In this age of planetary awakening, we stand at a critical crossroads where history and destiny meet.
The Awakening — Securing the Living Earth — A Covenant for Beings in Harmony calls for a profound transformation in how we relate to the Earth—from exploitation to kinship, from separation to belonging within a sacred web of life.
Rooted in Indigenous wisdom, science, and spiritual insight, the book offers a living covenant: a collective promise among all beings to live in reciprocity, respect, and balance. Set in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon, the story gives voice to the voiceless—animals, plants, and ecosystems long silenced.
Through their eyes, we feel the weight of loss and the quiet hope for renewal. Creatures of forest, ocean, and sky gather not to protest, but to speak—sharing the pain of vanishing homes and dwindling kin and affirming their right to exist.
This is a call to embrace a sacred harmony, uniting humans with all life in a shared mission: to protect and restore our living Earth. True survival lies not in domination, but in interdependence. We are not owners of the planet, but its stewards—called not to blame, but to listen, to heal, and to act with humility and care. In this unity, all life can flourish.
Rio Earth Summit, Brazil, 3rd to 14th June 1992
“In my dream, I saw animals meeting in the Amazon talking about the damage done by humans”
— Mahendra Shah
“Are you sure it was a dream? Sounds like a warning”
— Ted Turner
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Mahendra Shah
Mahendra Shah was born in Kenya in 1945 and raised in Nairobi with his four sisters. His mother nurtured a deep respect for nature, taking him on morning walks to feed pigeons and gently rescuing struggling insects—lessons that shaped his lifelong values.
After earning his PhD in Control System Theory from the University of Cambridge in 1971, he began teaching at the University of Nairobi while advising Kenya’s Ministry of Economic Planning. He played an active role in sustainable development and wildlife management, working closely with local communities. One defining experience was rescuing a young elephant attempting to revive its deceased mother. His participation in Kenya’s Wildlife Big Five Survey Benchmark Project became a cornerstone of his conservation work.
His international career began in 1972 when Maurice Strong invited him to the first Global Human Environment Conference in Sweden. He later held senior roles across major global institutions, including multiple UN agencies, the World Bank, IIASA, and CGIAR. His expertise spans sustainable development, climate change, agro-ecology, food security, biofuels, humanitarian aid, holistic health, and sustainable lifestyles.
In 1984, during Ethiopia’s famine, he served as Director of Information at the UN Office of Emergency Operations in Africa, where innovative systems he helped design saved hundreds of thousands of lives. He contributed to landmark global reports and coordinated key Agenda 21 documentation for the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Despite notable achievements, he consistently confronted political resistance and bureaucratic inertia, reinforcing his belief that real change begins with individual responsibility.
