Religions for Peace - USA March 2008 E-Newsletter

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In This Issue:

From Our Executive Director…

Multi-Religious Condemnation of Attack on Jerusalem Yeshiva
A recent statement issued by HRH Prince el Hassan bin Talal of Jordan (president emeritus of Religions for Peace International), Rabbi Dr. Walter Homolka, and Dr. Hans Küng deplores the March 6 terrorist attack on the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva. The statement also mentions the worsening conditions and violence in the Gaza strip which was the likely instigation for the attack. The three authors call for an end to the recent bout of bloodshed, and protest the targeting of holy sites:

"Holy places must not be abused to incite violence or express hatred. Attacking holy spaces is one way that extremists violently abuse religion."

To read the full statement, click here.

The Interfaith Experience at the Rubin Museum of Art
A monthly program called "The Interfaith Experience," held at the Rubin Museum of Art with the co-sponsorship of the Temple of Understanding, is holding a talk called "Spirituality, Science and Consciousness" on March 28. This talk follows-up a presentation given in January, and features Dr. Kurt Johnson and Loch Kelley. The topic of focus will be the subjective and objective perception of reality in modern faiths, and the intersection of science and spirituality. The event is free, and will be held March 28, from 7-9 pm at the Rubin Museum, 150 West 17th Street in New York City..

For more information, visit the Rubin Museum of Art's website.

Music, Morocco & the Sacred
Link TV is presenting a two-hour long special dedicated to interfaith dialog. The special, "Music, Morocco & the Sacred," first contains a sneak preview of a documentary called "Sound of the Soul," which covers the Fez Festival of World Music in Morocco. The festival unites the three Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam in a presentation of religious music. In a world divided by fundamentalism and religious conflict, the festival offers hope through the forces of love and faith as they are expressed through sacred music.

The other part of the special previews a new television program called "Global Spirit," which analyzes important religious themes such as forgiveness, pilgrimage, enlightenment, and finding God, and how various faith traditions approach these topics.

To find out more about "Music, Morocco & the Sacred," click here.

For information on the Fez Sacred Music Festival, click here.

For the official website of "Sound of the Soul," click here.

Zoroastrians Celebrate Naurooz
The Spring Equinox, March 21, marks the official Zoroastrian New Year of Naurooz. Zoroastrianism is one of the oldest monotheistic religions, and has influenced the growth of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Zoroastrian organizations are often involved in the interfaith dialog, acting as a bridge between different communities. The holiday of Naurooz marks the birth of the Zoroastrian prophet Zarathustra, and is celebrated in various countries in the middle east and India. Member congregations of the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA) are hosting New Years celebrations throughout the US and Candada.

For information on the Naurooz celebration near you, visit the FEZANA list of member organizations and contact the community in your area. Media and the public are welcome to attend.

Join Religions for Peace, Madeleine Albright and World Leaders at the “Breakthrough: Women, Faith, and Development Summit to End Global Poverty”

All are invited to attend a groundbreaking gathering of influential female leaders and women’s rights champions. Breakthrough: The Women, Faith, and Development Summit to End Global Poverty will be held on Sunday–Monday, 13–14 April in the Washington National Cathedral of Washington, DC.

Co-chairs for the event include the Hon. Madeleine Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State; The Right Honorable Kim Campbell, former Prime Minister of Canada; His Grace Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Anglican Archbishop Emeritus of South Africa; Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of Grameen Bank of Bangladesh; and the Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko, General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation.

The Woman, Faith, & Development Alliance (WFDA) plans on bringing together faith and development communities, governments, international institutions and private entities, launching an ongoing campaign to change policies for increased global investment in women and girls. The resources, expertise, and global reach of these groups together make the WFDA one of the most powerful humanitarian aid and human rights advocacy coalitions ever assembled. Religions for Peace–International is a co-founder of the WFDA under the leadership of Ms. Jacqueline Ogega, Director of the Religions for Peace–International Women’s Mobilization Program.

Key Religions for Peace World Council members who will be participating in the Summit include: Dr. Agnes Abuom, Executive Committee Member of the World Council of Churches in Kenya; Dr. Vinu Aram, Director of Shanti Ashram in India; Mrs. Judith Hertz, Co-Chairperson, Commission on Interreligious Affairs, Union of Reform Judaism in the USA; RFP-USA board member Ms. Mehrezia Labidi-Maiza, Secretary of the Association for Women’s Progress in France; Sheikh Shaban Mubaje, Grand Mufti of Uganda; Priestess Beatriz Schulthess, President of Indigenous Peoples Ancestral Spiritual Council in Costa Rica; and Rev. Judith Van Osdal, Women’s and Gender Justice Pastoral Coordinator, Latin America Council of Churches.

The injustice of extreme poverty afflicts 2.5 billion people, 70 percent of whom are women and girls. All over the world, women bear an unequal burden of the causes and consequences of poverty. They are excluded from education and the workforce, denied property and legal rights, and are under-represented in politics. This campaign seeks to attain equal representation and rights for all women worldwide, and make a real difference to curb extreme poverty.

Registration for the Summit is free! For more information, visit the WFDA website.