Open Discussion
in association with the
Gulf Cultural Club
invites you to a discussion:
Religion and climate change
Speakers
* Dr Elizabeth Theokritoff
(Associate Lecturer – Institute of Orthodox Christian Studies)
**Sira Dheshan Naidu
(Sustainable beauty pioneer and Greenpeace volunteer)
***Dr Alaa Shehabi
(Lecturer, activist and writer)
Time: 6.30 pm, Date: 11th August 2026
Venue: Abrar House, 45 Crawford Place, W1H 4LP
Dinner will be served at 8pm
As Britain and other European countries swelter in the heat wave, the input of faith traditions in shaping moral responsibilities towards nature is vital. Religious worldviews—such as stewardship, interconnectedness, and sacred trust—can motivate conservation efforts. Deforestation, air water and soil pollution and wild fires are intensifying. But are people of faith and their institutions responding adequately to the environmental challenges of the present day?
Please register for catering purposes
email: d05sa@yahoo.co.uk or text 07795 660 438
*Dr Elizabeth Theokritoff is an Associate Lecturer at the Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies in Cambridge, with a particular interest in theology and ecology, and has given invited lectures, papers and workshops on ecological themes in several countries. She is author of Living in God’s Creation: Orthodox Perspectives on Ecology (2009), as well as numerous articles and book chapters, and had been involved in various environmental education initiatives in the Orthodox Church over more than 35 years.
**Sira Dheshan Naidu is a London-based entrepreneur and sustainable beauty pioneer. He spent more than 20 years working with some of the world’s biggest beauty houses, including Estée Lauder, and Christian Dior, in senior sales and marketing roles across Europe, Middle East, the UK, and the United States. In 2021, he co-founded Disruptor London, a genderless skincare and haircare brand built to challenge overconsumption, plastic waste, and water scarcity through concentrated, waterless, multi-purpose products. Alongside building his business, Sira has volunteered as a speaker for Greenpeace, delivering talks in schools, community groups, and public forums on climate change, conscious consumption, and the power of individual and collective action.
***Dr Ala’a Shehabi is a British-born economics lecturer, activist and writer. She has a PhD from Imperial College London, is a former policy analyst at Rand Europe. She is the deputy director of the Institute for Global Prosperity at University College London.
