The Museum of Cultural History in Oslo, has some very old Buddha statues in its collection, and they were willing to host the United Nations Vesak celebration in Oslo 2022 – combined with an exhibition of these ancient treasures. Many associations in Norway were represented together with the Norwegian Federation of Buddhistm, and the Thai Buddhist Association was the organizer.

The Buddha taught that we must always be mindful of our actions, draw upon our inner strength, and embrace the power of collective action. We would do well to heed these lessons as we confront today’s challenges, from climate change to a pandemic, to inequalities and conflict.

− President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly 2022

So in line with the UN’s advice for theme of the gathering, Ajahn Nitho was invited to talk about Buddhism’s relationship to environmental change.