Celebrating Laudato si' Week 2024 with the Ateneo Institute of Sustainability: A Journey of Reflection and Action

Last 20-24 May 2024, communities worldwide united for Laudato si' Week 2024 through a call to care for Our Common Home. This weeklong event was celebrated on campus by a series of activities dedicated to environmental stewardship and sustainability, bringing together diverse voices to foster ecological awareness.

This year’s Laudato si’ Week’s celebration calls us to be “Seeds of hope in our lives and our world, rooted in faith and love.” In response to this call, the Ateneo Institute of Sustainability organized a week of activities highlighting our shared mission to our common home, and fostering hope for our “suffering planet.” Over 100 participants joined in on the festivities, including students, staff, and faculty. 

The week began with a Wildlife Handling workshop facilitated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Biodiversity Management Bureau. Our campus staff and security personnel received basic training on what best to do when wild animals are encountered in classrooms, office spaces, or buildings. Dr Esteven U Toledo of the Wildlife Rescue Center oriented them on the importance of urban biodiversity and equipped them with the skills and knowledge on how to safely and humanely handle wildlife, and what the release procedures are.

On the second day of Laudato si’ week, the Ateneo Institute of Sustainability partnered with the Ateneo Innovation Center to have a hydroponics workshop, led by technology researcher, Reymond Cao. Workshop attendees learned how to grow plants without soil, using the free growing kit provided. After the workshop, the attendees were also invited to tour a real hydroponics farm in the middle of campus, which produces lettuce that is sold by AIC for Ateneo staff.

During the Laudato si’ week, educators and students alike explored ways to ensure future generations are well-equipped to continue the vital work to promote ecological literacy. The International Day for Biodiversity, held annually on 22 May, was celebrated by having a roundtable discussion to promote biodiversity conservation and education in the University from different fronts. 

The community explored possibilities for cooperation on biodiversity-related initiatives in the Ateneo de Manila, and the discussion was led by Mr Perry Archival C Buenavente, a researcher for the National Museum for Natural History, Coach Jarrel “Jah” Agcaoili, a faculty member of the Ateneo Senior High School, Dr Rainier Ibana Professor of the Department of Philosophy, School of Humanities, and Lara Lamb & Covy Angeles, co-heads of Into the Wild, Ateneo Biological Organization. The roadmap for the Ateneo Biodiversity Action Plan was also unveiled to the participants, paving the way for maximizing the potential and impact of campus biodiversity and nature spaces. 

On May 23, Mr Aaron Vicencio, the Executive Director of the Eugenio Lopez Jr Center for Multimedia Communication, shared his experience with aspiring photographers and taught them the basics of composition using the Ateneo campus as a subject. His guided photowalk was framed as an exercise in finding the light, and related the art of photography to internalizing prayer in daily practice.

Lastly, to cap the week off, the community was invited to enjoy the outdoors for a block printing session, held in collaboration with the Fine Arts Department. Workstations equipped with paint, brushes, stamps, and tote bags, were set up in the LS Promenade which gave participants the tools to make their own block-print design. Design themes were centered around “Seeds of hope”, and personal advocacies under sustainability like water conservation, biodiversity protection, and more. Stamping tote bags and pouches with the designs made by the Fine Arts department was a fun and creative way to celebrate the message of Laudato si’.

Laudato si' Week 2024 highlights the different ways we can take meaningful action for the environment. The themes and activities of each day served as a reminder of our shared responsibility and the collective power we hold to effect change. As we look forward to future celebrations, the spirit of Laudato Si' will continue to guide and inspire us in our journey towards ecological sustainability and justice.

The Ateneo Institute of Sustainability hopes that this week's celebration showcased the diverse, innovative, and creative ways we can all be seeds of hope in our shared mission to our common home. 

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