In a Vatican workshop, Pope Francis called for an alliance between Indigenous and scientific knowledge to confront climate change, biodiversity loss, and threats to food and health security.
The workshop, titled “Indigenous Peoples’ Knowledge and the Sciences: Combining Knowledge and Science on Vulnerabilities and Solutions for Resilience,” explores synergies between indigenous wisdom and scientific advancements for local and global solutions.
Organized by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on March 14-15, the event serves as a platform for dialogue, Vatican News reported.
The Pope’s message, delivered by Father Pierluigi Giroli due to his cold, emphasized the importance of indigenous experiences and wisdom in addressing environmental crises.
“Listening to indigenous peoples in order to learn from their wisdom and from their lifestyles, and at the same time listening to scientists, in order to benefit from their research,” said Pope Francis.
The pontiff advocated for acknowledging cultural diversity as essential for knowledge, identity, and memory, which must be protected.
The Pope called for a commitment to human fraternity, justice, and peace. He urged for research and investments to be directed toward environmental challenges, stating, “Projects of scientific research, and accordingly investments, ought to be directed decisively to the promotion of human fraternity, justice, and peace.”
Pope Francis highlighted the need for dialogue between indigenous knowledge and scientific communities to find solutions to water scarcity, climate change, hunger, and biodiversity loss.
He lauded the United Nations’ inclusion of indigenous knowledge in the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development as a step towards integrating knowledge systems.
Echoing his Encyclical Letter Laudato si’, the Pope reminded the human family, “God has made us stewards, not masters of the planet.”
He called for ecological conversion to safeguard “our common home” and future generations, advocating against the misuse of resources and the exacerbation of inequality and destruction.
Pope Francis supported the collaborative efforts of indigenous representatives and scientists. He highlighted the Church’s role as an ally in promoting truth, freedom, dialogue, justice, and peace, leveraging the heritage of indigenous wisdom and scientific research for a world of greater fraternity and social friendship.
