Interfaith leaders to hold vigils for Stop Adani Day of Action

Faith communities including the Uniting Church in Australia, are joining nation-wide public opposition to Adani’s Carmichael mine in Queensland by holding multi-faith vigils across the nation on October 6 and 7.

Thousands of people around Australia will protest the approval and funding of the Adani coal mine with many of them set to form #StopAdani signs, using human bodies. Iconic locations have been chosen, from Bondi Beach to the Whitsundays, Melbourne to Airlie Beach, Adelaide’s Henley Beach to the Gold Coast.

In Sydney there will be candlelit meditation and prayer vigil at the Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability, 2 Balls Head Dr, Waverton on Friday, October 6th from 6 to 8 pm.  There will then be multiple gatherings in New South Wales on the National Stop Adani Day of Action on Saturday, October 7 (find out where here).

Uniting Church Minister, Rev. Bill Thomas, said that as Christians, we cannot stay silent on this issue.

“We have a duty to care for the earth, a sacred gift from God. In this time and place, this means protecting the Galilee Basin from Adani’s Carmichael mine.

“If the mine is established it will further exacerbate extreme weather events, which in turn are impacting the world’s poor the hardest. It will destroy parts of the Great Barrier Reef and cause irreversible damage to groundwater systems,” said Rev. Thomas.

An ordained Buddhist based in Sydney, Padmadakini Coombes, reiterated this by saying that in Buddhist tradition there is a profound understanding of the interconnectedness of all things and the importance of the protection of all forms of life. Ms Coombes explained that the mine will threaten lives.

“Coal is destroying the earth’s eco-systems. Developing Adani’s mine would fundamentally undermine action to tackle climate change. That has contributed to heatwaves, bush fires, droughts, floods and super-storms becoming more frequent.

“This weekend we will bear witness to the need to apply our understanding of the Dharmic principles of wisdom and compassion towards all living things, including our precious earth, to help stop Adani,” said Ms Coombes.

The gatherings in Melbourne, Sydney and Kiama, are being organized by the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC) as part of a National Stop Adani Day of Action.

ARRCC is a nationwide interfaith organization that mobilises faith communities to take action on climate change. It has created climate change action kits that are tailored for specific religions, organized multi-faith climate events and is now organizing to oppose the Adani mine.