Secretariat Updates May 2010
Written by Administrator
RFP-USA Hosts Meeting with White House Officials
The Executive Council of RFP-USA held a consultation meeting with Rev. Joshua DuBois, Executive Director of the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships on April 7, 2010 at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in Washington, DC. Rev. DuBois emphasized the importance of advancing partnerships between US religious communities and the US government, and shared mechanisms through which multi-religious cooperation, diplomacy, and peace-building can be enhanced by the US government. Ms. Mara Vanderslice, Deputy Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships elaborated further by sharing the outcomes of the final report of recommendations made recently by the President's Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, which includes 11 inter-religious cooperation recommendations on the role of religion and global affairs, advancing multi-religious cooperation, engaging Muslim communities, and integrating and valuing America's religious diversity. The meeting was also addressed by Rabbi David Saperstein (Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism), Mohammed Elsanousi (Islamic Society of North America), Very Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky (Orthodox Church in America), Dr. Youngsook Kang (United Methodist Church), and Dr. William Vendley (Religions for Peace). More than 20 member organizations of RFP-USA attended the meeting. The Advisory Council's final report of recommendations to President Obama can be accessed here.
RFP-USA Member Communities Participate in US-Indonesia Interfaith Forum
Representatives of eight RFP-USA member communities participated in a landmark US-Indonesia Interfaith Cooperation Forum held January 25-27, 2010 in Jakarta Indonesia. Religious leaders and civil society actors from Indonesia and the United States were joined by other Asian religious leaders from Cambodia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Member organizations participating in the forum included International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Islamic Circle of North America, Islamic Society of North America, Jain Association in North America, Mosque Cares, Union for Reform Judaism, US Conference of Catholic Bishops, and World Sikh Council - America Region. The more than seventy participants committed to acting together to end poverty, promote education on religious diversity, protect the environment, and advance good governance. They agreed to tackle these challenges by advancing advocacy, promoting education, and taking other needed actions through multi-religious partnerships that engage both national religious leaders and their communities' grassroots. The forum was facilitated by Religion for Peace (RFP). More information on the forum and its outcome is here. .
