Spirituality, memory and action for climate justice

The Sacred Memories Lab for the Earth is an initiative of the Sacred Alliance for the Climate , coordinated by GreenFaith, with support from the Network of Terreiros for the Environment and the platform memoriaambiental.org , which brought together 17 women of faith from the states of Pará, Acre, Maranhão and Pernambuco in a process of training, listening and territorial action.

The project aims to strengthen the connection between spirituality, memory, and activism by training religious leaders capable of transforming their experiences, influence, and stories into concrete narratives and practices of climate justice . The experience focused on spiritual practices, collective memories, and participatory methodologies , fostering the intersection of faith, ancestry, and sustainability as paths of resistance and hope.

An experience of training and transformation

Between August 20 and October 31, 2024 , the laboratory combined virtual meetings and in-person activities led by an interdisciplinary team. Each meeting represented a stage in a training journey that addressed spirituality, territory, narratives, and climate action. The participants, Catholic, Evangelical, and spiritual women from terreiros and shamanic practices, shared stories of life, faith, and environmental struggles in their territories.

Terreiro Tumanjamace, of the Umbanda tradition, organizes local action with the presence of Indigenous people, Candomblecists and Catholics in the interreligious debate for climate justice.

The participating women record their stories in videos, photos and texts and express their faith through spiritual symbols and gestures that rebuild their relationship with the Earth.

The training process acts as a political act. By recounting their memories, women reaffirm their place in the history of climate justice and make visible knowledge that previously remained invisible.

The method emphasizes the balance between denunciation and hope . Each recording presents the effects of the climate crisis and the forms of resistance, faith, and solidarity emerging from the Amazon and Northeastern regions.

Local actions and concrete results

Each territory created a local action integrated with the global Faith for Climate Justice campaign . The activities expressed the participants’ spirituality and community strength through public celebrations, rituals, interfaith gatherings, and ecological practices of care for the Earth.

These actions solidified the educational process, transforming memories into mobilization and spirituality into collective commitment. The set of initiatives reinforced the role of women as spiritual and political leaders in defense of the climate and good living.

Participants highlighted the importance of experiences like the Sacred Memories for Earth Lab in strengthening women’s leadership in climate justice and expanding the dialogue between faith and sustainability. The women expressed a desire to remain engaged , replicate the methodology in their communities, and invite other women of faith to join the movement , expanding the network of care and spiritual resistance for Earth.

The archives of memories produced during the process will be released in November 2025 on the social media channels of the Sacred Alliance for Climate and on the memoriaambiental.org platform , expanding the reach of the stories and strengthening the visibility of women of faith as protagonists of climate justice.

Impacts and legacy

The Sacred Memories for the Earth Laboratory consolidates a unique methodology for climate justice education with interfaith audiences , focusing on female empowerment and the power of local memories. The process:

• We strengthen female community leaders in four different biomes and cultural contexts. • Produce audiovisual and textual collections that document the environmental memories of traditional communities. • Create a faith and climate justice network that articulates different religious expressions around caring for our Common Home. • Generate low-cost local actions with high symbolic and community impact.
  
  

The Sacred Memories for the Earth Laboratory demonstrates that faith can become a concrete force for social and climate mobilization. The continuation of this initiative expands the impact of women guardians of the Earth , promotes community-based environmental education , and strengthens alliances between spirituality and climate activism .

• Sacred Earth Memories Laboratory – https://memoriaambiental.org/laboratorio/ 
• Sacred Alliance for Climate – https://greenfaith.org/alianca-sagrada-pelo-clima/ 
• Network of Terreiros for the Environment – ​​https://www.instagram.com/terreirospelomeioambiente/?hl=en