PREAMBLE
Living in the Pacific, Latin America, Europe, Africa, and the Indian Ocean, we form a Community of Churches founded in 1971 as a continuation of the Protestant missionary movement of previous centuries, a community born of a renewed awareness of the relationships between churches in the North and South and committed to developing our common Christian witness in word and deed.
We, the young people of Cevaa,
Let us affirm our faith in the living God, who created all that exists and declared it good, and who created human beings in his image. We give thanks for Jesus Christ, the incarnation of God’s love and our Savior, who redeems and restores our relationship with God. We trust in the Holy Spirit, who transforms human lives and all of creation. Furthermore, we believe in the infallibility of God’s Word, which declares that God’s grace is available to all and that “neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord ” (Romans 8:38–39).
We affirm our sacred calling to be responsible stewards and to lovingly care for all that God has created. We recognize the inherent value of God’s creation, we celebrate the abundance and diversity of the Earth, and, together with the entire cosmos, we praise our Creator. We recognize that we are interconnected members of complex ecosystems, complex networks of life, all arising from God’s gracious act of creation.
We confess our personal failure and that of our peers and forebears to steward creation responsibly and for the benefit of present and future generations.
I. Fundamental Principles Guiding Our Work
We, the young people of Cevaa
, are aware of the role we play in the Church of today and tomorrow, as well as in the societies where we live. As faithful workers who will not be ashamed of their work before the Master (2 Timothy 2:15), we commit ourselves to working sustainably for the establishment of God’s reign on earth and the preservation of the beautiful creation that humanity has inherited (Genesis 2:15).
Remembering that creation eagerly awaits the revelation of the sons of God (Romans 8:19), we will devote our efforts to:
- Respect all of creation in its rich diversity, protect it, and restore it
- Standing in solidarity with the most vulnerable and supporting them in their struggle against the harmful effects of climate change
- Engage our respective communities in the fight to preserve creation
II. Complaints
We, the young people of Cevaa
, acknowledge that unsustainable human activities have endangered the entirety of God’s creation. Furthermore, we acknowledge that the degradation and total destruction of biodiversity constitute an unprecedented threat, endangering both human and non-human life alike. In light of this, we strongly denounce:
- The destruction of ecosystems by economic activities driven by irresponsible capitalism. For example, the exploitation of fossil fuels and other polluting energy sources leads to a decline in air quality and thus threatens the survival of living beings
- The overconsumption of meat and, more broadly, the overconsumption by wealthier minorities, who are completely unaware of the needs and consequences for the most disadvantaged segments of society.
- Waste resulting not only from a weak recycling culture but also from overproduction by large companies
- The excessive use of pesticides and chemicals in agriculture degrades soil fertility, contaminates water and food, harms human health, disrupts ecosystems, increases greenhouse gas emissions, and contributes to global warming, thereby jeopardizing agricultural production and food self-sufficiency for vulnerable populations
- The installation of cell towers near residential areas raises health concerns due to chronic exposure to radiofrequency radiation.
- Multinational corporations in the extractive industries perpetuate social and environmental injustices. It is imperative to reduce their carbon footprint and apply the “polluter pays” principle to benefit vulnerable communities. In line with the commitments made at COP29, this includes strengthening the Loss and Damage Fund to compensate these communities for the harm they have suffered.
- Small-scale open-pit mines pose a real danger to local communities, including risks to health, the environment, and safety.
- Overfishing, particularly the use of fine-mesh nets, disrupts marine ecosystems by reducing biodiversity, threatening the ecological balance, and increasing the risk of extinction for certain species.
III. Commitments
In the face of all these challenges, we believe that God is giving humanity a new opportunity to act in fulfillment of the divine mandate to “till and keep the garden” (Genesis 2:15).
We, the young people of Cevaa
, have decided to do our part—like the hummingbird—and we are making a concrete commitment to:
- To educate ourselves and others about environmental issues and possible solutions in our various contexts
- To bear witness through our more responsible actions to our belief in God the Creator and in His creation
- Organize and participate in training sessions, workshops, and awareness-raising and educational campaigns on the climate emergency
- Adopting eco-friendly practices, ranging from responsible use of resources to waste recycling
- Replace plastic packaging with biodegradable and reusable packaging
- Establish a network of young Cevaa members committed to environmental conservation, with the goal of encouraging one another and sharing best practices from our churches
- Collaborate and establish partnerships with local and international organizations working to protect the environment on joint projects
- Encourage and urge our churches to teach their congregations about Christian stewardship of God’s creation
- To persuade our churches to champion the cause of climate justice, because the poor and those least responsible are the hardest hit by the harmful effects of climate change
- Encourage our churches to implement carbon offsetting for any activity that generates significant carbon emissions
- Pray earnestly for our leaders and decision-makers at all levels, that they may make just, responsible, and equitable decisions to protect creation
Regarding our Cevaa Youth meetings and activities, we have decided to:
- Minimize air travel as much as possible and opt for less polluting modes of transportation
- Cut back on meat to once every two days
- Practice responsible water management by always bringing a water bottle to our meetings
- Limit the printing of documents by prioritizing digital versions
- Plant at least one tree during our international gatherings and ensure it is properly cared for.
CONCLUSION
We, the young people of CEVAA
affirm our commitment to be faithful stewards of God’s creation. Inspired by our faith, we will work together to build a sustainable and just future for all. May our actions be guided by love, justice, and responsibility toward our common home.
“Young man of the Cevaa, arise, for this matter concerns you.” (Ezra 10:4)
“Arise and act, and may the Lord be with you.” (1 Chronicles 22:16)