’s collective progress towards achieving its climate goals.”
The Mental and Spiritual Atmosphere of the Conference
In 1945 Alice Bailey published a message in which the Tibetan spoke of the many world conferences that would come after the War as “functioning groups”, responding to the “stimulating and energising” impact of divine energies carrying the Will of God. The intensity of these energies would, he suggested, be reflected in a “clash of minds”, and we should “bear this in mind” as we “study and read reports” of the conferences.
In the Cycles work we focus our attention on the mental atmosphere created by those conference attendees who are motivated by goodwill and who share an “unselfish intention and a broad point of view”. The seeds of living will energy that are projected into the thoughtform under construction at the conference will then help to strengthen “and endow with potency” the path towards a world of right relations.
The COP28 gathering in Dubai is an opportunity for the governments and people of the world to freely choose to act in ways that reflect a deepening and maturing of humanity’s will to take care of the earth and become a true steward. The keynote for reflection reminds us of the shared destiny of our species to become an intelligent loving intermediary between the higher states of planetary consciousness and the sub-human kingdoms.
Our work with the UN Climate Conference begins today and ends on December 12th. As a contribution to this work, in addition to the visualization, it will be helpful for participants to explore the thinking, discussion and debate concerning the Conference, perhaps using some of the resources listed here.
Visualisation | COP28 | UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
Related Sites and Articles:
World Goodwill
Cycle of Conferences
The Elders: Climate Action 2023
Towards Climate Balance: World Goodwill Newsletter 2022 #2
Electric Climate : World Goodwill Newsletter 2009 #4 – The Heavens
What is COP28 and Why is it Important?
