International Interfaith Organisations Network

A World of Difference

The Parliament of World Religions to be held in Melbourne, Australia in December of this year will be a chance to experience and appreciate the wonderful variety of religions, races, languages and cultures which belong together in our one world. It will be an opportunity also to make a difference to our world as we learn from each other effective ways to work for peace, to overcome poverty and to care for earth.

Plans for the Parliament were previewed at a well-attended gathering at Australia House, London, on March 19^th. Participants were welcomed by the Australian High Commissioner, HE Mr John Dauth and by the Agent General for Victoria, Mr David Buckingham, who spoke of the multi-religious and multi-cultural life of Melbourne.  Rabbi Jackie Tabick, Chair of the World Congress of Faiths, which arranged the meeting, who presided, expressed sympathy for the tragic loss of life and devastation that the people of Victoria had recently experienced.

Short films of welcome to Melbourne and of the history of the Parliament of World Religions were shown. Rev Dr Marcus Braybrooke, President of the World Congress of Faiths, explained that the first Parliament was held in Chicago in 1893. To mark its centenary 1993 was widely observed as a ‘Year of Inter-religious Understanding and Co-operation.’ Special gatherings were held in Bangalore and once more in Chicago. Subsequent Parliaments have been held in Cape Town and Barcelona. The Parliament, he said, is a sign of hope. The message of Charles Bonney, President of the 1893 Parliament, is still relevant today. “When the religious faiths of the world recognise each other as children of one Father… then and not till then will the nations of the earth yield to th e Spirit of concord and learn war no more.”

Sister Maureen Goodman, of the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University, outlined the programmes that the World Congress of Faiths hopes to present at the Parliament. One will encourage people to reflect on how meeting members of a different religion and learning about their beliefs and practices can enrich our own spiritual journey. It will suggest that when we meet in silence we can experience together the Divine Mystery. Another programme will focus on the Spiritual Need of those who are growing older. All religions teach respect for parents and ancestors, but the modern world often makes it difficult for families to provide the care they need. The Programme will be called ‘Revered or Redundant.’ Another programme will look at the importance of faith – “Fideology” – with special reference to the writings of the distinguished scholar Wilfred Cantwell Smith.

Zabrina Santiago, Deputy Executive Director of the Parliament, outlined plans for this great event. The hope is that it will have symbolic significance and not only inspire those who attend, but encourage all who are engaged in interfaith work wherever they live.

The London meeting was preceded by a Retreat, also arranged by the World Congress of Faiths, at the beautiful Global Retreat Centre, near Oxford, by kind invitation of the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University. It was a chance to deepen fellowship and to share ways in which the interfaith movement can make a world of difference

Marcus Braybrooke

Dear Friend,

Today, alongside the Baptist World Alliance, HRH Prince Ghazi Bin Muhammad and others, I was present at the dedication of the new Baptism Centre at the Baptism Site in Jordan. The Centre will be available particularly for use by all Christian traditions that practice the believers’ baptism by immersion.

This is a deeply historic place, where it is traditionally believed Jesus Christ was baptised by John. But this site is not only momentous to the Christian world, it also symbolises hope for peaceful co-existence in the Middle East. It recognises the fact that this region has for centuries been the home to sites holy to Christians, Jews and Muslims alike. It has been a place where interfaith relations have been lived out day by day- on the ground, in the market place, on the street, in the daily interchange of neighbourly relations.

It took courage and leadership for Jordan, a predominantly Muslim country,  to facilitate this site of baptism. But it took more. It took the same spirit that animated John and Jesus, and the Prophet Mohammed and all the Prophets of old. Each took the world as it was – alienated from God – and tried to make it how it should be – reconciled to God Justice, mercy, compassion, the ‘us” not the ‘me’, pure unselfish love. This is what they stood for.

Back then, their world was small. But their message was not. And in the larger world we inhabit today, where we travel through continents and time zones, their message is the same message today, centuries later.

Don’t look inwards, but look outwards. Don’t exclude, embrace.

Don’t argue about differences, but understand what is shared and fulfil a common purpose blessed by God.

It is also deeply encouraging that the Baptist World Alliance’s President Reverend Dr David Coffey, who is also a member of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation’s Global Advisory Council, has also just delivered the Alliance’s response to the Common Word letter. HRH Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad of Jordan, a principal initiator of this letter signed by 138 Muslim scholars and leaders, has warmly received the Baptist response. The letter calls on Christian leaders to enter into dialogue with Muslims and focus on commonalities between the faiths. My Foundation is very supportive of the Common Word initiative as a whole.

So this site in Jordan is not simply a place of archaeology. It is a place that now, as in John’s time, is a place for renewal.

The dedication of the centre is an opportunity for us all to reflect on the need to renew. Renew our faith in our God, in our Lord, and in his message: that true love is not measured in the receiving but the giving; and the giving, not limited by human prejudice but enlarged by the infinite possibility of the love of God.

–Tony Blair

Click here to read the full text of Tony Blair’s speech at the opening of the Baptism Centre in Jordan

UN Decade of Dialogue

March 24, 2009

THE 80th BIRTHDAY OF PROFESSOR LEONARD SWIDLER

Temple University Professor of Interreligious Dialogue and Catholic
Thought for over forty years, Len Swidler has taught and inspired
students, scholars, and leaders across the globe.  He is the Founder and
President of the Dialogue Institute, as well as Founding Co-Editor of the
Journal of Ecumenical Studies.  At Temple and as a visiting professor at
universities around the world – including Graz, Austria; Tübingen,
Germany; Fudan University, Shanghai; and the University of Malaya, Kuala
Lumpur – Prof. Swidler has mentored generations in the art of building
relationships through interreligious dialogue.  He was the first Catholic
layperson to receive a degree in Catholic Theology from the University of
Tübingen.  He received his Ph.D. in History from the University of
Wisconsin and holds honorary doctorates from St. Norbert’s College and
LaSalle University.  Prof. Swidler is known for his pioneering work in
feminism, in human rights, and in ecumenism and interreligious dialogue.
His interest in business and social ethics transcends disciplines. He has
published more than 180 articles and 70 books.

                         THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE
       LEONARD AND ARLENE SWIDLER CHAIR IN INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

Prof. Swidler’s interreligious legacy is now assured at the Department of
Religion at Temple University through the generosity of Harry Halloran,
CEO of the Pennsylvania-based American Refining Group. A former Catholic
seminarian, Halloran is a strong advocate for religious tolerance and an
innovator in the areas of alternative energy and business ethics. This is
the first Endowed Chair in Temple University’s College of Liberal Arts.

        THE 45th ANNIVERSARY OF THE JOURNAL OF ECUMENICAL STUDIES

Leonard and Arlene Swidler co-founded the Journal of Ecumenical Studies
(JES) in 1964 as the first peer-reviewed journal in the field of
interreligious dialogue. Born out of the ecumenical spirit of Vatican II,
JES began with an emphasis on dialogue among diverse Christian
traditions.   Its focus quickly broadened to Christian-Jewish dialogue and
soon thereafter to interchange among a wide array of religious
traditions.  After 45 years, JES continues as the premier publisher of
scholarly articles in the field of dialogue across lines of religious
difference.

Faith and Values Organizations Form Coalition

to Advance United Nations Decade for Inter-religious Cooperation for Peace

(NEW YORK, 6 March 2009)—Forty-five religious, interfaith, and value-based organizations from five continents agreed to form a coalition to advance a “United Nations Decade for Inter-religious and Intercultural Dialogue, Understanding, and Cooperation for Peace.” Coalition members expressed the hope that the UN Sixty-Fourth General Assembly, which will begin its deliberations in September 2009, will approve a resolution establishing such a decade from 2011–2020.

The meeting took place at Maryknoll, New York, on 2–4 March. Participants included Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Shinto, Sikh, Zoroastrian as well as indigenous traditions.

A provisional steering committee worked for the Decade with UN member states during 2008, and the UN General Assembly on 14 November, 2008, took the first step by adopting resolution 63/22 which calls for exploring the feasibility for such a decade. The resolution was co-sponsored by 78 states.

On Monday, the President of the UN General Assembly, H.E. Miguel D’Escoto Brockmann, reiterated his previous calls for a “new spirit of solidarity and a powerful injection of moral and ethical values into our business and political lives.” He urged the religious leaders to work together with the United Nations since these concerns require “life-long commitment” and religious institutions have the “staying power in the face of these challenges.”

—more—

The coalition elected a steering committee—composed of organizations representing religious communities, interfaith and value-based civil society organizations—to strategically promote the decade idea among member states of the UN.

Stein Villumstad, Deputy Secretary General of Religions for Peace, the world’s largest and most representative multi-religious organization will chair the coalition steering committee. “This is a unique opportunity for religious traditions, so easily hijacked for destructive purposes, to work with the United Nations and jointly mobilize their communities and organizations for urgent and compelling actions for peace,” he said. “Time and space created by the decade should make a difference for the poor, marginalized, and oppressed peoples of the world.”

The World Council of Churches—host of the initial gathering of this coalition in Bossey, Switzerland in January 2008—continues to promote this initiative, said Shanta Premawardhana, its director for interreligious dialogue and cooperation. “Our churches, through our Churches Commission on International Affairs (CCIA) have a long history of working with the UN and its agencies on a variety of projects that contribute to sustainable peace,” he said.

The coalition will meet next in the context of the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Melbourne, Australia, in December 2009. Dirk Ficca, the Executive Director of the Parliament, himself a member of the steering committee welcomed the initiative.

Coalition members hope the proposed UN Decade will be launched on 21 September 2010, the International Day of Peace. This would immediately follow the current 2001–2010 International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World and the 2010 International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures.

IARF Congress dates are now fixed at 04-07 September 2010.

Leonard Swidler’s 80th Birthday and
Journal of Ecumenical Studies 45th Anniversary

THE 80th BIRTHDAY OF PROFESSOR LEONARD SWIDLER

Temple University Professor of Interreligious Dialogue and Catholic
Thought for over forty years, Len Swidler has taught and inspired
students, scholars, and leaders across the globe. He is the Founder and
President of the Dialogue Institute, as well as Founding Co-Editor of the
Journal of Ecumenical Studies. At Temple and as a visiting professor at
universities around the world – including Graz, Austria; Tübingen,
Germany; Fudan University, Shanghai; and the University of Malaya, Kuala
Lumpur – Prof. Swidler has mentored generations in the art of building
relationships through interreligious dialogue. He was the first Catholic
layperson to receive a degree in Catholic Theology from the University of
Tübingen. He received his Ph.D. in History from the University of
Wisconsin and holds honorary doctorates from St. Norbert’s College and
LaSalle University. Prof. Swidler is known for his pioneering work in
feminism, in human rights, and in ecumenism and interreligious dialogue.
His interest in business and social ethics transcends disciplines. He has
published more than 180 articles and 70 books.

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE
LEONARD AND ARLENE SWIDLER CHAIR IN INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

Prof. Swidler’s interreligious legacy is now assured at the Department of
Religion at Temple University through the generosity of Harry Halloran,
CEO of the Pennsylvania-based American Refining Group. A former Catholic
seminarian, Halloran is a strong advocate for religious tolerance and an
innovator in the areas of alternative energy and business ethics. This is
the first Endowed Chair in Temple University’s College of Liberal Arts.

THE 45th ANNIVERSARY OF THE JOURNAL OF ECUMENICAL STUDIES

Leonard and Arlene Swidler co-founded the Journal of Ecumenical Studies
(JES) in 1964 as the first peer-reviewed journal in the field of
interreligious dialogue. Born out of the ecumenical spirit of Vatican II,
JES began with an emphasis on dialogue among diverse Christian
traditions. Its focus quickly broadened to Christian-Jewish dialogue and
soon thereafter to interchange among a wide array of religious
traditions. After 45 years, JES continues as the premier publisher of
scholarly articles in the field of dialogue across lines of religious
difference.

Initative for a UN Decade of Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, Understanding and Cooperation for Peace

Hopes for a UN Decade of Dialogue took a big step forward last week with the creation of a Coalition of faith-based, interfaith and value-based organisations, pledged to work together to realise this vision. The meeting was in response to a UN General Assembly resolution, approved unanimously in November 2008 and sponsored by 78 Member States which requested “the Office for Economic and Social Council Support and Coordination in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, which plays the focal point role on inter-religious, inter-cultural and inter-civilizational matters, to coordinate with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in facilitating consideration of the possibility of proclaiming a United Nations decade for inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation for peace” Over fifty organisations, including representatives from all the great world religions, took part in the meeting to form the coalition, which was held at the Maryknoll Centre at Ossining, near New York. Among those taking part were representatives of the World Council of Churches, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, the Roman Catholic International Union of Superior Generals of Religious Congregations, Religions for Peace and the World Scout Movement. The meeting ended with a briefing session in the Eco-Chamber at the United Nations. The President of the UN General Assembly, H.E Miguel D’Escoto Brockmann, expressed his strong support for the initiative, saying, ‘As we rush to prevent the immediate social devastation that is already seen in the world, we must keep clam and keep our eye on the prize – long-term peace and justice for all citizens of this beleagured planet. In this lies the strength of your Coalition.’ Rev Dr Marcus Braybrooke, representing the World Congress of Faiths and the Three Faiths Forum said, ‘The Decade will be sign of hope. It will help the UN reconnect with ordinary people and challenge faith communities to make their priority the search for peace and justice, the relief of poverty and the preservation of the planet.’ .