Message from Mr. Gam A. Shimray for the International Day for Biological Diversity May 2020

On this International Day of Biodiversity, from the perspective of Indigenous Peoples in Asia, I would like to share that our life depends on nature, but nature also represents the unknown and a deep mystery so our engagement with the unknown has enabled us to imagine things beyond the physical and also things beyond what we know. It is through this process that we have been able to develop a profound spiritual connection with nature. That is why we say the spiritual consciousness is the highest level of awareness. This is the foundation of our worldview. This is also the bedrock of our society. This is where we find harmony with nature. And this is also where we find solution to the problems of climate change and biodiversity loss. It is just not about technology.

Mr. Gam A. Shimray
Secretary General,
Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP)