World Inter-Faith Harmony Week is celebrated from 1 to 7 February, and it is a week acknowledged by the United Nations.

For this year’s theme, the United Nations is celebrating “Uniting for Peace.”

In the past, the Global Tree Initiative has promoted and celebrated this topic, and in case you missed our previous article, you can read it again here. 

We can start by reflecting on a quote from one of our environmental heroes, the Dalai Lama. He says, “The purpose of all major religious traditions is not to construct big temples on the outside, but to create temples of goodness and compassion inside, in our hearts.”

With these wise words, we can look at the World Inter-Faith Harmony Week and what it means to us, especially in the context of planting trees and preserving and protecting Mother Nature.

Peace and Friendship

The purpose of this special week-long celebration and reflection is to bring people of all religions and beliefs together in peace and friendship. It reminds us that people from different faiths can work side by side, learn from each other, and together, help make the world better. This idea is based on the belief that all human beings share common values like kindness, respect, and love for others. Another thing that we all share, is the one Home we call Planet Earth, and the shared responsibility to take care of our common Home.

During the World Interfaith Harmony Week, people around the world organize activities that promote understanding, respect, and cooperation. Many events bring different religious groups together to talk, share cultural activities, and work on common goals for peace.

One important way people celebrate Inter-Faith Harmony Week is by protecting and caring for the environment! Many groups are joining hands to plant trees and support greener communities. To illustrate our interfaith community within the Global Tree Initiative, we can look at some of the planting activities our global community reported:

In January, a group of Tibetan Buddhist Monks and students got together and planted 130 trees at Drepung Loseling Tsangpa Khangtsen, India!

Planting in action in India!

In October 2025, Edward Dalmau from Australia planted and dedicated 8 trees on behalf of the Laudato Si’ Movement’s “Laudato Trees” initiative, and the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane’s Laudato Si’ Action Plan.

The month of September highlighted the International Day of Peace, and on this day, a group of friends “United for Peace” to plant and celebrate their Peace Tree in Aruba. 

Friends around the Peace Tree

In July 2025, Members of the Interfaith Forum, Chandigarh, India, participated in a tree-planting campaign, planting more than 4,000 trees!

Planting in Chandigarh

And, in some earlier plantings reported by our global community, we learned how many different religions and faiths all joined together in one global action to #PlantGrowSave!

These noble acts of planting and caring for Mother Earth are not just good for the environment – they also bring people of different backgrounds together in friendship and shared purpose!

If you planted a tree (or trees) during this Inter-Faith Harmony Week, or if you did any environmental work, please tell us about it! We would love to hear from you and share your inspiring story with our global community!

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References:

Dalai Lama Quote 
Title image: https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/global-interfaith