Dear BLI family and friends, I hope you have had a good and restful summer. Mine was quite busy and productive, including a major international conference: The Laudato Si’ Africa Conference, held at BLI's campus in Uganda in July. This milestone event marked the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’ and brought together over 140 participants from more than 20 countries across three continents to reflect on the reception, impact, and ongoing work of Laudato Si: On the Care of our Common Home in Africa and around the world. The delegates included religious leaders, scholars, practitioners, policy makers, practitioners, and activists. Our third cohort of Caretakers was also commissioned during the Conference (seen in the photo above). Among the highlights of the conference....

"BLI Cannot Be Uprooted"

In his 2015 encyclical letter, Laudato Si' , Pope Francis wrote that the world is "faced not with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather with one complex crisis which is both social and environmental." BLI recognizes this, its founders having seen both the social and environmental degradation that was taking place in the rural areas of Uganda. As the natural environment collapsed from war, deforestation, and the burning of fossil fuels so did the area's social fabric, as young people fled to the big city, often the Kampala slums, desperate to find work. As BLI works to restore the ecosystem, therefore, BLI focuses on the whole ecosystem: the social and environmental fabrics alike. This means focusing not only on planting trees or restoring the soil but also on inviting the community to take part in all of BLI's activities, calling home individuals who have previously left, and ensuring rural people have access to the food and resources they need to live healthily in the villages. Watch the video below to see some of our current efforts. And, read more here .

Ten years ago, Pope Francis released Laudato Si' , an encyclical calling out to people everywhere to answer the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor. That encyclical motivated the creation of Bethany Land Institute, and today––exactly ten years later––BLI continues to answer Pope Francis's call. Join us to celebrate Laudato Si' Week 2025, which runs from May 24 to May 31. Read more here .

December 2024 Newsletter

A Letter of Gratitude from BLI Founder and President Father Emmanuel Katongole

It was a busy and exciting summer at BLI. We hosted visitors from across the world to engage in our next five-year strategic plan; we commissioned our second cohort of Caretakers; we hosted students from Notre Dame for an immersive study abroad experience; and so much more. Click below to read the full recap. The post Summer Recap appeared first on Bethany Land Institute.

This summer, 38 seminarians from across Uganda joined the current Caretaker trainees on BLI’s campus to learn about integral ecology and creation care. The seminarians lived alongside the trainees for the entire month of June, joining in the trainees’ work in Mary’s Farm, Martha’s Market, and Lazarus’ Forest. Their modules ranged from Pastoral Leadership and… The post BLI Hosts Seminarians from Across Uganda appeared first on Bethany Land Institute.

On August 16th, 2017, Mike Ssegalunyo walked onto BLI’s Kiwumpa campus, changing his entire life’s trajectory. His uncle, the late Father Anthony Rweza (one of the three BLI founders) had invited him. Mike remembers Father Anthony telling him BLI was building a farm based on an entirely new model, using only organic principles. Mike said… The post A Reflection from Mike, BLI Staff Member appeared first on Bethany Land Institute.