The Board of Directors of UU Ministry for Earth (UUMFE) is pleased to announce that Swamini Adityananda Saraswati has been appointed as the new Board Chair, bringing decades of global leadership in climate justice, interfaith work, and spiritual care to the role.

Over her life of service, Swamini Adityananda has worked from the grassroots to international policy spaces on human rights issues, including climate change, hunger, water scarcity, education, and global poverty. She previously served as Interim Executive Director of United Religions Initiative, the world’s largest interfaith organization, active in 112 countries, and as Associate Executive Director of the Elijah Interfaith Institute, which partners with global faith leaders to build friendship and mutual understanding across traditions.

Her environmental and justice work has included co-founding Chicago’s Pan-African Association, which helped thousands of refugees and survivors of war and persecution. She also campaigned for human rights across the world through ActionAid International, and spearheaded the founding and growth of the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance (GIWA) in India. Under her leadership, GIWA was launched at UNICEF headquarters in partnership with UNICEF, the Government of the Netherlands, and USAID, and went on to lead campaigns that impacted millions and garnered honors, including a Guinness World Record.

Swamini’s background includes MDiv studies at Meadville Lombard Theological School, graduate studies in International Sustainable Development and Climate Change, environmental certificates from Reykjavik University, Yale, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and clinical pastoral training at Northwestern University’s Central DuPage Hospital. She is a Candidate for UU Ministry.

“As Unitarian Universalists, we know that our Earth is not an ‘issue’ but a beloved relative,” Swamini said. “To me, living out our shared values for the sake of a more just and sustainable Earth is an act of worship, solidarity, and love.”

Looking ahead, Swamini emphasized the urgency and possibility of this moment, saying, “This is a time for bold spiritual imagination. Together, we can nourish resilient communities, defend the rights of nature, and remember that a just and thriving Earth is still possible.”