International Forum on Environmental Ethics at Tehran ECOSF President Prof. Manzoor Soomro shared his Wisdom

Go Back

An International Forum on Environmental Ethics was organized in the city of Tehran, I.R of Iran on September 6, 2014 jointly organized by the Iranian Department of Environment (DoE), the University of Environment (UoE), Iran and ECO Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ECO-IEST) in collaboration with ECO Science Foundation (ECOSF), Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and numerous other Iranian and international organizations.

The Forum was formally opened by the Vice President of Islamic Republic of Iran and Head of the Department of Environment, H.E. Dr. (Ms.) M. Ebtekar.

She in her speech highlighted the importance of life on earth, the environment and the ethics of it. She said that humans especially the corporate sector and multinationals as well as nations have to sacrifice for the sake of the environment, for the sake of the betterment of the human life on planet earth. She said; the issue of environmental ethics has become more important as we now have a better understanding of the environment and a lot of scientific information about issues like climate change is now available. Scientists now know how climate change is adversely affecting our lives, our livelihood, our economies and how it is actually threatening our future. The media who rather control the hearts and the minds of the communities, should promote environmental ethics.

The keynote speaker Dr. Mohaghegh Damad author of a book "Environmental Theology" pointed out to the fact that life has a moral status, an intrinsic value, and that's very important in our ecosystem approach. He said that there is an intrinsic value to life and it is given to human beings, human beings are provided life with dignity and it is their right to live in a healthy environment to be able to preserve their human dignity and also the right of other creatures. And that relationship gives us, that three dimensional relationship, (which) brings about the ecosystem approach that we need so much today in managing local, national and global affairs.

Earlier, the President of ECO-IEST Dr. Asghar Mohammadi Fazel welcomed the distinguished guests/participants and gave introduction of the day long programme of the Forum.

After the opening session of the Forum, a panel discussion was held and international experts from different organizations/countries viz. President ECO Science Foundation (ECOSF) Prof. Dr. Manzoor Hussain Soomro; Dr. Ali Mojtahed Shabestari from Centre for Peace and Environment; Dr. Sarinya A.M. Sophia, Programme Officer in Regional Unit for Social and Human Sciences in Asia and the Pacific, UNESCO Bangkok Office; Dr. Roula Fakih, Director of Agriculture and Environment, Jihad Al- Binaa Development Association, Lebanon; Dr. Esad Prohic, Professor of Zagreb

University, Croatia; Dr. Seyed Mostafa Mohaghegh Damad, Fellow of the Academy of Sciences of I. R. Iran and Dr. Ozer Cinar, Professor of Yildiz University of Istanbul exchanged their ideas and point of views about environmental ethics.

Prof. Dr. Manzoor Hussain Soomro, the President of ECOSF in his speech

highlighted the importance of environment with particular reference to biodiversity, ecosystems and the services they provide to humans. He emphasized on the fact that in the food web, all life including plants, animals and humans are interdependent; thus must live in harmony and take care of each other to survive and thrive together. However, it is only the humans that have understanding of things based on scientific discovery and therefore, have the ethical responsibility to respect and value other life on earth. He underlined that it was important to adhere to moral and ethical principles to make sure that we make correct decisions.

Prof. Soomro also emphasized on the need of mechanisms and tools for public awareness about environmental ethics and stressed on the need of improved school curricula, the teaching methodology and training of teachers. He said the best way would be use of Inquiry Based Science Education (IBSE) methods, linking the science concepts with Quranic verses as well.

Several people from diplomatic corps, academia, experts of environmental and social sciences, theologists, political corps, UN agencies, NGOs, IGOs, Media and university students attended the Forum and benefited from the experiences and expertise shared by the scientists and experts during the discussion highlighting the importance of environmental ethics, ethical obligations of humanity towards the environment, relationship between environmental ethics and climate change and other damages to the environment, role of religions in environmental ethics, etc.