SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AS A CHALLENGE FOR THE RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD

Good afternoon, dear ladies and gentlemen,

It’s a great honour for me to get this opportunity to come here to India and to speak here to you, because India is the home country of several very influential religions. Thank you for the invitation. If we look at the world in the future in 10, 100 or in 1000 years, then we see – depending from your optimism or pessimism – two possible futures. Future 1 is a black one: even more polluted air and cities, many poor and few rich people, more and more illnesses, more and more environmental problems. An alternative future is also imaginable: it would be a just and fair future, happy children, hopeful adults, good clean air and water. We all came here together, because we want a good future. And the big question we want to answer here, is how can we contribute to arrange a good future? Let’s focus the guidelines many societies share today.

Guideline 1: No just sharing of resources of the world – and the injustice is growing from day to day.

Guideline 2: No morally/ethically based relation to other living beings.

Guideline 3: No wise use of resources.

We actually use mainly finite resources, non-renewable resources, i.e. fossil fuels, coal, gas or nuclear material. By doing that we disturb the cycle of life. Environmental deterioration takes place mainly because of burning fossil fuels in houses, ships and aeroplanes. One consequence is that the global surface- temperature had increased during the last two centuries by almost 6 degrees Celsius. If we continue with these guidelines, then I think, we will surely come into future one, the black one. We will see a collapse of society and a break-down of many ecological cycles.

But ladies and gentlemen, what we all want is the contrary. What we want is justice in sharing resources today. It is called by politicians and scientists: 'intra-generational justice'. Second what we want is the same chances for the life of all living creatures, I call it 'interspecies justice'. And third what we all want: justice in sharing resources and living chances between the generations living today and the generations coming in the future. It is called: 'inter-generational justice'.

These 3 principles are required, if we want a good future. I am psychologist and I ask the question often to myself: Why many people especially in the industrialized countries behave not in sustainable ways? Long reflection about that led me to 3 answers: Answer 1: Most of the people living today lost their bond, their emotional relation to other human beings.

Answer 2: Most of those people lost their bond, their emotional relation to other living beings living today – to plants and animals.

Answer 3: Lot of those people living not sustainable lost the bond, the emotional relation to future living beings: humans as well as other creatures.

In the language most of you may prefer: many human beings lost their spiritual connection to each other, to other living beings, to the future or you may say: They lost their connection to God. Why that happened? I think, that may be traced back to a mass-suggestion spreading out from the industrialized countries. A mass-suggestion transported by media, mass-media, news-papers and so on. And this suggestion is saying in the core: 'Individual happiness is guaranteed by ego-centric, self-focused, individualistic thinking and behaving. It is guaranteed by striving for money, for fame, and for good luxury.' And I think as psychologist that the promise of that suggestion is not true. You can observe even in industrialized countries an increase in psychic and physical illnesses. Can we have hope? That’s a big question. And I say: Yes! Based on my own scientific studies many colleagues and myself performed in many countries, I am optimistic that the required change is possible.

Only 2 examples:

1. We found out in many psychological studies performed all over the world in 17 countries that people who engage for other people feel better, report a higher well-being than self-focused, self-centred egoistic persons.

2. And the second data pattern: we initiated in Germany environmental projects, i.e. we initiated a bio-energy village where the whole energy of the village – electricity and heat-energy - is produced by the local farmers. They are only taking the manure from the cattle and energy-plants to get enough electricity for all these people. There are 800 people living there in that village. Also these people were analysed through psychological interviews and questionnaires and we found that also these people after the change feel better than before.

My conclusion is that humans are able to behave according to the principles of sustainable development. And even more – I think that – data show – that people doing that, engaging for other people and for other living beings are rewarded by evolution with the highest prize evolution has to offer for us, for human beings: individual well-being.

That is the reason for my optimism that we are not condemned to the dark future, that it is not an inescapable scenario – but that we, humans living today can change to sustainable development to future two, as I called it my introduction.

And now a few words to the role of religions in that enterprise: I think that they can or they should play a central role, because the majority of human beings belong to one of the World’s Religions. And if we ask: Are religious visions or principles compatible to the principles of sustainable development, I think, you agree, the answer is yes. None of the religions encourages or even requires the injustice (unjust conditions) of many people living today. In contrary: all religions – as far as I know them – more or less explicitly foster an ethical, just and respectful behaviour for us, for humans in contact with other humans or living beings. Therefore if the religions of the world find together, then I am sure, that this can contribute to solve the big problems of our world I mentioned in my introduction. The religions by doing that would meet the challenge to contribute to a good future for our planet and they would take a great chance for respectful collaboration between the people of the world.

Dear ladies and gentlemen, let me conclude with 3 ideas:

1. idea: the evolution will continue with or without humans and that means with or without religions.

2. idea: The evolution today takes place within us, within our hearts, within our minds

3. Let us begin with ourselves. If everybody of us sitting here today contributes a small part to sustainable future according to the circumstances of his own life and his country, then we will have a real chance for a good future.

I wish that the congress will contribute to such a good future and I am convinced that we are on a good way to do it and I thank you for your attention and your patience.

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