Religions for Peace - USA October 2006 E-Newsletter

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In This Issue:

From Our Executive Director…

Mini-grants, Blogs, Podcasts and More - The People Speak 2006

Religions for Peace-USA is participating in The People Speak (TPS), an exciting forum where Americans are talking about foreign policy issues. We have blogs, podcasts, and videocasts at www.thepeoplespeak.org. Speak up! We want to hear your voice.

Good news. Mini-grants are back for a very brief time! Yes, we also now have mini-grants and guides to help you get the discussion going in your neighborhood. Our colleagues at IDEA are hosting the mini-grant administration.

It's simple; just three steps. All your organization has to do is organize events that involve people talking about this year's TPS theme, "Working Together with the World: What's in it for the United States?" The three main topic areas are: (1) Peace, Security, and Human Rights; (2) Energy and Global Climate Change; (3) Millennium Development Goals.

Step One: Think of events (such as public discussions, debate tournaments, panel talks, media content, and so on) you could organize. Please refer to the TPS Toolkit for more ideas.

Step Two: Once you've thought of the events you'd like to host, go over the TPS Grant Application Form Instructions, to help you fill out the TPS Grant Application Form. In the Grant Application, you will include a budget indicating how much funding you would need. Ask for funding to pay for an ad for your event, or for hosting costs. There are no specific criteria, but most grants are generally modest - $50-$250 per event.

When approved, organizations will be awarded a lump sum for their series of events through IDEA. Funding is limited, so please apply as soon as possible. The absolute last date to apply is November 20th, as TPS ends on November 30th. All proposed events must take place by the close of November. Step Three: Host your TPS event and then, send in a Report of the TPS events you held. We especially like pictures!

Now Showing: “Control Room” – A FREE Movie Event Toolkit
With our friends at the Stanley Foundation, we will be formally announcing shortly a new event toolkit based on the documentary “Control Room.” It is yet another free movie/discussion kit for you. Control Room is a documentary featuring Al Jazeera's coverage of the current Iraq conflict. The movie will be included in a "Now Showing...Control Room" event toolkit. In addition to the Control Room DVD, the toolkit will include a discussion guide, the "24/7: The Rise and Influence of Arab Media" radio documentary, a recent issue of the Stanley Foundation’s quarterly magazine Courier focusing on Arab media, as well as the Open Media and Transitioning Societies in the Arab Middle East: Implications for US Security Policy report, and other materials.

Sign up now to receive the toolkit and find out how your organization can partner with the Stanley Foundation and Religions for Peace-USA. Once you have hosted a "Now Showing...Control Room" event, please fill out a brief survey.

Religious Voices and the United Nations

(L-R) H.E. Mr. Abdoulaye Wade; Ms. Jacqueline Ogega; Dr. David Smock; Bp. William Swing; Mr. Ibrahim Ramey; and Bp. Joseph Humper

On September 21, the United Nations hosted a special High-level Conference on Interfaith Cooperation for Peace arranged by the Tripartite Forum on Interfaith Cooperation for Peace. Speakers on the theme of “Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation for Peace: Contributing to Peacebuilding and Development” included representatives from Member States, UN system organizations, and religious civil society partners. The NGO presenters included: Bishop Joseph Humper, Sierra Leone; Ven. Dr. Grace Chung Lee, World Culture Open; Mr. Ibrahim Abdil-Mu’id Ramey, Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation; Dr. David Smock, US Institute for Peace; Ms. Jacqueline Ogega Moturi, Religions for Peace; Bishop William Swing, United Religions Initiative; Dr. John Grayzel, University of Maryland; and Ms. Aisha al Adawiya, Women in Islam. Dr. Katharine Marshall, presently leaving the World Bank for a post at Georgetown University, offered a very poignant closing address, along with co-moderators Mr. Stein Villumstad, Religions for Peace, and Sr. Joan Kirby, Temple of Understanding. For more information, please see the Tripartite Forum.

STAND UP and Be Counted – 23 Million + for the MDGs

On Sunday, October 15, 2006, 23,542,614 individuals across the globe took a stand, both figuratively and literally, against poverty and for the Millennium Development Goals, a series of eight goals proposed by the UN that have a deadline of 2015.

To set a Guiness World Record, a minimum of 10,000 people had to physically and symbolically "STAND UP" within a 24-hour period. The challenge took place between 10 am (GMT) 15 October to 10 am (GMT) 16 October.

In New York City, with the help of RFP-USA staff, volunteers, and networks, thousands stood together in Times Square to witness the first time in history that the Times Square New Years Eve ball was raised on a day other than New Years Eve. They proclaimed together: “We stand here proudly; we cannot stay seated when tens of thousands of people die of poverty every day. We wish to set a record today for the largest number of people standing up to demand action on poverty.”

The official results announcement of the Guinness World Record was made on October 17 – the United Nations International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. For more information on Stand Up, please go here.

With the Millennium Campaign, Religions for Peace has released a tool kit called “Faith in Action: Working Toward the Millennium Development Goals” to equip interreligious councils and groups to raise local awareness of the goals and of government promises. The tool kit can help your religious community cooperate with others to help achieve the MDGs. This kit is available in English, French, and Arabic and may be found on RFP International’s website.

Interfaith Happenings at the American Academy of Religion
What happens when several thousand scholars of religion get into one place for a few days? Lots of talking, yes. A cool book fair with deep discounts, yes. And a little bit of interfaith discussion. How little? The words “interfaith” and “interreligious” appear in the program the same number of times or, worse, less than the names of, say, Karl Barth or Soren Kierkegaard. Do these people know what is going on in the world? Check it out for yourself in Philadelphia next month. The program book and registration information is online at www.aarweb.org. Don’t miss the Special Topics Forum on “Christian Theology's Engagement with Religious Pluralism: Biblical Texts and Themes,” organized by Shanta Premawardhana at the NCCCUSA.

National Workshop on Christian Unity 2007
Though the number has been declining, three-fourths of America is still Christian. And Christians believe that if they got along better amongst the denominations, it might pave the way for better relations between faiths. The 2007 National Workshop on Christian Unity will be held Jan. 29–Feb. 1 in the Washington, D.C., area. Rev. Bud Heckman, Executive Director of Religions for Peace-USA, is one of the scheduled workshop presenters. A service related to Churches Uniting in Christ is planned at Metropolitan AME Church. For more information visit National Workshops on Christian Unity.

The Earl Lectures at GTU/PSR
RFP-USA’s Executive Director Rev. Bud Heckman will also be speaking in San Francisco for the Earl Lectures during January 23-25 at the Graduate Theological Union. Heckman will be speaking on “Interreligious Relations in America Since 9-11.”

World’s Religions After 9/11 – Conference Outcomes
Speaking of interreligious relations after 9/11, over 2025 individuals from 84 countries around the world attended the World’s Religions after September 11 Congress in Canada last month. A total of 225 speakers assisted in over 8 Workshops, 18 Plenary presentations, 47 Panels and 236 Individual presentations over the course of the 5-day Congress. Additional highlights included the morning observances, the unique cultural evenings and the daily Youth and Religion workshops that drew in over 200 youth participants. We particularly liked the paper on “Women’s Interfaith Initiatives in the United States Post 9/11” by Assistant Director of the Pluralism Project, Kathryn Lohre. See www.worldsreligionsafter911.com for more on the Congress.

2007 Doha Conference on Interfaith Dialogue
Dates have been set for the Fifth Conference on Religious Dialogue in Doha, Qatar. This annual event attracts more than a few Westerners from the religious and political worlds. For more information and background, see the outcomes from Fourth Conference and other related conferences by the Permanent Organizing Committee at www.qatar-conferences.org.

Summer Peacebuilding Institute 2007
The Summer Peacebuilding Institute at Eastern Mennonite University’s Center for Justice and Peacebuilding in Harrisonburg, Virginia is now open to receiving applications and queries for 2007.

Information on “SPI 2007” can now be found on the Internet at http://www.emu.edu/spi. If you would like to receive the SPI 2007 brochure and application by email at spi@emu.edu, please write by October 31, 2006. Applications for SPI 2007 are due by January 8, 2007. If you have questions, please send an email to spi@emu.edu.

Counting the Dead – The True Cost of the Iraq War
A new study released by Johns Hopkins University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology estimates the number of Iraqi civilian deaths to be more than 650,000 since the invasion of Iraq three years ago. The report, conducted by American and Iraqi epidemiologists, puts the number of civilian deaths significantly higher than previous estimates calculated by the Bush administration and the Pentagon.

The study used a team of eight Iraqi doctors and a process of random cluster sampling, interviewing families with seven or more persons about periods of time before and after the advent of US forces. In a survey of 1849 people, it also sought death certificates in 87% of the claims with 90% of those surveyed providing it as a means of proof. President Bush called the report “not credible.” You can read the report yourself here.

Rendition, Extradition, and Torture: What is Going On? – A New Documentary
Many of our faith communities are releasing statements and take actions on torture, e.g. the CMSM, the NCCCUSA, and the UUSC. A new documentary called “Outlawed: Extraordinary Rendition, Torture and Disappearances in the 'War on Terror'” tells the stories of two men - Khaled El-Masri and Binyam Mohamed - who were secretly detained, tortured, and flown between countries for months without access to lawyers or representatives of their governments.

It was produced in association with 14 organizations, including, among others, the National Council of Churches in Christ USA, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. The 27-minute documentary is produced by Witness, a video production company that helps non-profit groups tell their stories in pictures.

A limited number of the DVDs with an introduction from the NCC General Secretary is available at no charge for congregational viewing. Contact Sarosh Koshy, in the NCC's International Affairs and Peace program office. A donation to cover postage and handling would be appreciated.

Interfaith Open House on Hallmark Channel
Hallmark Channel's Faith and Values media will broadcast a 5-6 minute segment on an Interfaith Open House held in a suburban home in Dublin, Ohio as a part of its "New Morning" program on Monday, Nov. 13th, between 7 am and 8am EST. Held at the home of Dr. Tarunjit Singh Butalia, Interfaith Relations Coordinator for the World Sikh Council –America Region and Treasurer of Religions for Peace-USA, the piece is indicative of the sorts of personal, human vignettes of spiritual life aired by Faith and Values Media. Religions for Peace-USA is a member of Faith and Values Media.

The “New” Center for Interfaith Relations and 2006 Festival of Faiths
The Cathedral Heritage Foundation, an interreligious organization in Louisville, Kentucky, well known for its popular Festival of Faiths, has changed its name to the Center for Interfaith Relations. The organization is housed in the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Assumption in downtown Louisville. After successful renovation of the Cathedral as a public space, board chairman George Fisher says they want to "put a laser beam" on their real mission, promoting interfaith understanding.

The Festival of Faiths in 2006 meets under the theme of “Death and Dying Through the Eyes of Faith,” starting Sunday, November 5. See Festival of Faiths for more information.

Get a “Peace” of the Abbey
The historic Peace Abbey is up for sale! For a cool $5 Million you can own the land, buildings, and all their contents. Before you start planning how it might work as a bed and breakfast, there is a catch. C’mon, isn’t there always a catch? The owners are looking for a foundation or trust to lease it back at a nominal fee.

The Peace Abbey houses, among other things, a collection which focuses on the world’s major religions and the Conscientious Objectors Hill of Remembrance, where those who said “no” to war are buried.

Religious Leaders Meet President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Over 40 religious leaders from Christian and Muslim faiths met with the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, for a private meeting, during his recent visit to the United Nations for the General Assembly. The event was organized and sponsored by Mennonite Central Committee, a relief and development organization of the Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches in the U.S. and Canada. Participants had a discussion about the role religious communities can play in reversing the deepening crisis between Iran and the United States. Owing to, among other things, stipulations put down by the Iranian government about the parameters of the meeting, Religions for Peace declined participation.

Getting Down Under - The Dialogue of Cultures, Religions and Civilizations
In order to develop a clearer understanding of the nature of dialogue, the School of Social Sciences and the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at La Trobe University in Australia is hosting an international two-day conference, organized by the Centre for Dialogue at the Bundoora Campus on December 12-13, 2006. There is still time to get an early bird registration. For more information and a registration form, please email: dialogue@latrobe.edu.au or phone +61 3 9479 1893.

New Staff Member: Erin Anderson

Erin Anderson joins RFP-USA from New York University, where she's a senior majoring in religious studies and English. Her interests lie in examining religious rights and the role of the U.S. on the international stage; over the course of her academic career, Erin has
traveled abroad extensively and has lived on two continents. She's currently writing a thesis about the impact of religious expression on the formation of ideological social groups through the lens of mid-
century American literature.

Among other projects, she will be assisting RFP-USA's involvement in The People Speak.

Forming a North American Interreligious Women's Network

On October 17-19, 2006, the Interchurch Center in New York City hosted a special conference for women of faith. Over 60 female scholars, activists, and leaders presented at "Women in Religion in the 21st Century." Supported by Religions for Peace-USA and by over 40 other organizations, the Conference looked at the role of women in the history of religion and explored: the roles of leadership for women, the impact of women in religious communities, how religion affects women's lives, and the historical perspective of women in religion. The women used their time at the conference to share experiences, learn from one another, and form bonds around their shared history and diverse cultures.

In the upcoming months, both Religions for Peace - USA and International will be working to help these women, along with many others, to develop a Women's Network. Stay tuned! Ms. Jacqueline Ogega (pictured below, bottom left), the new Women's Program Director for Religions for Peace – International, presented on the women of faith networks of Religions for Peace in other parts of the world and invited participants to envision the initial stages of a new network in North America.

We are interested in your responses to the idea of a North American Interreligious Women's Network. Please fill out this very brief survey today help inform the event organizers and steering committee for the Network. Women, we want to hear your voice!

Federation of Jain Associations in North America

The Federation of Jain Associations in North America (JAINA) is a federation of 65 Jain organizations representing more than 100,000 Jains living in the USA and Canada without any distinction based on sect, language, or region. It was initiated at the first Jain Convention in 1981 in Los Angeles under the guidance of Shri Chitrabhanuji and the late Acharya Sushil Kumarji and formed at the second Jain Convention in New York in 1983.

Since that time JAINA has striven to foster brotherhood, friendship, and unity among various Jain communities and to preserve, protect, and promote Jain heritage. JAINA has also been very active in forging relationships with interfaith and multifaith organizations. JAINA headquarters are located in Getzville, New York but Jain Centers can be found in over half of the 50 states. JAINA functions through more than 300 Volunteers from all corners of North America.

Mr. Arvind Vora, Chairman of the Interfaith Committee of JAINA and Assistant Secretary of Religions for Peace - USA

Lately JAINA has been very active in developing and publishing educational materials for Jain children so that they are able to more fully understand their Jain heritage. The organization is also working to create liaisons with academic institutions in North America to expand the scope of Jain studies. They supported the formation of the Ahimsa Center at California State Polytechnic University and are in the process of looking at programs at Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania.

JAINA became a member of Religions for Peace-USA to help better fulfill its interfaith mission. This past May JAINA graciously hosted a meeting of the Executive Council of Religions for Peace-USA in the beautiful new Jain Center of America in Flushing, Queens. Nearly 30 persons in attendance were treated to a tour of the Temple and introduction to Jainism. JAINA has also been working closely with Religions for Peace International in preparation for the VIIIth World Assembly of Religions for Peace in Kyoto, Japan.

The Human Security Report 2005
Today, are there more wars or less? Are they more violent or less? Are women and children more affected than men? Well, we have not had good data to work with in making such assessments. That is, until now. The Human Security Report offers a message of hope in a world where war, terrorism, and humanitarian crises seem all-pervasive. When we first saw it, RFP staffers could not put down this report, and we think you will feel the same. An essential new resource in foreign affairs discussions, the Human Security Report 2005 shows the dramatic changes in global security since the time of World War II, and, in particular, marked changes in the 1990's.

The report makes the same case for "human security" argued by religious leaders at the VIIIth World Assembly of Religions for Peace, where Liu Institute director and editor-in-chief of the Human Security Report 2005, Andrew Mack, made a summary address. Archbishop Desmond Tutu says this notion of "(h)uman security privileges people over states, reconciliation over revenge, diplomacy over deterrence, and multilateral engagement over coercive unilateralism." (Human Security Centre, Oxford, 2005, 0-19-530739-9)

Pearls of Wisdom - Listening to World Religious Leaders
We have an impressive array of new podcasts being uploaded to our Religions for Peace-USA website daily. The podcasts include Religions for Peace interviews with: Gandhi's granddaughter, the theologian responsible for the Global Ethic, a leading indigeneous priestess from Costa Rica, the founder of the Garden of Forgiveness in Lebanon, a young peace leader from Indonesia, and a leading officer at the World Bank, among others.

Nonviolence: 25 Lessons From the History of a Dangerous Idea
What does a fellow who writes singularly-focused tombs about food subjects - like salt, cod, and oysters - know about nonviolence and the religious motivations for it? It turns out quite a bit, in fact. Mark Kurlansky's sweeping and yet concise history of nonviolence moves through history, geography, and social scale to come up with a collage of the idea. The book has an oddly balanced and sometimes quirky list of "25 Lessons From the History of Nonviolence." (Random House, 2006, ISBN 0-679-64335-4)

Counting “Renewalists”
A new Pew Forum report shows the contours of Christian Renewalist movements. It is based off of a recent global survey of several countries. For example, it reveals that in the U.S., nearly one-in-four people are “Renewalists,” its joint term for pentecostals and charismatics. In some Latin American countries, however, they account for more than half the population. These Christians -- characterized by spiritually renewing "gifts of the Holy Spirit" such as speaking in tongues and divine healing -- support political engagement and are morally conservative on issues ranging from alcohol consumption to extramarital sex. Read the report's executive summary.

2006 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom
On September 15, 2006 the State Department's 2006 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom was released. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom John V. Hanford III said, "The 2006 Report on International Religious Freedom covers 197 countries and territories. The pages of each country report distill the knowledge and experience of the past year into a whole that we hope will spur debate in other countries, educate other societies, hold governments accountable to their international commitments, speak out on behalf of the persecuted, and, in the end, provide a sense of how well we are living up to our own ideals."

Globalization and the Rise of Religion – Tippet’s Speaking of Faith
One of the things we love is the insightful questioning of Krista Tippet of "Speaking of Faith," which is on American Public Media and your local NPR station. We think you will want to tune into the recent one on “Globalization and the Rise of Religion,” featuring Peter Berger and Rosabeth Moss Kanter. See Speaking of Faith and try listening online via podcast today.

God’s Country: Foreign Affairs –September/October 2006
If you missed it, you should backtrack. Walter Russell Mead’s take on role of religion and Protestants (read: especially Evangelicals) in the American political scene and in foreign policy positioning is a unique take on the possibilities and pitfalls of the current religio-political dynamic. See the September/October 2006 issue of Foreign Affairs. We are just sad that he only chose to look at the religiously narrow (but politically looming) dynamics of American Protestantism.

Maps of War and the Middle East
A few thousand years of history in a few seconds? Well, yes. This link on who has ruled the Middle East is pretty fascinating.

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