2024 Summit Agenda

Sunday, September 22nd from 5-6 pm CT/ 6-7 pm ET

Join us for a transformative keynote session with Lama Rod Owens, a Black Buddhist Southern Queen and an internationally acclaimed teacher. Lama Rod holds a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School and is the author of The New Saints: From Broken Hearts to Spiritual Warriors and Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation through Anger, as well as co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love, and Liberation.

In this keynote, Lama Rod will explore the essential connection between our well-being and the health of our planet. As we confront the challenges of climate change, he will address how systems of violence such as capitalism, racism, and patriarchy intersect with environmental crises and impede sustainability efforts.

Drawing on his extensive experience and latest book, The New Saints, Lama Rod will discuss themes of climate anxiety, the harm of individual and collective narcissism, and the awakening consciousness of both Earth and sky. He will introduce practical mindfulness techniques and body-based practices to deepen our understanding of our intrinsic connection to the Earth.

Lama Rod is celebrated for his ability to balance weighty topics with a sense of lightness, making his teachings both accessible and impactful. This session will provide valuable insights for those seeking to develop renewed visions for activism and foster a sustainable and just future.

Lama Rod's keynote will invite us to explore how we can heal ourselves and our planet through mindful engagement and radical self-care.

A Conversation with Gopal D. Patel

Monday, September 23rd from 11:30-12:30 pm CT/ 12:30-1:30 pm ET

Join us for an inspiring session with Gopal D. Patel, a globally recognized leader in the religious environmental movement and Co-Founder and Director of FutureFaith. With over 15 years of experience as an environmental activist, campaigner, and consultant, Gopal will delve into the profound intersection of environmentalism and spirituality.

Gopal will share his personal journey and the specific experiences that have shaped his dedication to this field. He will explore how Hinduism guides its followers toward living in harmony with the Earth, sharing personal stories and cultural practices that illustrate this connection.

Additionally, Gopal will discuss the power of multifaith collaboration in addressing ecological challenges. Drawing from his extensive work with multifaith communities, he will highlight distinct perspectives and notable instances where these collaborations have made significant impacts on global environmental issues.

Through these insights, attendees will gain valuable lessons on how to encourage similar collaborations and harness the wisdom of faith to address global environmental challenges. This session promises to be a compelling exploration of how spirituality and environmentalism can work hand in hand for the betterment of our planet.

A Conversation with Rabbi Ora Nitkin-Kaner

Monday, September 23rd from 5:30-6:30 pm CT/ 6:30-7:30 pm ET

In this illuminating session, Rabbi Ora Nitkin-Kaner, a climate change chaplain and founder of Exploring Apocalypse, will share her unique insights into the intersection of climate change and spirituality. With her extensive background as an educator, spiritual leader, and pastoral caregiver, Rabbi Ora is a leading voice in the emerging field of climate chaplaincy.

Rabbi Ora will begin by sharing her personal journey and the experiences that have inspired her dedication to climate chaplaincy. She will provide an overview of her current work and focus, emphasizing how she helps individuals and communities across faith traditions explore the spiritual disruptions and invitations brought about by climate change.

Delving deeper, Rabbi Ora will share important insights into climate anxiety and how communal and familial trauma shapes our spiritual and emotional responses to the climate crisis. She will also offer reflective practices to help us deepen our understanding of how our climate emotions are shaped by our ancestors’ experiences.

For many of us, the climate crisis shifts us into agitation, urgency, self-abandonment, and overwhelm. This session will inspire a path out of overwhelm into curiosity and sustainable care.

A Conversation With Hilary Giovale

Tuesday, September 24th from 11:30-12:30 pm CT/ 12:30-1:30 pm ET

Join us for this session with Hilary Giovale, a mother, writer, community organizer, and dedicated reparationist. As a ninth-generation American settler of European ancestral backgrounds, Hilary brings a unique perspective to her work in human rights, environmental justice, and equitable futures. She is the author of Becoming a Good Relative: Calling White Settlers toward Truth, Healing, and Repair (Green Writers Press, October 2024).

Hilary will begin by sharing her personal journey and the specific experiences that have inspired her commitment to truth, healing, and reparations. She will discuss her current writings and the primary focus of her work, highlighting the importance of following Indigenous and Black leadership.

In her article Kinship and Climate Justice, Hilary introduces the concept of the "Colonial Paradigm of Control." She will elaborate on what this paradigm looks and feels like and explain how a kincentric approach to relationships and the earth differs fundamentally from a colonial mindset.

Hilary will address how the harms of whiteness are often invisible to white settlers and how systemic white supremacy is intertwined with national mythologies. She will offer personal stories about "popping the bubbles" of denial and amnesia to decolonize and begin making personal reparations from the inside out.

This session will provide valuable insights and practical guidance for those seeking to understand and address the deep-rooted impacts of colonialism, and to foster truth, healing, and equitable futures through decolonization and kinship.

A Conversation with Dr. Melanie L. Harris

Tuesday, September 24th from 5:30-6:30 pm CT/ 6:30-7:30 pm ET

Join us for an enlightening session with Dr. Melanie L. Harris, a distinguished Professor of Black Feminist and Womanist Theologies at Wake Forest University. As the Director of Food, Health, and Ecological Well Being at Wake Forest, Dr. Harris brings a wealth of knowledge and passion for environmental ethics and social justice. With a background in broadcast journalism and extensive experience as an educational consultant, her work critically examines the intersections of race, religion, gender, and environmental ethics.

Dr. Harris will begin by sharing her reflections on groundedness and engagement. She will introduce the principles of EcoWomanism, exploring how this framework connects justice, spirituality, and the Earth. Quoting from her book EcoWomanism: African American Women and Earth Honoring Faiths, Dr. Harris will illustrate how "EcoWomanism speaks to the resilience and creativity of Black women who find ways to honor the Earth even amidst the struggles for racial justice."

In addition, Dr. Harris will address the critical topic of race and BIPOC communities in relation to environmental repair. Drawing from her extensive scholarship and community leadership, she will discuss the unique challenges and contributions of BIPOC individuals and communities in the pursuit of environmental justice. As she notes in EcoWomanism, "the work of environmental repair requires us to see the Earth as a sacred space intertwined with our fight for human rights."

This session promises to offer profound insights into the interconnectedness of race, spirituality, and environmental care, highlighting the vital role of EcoWomanism in fostering a more just and sustainable world.