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In June 2025, Dr. Zahra Golshani represented the Roya Institute for Global Justice at Spirit of Place: A Hudson Valley Climate Training, hosted by the Center for Earth Ethics at the Ashokan Center in Olivebridge, New York. This immersive, two-day gathering convened faith leaders, Indigenous elders, community organizers, educators, and environmental advocates to explore the intersection of spirituality, ecology, and climate justice in the Hudson Valley bioregion.
Dr. Golshani’s participation reflects Roya Institute’s enduring commitment to community-based, equity-driven approaches to global and environmental justice. The Institute believes that the climate crisis is not only an environmental emergency but a deeply moral and social challenge—one that disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, Indigenous nations, and communities in the Global South.
Building Justice Through Community and Faith Leadership
The event emphasized that addressing climate change requires more than technology and policy—it calls for moral imagination, interfaith cooperation, and inclusive leadership. Faith communities, with their unique moral authority and trust within neighborhoods, are essential to building resilience, advancing climate literacy, and grounding environmental action in shared ethical values.
Dr. Golshani participated in workshops on pastoral care, ethical communication, and practical strategies for resilience, and contributed to discussions on eco-grief and the spiritual dimensions of climate anxiety. She shared perspectives from Roya Institute’s grassroots work and emphasized the power of storytelling and ritual in fostering environmental responsibility.
Held in the scenic, renewable-energy-powered setting of the Catskills, the training served both as a retreat for reflection and as a strategic platform for action. Participants were encouraged to ground their climate leadership in local culture and spiritual wisdom, fostering sustainable engagement rooted in place and tradition.
Solidarity in Times of Crisis
The timing of the gathering was especially meaningful, as it occurred during an ongoing period of war and crisis in various regions of the world. Dr. Golshani noted that being part of a compassionate and visionary interfaith community provided hope and strength amid widespread human suffering.
Roya Institute’s Vision Moving Forward
Dr. Golshani’s involvement in the Spirit of Place gathering aligns closely with the Roya Institute’s broader mission: to support faith-based and community-led initiatives in the pursuit of environmental and social justice. Roya believes that truly sustainable solutions must emerge from local knowledge, spiritual heritage, and grassroots leadership.
In the coming months, the Institute will continue building partnerships with interfaith coalitions, environmental educators, and community organizations to foster climate education, ethical action, and eco-spiritual leadership, particularly in underserved and at-risk communities.
Only through collaboration across spiritual, cultural, and civic sectors can we begin to shape a Middle East—and a world—rooted in justice, coexistence, and ecological sustainability.