By Arcelia Isais-Gastelum
(NMEPR-IPL board member)
In mid-May, Sr. Joan Brown and I traveled to Washington DC for the National Interfaith Power and Light Conference. This was the first in-person gathering since before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. We were there representing the New Mexico and El Paso Region chapter of IPL. At the conference, we met with faith leaders from chapters in other states and learned about the great work being done across the country.
Moving with intention toward equity and inclusion
Sr, Joan was a panelist on board diversity
The gathering centered on equity and inclusion by intentionally bringing in diverse voices and uplifting historically disenfranchised communities. Several panels and discussions dug into what it means to encompass these important spaces. Sr. Joan was a member of a panel that addressed board diversity. Other panelists were Faith Harris from Virginia IPL and Codi Nored from Georgia IPL The moderator was Rev. Susan Hendershot, president of national IPL.
Approaching community organizing stems from the intention to meet the existing needs. As one faith leader stated, if you serve the people who are hurting, you are addressing the same structures that are polluting and hurting our environment.
We in New Mexico have seen this firsthand from our work in the Permian Basin, where unregulated methane leaks exacerbating the worst impacts of climate change are also directly hurting the adjacent communities in the form of countless health impacts. As people of faith and conscience, we are called to address these same systems that harm our planet and our people.
Spiritual Foundations for Climate Action
One of the most important sessions of the conference was spiritual inquiry: How do we integrate our spiritual lives with our environmental activism? Panelists from Buddhist, Christian and Hindu traditions shared their own stories, challenges and questions yet to be explored as we maneuver into living an integrated life of action and witness rooted in deep spiritual paths.
with Sen. Martin Heinrich
On Capitol Hill
On the final day of the conference, the New Mexico team visited the House and Senate offices to speak with our congressional delegation about Interfaith Power and Light’s legislative priorities, including the budget reconciliation bill, a wildlife funding bill, and climate refuge bill. During these sessions we also delivered a letter signed by nearly 200 faith leaders across the state calling for stronger climate action.
“We need moral and ethical leadership at the civic level. We must move from reactive to proactive actions to shift from fossil fuels, transition into just energy systems, face the threat of an authoritarian world view that is preventing needed climate crisis actions and listen to creative ideas from young as well as old to slow climate pollution and increase adaptation and mitigation,” said the letter.
with Rep. Teresa Leger-Fernandez
On June 8, the national Interfaith Power & Light (IPL) released a “faithful voter reflection guide” in advance of the upcoming election season. The guide discusses many of the defining moral issues that are on the ballot, including faltering democratic institutions, too much wealth in the hands of a few, damage to the climate, and threats to global public health and security.
