Religions for Peace - USA June 2008 E-Newsletter

Having difficulty viewing this email? Please click Here.

In This Issue:

From Our Executive Director…

NAINConnect 2008
Register now for NAINConnect 2008 in San Francisco! The theme for the 20th anniversary gathering of the North American Interfaith Network is “Embracing an Interfaith Future.”

RFP-USA Interim Director Anne Hillman will be attending this year's gathering. Visit their website to register and for more information.

Muslim Leaders Approve of Interfaith Dialogue
Muslim religious leaders from around the world recently convened to declare their approval for Saudi King Abdullah's call for intensified interfaith dialogue. The official statement given by these leaders affirms that such dialogue is an Islamic value and should be pursued. "Needless to say ... the world is facing numerous challenges that [threaten] mankind's future," the document reads. "A profound dialogue aimed at exploring human commonalities is essential." King Abdullah's call for dialogue came as a surprise to some, since the Saudi state is known for its traditionalist interpretation of Islam.

The Living Library
A library stocking people instead of books? It's happening in Europe right now. The Living Library is an attempt to bring people into contact with others whom they may not encounter in their daily lives, or are too uncomfortable to talk to normally. The individual "books" are people from groups who are stereotyped or are the target of prejudice. A visitor is encouraged to sit with one of them for half an hour and discuss the person's life story. The "libraries" are actually short events hosted by Mr. Ronni Abergel, a anti-violence activist from Denmark. He's conducted over a dozen of these events throughout Europe, using volunteers from local communities as his "books." Among the entries at one event were a Muslim, an immigrant, a transgender individual, a witch, and an Indian atheist, according to the Christian Science Monitor. In some places, the Library occurs regularly every few weeks, with volunteers returning for opportunities to tell their stories. For Mr. Abergel, the next step is setting up Libraries in America.

Click here to see their recently launched website.

Tony Blair Enters the Interfaith Domain
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has announced that he will be starting a new interfaith dialogue foundation. The Tony Blair Faith Foundation is, according to its mission statement, "dedicated to proving that collaboration among those of different religious faiths can help address some of the world's most pressing social problems."

Blair's foundation will attempt to increase communication between religions and use religion as an instrument of peace. In his political life, Blair was unable to address the important topic of religion due to the fear of mixing church and state. "The worst thing in politics," Blair says, "is when you're so scared of losing support that you don't do what you think is the right thing. What faith can do is not tell you what is right but give you the strength to do it."

International Day of Peace Vigil Countdown
On Friday the thirteenth, organizers began the 100-day countdown to the International Day of Peace Vigil, an event which will be held on the 21st of September. The event is an international effort to stem violence and recognize world suffering. The United Nations first established the day of peace back in 1981, but changed the date to September 21st after the events of September 11, 2001. For more information on the event and how you can participate, visit their website.

The Call for Peace
"Peace is the command of a merciful God," said Abdul Said Aziz in his opening remarks at a May 5 Conference on Islamic Traditions of Peace and Nonviolence at America University in Washington, D.C. The conference was organized by the American University Center for Global Peace in cooperation with the Rumi Forum, the Saalam Institute for Peace and Justice, and United States Institute of Peace. The one day conference brought together Muslim scholars to discuss the need for greater Islamic initiatives to promote peace and nonviolence.

Sayyid Syeed, National Director of the Office of Interfaith and Community Alliances for the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) and RFP-USA Executive Council member, stressed how it takes time to change deeply imbedded mentalities. "Out of 57 countries with an 80% Muslim majority, 54 have had an experience of colonial occupation. They're not coming out of a background of dignity and self-respect. They're on the defensive with regard to whatever comes from outside," he said.

But ISNA, the largest and oldest Islamic society in North America, "is creating a new philosophy of religious freedom. We have for the first time a woman president, an indication of a paradigm shift in Muslim America," he said. "This was not something imposed. The members chose it themselves. But it didn't happen suddenly. The same will be true of peace education. It will take grass roots education and organization."

The Archbishop of Canterbury Hosts Religions for Peace

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, hosted religious leaders of different faiths to discuss the power of multi-religious cooperation to combat poverty and achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Dr Williams is a Co-President of Religions for Peace, the world's largest and most representative multi-religious coalition.

"Mobilizing the world's religious communities in common action is critically important at a time when the human family faces grave threats to peace, such as violent conflict, extreme poverty, and climate change," Dr Williams said in his address to members of the global Religions for Peace network at Lambeth Palace. "If the international community is to meet its collective commitment to halve poverty and hunger by 2015, religious communities must work together on the basis of shared moral concern and marshal their considerable capacity for advocacy and for service delivery, particularly in the field of education, to alleviate poverty," the Archbishop said, observing that UK religious leaders and Anglican bishops from around the world will join in a Walk of Witness in London on July 24th to demonstrate their determination to help end extreme poverty across the globe.

Meeting participants included Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Zoroastrian members and International Trustees of the Religions for Peace network from Europe, Africa, Asia, North America and the Middle East.

Members and International Trustees of the global Religions for Peace network discussed multi-religious efforts to advance the Millennium Development Goals. The Goals, adopted by the United Nations in 2000, set concrete targets for halving poverty and hunger by 2015, ensuring universal primary schooling, reducing child and maternal mortality and infectious diseases, improving environmental sustainability and achieving gender equality and women's empowerment.

"By advancing common action among the world's religious communities, Religions for Peace engages the moral leadership of the world's religious leaders and mobilizes the vast social networks of the world's religious communities," said Dr. William F. Vendley, the Religions for Peace Secretary General. "The resources of religious communities are often overlooked by governments and non-governmental organizations, but religious communities and their leaders can be powerful actors on the front-lines combating poverty and advancing development."

Click here for the full letter.

Want to recommend something for us to share in this e-newsletter? Drop us a line at newsletter@rfpusa.org.

Religions for Peace - USA
777 United Nations Plaza, 9th Floor
New York, NY 10017
Tel: 212.338.9140 | Fax: 212.983.0098 | Email: rfpusa@rfpusa.org