Former UN High Commissioner for Refugees the Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan talks to GreeceNow at the Religion, Science and Environment symposium on the Adriatic. The veteran international statesman and campaigner gives his assessment of the environmental credentials of symposium sponsor the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I.
>Full Aga Khan biography click here

What if any role can religion play in the protection of the environment?

I think a crucially important role to propagate and encourage the dialogue generally not only on what the general values are at high level but also the priests, the imams to use their sermons to be able to preach to their flock.

There's very few references to the environment in what protestants, catholics say on Sunday what the jews say on Saturday and what the Muslims say on Friday in their places of worship and I think it would be good if they used their platforms to sensitise individuals.

How would you describe Patriarch Bartholomew's efforts to involve the church in environmental issues?

I think its been very enlightening, very inspiring, first of all he's been able to translate this into very poignant words, his sermons have always been right on and he's been extremely good at conveying it at high level to all the people he meets.

You have attended each of the Religion, Science and Environment symposia, how important have they been?

In fact that the symposium is a sort of symbol of what he (the Patriarch) has been able to do. Bringing as it were Church, science and the environment together is absolutely wonderful the only thing I would like to see is more follow up and spin offs from the marvellous meetings which requires a concentrated effort and you can hardly expect the Patriarch himself to do that. To spread the good word.

Aside from the theoretical contribution do these symposia have a practical impact on the places they visit?

On the Black Sea yes. The bilateral and multilateral agencies that came on that symposium have followed up and there have been a lot of productive meetings with the relevant authorities in the states bordering the black sea their needs have been underscored and there's been a good response, notably from the World Bank.

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