Can the world’s religions agree on a definition of God, let alone share a theology of the oneness of the Earth? Like it or not, conversations at the Parliament of the World’s Religions (PWR) turned toward the urgency of the Copenhagen talks that began today. The Melbourne event might be a remote extravaganza Down Under, but it wasn’t one without awareness of world politics. In the midst of everything else unexpected for Youth Media Project, the Parliament’s media liaison guru, Jenny Douglas, turned to Team Santa Fe to cobble together a short documentary. The hope was that Martin Frick, the esteemed climate change scientist on hand here as a keynote, might carry with him to Copenhagen a compelling message from Parliament participants.

Titled “Our Call to Copenhagen,” Eliot Fisher’s fabulous 4-minute documentary features a dozen of the most diverse representatives of the world’s most populous religions, and even – in the case of a pair of indigenous Swedish reindeer herders – perhaps the least populous. In gratitude to Eliot and YMP for heroic efforts, PWR has offered to post a story about Eliot’s work on their website. Thanks to Dirk Ficca and Jenny Douglas!

But before we get to the film itself, there is always the process. PWR’s Douglas worked the halls of Melbourne’s vast Convention Centre to corral subjects for short interviews. Two questions: “What would you like to see happen in Copenhagen?” and “How does your spiritual tradition inform your understanding of climate change?” On the trail of answers, Eliot and crew ascended to the heights of a presidential suite in one of Australia’s most posh hotels, then zipped around in a taxi for an impromptu rendezvous with an Aborigine elder. After about 15 interviews, one thing was certain: whether it is the esteemed Yale scholar or the dynamic Sikh filmmaker or the placid Zoroastrian elder, everyone expects some action in Copenhagen.

But before the film flies to Europe, it has to fly at home in Melbourne. See the clip below for a bird’s eye view of executive decision-making by Dirk Ficca, head of PWR, in the crucial final moments of editing.

Many gods, one world!

– John