Religions for Peace - USA November 2007 E-Newsletter

Having Difficulty Viewing This E-mail?, Please Click Here.

In This Issue:

From Our Executive Director…

Holidays are Coming!
As the holiday season approaches for a number of our religious traditions, many of you will be scattering around searching for the perfect gift. This year, consider giving your peace-loving loved one the gift that keeps on giving: Religions for Peace apparel! Check out all our apparel options here.

New Ways to Spread the Word About RFP!
Next time you visit RFP-USA's home page, try clicking on our new link, "Spread the Word," under "Support," on the left-hand drop-down menu. Or, just click here to visit our new webpage, which lists lots of fun, easy, and creative ways for you to get involved and spread the word about RFP! You can find RFP-USA on Facebook, MySpace, and now on Change.org, a site that brings together committed individuals, charitable organizations, and non-profits for the common good. Join our group, donate to our cause, or just friend us today!

We've also added ways for you to personalize your own computer or website in order to support RFP-USA. Our "Spread the Word" page shows you how to advertise RFP-USA on your website, or set up your very own dynamic RFP-USA blog on your desktop. Check out the page here and do your part to spread the word.

Continuity and Change: Islamic Tradition in Contemporary Art
ASMA Society, ArteEast, Al-Jisser Group, Damascus Bakeries, First Lincoln Mortgage Corp., Independence Community Foundation, Yuko Nii, Founder & Artistic Director-Williamsburg Art & Historical Center (WAH Center) are sponsoring a new art exhibit at the Williamsburg Art and Historical Center. The show, entitled Continuity and Change: Islamic Traditions in Contemporary Art, promises to bridge the gap of understanding between the U.S. and the Islamic world by opening dialogue and stimulating an interest to learn beyond the popular stereotypes portrayed in mass media.

In a post September 11th world, work from artists living in the Islamic world and its diaspora are becoming known in the American contemporary art scene. The show will showcase a wide range of artists, including Hend Al-Mansour, Filiz Cicek, Gultekin Cizgen and many others, to examine questions of Islamic identity in both secular and non-secular terms. Amongst featured themes are gender, politics, spirituality, and the use of calligraphy. The exhibit runs until December 2nd, and for more information please contact the venue of this exhibit at 718.486.7372 or 718.486.6012 or find it here.

P4P: Party For The Presidency
Common Cause is partnering with Mobilize.org to produce the Party For The Presidency conference set to take place on December 29th through December 31st of this year. The aim is to bring 436 young people, ages 16-30, that represent each congressional district in the US to Hollywood for three days of workshops, panels, and networking. The highlight will be the Mobilizer Awards Dinner where some of the key activists in communities across the country will be recognized. The end goal is to finalize and ratify a document titled the Democracy 2.0 Declaration which will then be launched on New Year’s Day 2008 and reflect the views of over 1,600 individuals calling for the next generation of leaders to step up and speak out on the big issues of today.

The ideal candidates are anyone 16-30 who is engaged in political advocacy. People not fitting this age description can apply to assist with workshops or to be speakers. The Mobilize scholarship fund is available to assist financially needing attendants with logistics costs. More information is available here or contact Ian Storrar at 202 736 5755.

Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land
With its first meeting taking place in Washington DC, the Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land has pledged to advance peace in the Middle East and dedicated itself to protecting sites holy to each faith tradition. The work of the Council was facilitated by Mr. Trond Bakkevig, Middle East Envoy for the Commission on International and Ecumenical Affairs of the Church of Norway. Three Religions for Peace Co-Presidents, International President of Religions for Peace Rabbi David Rosen, His Beatitude Michel Sabbah, Sheikh Tayser Rajab al-Tamimi are founding members of the Council and were part of the 10-member delegation that met with U.S. officials. “We, believers from three religions, have been placed in this land—Jews, Christians, and Muslims. It is our responsibility to find the right way to live together in peace rather than to fight and kill one another,” the Council members said in a communication.

For the full text of the communication, click here.

Archbishop to President
On Thursday November 8th, Religions for Peace - USA President Archbishop Vicken Aykazian was named the President of the National Council of Churches (NCC). Aykazian, a man of Turkish decent, represents the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) in Washington. The installation was a colorful ceremony attended by hierarchs, clergy and laity in St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral in New York. Also installed was the NCC's new general secretary, the Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, and other NCC officers. His Eminence Archbishop Aykazian is the 24th NCC President since the Council's beginnings in 1950.

The archbishop is the legate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) in Washington, and ecumenical officer. He has also served as Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church in Switzerland from 1992 to 1996. During his time as pastor of the Armenian Church of Switzerland, 1980 - 1992, he established new church communities in Zurich, Bern, Kreazlingen and Lugano. The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA has been the leading force for ecumenical cooperation among Christians in the United States. The NCC's member faith groups include 45 million persons in more than 100,000 local congregations in communities across the nation.

Globalization as the End of Cultural Individuality?
The discussion titled Does Globalization Mean Cultural Homogenization?, hosted by the New York Times Community Affairs & Brooklyn Public Library, is to take place at Dweck Center, Brooklyn Public Library, 10 Grand Army Plaza, between Eastern Parkway & Flatbush Avenues in Brooklyn at 4:00 PM on December 16th. This discussion examines the impact of new media and increased access to the cultural products of other societies on the work of artists, writers and filmmakers in this country. Moderated by New York Times film critic, A.O. Scott, with Richard Peña, program director, Film Society of Lincoln Center. The event is free to attend. For more information, click here.

Canterbury Archbishop Leads the Ranks of RFP
The Archbishop of Canterbury, The Rt. Rev. Dr. Rowan Williams, has been confirmed as a Co-President of Religions for Peace. The Archbishop joins a World Council comprising eminent religious leaders representing the world’s diverse faith communities. “The Archbishop of Canterbury’s assumption of Co-Presidency in Religions for Peace is extremely timely,” noted His Royal Highness Prince Hassan bin-Talal, the President Emeritus of Religions for Peace. “Multi-religious cooperation is especially needed whenever religious communities are being misused to advance violence.”

Dr. Vinu Aram, the Director of the Shanti Ashram in India, and a Vice Moderator of Religions for Peace, stated that “the religious communities in Asia—including Hinduism and Buddhism—see the Archbishop’s joining Religions for Peace as a bridge for cooperation between the religious communities in the East and West. The Rt. Rev. Dr. Williams was educated at Dynevor Secondary School, then at Christ’s College Cambridge, where he read Theology. After research in Oxford (on Christianity in Russia), he spent two years as a lecturer at Mirfield Theological College near Leeds. Dr. Williams was Professor of Theology at Oxford. He was enthroned as Bishop of Monmouth in 1992 and Archbishop of Wales in 2000. The Rt. Rev. Dr. Williams has written a number of books on the history of theology and spirituality and published collections of articles and sermons as well as two books of poetry.

Religious Leaders Bring Cooling Hand to World’s Boiling Problem
The religious community's moral imperative to combat climate change and protect those living in poverty was discussed at a U.S. House of Representatives briefing. The Rt. Rev. James Jones and the Rev. Brenda Girton-Mitchell of the National Council of Churches USA (NCC) joined forces in addressing a Capitol Hill audience. "The Bible calls us to care for all of God's creation," said Bishop Jones. "The science of anthropogenic climate change is incontrovertible. It is the poor who are most immediately impacted by changes in our climate; it is the poor who are least able to act to change our world.” Both Bishop Jones and the Rev. Girton-Mitchell articulated the need to protect those living in poverty around the world from the effects of climate change.

The briefing is part of a national effort by the NCC and other national and regional faith organizations to educate elected officials, congregations, and people of faith about the moral need to address climate change. The decade-long work of the U.S. faith community has enabled religious leaders around the country to vocalize their concern and conviction that the U.S. must act now to prevent irreparable damage.

North Korea Finds Ally in Church of the Brethren
Religions for Peace - USA Member Community Church of the Brethren has approved grants totaling $60,000 for flood response and rural development in North Korea. The grants have been approved by two funds, the Global Food Crisis Fund, and the Emergency Disaster Fund. The action was prompted by the suffering of North Korean agriculture following torrential rains in late summer. Giving impetus to the response was a $20,000 gift to the Global Food Crisis Fund from Grace Christian Church, a Church of the Brethren congregation in Hatfield, Pa., and the Korean Presbyterian Church in America. The effort was initiated by Young Son Min, pastor of Grace Christian Church.

Agglobe, a long-time partner of the Global Food Crisis Fund, will facilitate the programs of recovery and development, enlisting further support from development and assistance agencies in South Korea. Four farm communities in North Korea that have received assistance from the Global Food Crisis Fund for a decade were devastated by flooding in August. Some of the communities also suffered the loss of roads, bridges, and construction materials. The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to continuing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its faith in community. It celebrates its 300th anniversary in 2008.

Brethren for Brethren
The Church of the Brethren General Board has acted to "strongly affirm" ministries based at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md., and committed to continue to develop and enhance the center. The board approved a new mission statement for the center, commended seven items to staff for action, and approved a five-year review for the center. The recommendations resulted from an in-depth, year-long study of the Brethren Service Center which houses the Brethren Disaster Ministries and Material Resources programs, the New Windsor Conference Center, and partnerships with agencies that lease office or warehouse facilities including A Greater Gift/SERRV and Interchurch Medical Assistance. Staff were also encouraged to nourish and continue the relationship with A Greater Gift/SERRV.

Addressing financial concerns about the Conference Center and Material Resources, Minnich presented both in a positive light. "We believe the Conference Center can be financially viable," he said, reviewing feedback received from consultants. Minnich pointed out that it will take several years for most of the recommendations to be enacted, and for the development envisioned for the center to take place.

Religious Figures Take Stance for Needing Farmers
Church World Service, amongst other groups of faith leaders, called on the Senate to vote for reform of U.S. farm policy. The Rev. John L. McCullough, CEO of the New York-based hunger fighting agency, said the U.S. system of low crop prices and government subsidies is destroying small farmers and communities in developing nations and also harming rural communities in the U.S. The Senate agriculture committee is now preparing to send the farm bill to the full senate for a vote. In an effort to insure that the views of the faith community are reflected in the new document, an alliance of U.S. faith groups called upon Senators to adopt reforms designed to reclaim the farm bill’s historic moral identity as a covenant with farms of all sizes.

Fairness and opportunity for farmers in times of need were the fundamental values upon which Congress built the first farm bill in the 1930s said Religions for Peace-USA President the Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori, but has since strayed. 2007 is the year for Congress to put fairness and opportunity back into U.S. farm policy and establish a new covenant with rural America and those in need at home and around the world. Church World Service is the relief, development and refugee assistance agency of 36 Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican denominations in the United States.

A Sunday Dialogue – Faith and Tradition: Understanding Similarities, Respecting Differences
On Sunday, December 2, 2007 at the National Council of Jewish Women New York Section, 820 Second Avenue, New York City, an interfaith conference will take place. All attending this important event will have the opportunity to listen, learn, and explore ways each of us can work to end conflicts based on religion and culture.

The program will feature Professor Mark Rosenblum, award-winning historian, policy analyst, Director of the Jewish Studies Program at Queens College, CUNY; Joyce S. Dubensky, Esq., Executive Director of the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding; and the Director and Members of the Middle East Coexistence House of Rutgers University, Douglass College. There will be time devoted to questions and answers throughout the day. The Dialogue will culminate with attendees sharing their ideas and recommendations for ending religious and cultural conflict.

Advance registration is required for this thought-provoking event. In addition to excellent speakers, the program will include continental breakfast, box lunch, and afternoon tea. For detailed information or to receive the Dialogue brochure, please call 212-687-5030, ext. 10.

Summer Peacebuilding Institute now Accepting Applications
The Summer Peacebuilding Institute at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia is now accepting applications for next summer’s courses. At the Summer Peacebuilding Institute, instructors, participants and staff join in a community of learning and healing. Together, they explore issues of both local and global concern through classroom interaction, luncheon presentations, weekend seminars, special interest groups and community celebrations. Informal sharing of personal stories creates trust, hope, and courage to move forward to embrace dreams of a more peaceful world.

Course offerings and schedules, instructor bios, estimated costs, and an application form can all be found here. Applications for SPI 2008 are due by January 7, 2008. If you have questions, please send an email to spi@emu.edu.

Sixth International Conference on Peace and Nonviolent Action (ICPNA)
Preparations for 6th ICPNA are going on in full swing at the Peace Palace, Rajsamand near Udaipur which is the venue of 6th ICPNA. His Holiness Acharya Mahapragya, the 88 year old Jain Acharya, known for his Ahimsa Yatra and Transcendental Wisdom will arrive at the Peace Palace on December 22nd 2007. The 6th ICPNA will be inaugurated at 11 a.m. on Dec. 23rd and will continue through Dec. 29th. The Conference will include an International Dialogue on The Challenge of Violence, Hunger and Poverty : Evolving Sustainable Countermeasures, the First International Nonviolence Leadership Training Camp, and The Challenge of Interreligious and Intercultural Cooperation for Peace.

Registration is still open. Registration forms can be filled out online by clicking here and following the instructions, or emailed to anuvibha@anuvibha.in

Communication is Key
An International Conference and Strategy Sessions on “The Role of Communication in the Alliance among Civilizations” was held November 29th on the Venetian island of San Servolo. The conference was organized by Inter Press Service (IPS) and the International Organization for Migration. Participants stressed the need to bring all factions involved in situations of conflict into the conversation.

In instances where the conflict is largely about religion, it is religious groups that may need to talk. "Of 6.5 billion people in the world, five billion identify themselves as members of religious communities," observed Leonid Kishkovsky, Religions for Peace-USA President. "And only religious communities can reach these people." Religious groups are reaching out already, including in Iraq, even if this has not brought about the transformation sought. But, "The moves to stand united among religious leaders from Iraq are under-reported by the media," Kishkovsky said.

This raised the old question of why the media do not see stories that need to be told as newsworthy. One way of addressing the matter is to break away from the usual personality-obsessed media focus, said IPS director-general Mario Lubetkin. No one says this is easy; it is a matter that naturally raises more questions than answers, he acknowledged at the outset of the conference. But, the debate itself is a "provocative way to start a discussion about the role of communication," Lubetkin said, adding that "We need to put ideas into practice." That would mean a teaming up of IPS with other news organisations which seek to give a voice to the voiceless.

To read a full IPS article on the event, click here.

Religions for Peace Delivers 3,000 Messages of Support for Buddhist Monks of Burma
Representatives of Religions for Peace delivered to the ASEAN Chair in Singapore more than 3,000 messages of support for the Buddhist monks of Burma from people of different faiths in almost a hundred countries. A Religions for Peace delegation representing the world's faith traditions met with Singaporean Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, on Saturday, November 19th in Singapore. Singapore is the current Chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which seeks to promote economic development and advance peace in the region. ASEAN, of which Myanmar is a member, held its thirteenth summit in Singapore through 22 November 2007.

The messages of support from around the world were the result of a global campaign launched by the Religions for Peace network in response to the violent crackdown on peaceful protesters by the Myanmar authorities in September. The multi-religious appeals, addressed to Myanmar Senior General Than Shwe, condemned the violence and urged the government of Myanmar to release detained protesters and enter into peaceful dialogue with the country's religious communities and other groups. Signatories to the Burma appeal include senior religious leaders, inter-religious groups, networks of women of faith and youth groups, and individuals of different faiths from around the globe. Religious communities of the Religions for Peace global network have also issued public statements, held demonstrations and prayer vigils in support of the religious communities of Burma.

Dr. William F. Vendley, Secretary General of Religions for Peace, issued a statement accompanying the messages of support in which he said: "In a powerful demonstration of multi-religious cooperation, people of different faiths, their religious communities, and religious leaders are speaking out in support of the people of Burma and their religious communities. Religions for Peace profoundly objects to the way the military government in Burma responded to peaceful protests. Religions for Peace and the world's faith communities are deeply concerned about the fate and well being of the Buddhist monks targeted by the military government in Burma. Any act against the religious communities of Burma is an act against all of the world's faith communities.”

Rev. Kyoichi Sugino, in the presentation of the petitions to Minister Yu-Foo, encouraged the ASEAN-member governments to work together with Religions for Peace to help sustain dialogue regarding Burma through multi-religious channels.

The complete press release can be found here.

Great Peacemakers
Great Peacemakers tells the true life stories of 20 great peacemakers from around the world, including Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as well as lesser known individuals making a positive difference in the world. These peacemakers represent a variety of faiths and address issues including interfaith harmony. Great Peacemakers won the 2007 International PeaceWriting Award from the Peace and Justice Studies Association and the OMNI Center for Peace, Justice, and Ecology.

The Perfect Stranger's Guide to Weddings: A Guide to Etiquette in Other People's Religious Ceremonies
The Perfect Stranger's Guide to Weddings answers the practical questions that arise when you are invited to religious ceremonies or services of a religious tradition or faith that is not your own. Questions like, what will happen? What do I wear? What should I avoid doing, wearing, saying? How long will it last? In this unique etiquette guide these questions and more are answered while covering all the major (and many minor) denominations and religions found in North America-from Buddhist to Catholic, from Jewish to Methodist-making it the essential wedding-goer's companion.

Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of Christian Faith
Although the roots of Christianity run deep into Hebrew soil, many Christians are regrettably uninformed about the rich Hebrew heritage of the church. This volume delineates the link between Judaism and Christianity, between the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, and calls Christians to reexamine their Hebrew roots so as to effect a more authentically biblical life-style.

As an introduction to the world of Hebrew thought, Our Father Abraham is biblical, historical, and cultural in nature. At the same time, the writing is personal and passionate, reflecting Marvin Wilson’s own spiritual pilgrimage and his extensive dialogue with Jews. The book develops a historical perspective on the Jewish origins of the church, sets forth the importance and nature of Hebrew thought, discusses how the church can become more attuned to the Hebraic mind-set of Scripture, and offers practical suggestions for interaction between Jews and Christians.

Legacy of Love: My Education in the Path of Nonviolence
Arun Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson, presents the lessons he learned from his grandfather during the last eighteen months of the latter’s life in Legacy of Love. This compelling memoir begins in the heart of apartheid South Africa where the author lived under conditions of zealous racism until he was 12 years old. Following are the two pivotal years he spent with his grandfather in India, learning the lessons that would undo his anger and cultivate a profound activism. His account also describes living with his parents in religious and socially activist communities in South Africa and India. This book presents the practical wisdom the author learned from his grandfather revolving around family, men and women, simplicity, religious unity, humility, truth, and nonviolence.