Gopal D. Patel Email & Phone Number

I’m a faith-based environmental activist, keynote speaker, consultant, adviser, and convener who believes in the power of engaged religion and spirituality to transform our approaches to today’s biggest challenges. My journey to walking the halls of the UN and speaking on faith and global policy wasn’t a straight line. It was influenced by my own exploration of faith and identity.Born and raised in England, my Hindu faith and Indian ancestry deeply shaped my experience. After graduating college, I couldn't escape my desire to explore it further, so I went to live and study in Hindu Ashrams in India and England. My goal was to understand how the Bhagavad Gita applies to contemporary concerns. Two decades into my career and I’m still asking myself the same question: ✨How are the wisdom, values, and knowledge of faith traditions and spirituality (including my own) relevant to the world and its challenges? Here are some of the ways I’m answering that question:🌎 Sharing my experiences as a keynote speaker and presenter to help people better understand the values and worldviews that mobilize people to action 🌎 Partnering with global organizations to ensure inclusion of faith based voices–a group that has historically been left out of policy discussions.🌎 Convening spaces for faith and secular groups to engage constructively on issues of common concern and fostering values-based advocacy 🌎 Harnessing the enduring wisdom of faith traditions to support others in building resilience for social change workMy work bridges the gap between the secular and the faith worlds, and I’ve partnered with some of the largest global policy platforms to do that:🌿 I’ve advised the United Nations in its engagement with religious groups, 🌿 Founded a faith-based NGO for grassroots environmental action,🌿 Worked as a consultant with the World Wildlife Fund and other global organizations,🌿 Spoken at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos and universities like Princeton, Cambridge, and Oxford.I’m building a community of people who want to go beyond the soundbytes in understanding the role of faith and spirituality in addressing global challenges.