Activist, Environmental and Social Justice Organizations

Alliance of Religion and Conservation’s Sacred Land Project

The Alliance of Religion and Conservation (ARC) is a secular body that helps the major religions of the world develop their own environmental programs, based on their core teachings, beliefs and practices. ARC helps religions link with key environmental organizations, creating powerful alliances between faith communities and conservation groups. ARC was founded in 1995 by HRH Prince Philip. ARC’s Web site says: “Makkah in Saudi Arabia is sacred to Muslims; Varanasi in India is sacred to Hindus; Jerusalem is sacred to Christians, Jews and Muslims… There are millions of less–known places around the world that are also sacred – and many others that have been sacred in the past, or could be sacred in the future.” ARC’s Sacred Land Project reminds people that the landscape where they live can be as sacred as any holy land. The project was launched by the Archbishop of Canterbury in April 1997 with the aim of reviving and creating sacred sites in Britain and overseas.