Hundreds of entrepreneurs, environmentalists and faith and community leaders from Israel and around the world participated in the First International Jerusalem Symposium on Green and Accessible Pilgrimage, which took place last week in the International YMCA (21-26 April 2013). Countries represented at the symposium included the USA, Canada, UK, France, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Armenia, India, Sri Lanka, Mexico and South Africa. During the symposium, the Israel Chapter of the Green Pilgrimage Network was launched, inviting Jerusalem, Haifa, Acco, Safed, Tiberias, Nazareth, Upper Galilee, Dalit El-Carmel, the Gospel Trail, the Abraham Paths, to join the initiative.

Following three full days of plenary sessions and round table discussions on issues related to sustainable urban and economic development, eco-tourism, faith-inspired travel and equitable sharing of the public domain, the “Jerusalem Framework: Principles for Green and Accessible Pilgrimage” was endorsed by the delegates.

The Jerusalem Framework (see attached), which defines the concept of green and accessible pilgrimage and frames a Code of Ethics for the Public Domain based on the principles of openness, understanding and respect, calls for the following actions:

• Foster a sense of community and inter-faith dialogue through productive and safe forums where all issues can be effectively addressed. 

• Educate to overcome fear, self-righteousness, lack of cultural understanding, injustice, intolerance, discrimination, violence, victimization and inequality;

• Fight prejudice against any culture, language, color, race or appearance, dangerous extremism, self-victimization and victimization of others.

Jerusalem Deputy Mayor and GPN International Goodwill Ambassador Naomi Tsur: "After three intensive days of learning and sharing with pilgrim cities from around the world and many other stakeholders, we go back to our daily efforts to make Jerusalem not only a cleaner and greener city, but also one in which many of the faith communities have become serious and committed partners".

The 2014 symposium on green and accessible pilgrimage will likely be held in Santiago de Compostela, following the invitation extended in Jerusalem by the Deputy Mayor Ms. Reyes Leis. The shrine of St. James the Great in the city’s cathedral is renowned as the destination for the Catholic pilgrim route, the Way of St. James. Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Naomi Tsur, who initiated the Jerusalem symposium, announced her intention to bring the symposium back to Jerusalem in two years time, in 2015. 

The Cool Globes Jerusalem exhibit, designed to raise public awareness of solutions to climate change and brought to the Alrov-Mamilla Esplanade near the Jaffa Gate for the symposium, will remain in situ through the summer. 

The symposium was the first international forum of its type to be held since the formation of the Green Pilgrimage Network (GPN) at the initiative of Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Naomi Tsur in Assisi, Italy in November 2011. GPN, coordinated by ARC (Alliance of Religions and Conservation) and ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability), is a global forum of pilgrim cities and holy sites around the world that seeks to green the pilgrimage experience and to effect positive change at the grassroots level by encouraging faith communities, their leaders and the pilgrims themselves to recognize their collective and individual responsibility as stewards of the divine creation.