Faith Communities and Ecological Crisis: The Pedagogical Role of Brahma Kumari in Environmental Action

Abstract

Climate change is one of the most serious problems faced by humanity in the twenty-first century. The state-centric approach to address climate change primarily focused on positive legal instrumentalities. This approach did not achieve its set goals. Under the Paris Agreement of 2015 on Climate Change, a bottom-up approach was adopted and States were given the right to make their own choices to determine the greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. The new approach shifted the focus in the international climate change negotiations from external legally binding caps to self-determination. This provided an opportunity for the researchers to study the possible role of ethics and religions in modifying the behavior of individuals along with the state in matters of environmental degradation and climate change. In this paper, we are examining the work and program of Brahma Kumari, which is a women-centered spiritual organization to analyze its role in environmental protection.  The paper further attempts to analyze whether or to what extent the values and morals popularized by Brahma Kumari have been practically implemented and followed by their devotees.