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________________ Make a World of Difference: Hearing each other, Healing the earth Parliament of the World's Religions www.parliamentofreligions.org Pravin K. Shah 3-9 DECEMBER 2009 MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA www.parliamentofreligions.org MELBOURNE CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE COUNCIL FOR A PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS
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________________ The 2009 Parliament of the World's Religions would like to thank the following groups for their support: Australian Government - Department of Immigration & Citizenship Victorian Government City of Melbourne Australian Government Department of Immigration and Citizenship Victoria The Place To Be CITY OF MELBOURNE Major Supporters Associate Supporter Dame Elisabeth Murdoch AC, DBE Benefactors AMES Session/Performance Sponsor Dr. Haruhisa Handa and Associated Organisations Opening Plenary & Poverty Symposium Supporters AMES Collier Charitable Fund Asia Faiths Development Dialogue Aboriginal Catholic Ministry Melbourne ABORIGINAL AFDD Global Family for Love & Peace/ Museum of World Religions Peace Building Program Cluster Chung Tai Chan Monastery Program Book Sponsor World Faiths Development Dialogue SFLPG Global Family for Love & Peace Shi Lei Zong Jiao Bo Wu MUSEUM OF WORLD RELIGIONS W'D Monash University Melbourne Plenary Sponsor Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha (UK) Sacred Sites Symposium The International Shinto Foundation MONASH University Arts Shinji Shumeikai Shumei 951 GNNSJ Udo Keller Foundation - Forum Humanum Kalliopeia Foundation UDO KELLER STIFTUNG FORUM HUMANUM *Kalliopeia FOUNDATION Uniting Church in Australia Sidney Myer Fund www.int zorg 2 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ Donors A-pac Broadcast Partner CHpac The Parliament of the Worlds Religions is supported by the Commonwealth through the Australia - Indonesia Institute of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Speaker Sponsor An Australian Government Initiative Australia Indonesia Institute Buddhist Council of Victoria Session/Performance Sponsor THE BUDDHIST COUNCIL OF VICTORIA, INC Friends A.J. Myers Besen Family Foundation Brotherhood of St Laurence Catherine Tay Catholic Diocese of Ballarat Hindu Foundation Inc. Holy Tantra Jin-GangDhyana Buddhism Our Lady Help of Christians Mrs Neilma Gantner Ms Nina Bassat Sisters of St Joseph Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team St Charbel's Church & Parish The Avenue Uniting Church The Roman Catholic Trusts Corporation UCA Assembly Limited Victoria University Dhammakaya International Society of Australia Session/Performance Sponsor 60 Carmelite Monastery 11003 The Helen and Bori Liberman Family Session/Performance Sponsor Jewish Community Council of Victoria Session/Performance Sponsor Union for Progressive Judaism Session/Performance Sponsor JCCV Union for PROGRESSIVE JUDAISM Programmatic Partners Global Humanitarian Forum Global Family for Love & Peace/Museum of World Religions Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha Chung Tai Chan Monastery World Faiths Development Dialogue Patheos.com Dropping Knowledge International The Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale University International Shinto Foundation Henry Luce Foundation Shinji Shumeikai Kalliopeia Foundation The Elijah Institute Pre-Parliament Event Host Cities Accra, Ghana Adelaide, Australia Al-Nebek, Syria Atlanta, USA Austin, USA Bali, Indonesia Barrytown, USA Blantyre, Malawi Bogota, Colombia Buenos Aires, Argentina Canberra, Australia Carbondale, USA Chicago, USA Cochin, India Dallas, USA Estella-Lizarra, Spain Galilee, Israel Guadalajara, Mexico Helsinki, Finland Hobart, Australia Hong Kong, China CONTENTS Letters of Welcome.... About the Parliament of the World's Religions..... Thanks & Recognition... 2009 Parliament Program Overview.. 16 Plenary Overview... 18 Daily Overview and Program Schedule.... 23 Offsite Events.... .46 Exhibition and Visual Arts Presentations....57 Exhibiting Organisations.. General Information... Venue Floorplan... Major Subthemes Program Clusters. Symposia Special Events Intrareligious... Regional Sessions. Observances.. Films... Performances Open Space.. Program Descriptions... Index by Presenters... Index of Programs.. Jaipur, India Jakarta, Indonesia Kansas City, USA Kathmandu, Nepal Kerala, India Kisumu, Kenya Kristiansand, Norway Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Leon, Mexico Litchfield, USA Lleida, Spain London, England Los Angeles, USA Madison, USA Mansfield, Australia Melbourne, Australia Mexico City, Mexico Minneapolis, USA Monrovia, Liberia Monterrey, Mexico Morwell, Australia Murray-Darling Basin, Australia Nanded, India New Delhi, India 9 10 . 58 59 70 71 87 105 111 114 120 126 130 133 . 134 135 365-376 ..377-389 www.parliamentofreligions. New York City, USA Newcastle, Australia Oxford, England Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago Portland, USA Rochester, USA San Francisco, USA San Jose, USA Santa Fe, USA Seattle, USA St. Paul, USA Sydney, Australia Taipei, Taiwan Toowoomba, Australia Vancouver, Canada Vancouver, USA Washington, USA Windyville, USA Winston-Salem, USA
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________________ LETTERS OF WELCOME Welcome from the Hon. Kevin Rudd MP, Prime Minister of Australia MESSAGE: PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS One of Australia's great strengths is its robust and cohesive society which embraces a wide range of cultural and religious traditions. We are proud of our rich heritage and democratic traditions. When the writers of Australia's Constitution envisioned the sort of Australia that they would like to live in, they decided that no one religious belief should have precedence over another, that religion and state should be separate. They wrote into the Constitution that "the Commonwealth shall not make any law for establishing any religion, or for imposing any religious observance, or for prohibiting the free exercise of any religion". Today this decision is realised in Australians' support and respect for the rights of citizens to maintain and develop their cultural and religious beliefs. The aims of the Parliament of the World's Religions complement these Australian ideals of diversity, inclusion and mutual action. The Australian Government proudly supports Melbourne in hosting this event. I hope that every participant will come to Melbourne recognising the unique and precious character of each religion, open to learning and genuine dialogue, and with a strong desire to cultivate harmony. I welcome you to Australia for the Parliament of the World's Religions and hope that for each of you, it will be a catalyst for your own efforts to promote peace through shared meaning and collaboration. The Honourable Kevin Rudd MP Prime Minister of Australia 4 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ Welcome from the Hon. John Brumby MP, the Premier of Victoria MESSAGE FROM THE PREMIER On behalf of all Victorians I'd like to welcome you to the 2009 Parliament of the World's Religions. In particular, may I extend a special welcome to those of you who have travelled here from interstate and overseas - I hope your stay with us is a happy and memorable one. The Parliament of the World's Religions is the world's largest interfaith gathering. It is also one of the most inclusive. It is an event that brings together religious and civil leaders and people of faith, spirit and goodwill from more than 80 countries. When this Parliament convenes, its aim is clear - to tap into the thoughts and ideas of thousands of participants and find practical solutions to issues that concern us all. The Victorian Government is very proud to support the 2009 Parliament of the World's Religions. We believe there is no better or more appropriate place to host this event than Victoria. After all, we are well-known as Australia's multicultural capital and as one of the most peaceful and respectful societies in the world. We are home to people from more than 200 countries of origin, speaking more than 230 languages and dialects, and following more than 110 faiths. One in four Victorians were born overseas - and nearly half our population were either born overseas, or have a parent born overseas. Our State is as diverse as our population, and I hope you will find the time to appreciate just some of what Melbourne and Victoria have to offer. Whether it be our world-class museums and galleries, our great restaurants, spectacular coastline or historic regional centres such as Ballarat and Bendigo, there is quite literally something for everyone in Victoria. To everyone involved with the 2009 Parliament of the World's Religions, I hope this important gathering challenges your thoughts, extends your intellect and forges new friendships. May compassion and understanding help you build bridges between faiths and nations. Me My HON JOHN BRUMBY MP Premier of Victoria www.parliamentotreligions.org 5
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________________ LETTERS OF WELCOME (continued) Welcome from Robert Doyle, the Lord Mayor of the City of Melbourne MESSAGE FROM THE LORD MAYOR OF MELBOURNE It is with great pride the City of Melbourne hosts the 5th Parliament of the World's Religions. We are delighted to extend a warm welcome to delegates from interstate and overseas. We hope you enjoy your time with us. Melbourne is home to people from over 150 nations speaking 200 languages. Melburnians practice and celebrate faith in diverse ways. Our most prominent public spaces, such as Federation Square, are designed for that very reason. Events like World Youth Day and The Buddha's Day and Multicultural Festival are events promoting an inclusive, harmonious society. Understanding our relationships with one another, and the natural environment in which we live, is vital for the future peace and sustainability of people right around the globe. In order for the world's civic, political, religious, and spiritual leaders to make a difference and to truly hear one another, it's paramount they gather to share their visions and stories, along with those of the communities they represent. Global dialogue unites people in action. I wish to acknowledge the many people who have helped to bring this event to the banks of the Yarra River in Melbourne. The 5th Parliament of the World's Religions is being held at the new Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre which has set a new benchmark as the first convention centre to be awarded a '6 Star' environmental rating by the Green Building Council of Australia. Opened this year, it offers the very best in sustainable design, technology and comfort. Famous for its art and cultural scene, Melbourne is a city with a lifetime of memorable experiences awaiting every guest. Explore city laneways, take in the sea breeze at Docklands or see a show at one the city's historic theatres. Make this the first of many rewarding visits to Melbourne. phr brh khy wr Robert Doyle Lord Mayor 6 PWR-Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ Welcome from Rev. Dr William E. Lesher, Chair, Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions Can the religious and spiritual communities of the world, working together, help to find solutions to the momentous problems that challenge the human community today? Can a renewed sense of the sacredness of the natural world motivate masses of people to adopt ways of living that will heal the earth? Can a recovery of the message of compassion and a commitment to the inestimable value of every life form break through all that prevents us from making poverty history? Can the religions help to build a new world ethos in which families, neighbours, communities and nations hear each other, respect each other and care for each other? Our response to these questions will be the measure by which this Parliament of the World's Religions will be judged. Will we sense the urgency of this time? Will we be able, in the week ahead to address the critical issues of today, deeply and responsibly? Most of all, will we find within ourselves and within our religious and spiritual traditions the wisdom and direction that will send us away from Melbourne committed to action and imbrued with hope? This fifth Parliament of the World's Religions in Melbourne, Australia convenes on the threshold of the second decade of the twenty-first century. Ten years ago the Parliament met in Cape Town, South Africa around the hopeful theme, "A New Day is Dawning." By the time of the fourth Parliament in Barcelona, Spain it was clear that the "Pathways to Peace" that we gathered to explore would be more difficult to navigate then had been anticipated. Now, five years later, international terrorism, wars, persistent poverty, hunger and disease, a global economic downturn, political polarisation and the harbinger of an impending environmental crisis are converging to threaten the very future of the human community. In the last decade, the world's religions have taken on a new prominence. The values and ethical norms that mark the great faith traditions are being explored as a source of renewal and hope. The fledgling interreligious movement has grown stronger. Inter religious dialogue, first an activity for scholars and religious leaders, has become an action in many local communities of faith. Religious and spiritual communities working together for the common good is no longer an unusual phenomenon. May this fifth Parliament be a place where we envision an alternative interreligious world, where differences are bridged and embraced, where we do truly hear each other and from which we return home to heal the earth around us. Welcome from Prof. Rev. Gary D. Bouma, Chair, Board of Management, Parliament of the World's Religions Welcome to the Parliament of the World's Religions 2009 in Melbourne. You are invited to experience an amazing convergence of people from widely diverse backgrounds and deeply held religious and spiritual convictions and practices coming together to Make a World of Difference. The challenges we face together are huge. Addressing them requires an energy that is greater than each and all of us and a wisdom more profound than the peaceful stirrings of compassion and peace deep within each of us. PWR 2009 respects your unique contribution to human diversity. We recognise it as the source of strong motivations and creative responses to human and environmental problems. By contributing your views. insights and challenges you will enable others to appreciate the way your religious and spiritual being works. As we share our hopes and fears, joys and sorrows, dreams and suggestions each of us will become more articulate about our own situations and approaches as well as becoming more knowledgeable about those of others. Ignorance and fear will be reduced and will be replaced by mutual understanding and respect. Gary D. Bouma Chair BOM PWR 2009 Inc. narlimantafraliniana
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________________ LETTERS OF WELCOME (continued) Mayor Daley's Proclamation OFFICE OF THE MAYOR CITY OF CHICAGO RICHARD M. DALEY MAYOR PROCLAMATION WHEREAS, the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions was founded at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition and still has its headquarters in Chicago; and WHEREAS, the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions convened its centennial celebration in Chicago in 1993; and WHEREAS, the City of Chicago is recognized by the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions as a Legacy Partner in the international community, and WHEREAS, the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions is committed to fostering world peace through inter-religious dialogue; and WHEREAS, the world's largest convener of religious leaders, the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions gathers every five years to address issues of peace, social justice and community sustainability; and WHEREAS, this year, the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions, held in Melbourne, Australia, will attract an estimated 10,000 participants: NOW, THEREFORE, I, RICHARD M. DALEY, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO, do hereby proclaim December 3, 2009, to be COUNCIL FOR A PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS DAY, and send our best wishes to this organization for much continued success in its important endeavors. Dated this 21st day of October, 2009. Buhay Maly Mayor 8 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ ABOUT THE PARLIAMENTI A History of the Parliament The Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions works to cultivate harmony among religious and spiritual communities and to foster their engagement with the world and its other guiding institutions in order to achieve a more peaceful, just and sustainable world. The Parliament of the World's Religions began in 1893 and has since been held in various locations around the world. The timeline below provides a brief description on past Parliament Events. The Parliament of the World's Religions is the world's largest global interreligious event. It is held once every five years in a different city. The Melbourne Parliament will bring together people from around Australia and across the world, including renowned spiritual, religious, civic, academic, political and grassroots leaders Our theme - Make a World of Difference: Hearing each other. Healing the earth - reflects the urgent need for religious and spiritual communities and all people of goodwill to act on their concerns for the environment, peace and for overcoming poverty. It also encourages responsibility for cultivating awareness of our global interconnectedness. This Parliament will focus on the struggles and spiritualities of Indigenous People around the globe, particularly highlighting the Indigenous communities of Australia, Thousands of people from around the world will convene, to renew their work for the future of the planet. The programs will include diverse spiritual observances, workshops on issues of common concern, interreligious dialoque, performances of sacred music and dance, tours of cultural and religious sites and more. Our programming framework includes: Observances, Intrareligious Programs, Interreligious Programs, Engagement Programs and Celebrations. 1893 CHICAGO The Parliament of the World's Religions held its inaugural event as part of the Columbian Exposition. This historic gathering is widely regarded as the beginning of the interreligious movement world-wide. 1993 CHICAGO Eight thousand people from around the world came together for a centennial Parliament celebration to foster harmony among religious and spiritual communities and to explore their responses to the critical issues facing the global community 1999 CAPE TOWN The Parliament convened in South Africa to promote interreligious dialogue and cooperation and call the world's attention to the powerful role that religious and spiritual communities played in the struggle against apartheid Major Subthemes The 2009 Parliament features seven major subthemes of programming that focus on different aspects of our overall mission. All of these are pieces in the puzzle that must be put together if we want to see our visions of peace and justice for people everywhere, of all faiths, become reality The seven subthemes are: * Healing the Earth with Care and Concern * Indigenous People * Overcoming Poverty in an unequal World * Securing Food and Water for All People * Building Peace in the Pursuit of Justice Creating Social Cohesion in Village and City * Sharing Wisdom in the Search for Inner Peace Program Clusters In addition to the framework of the seven major subthemes program clusters have emerged around several topic areas to enrich the diversity of the 2009 Parliament. They are: - Local to Global Interreligious Movements * Partner Cities Network * Islam in the Global Context * Women in Leadership * Youth * Family * Media and Religion * Interreligious Education * Human Rights * Peace Building * Nuclear Non-Proliferation Disaster Relief 2004 BARCELONA The 2004 Parliament welcomed eight thousand participants from seventy-four countries to the site of Barcelona's Universal Forum of Cultures. The goals of the 2004 Parliament were to deepen our spirituality and experience personal transformation; recognise the humanity of all and broaden our sense of community: foster mutual understanding and respect and actively work for a better world. Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions The Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions is a non-profit organisation whose history dates back to the 1893 World's Parliament of Religions, held in conjunction with the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois. This marked the first formal gathering of representatives from Eastern and Western spiritual traditions and is recognised today as the birth of formal interreligious dialogue world-wide. The Council seeks to cultivate harmony among the world's religious and spiritual communities and foster their engagement with the world and its guiding institutions in order to achieve a more just, peaceful and sustainable world. www.parliamento religions org9
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________________ THANKS AND RECOGNITION Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions Board of Trustees Rev. Dr William E. Lesher - Chair Ms Mazher Ahmed Mrs Joyce Allen Ms Omie Baldwin Rev. Angie Buchanan Dr Tarunjit Singh Butalia Rev. Andras Corban Arthen Sister Margaret Diener OP Mr Doug George-Kanentiio, Akwesasne Mohawk Mr William Gifford Rev. Canon Dr Gwynne Guibord Dr Balwant Singh Hansra Ms Asayo Horibe Mr Naresh Jain Dr Solomon H. Katz Ms Audrey Kitagawa Mr Rajinder Singh Mago Sr Joan McGuire OP, STD Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid Rev. Ellen Grace O'Brian Rev. Dr John Pawlikowski Dr Kusumita P. Pedersen Dr Stephen Perkins Dr Hema Pokharna Dr Joseph Prabhu Mr Rohinton M. Rivetna Ms Smita N. Shah Mrs Helen Spector Dr Howard A. Sulkin Swami Varadananda Ms Yael Wurmfeld Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions Board of Trustees Emeriti Dr Akbar Ahmed Rev. Dr Thomas A. Baima Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati Rabbi Herbert Bronstein Dr Jeffrey Carlson Mr M. Blouke Carus Dr Irfan Khan Rabbi Peter Knobel 10 PWR-Parliament of the World's Religions Fr Andrew E. Luczak Rev. Dr Richard Luecke Rev. Timothy Lyne Imam A. Rashied Omar Rabbi Herman Schaalman Dr Devendra Trivedi Dr Donald E. Wagner Dr James L. Waits Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions International Advisory Committee Dr Saleha Abedin Rev. Dr Marcus C. R. Braybrooke Sri Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi Mrs Mairead Corrigan-McGuire His Holiness the Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso Dr Homi Dhalla Ven. Dr Dhammananda Bhikkhuni (Dr Chatsumarin Kabilsingh) Ms Ela Gandhi Dr Susannah Heschel H. E. Dr Abdullah Omar Nasseef Rabbi David Rosen Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu Mrs Lally Lucretia M. Warren Dr Tu Weiming Melbourne Parliament of the World's Religions Board of Management Prof. Rev. Gary D. Bouma FAICD - Chair Ms Nina Bassat AM - Deputy Chair Rev. William E. Lesher Chair CPWR Rev. Dirk Ficca - Executive Director CPWR Prof. Des Cahill - Local Program Director Ms Janetta Stones - Local Director Mr Hakan Akyol Mr Orhan Cicek Dr B. (Hass) Dellal OAM Mr Alan Mauger Archdeacon Philip Newman OAM Rev. Maureen Postma Mr Yasser Soliman Rev. Helen Summers
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________________ Patrons of the Melbourne Parliament of the World's Religions Patron in Chief Prof. David de Kretser AC Patrons Rev. Tim Costello Sheikh Fehmi Naji El-Imam AM Archbishop Philip Freier Rabbi Ralph Genende Sir James Gobbo AC, CVO, KStJ, QC Prof. Rev. James Haire AM 'Archbishop Denis Hart Rabbi John Levi AM Mr Simon McKeon Mr Ibrahim Dellal AM Dame Elisabeth Murdoch AC, DBE Prof. Joy Wandin Murphy Ms Susan Pascoe AM Venerable Phuoc Tan AM Youth Patrons Ms Azmeena Hussain Mr Tristan Mungatopi Ms Rinchen Norbu Mr Demetrio Zema Parliament of the World's Religions Chicago Staff Rev. Dirk Ficca - Executive Director Ms Grove Harris - Program Director Ms Zabrina Santiago - Deputy Executive Director & Partner Cities Director Ms Alisa Roadcup - Outreach Director and Development Associate Ms Sushmita Manatt - Office Manager & Database Manager Ms Ruth Broyde Sharone - Partner Cities Associate Mr Timothy Manatt - Partner Cities Associate Ms Amelia Perkins - Executive Associate Ms Precious Rasheeda Muhammad - Program Associate Mr Matt Black - Website Development Manager Ms Connie Sulkin - Volunteer Coordinator Ms Laura Cathey - Program Assistant/Summer Intern Ms Honna Eichler - Program Associate/ Summer Intern Ms Rabab Jejou - Data Entry Specialist Jain Eqita Chattha Dlan - Data Entry Specialist and Program Assistant Ms Dena Fokas - Outreach Coordinator Mr Matt Lang - Program Associate Mr Michael Donahue - Bookkeeper Mr Richard Pak - Web Consultant Mr Connor Coyne - Outreach Manager Mr Alan Gandelman - Copywriter Mr Muhammad Khurshid - Web Consultant Mr Francesco Conte - Partner Cities Summer Intern Mr James Colten - Partner Cities Summer Intern Ms Juliana Glassco - Program Assistant Ms Brittany Loveisky - PWR-M Liaison and Fall Intern Ms Rachel Landau - Client Relations Coordinator Ms Tracy Nicholas - Technical Director Ms Katie Lindahl - Program Assistant Ms Corrinne Peterson - Outreach Summer Intern Ms Shannon Copp - Program Intern Mr Mark Schimmelpfennig - Partner Cities Fall Intern Mr David Schreier - Development Consultant Ms Brenda Bos - Media Consultant Ms Petronella Gianocostas - Graphic Design Consultant Mr Derek Johnson - Research and Writing Consultant Ms Heather Gee - Partner Cities Intern Mr Tom Lillig - Marketing Consultant, Stone Ward Advertising Sra. Rosalia Lozano Benitez - Liaison for Mexico and 2009 Parliament Ambassador Parliament of the World's ReligionsMelbourne Staff Ms Janetta Stones - Local Director Ms Emma Bridgland - Administration Coordinator Ms Alex Butler - Community Organiser Leader Ms Molly Rose Elkins-Ryan - Outreach Marketing Assistant Dr Dzavid Haveric - Program Assistant Ms Helen Heath - Community Organiser Ms Chris Hooper - Volunteer Coordinator Ms Gemma McDonald - Youth Community Organiser Mr Mikael Smith - Indigenous Community Organiser Mr Petr Svoboda - Program Associate Ms Julia Torpey - Interfaith Researcher Mr Parry Williams - Outreach Marketing Coordinator Ms Fran Woodruff - Volunteer Coordinator
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________________ THANKS AND RECOGNITION (continued) 2009 PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS AMBASSADORS Melbourne Committees and Community Outreach Presenters Thank you to the following members of the Melbourne Committees and Working Groups, including the Advisory Council, Arts and Culture Committee, Communities Relations Committee, Finance and Audit Committee, Legacy and Evaluation Committee, Melbourne Bid Team, Melbourne Plenary Working Group, Program Committee, Risk and Compliance Committee, Schools and Universities Committee, Security and Protocol Working Party, Transport Committee, Youth Committee and our Community Outreach Presenters. Abideh Abdo-Attia Juanita Afamasaga Giovindan Aiyab Ismail Albayrak Margaret Alexander Irlande Alfred lan Allsop Brian Ashen Swami Atmeshananda Abhay Awasthi Leva Azadi Gita Azar Salifu Baba Marianne Bailleu Marta Balan John Baldock Jayant Bapat Tess Barling Trevor Batrouney Peter Batten 2009 Parliament Ambassadors The 2009 Parliament of Religions extends our sincerest thanks to our 2009 Parliament Ambassadors who have generously offered their time, resources and energies to nurture the work of the interfaith movement and to build awareness about the 2009 Parliament. All Ambassadors are invited to attend the International Partner Cities & 2009 Ambassadors Reception on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2:30 to 4pm, Room 212. Jain Education Inter onal PWR-Pa ment of the World's Religions Trudi Beattie Wal Berryman Anton Block Annie Bolitho Jack Bomar Leonie Boyle John Broughton Alana Bruce Richard Burman Amanda Burritt Neil Byrne Giovanna Campana Shamir Caplan Nikki Capp Emre Celik Nivedita Chaitanya Laura Chan Chi Kwang Sunim Karuppan Chockalingam Saravana Chockalingam Mary Chrystiuk Arnavaz Chubb Hanne Clermont Marilyn Cobain Margaret Coffey Juda Cohen-Halleleh Nicholas Coleman Aziz Cooper Diana Cousens Christopher Crennan Isobel Crombie Rosemary Crumlin Kishore Cunningham John D'Alton Jacinta Darbishire Murray Davies Sarah de Caen Padmasiri De Silva Yolande Derakshan Mohindar Dhillon Imelda Dover Perviz Dubash CONCL
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________________ John Dupuche Margriet Ebben Steve Einfeld Molly Rose Elkins-Ryan Gopi Elton Kath Engbretson Sylvia Erikson Gavin Faichney Lindsay Falvey Emmanuel Foundas Garry Fowler Helen Gardner Brian Garrone Nikkie Gazenbeek Haileluel Gebre-Selassie Michael Glinsky Adam Goodvach Eugenia Grammatikakis lan Grant Olwyn Gray Peter Greaney Frank Gribi Andrew Grummet Sherene Hassan Dan Haworth Berise Heasly Di Hirsh Phillip Huggins Janine Hunter Nathan Hunter Heba Ibrahim Hella Ibrahim John Jepson Laura John Sara Jones Aktar Kalam Ranjit Kaur Sue Keren-Black Maxwell Kettels Raman Khoosal Merrill Kitchen Sharon Kloester Qamar Khokhar Phillip Knight Eugenie Knox Shashi Kochhar Michael Korman Kim Lam Sheila Lamont-Stacey Jane Lee Phylise Lee Tony Levy Helen Light Coralie Ling J. Murray Lobley Marlene Lonergan Mike Lowe Tim McCowan Jane McLachlan Carolyn McSwiney Aine Maher Lina Mar Sarah Mar Ruth Maserow Elizabeth Mellor Ertuze Metehan Constant Mews Maryna Mews Georgie Meyer Rehmet Mohammed David Moore Ron Morgon Peter Moschou Luke Murphy Krishnan Nair Adrian Nye Sibel Orka Jenny Packard Sandy Parker Genevieve Paterson Helen Perkins Bev Polzin Dahlia Rahman Lily Randal Sudhir Rastogi Prashanth Ravindran Lucy Richards lan Roberts Stephanie Rocke Jacqueline Russell Saeed Sabri-Matanagh Shayndel Samuel Govindan Sankaraiyer Visier Sanyu Cecil Schmalkuche Junette Schoell David Schutz Tim Scott Stewart Sharlow Gary Shaw Kalvinder Shields Nur Shkembri Arvind Shrivastava Lesley Simons Jessiee Kaur Singh Piara Singh Narinderpal Singh Bhalla Gurdarshan Singh Gill Rajinder Singh Minhas Christopher Skinner Raina Smith Sue Smith Gitachari Srikanthan Ingrid Stephens Robert Stickland Darien Sticklen Bo Svoronos Catherine Tay Jacinta Tchen Dalilah Thalib Simon Tisher Paul Tonson Peter Torey Mary Tuohy Ariel Valent Lynda van-Gaalen Prentice Mangalam Vasan Robert Wasner Christine Westbury Shakila Wijenayake Mary Williams David Wilson Bob Winters Alan Wong Linda Young Jim Youngman Dominique Yu Miao Yuan www.parliamentofreligions.org 13
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________________ THANKS AND RECOGNITION (continued) Volunteers The Parliament of The World's Religions Boards and Staff wish to extend our deepest gratitude to the tireless commitment of our volunteers. We would particularly acknowledge those volunteers who have been on board long term As we know, volunteers are the friendly welcoming face of Parliament of the World's Religions not only for the attendees, crew and staff but also for each other. This enormous international event has been brought together by a small team of dedicated staff both in Australia and USA, and a large team of valued volunteers from varying backgrounds and experience, Without the support and commitment of our valued volunteers, we would be offering you a very different Parliament experience. We value the support of all our volunteers. Thank you. Supporter Profiles AMES For nearly 60 years AMES has worked to empower refugees and newly arrived migrants to reach their full potential. AMES works at macro and micro levels of government, business and community to provide individual pathways for clients to achieve full economic and social participation - and inclusion Dr. Haruhisa Handa and associated Organisations: Dr. Haruhisa Handa Born in Japan in 1951. Dr. Haruhisa Handa operates more than a dozen companies in Japan and abroad, ranging from management consulting to publishing. He is heavily involved with social causes, currently serving as director of World Faiths Development Dialogue: founder and chairman of Asia Faiths Development Dialogue; president of the International Shinto Foundation; advisor to the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions; and chairman of the International, Foundation for Arts and Culture. Asia Faiths Development Dialogue The Asia Faiths Development Dialogue (AFDD) was set up in December 2006 to mobilise faith groups in the broader Asia-Pacific region to work for development and harmony in order to achieve a peaceful coexistence for people in Asia and beyond. World Faiths Development Dialogue Established in 1998 by James D. Wolfensohn, then President of the World Bank, and Lord George Carey then Archbishop of Canterbury, WFDD bridges between the worlds of faith and secular development. WEDD supports dialogue and conferences, fosters communities of practice, collects case-studies on faith-based organisations, and promotes understanding on religion and development. The International Shinto Foundation The International Shinto Foundation (SF) has been active since 1994 in promoting the academic study and deeper understanding of Shinto. The ISF believes that without such study and understanding, Japanese culture and the Japanese will remain largely unfathomable. To this end, the ISF encourages debate through regular workshops, conferences and the annual Shinto Essay Competitions, Chung Tai Chan Monastery Founded by Venerable Master Wei Chueh of the Chinese Zen lineage, Chung Tai Chan Monastery in central Taiwan aims to bring forth the compassion and enlightened wisdom inherent in all of us, by providing Dharma teachings, meditation classes, retreats, and related services in its more than one hundred meditation centres around the world. Global Family for Love & Peace/Museum of World Religions The Museum of World religions and the NGO "Global Family for Love and Peace" are both founded by Dharma Master Hsin Tao, a Buddhist monk from Taiwan. Based on the ideals of respect, tolerance, and love, the museum is committed to interfaith dialogue and education; while GFLP NGO is to bring together people and organisations forming a global network of shared resources for peace and charity works. Kalliopeia Foundation Kalliopeia Foundation's mission is to contribute to the evolution of communities and cultures that honor the unity at the heart of life's rich diversity. Rooted in this mission, our grantmaking goal is to strengthen a collective recognition of the oneness of humanity Funding is for U.S.-based programs. Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha (UK) GNNSJ is a registered UK charity. It fosters cooperation between Sikhs in particular and other communities in general; seeking peace in the world through participation in intra and inter faith work locally, nationally and internationally, Shinji Shumeikai Shinji Shumeikai is a spiritual organization dedicated to elevating the quality of life of all people. We believe that a world free of sickness, poverty and discord is possible through the spiritual exercise that we call Jyorei, the appreciation of art and beauty, and the practice of Natural Agriculture. Jain Educationternational 2. PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ arinex ar in ex arinex has been working with CPWR and the PWR Melbourne teams on the 2009 Parliament of the World's Religions since 2006. arinex is the Professional Conference Organiser appointed to bring together the 2009 Parliament in Melbourne, in association with CPWR and PWR Melbourne. We are delighted to have been given this opportunity. We would like to welcome you all to Melbourne and hope that you enjoy this experience. www.arinex.com.au Porter Novelli PORTER NOVELLI Many Minds. Singular Results." Porter Novelli Melbourne combines the best of local, Australian ownership with an effective Australiawide public relations network, and the resources and connections of Porter Novelli International. Our collaborative nature, our spirit of innovation, our innate sense of Melbourne and our passion to reach goals set our people and programs apart. We are proud to be part of the success of the Parliament of the World's Religions Melbourne 2009. www.porternovelli.com.au Program Task Force Dr Joseph Prabhu - Chair Ms Grove Harris Rev. Andras Corban Arthen Dr Solomon H. Katz Dr Kusumita P. Pedersen Rev. Dr John Pawlikowski Ms Audrey Kitagawa Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid Swami Varadananda Dr Hema Pokharna Dr Tarunjit Singh Butalia Ms Mazher Ahmed Indigenous Task Force Ms Omie Baldwin Rev. Andras Corban Arthen Ms Asayo Horibe Prof Darlene St Clair Rev. Dirk Ficca Mr Doug George-Kanentiio (Akwesasne Mohawk) Ms Grove Harris Ms Jennie R. Joe Dr Kusumita P. Pedersen Ms Mary Nelson Mr Mikael Smith Ms Sushmita Manatt Ms Chris Hooper Aboriginal Climate Action Fund The Aboriginal Climate Action Fund was established for participants to compensate for the climate impact of their travel to Melbourne. The Fund supports projects in Australian Aboriginal communities that both improve the quality of life for the community and achieve measurable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The Fund is sponsored by the Centre for Education and Research in Environmental Strategies (CERES), a well-respected Melbourne environmental education organisation. CERES will ensure the integrity of the project selection process, distribute funds to the selected community projects, and report back to the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions (CPWR) and to donors like you. The Aboriginal Climate Action Fund Steering Committee will solicit and evaluate proposals and recommend projects for funding to the CERES Board of Directors. The Committee will be comprised of Aboriginal elders, members of the Melbourne Parliament Board of Management, CPWR, and individuals with relevant expertise. CERES and CPWR will send participants that were part of the Fund a report in early 2010 on the total amount contributed to the Fund and the projects that these contributions have made possible. Thank you to those that contributed to the Aboriginal Climate Action Fund. www.parliamentofreligions.org 15
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________________ 2009 PARLIAMENT PROGRAM OVERVIEW Make a World of Difference: Hearing each other, Healing the earth Every generation is called upon to answer the great challenges of its time. We have the capability - and the responsibility to come together in peace and good will to listen to each other and work together to heal our conflicted communities and our endangered planet. To listen, respond and move forward is to maintain a healthy balance between humility and confidence. The 2009 Parliament of the World's Religions will focus on the struggles and spiritualities of Indigenous peoples around the world, particularly the Aboriginal communities of Australia, who are graciously hosting us in their homeland. Together we will make a commitment to live out the change we want to see in the world. The 2009 Parliament provides an extraordinary opportunity both to make a difference in the world and to make a world out of our differences. By acknowledging and celebrating our differences, this unique international gathering offers an engaging and promising forum to: deepen our spirituality, and experience personal transformation foster mutual understanding and respect learn to live in harmony in the midst of diversity recognise the humanity of the 'other' and broaden our sense of community seek peace, justice and sustainability actively work for a better world By coming together to hear each other, this gathering itself will be a means for making a world of difference and for healing the earth in trying times. The 2009 Parliament will highlight the most effective strategies to help people of faith and goodwill transform the world through real action in their own communities. Summary of Activities Major Subthemes The 2009 Parliament features seven major subthemes of programming that focus on different aspects of our overall mission. All of these are pieces in the puzzle that must be put together if we want to see our visions of peace and justice for people everywhere, of all faiths, become reality. The seven subthemes are: Healing the Earth with Care and Concern Indigenous People Overcoming Poverty in an Unequal World Securing Food and Water for All People Building Peace in the Pursuit of Justice Creating Social Cohesion in Village and City Sharing Wisdom in the Search for Inner Peace See page 71 for more information. 0 * * 16 PWR-Parliament of the World's Religions Program Clusters In addition to the framework of the seven major subthemes, program clusters have emerged around several topic areas to enrich the diversity of the 2009 Parliament. They are: * Local to Global Interreligious Movements * Partner Cities Network Islam in the Global Context Women in Leadership * Youth Family * Media and Religion Interreligious Education * Human Rights Peace Building Nuclear Non-Proliferation Disaster Relief See page 87 for more information. Evening Plenary Sessions Complete each day with inspiration and beauty by participating in the Plenary Sessions! Listen to revered religious and spiritual leaders, prominent social activists and luminaries from other guiding institutions. Experience spiritual observances and spectacular music and dance performances from around the world. All are invited to partake in these riveting evening sessions: Opening Plenary * Communities Night International Plenary * Sacred Music Concert Youth Plenary Melbourne Plenary Closing Plenary See page 18 for more information. Intrareligious Sessions Intrareligious Sessions feature a wide variety of programs focusing on: [1] a basic understanding of religious and spiritual communities, as well as the teachings, practices and dynamics of their traditions; (2) resources and rationales from within the religious and spiritual communities and movements for dialogue, engagement and cooperation; and (3) tools for intrareligious reflection and dialogue. See page 114 for more information. Interreligious Sessions Interreligious Sessions feature a wide variety of programs focusing on: [1] structured opportunities for interreligious encounter and dialogue; (2) sharing the convictions and motivations for engaging with each other and the world; and (3) innovative methodologies for interreligious encounter, dialogue and cooperation.
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________________ Engagement Sessions Engagement Sessions feature a wide variety of programs focusing on: (1) building capacity for religious and spiritual people, communities and organisations to collaborate with guiding institutions in service to a peaceful, just and sustainable future; (2) examples of successful programs and best practices that address critical issues around the world; and (3) creative approaches and tools for effective dialogue and collaboration. Symposia Participate in a variety of Symposia, each exploring a particular topic or issue in great depth over multiple days. The following symposia will be offered: Religion and Ecology * Connection to Copenhagen * Poverty and Development * War and the Role of Religion in a Just and Sustainable World Sacred Sites, Sacred Solidarity * Science and Religion Educating Religious Leaders for a MultiReligious World Enhancing Religious Leadership for the Future * Australian Schools: Educators and Students * Voices of Latin America See page 105 for more information. Performances Lectures, workshops and seminars are not the only ways to dialogue about religion! The Parliament also features a rich variety of performances, including music, dance, poetry and drama, by representatives of many religions and faith traditions from all over the world. Opportunities abound to be moved by artistic expression straight from the heart and spirit. See page 133 for more information. Special Events The 2009 Parliament features a number of special events that are categorically unique. They are: * Indigenous Reception Landscape of Faith * International Partner Cities and 2009 Ambassadors Reception * Paul Carus Award * Indigenous Assembly * Convocation of Hindu Spiritual Leaders See page 111 for more information. Exhibitions One hundred exhibition booths with a range of vendors, booksellers and representatives of a wide variety of religious, spiritual and service organisations sharing information about their work will be featured in Bays 13 and 14 of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. See page 57 for more information. Visual Arts Presentations A fantastic collection of work by international artists will be on display in the Exhibition Hall, Level One Foyer and Room 112. Art from various cultures and origins will be included in the gallery, providing a moving visual expression of the spirit of the 2009 Parliament. See page 57 for more information. Films We are pleased to offer a comprehensive line up of film-focused programs for our participants to celebrate the art of filmmaking as a medium for interreligious dialogue. See page 130 for more information. Morning Observances There will be opportunities to participate in religious or spiritual observances from your tradition or observe worship or sacred practices of another tradition. See page 126 for more information. Open Space Sessions The 2009 Parliament provides opportunities to engage with participants from around the world on topics of special interest through facilitated 'open space' dialogue and working sessions. Spaces are also available for meetings of groups, organisations and delegations. See page 134 for more information. Partner Cities The Partner Cities Network is an exciting new program developed by CPWR that seeks to build and connect the interreligious movement world-wide. Partner Cities Network workshops and informational networking sessions will be held at the Melbourne Parliament. All interested cities are invited to attend and participate. See page 90 for more information. Regional Sessions Connect with people of your own region of the world, or learn about interreligious movements in another by attending one of our diverse regional sessions. See page 120 for more information. Offsite Events What happens at the Parliament does not need to stay at the Parliament! If you feel like getting away from the crowd for a while, the City of Melbourne will offer plenty of offsite interreligious events during the week of the Parliament. See page 47 for more information. Youth Coffee House Mix with youth participants, VIP guests, and the locals at the after-hours Coffee House where beverages, entertainment and making new friends will be the order of the night. Operating hours: Operating days: Location: 9.00 pm-midnight Saturday 5, Monday 7 and Tuesday 8 December Banquet Room 201 www.parliamentofreligions.org 17
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________________ PLENARY OVERVIEW Celebrate the 2009 Parliament and its principal theme, Make a World of Difference: Hearing each other, Healing the earth, every evening at inspirational Plenary Sessions. These sessions will draw upon the wisdom and gifts of a wide array of religious and spiritual leaders, speakers and performers, and will include welcome, blessings and keynote addresses, as well as opportunities to participate in observances, music and performances. Thursday 3 December: Opening Ceremony * Welcome to Country from senior Wurundjeri elder. Joy Murphy Wandin * Blessings and performances to celebrate the world's diverse spiritual traditions Friday 4 December: Communities Night * International participants hosted by local religious and spiritual communities * Opportunities for dialogue, observances and hospitality Saturday 5 December: International Plenary * Discussion of efforts to establish a United Nations Decade of Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, Understanding and Cooperation for Peace * Testimonials by local interreligious practitioners from diverse religious and spiritual communities * Recognition of Legacy and Inaugural Partner Cities * Presentation of the 2009 Paul Carus Award for outstanding contributions to the international interreligious movement Sunday 6 December: Sacred Music Concert, . Performances of the world's sacred music and movement by world-class musicians from diverse religious and spiritual traditions Monday 7 December: Youth Plenary * Presentations and artistic performances by contemporary local and international artists, organised by the Australian multi-faith youth committee Tuesday 8 December: Melbourne Plenary * Presentations and performances celebrating Melbourne's religious and spiritual diversity and its vision for interreligious dialogue and cooperation Wednesday 9 December: Closing Plenary * Call to Commitment and Action' to foster harmony between diverse communities Keynote address by His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama OPENING PLENARY SESSION Thursday 3 December 7.30 pm - 9.00 pm Welcome to the 2009 Parliament of the World's Religions! The 2009 Parliament opens with a "Welcome to Country Rabbi David Saperstein from Joy Murphy Wandin, senior elder of the Wurundjeri Designated in Newsweek's 2009 list people, traditional owners of the land on which as the most influential rabbi in the Melbourne resides. Through a series of blessings and country, David Saperstein represents performances, the world's diverse religious and spiritual the national Reform Jewish traditions will be acknowledged and honoured. Hear the Movement to the US Congress and urgent call to people and communities of faith, spirit and Administration as the Director good will to 'Make a World of Difference in the midst of of the Religious Action Center of the pressing challenges facing the global community Reform Judaism. Dr. Sakena Yacoobi His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Dr. Sakena Yacoobi founded the His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Afghan Institute of Learning, is a renowned spiritual leader and a groundbreaking women-led multi-faceted humanitarian whose grassroots NGO that supported 80 mission of uniting the world into a underground home schools for girls violence-free family has inspired in the 1990s and continues to work millions of people worldwide. His to empower girls, women and the Holiness is the founder of the Art of disenfranchised across Afghanistan. Living Foundation, an international non-profit educational and humanitarian organisation, For Private & Peybaleno more than 140 countries. 18 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ COMMUNITIES NIGHT: 'A Night of Hospitality' Friday 4 December 6.00 pm onward Baha'i 8.00 pm The religious and spiritual communities of Melbourne are pleased to offer this 'Night of Hospitality' to people of all faiths and spiritual traditions from around the world. This occasion to come together and share the warmth and welcome of Melbourne and its religious and spiritual communities is a special feature of the Parliament. Almost all the other Parliament activities involve direct interfaith engagement. The Communities Night provides the only formal opportunity for people from around the world from a single faith or spiritual tradition to come together. It is hoped that this experience will deeply enrich everyone's lives as they share together in this 'Night of Hospitality'. Anglican 6.30 pm St Peter Mariner Chapel and Mission to Seafarers 717 Flinders Street Docklands Upon registration participants will receive specific information and details of the Communities Night they will be attending. All enquiries regarding Communities Night should be directed to the Communities Night Table located in the Melbourne Convention Centre Foyer. Victorian Baha'i Community Melbourne Recital Centre Corner Southbank Boulevard and Sturt Street Southbank Baptist 7.30 pm Collins Street Baptist Church 174 Little Collins Street Melbourne CBD Buddhist 7.30 pm Brahma Kumaris 7.00 pm Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga Centre 256 Brunswick Street Fitzroy Buddhist Compassion Relief, Tzu Chi Foundation 17 Ellingworth Parade Box Hill 7.30 pm Quang Minh Community Care Centre 18 Burke Street Braybrook Catholic 8.00 pm Australian Catholic University (ACU) Central Hall 22-24 Brunswick Street Fitzroy Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints 7.30 pm 285 Heidelberg Road Northcote Churches of Christ Details available from the Communities Night Table Hindu 7.00 pm Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple 52 Boundary Road Carrum Downs Jain 6.30 pm Moorabbin Masonic Centre 124-126 Rowans Road Moorabbin Jewish Conservative 6.30 pm Kehilat Nitzan Conservative (Masorti] Synagogue 99 Hotham Street East St Kilda Jewish Orthodox 6.00 pm Melbourne Hebrew Congregation Cnr Toorak Road West and Arnold Street Melbourne For Private Jewish Progressive 6.15 pm Erev Shabbat, 7.15 pm Oneg Shabbat Temple Beth Israel 76 Alma Road St Kilda Lutheran 7.30 pm St John's Lutheran Church Southgate 20 City Road Southbank Muslim 7.30 pm Huzur Reception 250 Hume Highway Somerton Pagan 7.30 pm Melbourne Reclaiming Northcote Uniting Church Hall 251 High Street Northcote Quakers 6.30 pm Victorian Quakers (Religious Society of Friends] Friends' House 631 Orrong Road Toorak Sathya Sai 7.00 pm Sathya Sai Baba Organisation of Australia and PNG RMIT Capitol Theatre, 113 Swanston Street Melbourne CBD Seventh Day Adventist 7.30 pm Seventh Day Adventist Church 100 James Street Dandenong Sikh 7.00 pm Sri Guru Nanak Satsang Sabha The Sikh Cultural Society of Victoria Gurdwara Sahib Craigieburn 344 Hume Highway Craigieburn Uniting Church 7.00 pm St Michael's Uniting Church 120 Collins Street Melbourne CBD Unity of Melbourne [New Thought) 7.30 pm 4-6 Renown Street Burwood Zoroastrian 7.30 pm Zoroastrian Association of Victoria North Balwyn Senior Citizens Centre 9 Marwal Avenue Balwyn North Correct at the time of printing www.parliamentofreligions.org 19
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________________ INTERNATIONAL PLENARY Saturday 5 December 7.30 pm - 9.00 pm Celebrate the exemplary work of a growing, global movement that has cultivated dialogue and relationships among people from a diversity of the world's religions. Learn about the hope-filled efforts of religious and spiritual communities, actively supported by international interreligious organisations. Celebrate the achievements of metropolitan interreligious communities around the world in the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions Partner Cities Network, including the Legacy Partner cities of Chicago, Illinois, USA: Capetown, South Africa: Barcelona, Spain; and Monterrey, Mexico and the 2009 Inaugural Partner City San Jose, California, USA, Hear about the efforts to establish a United Nations Decade of Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, Understanding and Cooperation for Peace. Join in honouring the 2009 recipient of the Paul Carus Award, for outstanding contributions to the international interreligious movement. SACRED MUSIC CONCERT Sunday 6 December 7.30 pm - 10.00 pm World-class musicians, vocalists and dancers will perform some of the most sacred music and movement from many religious and spiritual traditions. Contemporary and traditional styles will be performed by: Canon Gideon Byamugisha Canon Gideon Byamugisha is an ordained priest in the Church of Uganda. In 1992, he became the first African religious leader to openly declare his HIV-status and has since devoted his life to an AIDS ministry that has taken him to over 40 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and around the world. The Agape International Choir, Christian * Muslim singer-songwriter Zain Bhikha and Ensemble * Flautist Dr Natesan Ramani and singer Manjiri Kelkar and Ensembles, Hindu traditions * Contemporary Jewish music and song: Dr Kim Cunio, Heather Lee and Ensemble The Gyuto Monks of Tibet, Harmonic Tibetan Buddhist Chant * Jain Tradition, Classical Indian Dancer, Divya Jain * Cantor Rabbi Philip Heilbrunn and Choir, Traditional Jewish Chant Brahma Kumaris: David Jones and Friends, featuring James Morrison * Whirling Prayer Ceremony. Naqshbandi Sufi Order of Australia * Bhai Kultar Singh and Group, Sikh Tradition * Shadi Tolui-Wallace, Baha'i Vocalist and Guitarist and more to be confirmed Paul Carus Award The Paul Carus Award seeks to recognise, honour, celebrate and affirm outstanding work in support of the international interreligious movement and the efforts of religious and spiritual individuals, communities and organisations towards a more just, peaceful and sustainable world. education Wemationen enthe World's Redigrags For RIBE Personal Use Only www.jhinelibrary.org
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________________ YOUTH PLENARY Monday 7 December 7.30 pm -9.00 pm Be inspired by the work being undertaken by young people around the world as they tackle global issues utilising leadership and creativity. Featuring: Hugh Evans - Director, Global Poverty Project (Aust.) The Global Poverty Project is a presentation and film that communicates the realities of extreme poverty and what we can do about it which Hugh is taking around the world. Platform Youth Theatre - extract from 'Faith, Diversity and Difference' (Aust.) Platform Youth Theatre is a company that works with young people (16-26 years of age) to make theatre - this means young people are involved in all stages of the process, not just as audience members. 'Faith, Diversity and Difference' is the company's major project for 2009. Presentations and artistic performances by contemporary local and international artists, organised by the Australian multifaith youth committee. MELBOURNE PLENARY Tuesday 8 December 7.30 pm -9.00 pm 'Melbourne - River City - Place of Gathering" Across the world, water and rivers have played a central role in the practices and beliefs of spiritual and religious communities. The Melbourne Parliament is taking place on the banks of the Yarra River, the traditional home of many Aboriginal people, and the new home of successive waves of migrants and refugees. The Melbourne Plenary will take us on an inspirational spiritual journey to the Yarra as we explore the experiences and interaction of different communities through music, dance, the visual arts, storytelling and blessings, with a particular focus on the power of water. Presentations will include Gospel and Ethiopian Orthodox choirs, Indian and Greek dancers, Aboriginal and Jewish storytellers, and a Muslim call to prayer. www.parliamentofreligijainelibrary.org
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________________ CLOSING PLENARY Wednesday 9 December 2.30 pm - 4.00 pm The 2009 Parliament concludes with a 'Call to Commitment and Action' in returning home to foster harmony between communities, reverse climate change, alleviate poverty and support the self-determination of Indigenous peoples world-wide. The unique possibilities that religion and spirituality can contribute to 'Make a World of Difference' through dialogue, commitment, vision and service will be highlighted. His Holiness XIV Dalai Lama His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama of Tibet, Tenzin Gyatso, is the spiritual and temporal leader of the Tibetan people and has received many international awards, including the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize. Uncle Bob Randall Bob Randall is one of the Stolen Generation of the Aboriginal people, a Yankunytjatjara Elder and a Traditional Owner of Uluru. He also works as a teacher and leader for Aboriginal land rights, education, community development and cultural awareness. of the World's Religions Disclaimer Any and all opinions, statements or views expressed by presenters and others attending the Parliament of the World's Religions (Parliament) or attributed to it reflect only the opinions of those who express them. Any and all opinions, statements or views are not necessarily the official opinions, statements, views or endorsement of any other person (including, but not limited to, PWR Melbourne 2009 Limited, the Council of the Parliament of the World's Religions, the Commonwealth of Australia, the Victorian Government, the City of Melbourne, other supporters of the Parliament or their employees, officers and agents). Further, no person (including, but not limited to, PWR Melbourne 2009 Limited, the Council of the Parliament of the World's Religions, the Commonwealth of Australia, the Victorian Government, the City of Melbourne, other supporters of the Parliament or their employees, officers and agents) takes any legal responsibility for any opinions, statements or views expressed by others at the Parliament or attributed to the Parliament. Before relying on the information presented at the Parliament, interested parties should independently evaluate its accuracy, currency, completeness and relevance for their own purposes. Interested parties should obtain any appropriate professional advice relevant to their particular circumstances. Specific enquiries should be directed to the relevant organisation or agency. To the extent permitted by law, the Commonwealth of Australia, the Victorian Government, the City of Melbourne and other supporters of the Parliament exclude all liability for loss or damage arising from the use of, or reliance on, the information presented at or attributed to the Parliament, whether or not such loss or damage is caused by any negligence or otherwise on the part of the Commonwealth of Australia, the Victorian Government, the City of Melbourne and other supporters, their employees or their agents. All attendees of the Melbourne Parliament of the World's Religions should note: the capture of vision, audio and images of the Parliament of the World's Religions Melbourne event for any purpose other than personal use is prohibited. This restriction does not apply to professional media accredited by the Melbourne Parliament of the World's Religions.
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________________ DAILY OVERVIEW AND PROGRAM SCHEDULE From morning to evening, each day at the Parliament of the World's Religions, there will be opportunities to participate in religious observances, sessions on a variety of topics and open space discussions and an inspirational plenary session every night. Below, you will find an overview of the daily schedule and a listing of all the confirmed sessions for the week. 8.00 am - 9.00 am Observances from diverse religious and spiritual traditions 9.30 am - 11.00 am Intrareligious Sessions - speakers from a single religious tradition express their identities, discuss their challenges and showcase their messages 11.30 am - 1.00 pm Interreligious Sessions - speakers from two or more religious traditions engage with each other seeking greater understanding 2.30 pm - 4.00 pm Engagement Sessions - speakers from diverse religious traditions consider the challenges of our many crucial topics and the resources to meet them 4.30 pm - 6.00 pm Open Space for informal discussions 7.30 pm - 9.00 pm Evening Plenary - Keynote presentations, blessings and performances Jain Education Internationa For Private & Personal use only www.jainalibrary.org www.parliamentoireligions.org 23
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________________ PROGRAM Thursay 3 December 7:30 - 9:00pm Plenary Hall Opening Plenary. For details refer to Page 18 Supported by Dr. Haruhisa Handa and Associated Organisations PROGRAM Friday 4 December Plenary Hall Room 104 Room 105 8:00 - 9:00am Room 101 Room 102 Room 103 The Prayer of Yoga as a How a Jain Women for Giving Spiritual Practice Starts the Day: Peace on Earth The Rituals Catholic Mass, Roman Rite - Friday Morning Observance with Dr Haruhisa Handa (Toshu Fukami) 9:30 - 11:00am Poverty Must No Longer Be With Us Supported by Dr Haruhisa Handa and Associated Organisations Many Meanings of The Divine the Ramayana Purpose of Life: The Hindu Journey Within Adapting to Climate Change How, and How Far? Rev Moon's Vision Framlingham of Global Family Aboriginal Trust. the Gunditjmara People and Brambuk Cultural Centre 11:30am - 1:00pm Respecting Interreligious and Defending Partnerships for Human Rights Ending Hunger and Humanitarian Supported by Principles: An Dr Haruhisa Handa Islamic Global and Associated Organisations Perspective Appreciating Turning the and Cultivating Dharma Wheel Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) and Pancasila to Address Religious Radicalisms in Indonesia Sancta Sophia Meditation Community: Promoting Peace through Interreligious Dialogue Climate Change and the Question of Overconsumption 1:00 - 2:30pm 2:30 - 4:00pm The Human Face of Climate Change Climate Change and the Arctic: The Indigenous Perspective Working Together, The Health of Two Worlds Our Impact on the Land Has the Same Impact on Us Sufism and Peace: A Meeting Point for All Religious Traditions Democracy and Diversity in Global Perspective Dr Din Syamsuddin is supported by the Australia - Indonesia Institute of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 4:30 - 6:00pm Sacred Sites. All We've Got: Sacred Solidarity: A Documentary Working Film about Hope Session 1 Supported by Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha (UK) 9:00 - 10:30pm Program is correct at the time of printing Jain 26 For Fate & Personal Usely w.jainelibrary.org VRAM onto the World Religions
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________________ Room 106 Pilgrims' Progress 2008: Research on Those who Attended the Sydney World Youth Day How Can Interreligious Dialogue Address Global Food, Water and Climate Problems? Supported by Dr. Haruhisa Handa and Associated Organisations Sacred Sites, Sacred Solidarity: The Time is Now Supported by Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha (UK) Room 107 Numen: The Nature Reviving Indigenous of Plants Spirituality: Reclaiming Strength and Identity (Session 1] Green Patriarch' and 'The Arctic: The Consequences of Human Folly' The Chiefs' Prophecy: Survival of the Northern Cheyenne Nation New Muslim Cool Room 108 Calling Out to Allah: The Role of Du'a (Supplication) in Islam And Its Benefits for Inner Peace Soldiers of Peace Building Peace in Pursuit of Justice: Indonesian, Turkish and Kashmiri Case Studies Life of Jesus: Non-Christian Perspectives Listening With a Heart of Mercy Room 109 Silent Meditation - Ch'an Reconciling Religious Values and the Universal Entitlement to Human Rights Grassroots Community Organisers Networking for Interreligious Solidarity Not in God's Name Room 110 Interfaith Understanding in Sikh Theology and History The Crisis and the Opportunity: Wisdom from Faith Traditions and Communities Supported by Dr. Haruhisa Handa and Associated Organisations Breaking Through Patriarchy: New Visions for Women of Faith. Supported by Dr. Haruhisa Handa and Associated Organisations Room 111 Dancing the Seven Sacred Directions People Call Us Pagan - The European Indigenous Traditions 2014 Site Selection Orientation Part 1 Repatriation: Reclaiming Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property Rights Enhancing Religious Leadership for the Future 1 of 3 www.parliamentstralinione non
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________________ PROGRAM Friday 4 December 8:009:00am 9:3011:00am 11:30am -1:00pm 1:002:30pm 2:30 - 4:00pm 4:306:00pm 9:0010:30pm 8:009:00am 9:3011:00am 1:002:30pm 2:304:00pm 4:306:00pm 9:0010:30pm Room 201 Mother Nature Doesn't Do Bailouts - Daily Youth Session 11:30am Perspectives on Conflict -1:00pm Resolution in the Middle East Supported by Global Family for Love & Peace/Museum of Worlds Religions Two Programs: Naga Chants & Taize Chants Sung in the Gunai Kurnai Indigenous Language by the Lavalla Catholic College Liturgical Choir Two Programs: South African Songs for the Soul & Leaps Of Faith Room 212 Recent Developments in Jewish Christian Dialogue Amerta Movement: The Gardening of Mandala Salam DWD Room 202 The Path of a Multifaith Chaplaincy: Parliament Labyrinth as Spiritual Observance Building a Sense of Belonging in a Culturally Diverse Australia - The Australian Government's Role Religious Responses to the Ecological Crisis as Climate Change Grows Friday Jumu'ah Congregational Prayer Peace at the Heart of the World Room 213 Achieving Sustainable Peace Supported by Global Family for Love & Peace/Museum of Worlds Religions Progenialhe time of printing Jucation International New Directions in Asian Religions and Ecology on the Ground (Southeast Asia] Room 203 The Breath of Life A Religion of Healthy Mindedness - New Thought's Uniquely American Contribution to the Arena of New Religious Community How Spiritual Progressives Can Help Move Both Religious and Secular Communities to Enlarge their Focus Beyond Personal Fulfilment or Individual Salvation toward a Global Transformation Convening Session - Conflict Resolution Supported by Global Family for Love & Peace/Museum of Worlds Religions Room 214 Yoruba Religious Observance Introduction to Big Mind Big Heart Cultivations of Solidarity: A Textual Analysis Being a University Chaplain in the 21st Century Faith in Action: How FaithBased Organisations Care for People in Need Room 204 Freedom of Religion and Belief: The Project of the Australian Human Rights Commission Hindu Jewish Leadership Initiative Reconciling Religious Values and the Universal Entitlement to Human Rights Room 215 A Celebration of the Cosmos and its Processes from a Mystical, Inclusive Perspective Sri Aurobindo, a Prophet for the 21st Century Pilgrimages, Tourism and Meaning Developing a Dynamic Interfaith Movement for Your City or Area 12 Steps: A Complete, NonDenominational Spiritual Path for the 21st Century
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________________ Room 209 Room 211 Room 208 Celebrating Diversity and Unity: An Inclusive Spiritual Service Room 207 The Rights of the Poor and the Orphan in the Qur'an: Overcoming Poverty in an Unequal World Strengthening One's Faith Through Interfaith Dialogue Room 210 The Mandaeans in Australia: Baptism, Living Water and the Link to John the Baptist Indigenous Biodiversity Learning to Forgive: Healing Our Past, Creating Our Future Indigenous Perspectives The Samoan Experience on Conflict Resolution Supported by Global Family for Love & Peace/Museum of Worlds Religions Globethics.net Globalisation and Principles: Sharing Spiritual Values Values across Cultures and Religions Dark to Dawn: Being Creative about Depression Older People: Revered or Redundant Muslim Women's Artistic Expressions of Faith and Interfaith we. Interfaith Engagement: Issues, Reflections and Prospects AMES: People, Mother Nature Programs and Pathways Doesn't Do Bailouts - Supported by AMES Daily Youth Workshop Praying with Lior (Premier Film Series Selection Protecting Religious Freedom & Sacred Sites: Examples from Indigenous Communities (Session 1) Supported by Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha (UK) Room 219 Room 220 Room 216 Room 217 The Radiant Path: Meditation Practice and Philosophy in the Kriya Yoga Tradition Islam 101 Series: The Wurundjeri People Reverence for the Virgin of Melbourne Mary and Jesus in Islam Room 218 Observance on Dene (Indigenous Canadian) Spirituality Unitarian Universalists - Working for Peace, Civil Rights, and Earth Sharing Scarce Resources in an increasingly Globalised World Indigenous Women: Protecting Culture, Promoting Cultural Strengths Muslim Women Securing Meditation: The Heart of Their Own Individuality: All Things Different Societies, Same Struggle Building Peace Strangers in a Strange in the Pursuit of Land: Integration of Justice: A Buddhist - Religious Minorities, Muslim Dialogue their Families and their Identities into Australia Spiritual Companionship: Listening with a Grateful Heart There are No Back Row Seats in The Hoop of Life Caring Practices for the Earth - Australia and USA Green Faith The Future of Religion in Australia? Melbourne's Religious Leaders in Dialogue with Young People (Seminar 11 A Creative Exploration of the Sacred Feminine A Listening Place Each Day Educating Religious Leaders for a MultiReligious World: The Need for MultiReligious Education for All Religious Leaders www.parliamentofreligions.org27
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________________ PROGRAM Saturday 5 December 8:009:00am 9:30- Climate Change 11:00am as a Concern for Justice 11:30am Halting the -1:00pm Spread of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria: Challenges for Faith 1:002:30pm 2:304:00pm Plenary Hall 4:306:00pm 7:30 9:00pm Supported by Dr. Haruhisa Handa and Associated Organisations Room 101 Taking 'justa-minute': Meditation on the Move Jain Education internationa Hindu Meditations for the Earth Religion, Spirituality and Wellbeing: Implications for Living and Learning 9:0010:30pm Program is correct at the time of printing Room 102 Preksha Meditation Violence Finds Refuge in Falsehood: Religion and the Future of Torture Rivers of the Heart: Indigenous Knowledge and Literature Plenary Hall International Plenary. Further details refer to Page 20 Movement Mudra of Traditional Solonese Dance Room 103 Jewish Morning Observance - Saturday Interfaith in Australia: The Coordinating Work of the Australian Partnership of Religious Organisations Reconciliation with Land - Reconnecting Spirituality, Ecology and Human Creativity, and Reverence for Earth For Prive Personal Use Cay Room 104 Celtic Mysticism: An Introduction to its Arts and Traditions Challenge of Shinto: An Approach to Living Together in Diversity Developing an Interreligious Community: How Silicon Valley Used the Partner City Process Innovative Approaches to Multicultural and Interfaith Education in Schools Room 105 The Divine Feminine Men Who Love the Goddess Vegetarianism - Ethics, Environmental Concerns, and Complex Realities The Practicalities of Getting from 'Is' to 'Ought': Religion, Science and Ethics www.jainelibra org
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________________ Room 106 Room 107 Religious Unity and Nonviolence History of the Inupiat: Nipaa llitqusipta/The Voice of Our Spirit (Premier Film Series Selection) Room 108 Room 109 Room 110 Room 111 Given Life by Sri Sri Yoga: A Gathering of the Heaven and Celebration of the Spirit of Peace in All Earth: A Shinto Diversity in Yoga Observance Reviving Indigenous Poverty in Asian Conference Krishna Spirituality: Wealthy Countries of Religions for consciousness and Reclaiming Challenges Ahead Peace (Religions for the Environment Strength and Supported by Dr Haruhisa Peace Asia) Identity (Session 2) Handa and Associated Dr Din Syamsuddin Organisations and Theophilus Bela are supported by the Australia - Indonesia Institute of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Divided We Fall Islamic Education: Vehicle for Social Cohesion Multifaith Insights on Deep Ecology Christian Action interreligious Global Ethics and and Witness For the Dialogue in Conflict Religion Forum: Environment: What Resolution Panel Religion and Post You Can Do When Supported by Global War Reconciliation You Go Home Family for Love & in a Sustainable Peace/Museum of and Just World of Worlds Religions Human Rights Global Ethics and Religion Forum - The Role of Religion in Post War Treaties Constitutions and International Law The Last Yoik in Saami Forests? Sacred Sites, Sacred Solidarity: Stories from the Frontlines Supported by Guru Nanak Nisham Sewak Jatha Religious Freedom The Gulen Interreligious Indigenous and Interreligious Movement's Global Regional Concerns: Perspective on Dialogue: IARF and Peace and Social Africa Education: Building Its Work in India Reconciliation Academic Skills Vision and Projects: with a Strong Lessons Learned Cultural Grounding from Germany, the US and Medina Learn Arabic URI- Global Letters in 90 Community Minutes - An Gathering Interfaith Cultural Presentation You Can Use *The Imam and the Pastor' and Australia's Muslim Women The Sacred Planet ww.parliamentofreligion sojinelibrary.org Jain Education latemail For PEIVCLE & Personal Use Only
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________________ PROGRAM Saturday 5 December Room 201 Room 202 8:00 - 9:00 am Room 203 Mother of Compassion: Ancient Secrets to Inner Peace. Healing Our Earth, Our Faith, and Ourselves Room 204 Respect for the Earth: A Morning Observance 9:30 - 11:00am Islam and Politics: Faith, Governance and Society A Buddhism for Today: Introduction to Rissho Kosei-kai Ecological Wisdom: Towards a Sustainable and Peaceful Ecology Two Programs: On the Way of Love: Ruby Performs Music Inspired by Rumi & Om Shanthi Om Talkin' 'Bout My Generation - Daily Youth Session 11:30am - 1:00pm Interfaith and the Future of Africa Supported by Dr Haruhisa Handa and Associated Organisations Religions and the Resolution of Violent Conflict Supported by Global Family for Love & Peace/Museum of Worlds Religions 1:00 - 2:30pm Le Carnaval Spirituel 4:00pm The Responsibility of the Mainstream for Reconciliation (Part 1) Religion, Conflict, and Talkin' 'Bout My Generation Peacebuilding: The Case of - Daily Youth Workshop Papua New Guinea Supported by Global Family for Love & Peace/Museum of Worlds Religions 4:30 - 6:00pm Two Programs: Agape Choir & Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Samoan Choir 9:00 - 10:30pm Room 213 Room 215 Room 212 The Art of Qur'an Recitation: Sharing Wisdom in the Search for Inner Peace 8:00 - 9:00am Room 214 Solstice Sites and Celebrations Awakening Meditation 9:30 - Thomas Berry and the Great Neighbourhoods of 11:00am Work of Our Time Difference: The Uniting Church in Australia and Interfaith Relations How a Profound Spiritual Theology can Overthrow Poverty Mamaa: The Untouchable Ones 11:30am Interfaith Dialogue and - 1:00pm Education for a Culture of Peace: A Workshop for Empowerment and Transformation Selections from the New Film 'Journey of the Universe Outreach to Indigenous Aetas in the Philippines Ending Legalised Violence Against Children - A Religious Imperative 1:00 - 2:30pm 2:30 - 4:00pm International Partner Cities and 2009 Ambassadors Reception The Street Theology of Anger and the Logic of Dying to Win A String and A Prayer: Creating Universal Peace Beads Arctic Peoples: Environment and Traditional Ways 4:30 - 6:00pm Religion, Conflict, and Peacebuilding: the Case of the Philippines Supported by Global Family for Love & Peace/Museum of Worlds Religions Grassroots Community Organisers Networking for Interreligious Solidarity Appreciative Inquiry and Healing the Earth: Extending Faith Beyond the Realms of Religion 9:00 - 10:30pm Program is correct at the time of printing 30 PWR-Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ Room 211 Room 209 Invoking Inner Tranquility: Buddhist Chanting and Meditation Room 210 Observance Session with Father Freeman Room 207 Room 208 Global Meditation: Experiencing a Powerful Key To Healing Transformation, and Empowerment Zoroastrianism: Its Stewardship for All Creation, The Animate and inanimate Cambodia in the Aftermath of Genocide: Where Does Faith Come in? Supported by Dr. Haruhisa Handa and Associated Organisations Yoruba Worship of the The Warfare is Over: Working with Self, Earth and Veneration of Science and Spirituality Benefiting Others the Environment as Allies for the sake of the Planet (Session 11 Science, Spirituality. The Art of Creative and Overcoming Expression: Religious Conflict Youth Workshop (Session 2) Striving to Live in a Livable World (Session 1] Religion, Science, and Environmental Activism (Session 3) Engaging Faith-Based Protecting Religious Organisations for the Freedom & Sacred Millenium Development Sites: Examples Goals: Comparative from Indigenous UN Experiences Communities Supported by Dr. Haruhisa (Session 21 Handa and Associated Supported by Guru Nanak Organisations Nishkam Sewak Jatha (UK) Conversation with Sr Joan Chittister to HIV/AIDS from the Global to the Local Perspective Supported by Dr Haruhisa Handa and Associated Organisations Vedantic Wisdom and Middle Eastern Affirmations Cultivating Universal Intelligence Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai (Premier Film Series Selection) Room 216 Room 217 Meditation as a Therapy: How Traditional Techniques Translate into Modern Healing Interfaith and Sri Chinmoy: Multinational A Spirituality of Reflections on Aging Transformation and the Human Spirit Room 218 Room 219 Room 220 Zoroastrian Daily Observance in the Morning Prayers and Haudenosaunee Worship: Day 1 Prophecy and Spirituality Religious Dimensions Substance and Soul: Landscape of Faith: of the Reconciliation An Exploration of Drug Sharing Wisdom Process in Timor-Leste and Alcohol Abuse in for a New Vision of Supported by Global Family the World's Non-Dual Community - Part I: for Love & Peace/Museum of Religious Traditions Living in Community Worlds Religions Voices of Challenge Colonisation: Indigenous Landscape of Faith: and Wisdom: Gay and Peoples Striving for Sharing Wisdom Lesbian Perspectives on Self-Determination for a New Vision of Faith, Spirituality and Community - Part II: Embodied Grace Living in Community in the Shadow of Injustice Youth Spirituality: Join the Evolution! Youth, Spiritual Development and Activism Building Peace in the Pursuit of Justice: A Baha'i Approach Maori Custom Law and Listening to the Land - Australian Aboriginal Meditation Indigenous Land Rights: African American Struggles and Survival Muslims: Mirrors for (Session 1] Global Justice Healing the Earth with Care and Concern: Religious Responses to the Earth Charter Landscape of Faith: Sharing Wisdom for a New Vision of Community - Part III: Addressing Alienation within the Human Family and with the Natural World Landscape of Faith: Sharing Wisdom for a New Vision of Community - Part IV: The Arts as Transformation Sri Chinmoy International Music Group Open Space Concert A Listening Place Each Day Multifaith Perspectives on Interreligious Holidays and Celebrations Educating Religious Leaders for a MultiReligious World: Practical Initiatives and Examples of MultiReligious Education www.parliamentofreligions.org 31
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________________ PROGRAM Sunday 6 December 8:00 - 9:00am 9:3011:00am 11:30am - 1:00pm 1:002:30pm 2:304:00pm 4:306:00pm 7:3010:00pm Plenary Hall Indigenous Peoples and the United Nations: the Struggle for Recognition Room 101 Basic Tenets and Karma in Jainism BuddhistChristian Dialogue 9:00 - 10:30pm Program is correct at the time of printing Room 102 Sukyo Mahikari: Light and Principles for Peace and Harmony Whatever the Faith 32 PWR-Partian of the World's Religions Spirituality and Healing in Melbourne's North The Necessity of Nuclear Disarmament and Steps Toward its Achievement Plenary Hall Sacred Music Concert. Further details refer to Page 20 The Sufism of Hazrat Inayat Khan: Universal Sufism Room 103 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Morning Observance Creators of Peace Orthodoxy Panentheism: God and World in an Ecological Age Edmonton's Experience of Reconciliation with Indigenous People Room 104 in Australia: Currentand Future Perspectives Practising Yoga: Covert Conversion to Hinduism or the Key to MindBody Wellness for All? The Lost & Endangered Religions Project: Preserving the World's Religious Diversity Supported by Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha (UK) Room 105 Anglican Sunday Morning Liturgy Global Poverty Project Feeding a Plan of Action for the UN Decade of Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, Understanding and Cooperation for Peace (Session 1]
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________________ Room 106 Room 107 Room 108 Room 109 Room 110 Room 111 Hindu Meditation: Spirituality in Everyday Life Shum, A Language Guided Metta of Meditation (Loving-Kindness) Meditation Changing the World With One Voice from the Inside Out: Making a Difference through Evolutionary Enlightenment Integration of Transforming Immigrants and Compassion Refugees into in Science and Australia: Interfaith Religion (Session 11 and Cross-cultural Understanding Socially Engaged Buddhism: a Pathway to Peace Supported by Dr Haruhisa Handa and Associated Organisations Zoroastrians: Their Imperative to be Bridge Builders Towards a Universal The Dhamma Declaration of Brothers Human Rights (Premier Film by the World's Series Selection) Religions Who is My Neighbour? Religious Identity and the Limits of Love Global Ethics and Religion Forum - Religion and the Future of Humanitarian Intervention in a Sustainable and Just World Families: Family and Kinship in Contemporary Indigenous Communities Towards a Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the World's Religions, Continued Global Ethics and Religion ForumWhat is Peace in a Sustainable and Just World? American Outrage Sacred Sites, Sacred Solidarity: Teachings of the Traditions Supported by Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha (UK) Building a Culture of PeaceDevelopment on the ground in El Salvador The Digital Revolution and the Age of Religious Pluralism Reality. Religion and Responsibilities: Individual Commitments In Search of Sustainable Pathways An Islamic Conscience: the Aga Khan and the Ismailis Knit Together in Love: Communities Enriched by Altruistic Handicrafting Education for Successful Societies Supported by Dr Haruhisa Handa and Associated Organisations Burma VJ espres Oliva www.parliamento religions.org 83
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________________ PROGRAM Sunday 6 December Room 201 Room 202 Room 203 8:00 - 9:00am Room 204 Remembrance of Allah and His Prophet Through Song 11:00am Two Programs: Tari Sesaji Tri Yoni Saraswati & Walking with Wisdom Religious Leaders for a Sustainable Future Who Do We Want To Be: The February 2009 Bushfires Exploring the Mission of the in Victoria: Religious Jewish People in the 21st Response in the Role of Century Recovery and Renewal Supported by Jewish Community Supported by Buddhist Council Council of Victoria of Victoria Sacred Envy: Exploring What We Love about Our Own Faith, What We Admire in Others and What Challenges Us in Both 11:30am - 1:00pm Removal: The Indigenous Reality - Daily Youth Session A Tale of Two Women: A Multifaith Reading of the Sarah/Hagar Narrative 1:00 - 2:30pm 2:30 - 4:00pm Hindu Spirituality in Dance: Islam 101 Series: War and Odissi Performance Peace in Al-Islam: The Prophet's Struggle Religion, Conflict and Peacebuilding: The Case of Israel-West Bank-Gaza Supported by Global Family for Love & Peace/Museum of Worlds Religions Religious Leadership in a Global Perspective UN Millennium Development Goals. Challenges and Opportunities for Global Stability 4:30 - 6:00pm Come into the Presence of God! A Celebration of the Divine in Words, Music and Silence The Science and Spirituality of Climate Change 9:00 - 10:30pm Room 212 Room 215 Meditation and Sacred Music Room 213 Room 214 The Master Key - Unlocking Self-Inquiry: The Yoga of the Inner Treasures Thought and Feeling 9:00am 9:30 - 11:00am Meditation: the Ultimate Transformative Experience What Religious Insights Can Taking Our Place in the Decolonising our Hearts Bring to Secular Education Interreligious Movement: and Minds, Healing the Women in Society. Earth and Ourselves: North Peacemaking, and American Indigenous Interfaith Dialogue Perspectives Towards the Heart of Many Religions, One The New Planetary Humankind: Critical Community: The Theory and Narrative; Connecting Considerations of Unity. Practice of Living Together Ecology, Social Justice Diversity and a Declaration in Muslim Spain and India and Cosmology of Global Spirituality 11:30am - 1:00pm 1:00 - 2:30pm 2:30 - 4:00pm Religious Identity Formation: The Templars in Australia Accommodating Indigenous Spirituality in the Contemporary World: Valuing and Respecting the Importance of Indigenous Spirituality Offerings for Barong Pa-Hayu Buwana/World Peace Barong 4:30 - 6:00pm Exploring the Future of Religion and Spirituality 9:00 - 10:30pm Program is correct at the time of printing 34 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ Room 207 The Prayer of Women for Giving Peace on Earth II Jain principles for Corporate Social Responsibility Aboriginal Reconciliation in Melbourne: Working for Land Justice and Reconciliation Room 216 Guided Gathering of Mind through Seven Steps Politics and Governance: An Islamic Perspective on Religious Democracy in Iran The Women's Interfaith Initiative and Grassroots Movement Supported by Global Family for Love & Peace/Museum of Worlds Religions Role of Youth Room 208 By the Fig and the Olive Tree: A Qur'anic Perspective on Healing the Earth with Care and Concern The Calling to Interfaith Ministry and Interfaith Practice Discoveries from 'Mapping' Faith Engagement in the International Development Challenge Supported by Dr. Haruhisa Handa and Associated Organisations Hear the Voices of the Indigenous Elders Room 217 Middle Way Meditation Supported by Dhammakaya International Society of Australia Preservation of Sikh Heritage Supported by Global Family for Love & Peace/Museum of Worlds Religions Indigenous Land Rights: Struggles and Survival (Session 2) Room 209 Baha'i Devotional Gathering: 'The Earth is but One Country' Spiritual Progressives: Networking Towards a New Bottom Line The Sacred Journey One Voice, Many Musics: Many Faiths, One Community Striving to Live in a Livable World (Session 2) The Impact of Women in Faith, Community and Disaster Risk Reduction Conflict Resolution Room 218 Zoroastrian Daily Morning Prayers and Worship: Day 2 The Spiritual Tradition of Scientology Knowing Home: A Presentation of Indigenous Spirituality A Listening Place Each Day Room 210 Sikh Youth Perspectives Our Interreligious Future Supported by The Helen and Bori Liberman Family Religious Dual Belonging: The Future of the Dialogue of Experience? Removal: The Indigenous RealityDaily Youth Workshop Thirst (Premier Film Series Selection) Room 219 The Headscarf Debates: Religious Dress and Secular Fundamentalism The Challenge of Islamophobia and the Media: How Innovative Dialogue is Changing the Landscape Our Interreligious Future Part Two Room 211 Educating Religious Leaders for a MultiReligious World: Resources for and Obstacles to MultiReligious Education in One's Own Tradition Role of Religion and Spirituality in the Public Discourse Supported by Union for Progressive Judaism Religions Respond to Disasters The Legacy of the Melbourne Parliament (Part 1) Room 220 Charter of Compassion The Vision of Humanity: The Components of Peace Breaking Barriers: Global Women of Faith Network, Religions for Peace Religions for Peace Gathering www.parliamentofreligions.org 35
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________________ PROGRAM Monday 7 December Plenary Hall Room 101 Room 102 Room 103 Room 104 Room 105, 8:00 - 9:00 am The Power of Spiritual Experience Seon (Zen) Meditation Practise Orthodox Jewish Morning Observance - Monday 9:30 - 11:00am Gender and Equality and the Sikh Faith Poverty, Health and Religion in Australia Baha'i Perspective on the Right to Development Supported by Dr. Haruhisa Handa and Associated Organisations Global and Interreligious Education through Peer-to-Peer and Online Learning in Australian and US Schools 11:30am - 1:00pm ABC Compass Live Recording Compassionate Eating for the YouTube Generation African Religions Sharing Wisdom Talking Faiths: in Latin America in Search of Inner Your Story, My and Outer Peace Story and Our Story, across Schools and the World Wide Web Reflections on the Global Financial Crisis 1:00 - 2:30pm 2:30 - 4:00pm Spanish Religion and Language Session Belief in 1 of 2 Public Schools Has Economics Triumphed Over Ethics? Interpreting the Text: Apostasy and Homosexuality Spiritual Education and Interreligious Learning for Primary (Elementary) and Secondary Students 4:30 - 6:00pm Spanish Pagans and Language Session Religious 2 of 2 Freedom Spiritual Practice, The Inner Search Experience the Women's Interfaith Network 7:30 - 9:00pm Plenary Hall Youth Plenary Further details refer to Page 21 9:00 - 10:30pm Program is correct at the time of printing 36 PW t of the World's eligions Jan Eucation Internatiepe
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________________ Room 106 Room 107 Room 108 Room 109 Room 110 Room 111 Catholic Mass. Ukrainian Rite Uniting Church Prayer Service Living Ahimsa Meditation: The Power of Harmony in our Thoughts, Speech and Action Poverty, Health and Journey into Religion in Australia America Sikh Panel on Principles and Articles of Faith Transforming Islam 101 Series: Compassion Applying Islamic in Science and Principles for Religion (Session 2) a Just and Sustainable World Returning to Right Relations between Christians and Indigenous Peoples in North America and Australia: A Powerful Source of Learning Christianity and Ecology Beyond Beliefs - Muslims and Non- Muslims Living in Australia Addressing the Shadow in Our Own Traditions Women's Peace Initiatives Global Ethics and Religion Forum - Rotary International Peace Fellows International Christian University Global Ethics and Religion Forum - World Religions Perspectives on Justice, War and Peace - Panel ! Sacred Sites Migrar o Morir/ Sacred Solidarity: Paying the Price Current Initiatives (Premier Film Supported by Guru Nanak Series Selection) Nishkam Sewak Jatha (UK) Global Ecological Crisis: A Time for the Reunion of Science and Religion? Religion, Conflict Media Savvy for and Peacebuilding: Better Coverage The Case of Thailand Supported by Global Family for Love & Peace/Museum of Worlds Religions Peacemaking in the Homeland: Four Middle East Portraits of Native Action Supported by Dr. Haruhisa Handa and Associated Organisations Enhancing Religious Leadership for the Future 2 of 3 Blue Gold: World Water Wars 6 Jain Education international o r (2GO www.parliamento regainelibrary.org
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________________ PROGRAM Monday 7 December Room 201 Room 202 8:00 - 9:00am 9:30 - 11:00am A New Ethical Manifesto for the Global Economy Two Programs: An Exploration of Gurmat Sangeet - Sikh Musical Heritage & Sacred Earth: Music for Inner Peace Room 203 Room 204 Living in Peace Not Pieces: Criteria for Deciding the How to Find and Remain Eternal Truths Anchored in Joy, Peace, and Bliss Amidst the Waves and Storms of Daily Life Sarvodaya Shramadana The Role of Media in Movement - Grassroots Conflict Resolution - Panel Development, Conflict Supported by Global Family Resolution and Education for Love & Peace/Museum of Supported by Dr. Haruhisa Handa Worlds Religions and Associated Organisations The Reality of the Faith-Consistent Investing Universal Human Family: Supported by Dr. Haruhisa Handa Interreligious Cooperation and Associated Organisations in Healing the Earth 11:30am - 1:00pm Does the Media Have Faith? - Daily Youth Session 1:00 - 2:30pm 2:30 - 4:00pm Two Programs: Shadi Toloui-Wallace & Joanne Shenandoah: Healing Through Music Is Climate Change the New Slavery? Nuclear Non-Proliferation: Response and Advocacy by Religious Communities 4:30 - 6:00pm Sacred Music of India: Natesan Ramani and Manjiri Kelkar Conversation with Cardinal McCarrick 9:00 - 10:30pm Room 213 Room 215 Room 212 Five Pillars of Spiritual Life Room 214 Self-Enquiry Meditation 8:00 - 9:00am 9:30 - 11:00am Jain Heritage and Education Living Mindfully for Peace and Harmony For A Peaceful And Sustainable Future JCMA: A Working Model of Interfaith in Action Religion, Conflict, and Peacebuilding: The Case of Colombia Supported by Global Family for Love & Peace/Museum of Worlds Religions Conflict Transformation and Peace Building Supported by Global Family for Love & Peace/Museum of Worlds Religions 11:30am - 1:00pm Private Property. Religion and the Environment Judaism, Vegetarianism and Tikun Olam (Healing the World) Let's Shake 1:00 - 2:30pm 2:30 - 4:00pm Alternatives to Empire, Another World is Possible UNESCO Chair in Interreligious and Intercultural Relations - Asia Pacific: An Interregional Perspective on Interreligious Relations A Spiritual Audit of the World's Workplaces: Sharing Our Stories of the Human Spirit at Work 4:30 - 6:00pm The After Party - Legacy and Young People (Session 1] Twenty-One Moments of Stillness Personal and Professional Journeys of Women Leaders: A Worldwide Dialogue 9:00 - 10:30pm Program is correct at the time of printing Jain PWR Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ Room 208 Room 209 Room 210 Room 211 Room 207 So That You May know One Another: The Call for Social Cohesion in the Qur'an The Many Faces of Peace Jaina Doctrine of Ahimsa and Sustainable Living Sustainable Way of Life Through Shumei Natural Agriculture Convening Education Session: Schooling, Young People and Social Inclusion Religion, Spirituality and Life Threatening Illness Best Practices in Interfaith Youth Work: Religious Schools and Community-based Programs Respond Blogistan: Muslims Dialogue through New Media Interfaith Dialogue and Institutions of Higher Learning: India, Indonesia and United States Case Studies Earth Charter as a Global Ethics for a Sustainable Future Religion's Imperative to present the Other Faithfully (Session 1] Green Buildings, Green Cities - An Ethical Path Forward Educating Religious Leaders for a MultiReligious World The State and Religious Freedom Strangers Becoming Sharing Wisdom - Neighbours: Community Fostering Peace Interfaith Responses to Interdependence (Session 1) Strangers Becoming Neighbours: Community Interfaith Responses to Interdependence (Session 2] Sharing the Zoroastrian Dhakiyarr vs the Environmentalist King (Premier Film Faith: Building Bridges Series Selection) with Indigenous Communities Room 219 Room 218 The Torah through Paintings and Poetry Room 220 Gurbani Kirtan: Sikh Sacred Classical Music Room 216 Room 217 Purifying the Heart Daily Puja: The and Soul through Daily Jain Ritual of Remembrance of Allah: a Shwetambar Jain Dhikr As An Islamic Idol Worshiper Devotional Act for Inner Peace The Tree of Humanity Australian and the One God Pagans Speak: of All Religions: A Community Forum The Brahma Kumaris Islam 101 Series: Women's Rights as Human Rights in Islam Islamic Finance: The Compassionate Approach to Market and Money The New Archaic: Religious Conflict and Interreligious Regional East Asian Perspectives Neuroscience, Spiritual Persecution: The Cases Concerns: Middle Easton Ecology Practice and Healing of Myanmar, Thailand and Iran Building Bridges The Spiritual Dynamics of Hearing/Listening and Healing: Awakening to the Flow Within Between and Among Us The Muslim Green: Does the Media Muslim Contributions to Have Faith? - Healing the Earth Daily Youth Workshop A Listening Place Each Day Ears Wide Open: The Art of Inloquence 2 Jews. 3 Opinions: An Open Conversation on the implications of the Parliament for Our Jewish Communities Educating Religious Leaders for a MultiReligious World: Virtues and Skills for MultiReligious Education www.parliamento religions.org 39
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________________ PROGRAM Tuesday 8 December 8:009:00am 9:30 - 11:00am 11:30am - 1:00pm 1:002:30pm 2:304:00pm 4:306:00pm 7:309:00pm 9:0010:30pm Plenary Hall Islam and the West: Creating an Accord of Civilisations Room 101 Sing Praise for the Earth Hindu Perspectives on Interfaith Understanding Faith-based Education in Human Values for a Sustainable Future Healing the Earth One Workplace at a Time - Spiritual Paths Through the World of Work Exploring the Universality of God's Religion Program is correct at the time of printing Room 102 40 PWR-Parliament of the World's Religions Worship and Justice The Centrality of Spirituality in Australian Indigenous Education Darwin in the Dreaming Caritas Australia - Community Development in a Multifaith and Multicultural Environment Supported by Dr. Haruhisa Handa and Associated Organisations Plenary Hall Melbourne Plenary. Further details refer to Page 21 The Urantia Papers What's Love got to do with it? Room 103 Meditation Training and Practice The Imam and the Pastor: An Exploration of Muslim-Christian Dialogue and Collaborative Power in Nigeria The Changing Shifts in Religion and Spirituality on the AsiaPacific Rim The Search for Inner Peace: Multifaith Views from Women around the World (Part 1) The Search for Inner Peace: Multifaith Views from Women around the World [Part 2] Room 104 Catholic Mass, Roman RiteTuesday A Course in Miracles Unleashed: A Direct Encounter with Jesus Christ in the Evolution and Enlightenment of the Human Species Preventing Violence Against Women: Australian and International Perspectives Voices of Peace: Models for Productive Coexistence Among Youth Youth Projects - Sustaining Peace from the Inside Out Supported by Monash University Room 105 Hearing the Concerns and Voices of Indigenous Youth Spirituality and the Western World Sustaining Spiritual Practices in a Changing World Climate Change: the Burden and Challenge for the Next Generation
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________________ Room 106 Praying Together in Not Broken Times of Happiness, in Times of Sorrow? The Ongoing Dilemma for the Interfaith Movement Proselytisation and Religious Freedom Changing the Conversation about Islam and Muslims Through Film: Shia, Puerto RicanAmerican and Australian Voices Room 107 Jain Extrator literat Tackling Peace and 'SAG (it's all about human rights) The Episcopal Church Confronts Racism: Traces of the Trade Compassion Rising (World Premiere) Homeland: Four Portraits of Native Action: Room 108 The Still Mind, Emptiness and Divine Love Sikh Diaspora and Global Sikh Community Interfaith Marriage: A Workshop in Working with Difference Enabling Response: Contributions of the Ecological Humanities toward an Environmental Culture For Room 109 Sikh Observance organised by Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha Living a Good Life: The Secular Way Interreligious Regional Concerns: Europe Religion, Conflict, and Peacebuilding: The Case of Myanmar Supported by Global Family for Love & Peace/Museum of Worlds Religions e & Personal Use Only Room 110 Shinto Prayer for the Sunrise Ritual Kanyini Global Ethics and Religion Forum - World Religions Perspectives on Justice, War and Peace Panel II Global Ethics and Religion Forum - Open meeting: final assessment and report on project The Responsibility of the Mainstream for Reconciliation (Part 2) Room 111 International Indigenous Repatriation 2014 Site Selection Orientation Part 2 Environmental Issues Affecting the Health of Indigenous Peoples Enhancing Religious Leadership for the Future 3 of 3 www.parliamentofreligions.org 41
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________________ PROGRAM Tuesday 8 December Room 201 Room 203 Room 204 8:00 - 9:00am Room 202 Convocation of Hindu Spiritual Leaders: Opening Ceremony 9:30 - 11:00am Wings of the Spirit in Concert Sharing Wisdom - Fostering Peace: A Workshop for the Interreligious Panel Convocation of Hindu Restoring Peace and Spiritual Leaders: Part One Fostering Dialogue within Religious Traditions: The Experience of Christian Ecumenism in Australia and Beyond Convocation of Hindu Universities, Interreligious Spiritual Leaders: Part Two Dialogue, and Social Justice: A Conversation Supported by Dr. Haruhisa Handa and Associated Organisations 11:30am - 1:00pm Sport as a tool for Peace - Daily Youth Session Towards a Shared Language of Religious Training: Interfaith Education for Religious Leaders 1:00 - 2:30pm 2:30 - 4:00pm Religion and Global Media Simonel!) Creating a Stress-Free Mind Religion, Conflict, and and a Violence-Free World: Peacebuilding: the Case Violence Ends Where Love of Afghanistan Begins Supported by Global Family for Love & Peace/Museum of Worlds Religions Two Programs: Revelations Hindu Intrafaith Meet: Chapter 1 & The Sacred The Challenges and Fire: The Music of Hildegard Opportunities Facing of Bingen Hinduism in the Western World 4:30 - 6:00pm 9:00 - 10:30pm Room 213 8:00 - 9:00 am Room 212 Observance on (Native American Cochiti Pueblo Spirituality Room 214 Seeking Heaven on Earth - Our Common Quest Room 215 Healing the Earth: A Meditation of Universal Oneness 9:30 - 11:00am Women of Faith Network, Religions for Peace, Australia and New Zealand UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous peoples Pure Mind, Pure Land: A New Lifestyle for World Harmony The Sacred Art of Listening: Hearing From the Heart 11:30am - 1:00pm The Role of Religion in Mediating Conflict Supported by Global Family for Love & Peace/Museum of Worlds Religions Signposts of Engaged Hearing the Other: How Spirituality: Faith and Can Cultural Organisations Interfaith Initiatives for Best Work with Building a Culture of Peace Indigenous Communities? Supported by Global Family for Love & Peace/Museum of Worlds Religions Development of Indigenous Foundations: Helping Communities Develop Foundations for Indigenous Peoples 1:00 - 2:30pm 2:30 - 4:00pm Expressing Our Links with the Environment Rivers of Life: Community. Ainu Indigenous Spirituality Building Cities of Harmony Water and Spirit in Australia and Culture of Japan 4:30 - 6:00pm The After Party - Legacy and Young People (Session 2) Pray the Devil Back to Hell (Premier Film Series Selection) Dance Workshop - Expression of Emotions 9:00 - 10:30pm Jain Educaion Iniemalona Program is correct at the time of printing TOITURE SENSUGUSLU www
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________________ Room 208 Room 209 Room 210 Room 211 Room 207 Understanding the Wisdom of Muslim Obligatory Prayers: Salaat & Inner Peace Cohesion and Unity in the Sikh Community Observance on Zimbabwe Shona/ Nodebele Spirituality Jainism and the Environment Rastafari: the Livity of Spirituality The Zoroastrian Ethos of Compassion The Impact of Modernity and Climate Change in Oceania Social Cohesion Aboriginal Women - Healing the Land and its People Understanding Vodun: A West African Spirituality Traditional Knowledge: The Value of Teaching and Preserving Traditional Knowledge Creative Methodologies for Interreligious Dialogue Christian-Muslim Unity in Diversity Engagement: Action through the Arts and through Understanding Religiosity of Indonesia in the Writings of Said Nursi Interfaith Australia, The Gift of Global Social Cohesion and the Community Muslim Communities Sacred Sites, Sacred Solidarity: Working Session 2 Supported by Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha (UK) Spiritual Intimacy: Taking Interfaith Engagement to the Next Level The Legacy of the Melbourne Parliament (Part 2) Room 216 Room 219 Room 217 Devotional Singing and Meditation for Inner Peace Room 218 Orthodox Jewish Morning Observance - Tuesday Room 220 Sunrise Yoga Securing Food and Water For All People: The Compassion of a Qur'an Based Approach Veneration of the Ancestors A Buddhist Story Just for You Burying and Islam 101 Series: How Resurrecting Our Tlingit Islam Deals with Social Culture Justice, Gender Justice and Religious Diversity Dr Din Syamsuddin is supported by the Australia - Indonesia Institute of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Interfaith Dialogue in Victorian Schools The Doctrine of Discovery and Indigenous Peoples Religion's Imperative to Present 'the Other Faithfully (Session 2) The Swami and the Rabbi: A Conversation Faith, Culture and Policing: The Victorian Experience Feeding a Plan of Action for the UN Decade of Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, Understanding and Cooperation for Peace (Session 2) A Listening Place Each Day Stop the Traffic, People Sacred Sites, Sacred Islam 101 Series: are Not for Sale: Human Solidarity: A Call for Muslim Women's Trafficking and Slavery Collaboration Contributions to in the World Today Supported by Guru Nanak a More Just and Supported by Dr Haruhisa Nishkam Sewak Jatha (UK) Sustainable World Handa and Associated Organisations The Holy Scriptures Educating Religious Peace Pole Dedication and Questions of Leaders for a Multi- Ceremony for Intended Use Religious World: What Reconciliation Among We've Learned... What Religions and Peace Next Steps We Hope Among Nations to Take Taking the Initiative... the Role of Youth in Global Interfaith Action www.parliamentofreligions.org 43
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________________ PROGRAM Wednesday 9 December Plenary Hall Room 101 8:00 - 9:00am 9:30 - 11:00am 11:30am - 1:00pm 2:304:00pm 8:009:00am 9:30 - 11:00am 11:30am - 1:00pm 8:009:00am World Subud Association 1:002:30pm Room 201 Michael Leuning Plenary Hall Closing Plenary. Further details refer to Page 22 Room 212 Master Class in Raja Yoga: A Pathway to Healing and Transformation 9:30 East and West: 11:00am Spirituality and Women's Leadership in Different Religious Perspectives 11:30am The Stolen Generation and -1:00pm The Apology Room 102 Whole SelfWhole Earth Beyond the Dreamtime: Aboriginal Belief Systems and Their Deeper Philosophic Construct Program is correct at the time of printing 44 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions Room 202 Room 213 The Haudenosaunee Prophecy The Hazards of Writing About Religion Room 103 Jewish Reform Morning Observance - Wednesday Plant Perspectives Reviving and Maintaining Indigenous Languages: Saving Indigenous Languages in the Face of Globalisation Interreligious Dialogue and the Catholic Church in Australia and Melbourne Room 203 Room 104 Engagement for Justice: Meeting the Needs of Refugees A Review on Shi'ism from the Islamic Republic of Iran A New Conscience: Making a World of Difference Room 214 Sanctuaries for Healing the Earth: Sharing Collective Wisdom and Ceremony Jain Perspective on Nonviolence and Self-Control: a Model for Education Furthering Global Human Thriving through Interreligious and Interdisciplinary Discourse Furthering Global Human Thriving through Interreligious and Interdisciplinary Discourse, Continued Room 105 Ancient Jain Mantra: Sound and Spirituality Poverty Symposium Closing Session Supported by Dr. Haruhisa Handa and Associated Organisations Room 204 Viswamitra in Union with the Universe Melbourne: An Interfaith Experience Australia's Diverse Cultures and Multifaith Communities: Fethullah Gulen's Vision and Building Bridges Projects Room 215 Catholic Mass, Coptic Rite Strengthening Families with Weekly Family Night The Importance of Family
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________________ Room 106 Meditation for Better Life The Black GST (Genocide, Sovereignty, Treaty) Perspectives on Sustainability: Buddhist and Jewish Perspectives Room 207 The Way of Balance Diversity, Unity and Community: Charting a Course for the Jews under the Southern Cross Supported by Dr. Haruhisa Handa and Associated Organisations Peace-Building in Mindanao: A Strategy to Promote Social Cohesion Among Diverse Communities of Faith in a Situation of Armed Conflict Room 216 Contemplative Shacharit (Jewish Morning) Service Courage to Care: Listening to the Messages of the Holocaust Survivors 108 Bowls: A Mala of Water Room 107 The Soul of Kalaupapa Soldiers of Peace Room 108 Sunrise Morning Sadhana Introducing Quakers: What Canst Thou Say? Room 208 A Celebration of Urantia, Our Planet Sacred Activism: Cooperative Partnerships Advocating for Global Peace, Human Rights and the Millennium Development Goals Health and Healing: Indigenous Healing in the Modern Allopathic Medical World Room 217 Observance on Tlinglit (Indigenous Alaskan Native) Spirituality Leadership Among Muslim Males in the Post-9/11 Era I-Kuan Tao: Healing the Earth with Care and Concern, Sharing Wisdom in the Search of Inner Peace Room 109 Sikh Observance by Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha Shared Security for the Earth Community Room 209 Interpreting the Text: Creationism, Intelligent Design and Evolution Milestones and Signposts in Interfaith Relations: the View from Christianity, Islam and Hinduism Room 218 Melbourne Buddhist Leaders Observance Analyse This!: Views of Young Saudi, Australian and American Muslim Women on Their Faith and Evolving Roles Room 110 Chan Meditation to Ease the Body and Mind at All Times and on All Occasions Interreligious Dialogue Making a World of Difference to Establish Peace: Sikh Perspective Renewal: Religious Grassroots Environmentalism [Premier Film Series Selection) Room 210 The Future of Religion in Australia? Melbourne's Religious Leaders in Dialogue with Young People (Seminar 2). Monastic Interreligious Dialogue: Dialogue at the Level of Spiritual Practice and Experience Room 219 Compassion as a Common Value/The Global Food Crisis as a Spiritual Challenge Closing Remarks on Conflict Resolution Supported by Global Family for Love & Peace/Museum of Worlds Religions Room 111 Indigenous Food Insecurity Health and Healing: Healing the Person, Healing the Family Room 211 The Common Enterprise of Peace-building: A New Model for Spiritually Motivated Social Action Within, Among & Beyond Communities of Faith Room 220 A Qur'anic Moral Imperative: Building Peace in the Pursuit of Justice The Revival of the European Pagan Religions Healing the Earth: Buddhist and Hindu Theological Perspectives www.parliamentofreligions.org 45
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________________ ART AND SPIRITUALITY AT NGV ngv The lan Potter Centre: NGV Australia Federation Square 10am-5pm Closed Mondays National Gallery of Victoria Art can be a profound means to spiritual understanding, helping us to answer the question 'Who am I?' To coincide with the Parliament of the World's Religions. the NGV is pleased to present this special series of talks focusing on art and spirituality Floor Talk: An introduction to spirituality in aboriginal artwork Fri 4 Dec, 2pm NGV Australia Speaker Brian McKinnon, Indigenous Project Officer, NGV and artist Cost Free Meet Information Desk, Ground Level, NGV Australia NGV International 180 St Kilda Road 10am-5pm Closed Tuesdays 03 8620 2222 ngv.vic.gov.au The NGV is Victoria's largest and most comprehensive public gallery of Australian and international art. Floor Talk: JudeoChristian artistic expressions Sal 5 Dec, 3pm NGV International Speaker David Menzies, Education Officer, NGV Cost Free Meet Information Desk NGV International scientist who probed NGV International the origins of human Speaker Carol Cains, life (Darwin), an artist Curator Asian Art, NGV whose creativity tapped Cost Free into metaphysical issues Meet Information Desk, (Mondrian) and a great yogi NGV International with a profound spiritual philosophy (Ramana Floor Talk: Martyrs and Maharshi). Madonnas - Images of Introduction Isobel women in eighteenth Crombie, Senior Curator century art Photography. NGV Wed 9 Dec, 12.30pm Speakers Mahant NGV International Swami Shankarananda, Speaker Laurie Benson, Director Shiva School of Curator International Art, Meditation, Mt Eliza; Doug NGV McCann, Fellow, History Cost Free and Philosophy of Science Meet Information Desk Department, The University NGV International of Melbourne: Patrick Mahaffey, Chair Mythological Floor Talk: Women's art Studies, Pacifica Graduate and ritual in Papua New Institute (Santa Barbara); and Guinea Jason Smith, Director, Heide Thu 10 Dec, 2pm Museum of Modern Art NGV International Melbourne. Speaker Sana Balai, Cost Free Assistant Curator Venue Great Hall, Ground Indigenous Art, NGV Level, NGV International Cost Free Venue Wisdom of the Floor Talk: The tree of Mountain: Art of the Omie life - between heaven exhibition space, Ground and Earth Level, NGV International Mon 7 NGV Programs Floor Talk: Bill Viola's Ocean without a shore Thu 3 Dec, 3.30pm INGV International Speaker Kelly Gellatly, Curator Contemporary Art, NGV Cost Free Meet Information Desk Nain Educationdaternational Symposium: Who am 1? The visions of Jung, Darwin, Mondrian and Ramana Maharshi Sun 6 Dec, 2-4pm NGV International This symposium explores the responses of a groundbreaking psychologist (Jung), a FLEMISH Flinders St Jerome 1340 (data) National Gallery of Victoria Melbourne www.jain Victoria Felton Baquest, 1930
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________________ OFFSITE EVENTS Please note that your Parliament registration fee does not include any costs associated with Offsite Events, Explore Melbourne's Aboriginal History and Culture The Koorie Heritage Trust Shop The Koorie Heritage Trust is a not-for-profit Aboriginal community organisation that aims to protect preserve and promote the living culture of Aboriginal people of south-eastern Australia. Its shop offers a wide variety of books, paintings, artefacts, CDs, native bush food, clothing and souvenirs, Location: 295 King Street, cnr of Little Lonsdale Street, City Days and Times: Open from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm daily Enquiries: 8622 2600 Buniilaka at Melbourne Museum Buniilaka is the Aboriginal Centre at Melbourne Museum, developed to empower Aboriginal people to interpret their own cultural heritage for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Bunjilaka holds Aboriginal cultural heritage items from a collection that is one of the most significant in the world. The Museum recognises the rights and perspectives of Aboriginal people, and, through Bunjilaka, aims to further partnerships with Aboriginal communities, promote reconciliation to all visitors and actively support Indigenous rights and perspectives through exhibitions, performances and activities Location: 11 Nicholson Street, Carlton, Inext to the Exhibition Building) Days and Times: Open daily: 10.00 am - 5.00 pm Cost: $8.00 Adults, Concession and Children free Enquiries: 1300 130 152 Tjanabi sa Fed Square Experience Indigenous cuisine at Tianabi Restaurant at Federation Square, Offering fine dining, bistro style foods for casual diners, and bar featuring premium beers and wines, the menu is based on the traditional six seasons and is a fusion between Australian 'wild foods and quality regional Victorian produce from the Gippsland region, Location: The Atrium, Federation Square, Flinders Street, City Days and Times: Open daily. Breakfast from 7.00 am Lunch 11.00 am - 3.00 pm Dinner from 5.30 pm Bookings: 9662 1225 or by email to bookings atjanabi.com.au Mamaa: The Untouchable Ones, From Cave to Canvas, Wanjina Gwion Aboriginal Cave Rock Art Exhibition Creative Director Heather Winter with the Ngarinyin Aboriginal Corporation present paintings from the Ngarinyin Lands in North-West Kimberley region of Western Australia, The exhibition comprises 40 works by 30 painters, some as young as eighteen years old. This Cave to Canvas' exhibition has been recognised as one of the most influential movements in Australian Aboriginal Art. The exhibition comprises paintings of the Wanjina, god of the three language groups of the Worroraa, Wanumbal, and Ngarinyin people, The Ngarinyin language group have translated their custodial stories from their clan Wanjina/Gwion cave painting estates as images onto canvas. The pictures and their stories are sacred. In the mid-905 Ngarinyin Elders decided to open access to the traditional rock and cave paintings and began painting their stories onto canvas. Location: Australian Catholic University Gallery, 26 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy Dates and Times: Tuesday 8 December - Friday 18 December. 11.00 am - 4.00 pm Enquiries: 9953 3380 ACU National Other Offsite Events Mingary Organisation: St Michael's Uniting Church, Melbourne Description: Mingary is a quiet place for reflection and is dedicated to healing, restoration, inspiration, vision and empowerment. Location: St Michaels Church. 120 Collins Street, City Cenr of Collins and Russell Sts! Date: Sundays - Fridays Time: Weekdays 8.00 am - 5.00 pm Sunday 8.00 am - 1.00 pm Cost: FREE Bookings: No bookings required Website: www.stmichaels.org.au Accessibility: Entrance off Russell Street www.parliamentofreligions.org 47
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________________ OFFSITE EVENTS (continued) Tours of St Michael's Uniting Church Description: Tours of the church including an explanation of Klaus Zimmer's contemporary stained glass windows by knowledgeable and friendly members of the church. The tour will also include an outline of the architectural aspects of the building. Location: St Michael's Church. 120 Collins Street, City Icnr of Collins and Russell Sts) Date: Monday to Friday Time: 10.30 am - 1.00 pm Cost: FREE Bookings: No booking required Website: www.stmichaels.org.au Women in the Bible: Tricksters, Victors & (Mothers Organisation: Jewish Museum of Australia Description: This exhibition will explore a selection of female characters in the Bible, from the mythical characters of the book of Genesis (such as Eve, the matriarchsl to the historical figures in the Prophets and Writings such as Deborah. Yael. Estherl. The exhibition will also investigate some of the lesser known and nameless women of the Bible and the status and daily lives of ordinary women in biblical society. It will include a diverse range of artworks, some borrowed from major public and private collections around Australia and some specially commissioned contemporary interpretations of biblical characters, Warren Breninger Location: Jewish Museum of Australia, 26 Alma Road, St Kilda Expulsion of Eve {No. 5) 1978 Date: 1 October 2009 - 1 March 2010 gelatin silver photograph, acrylic is Time: Tuesday - Thursday 10.00 am - 4.00 pm, Sunday 10.00 am - 5.00 pm paint, decal lettering Cost: $10.00 for adults: $5.00 for children and concession National Gallery of Australia Enquiries: 8534 3600 Image courtesy Website: http://www.jewishmuseum.com.au the artist Accessibility: Trams 3 and 67 along St Kilda Road Rhythms and Forms of Existence: Earth, Fire, Air, Water Organisation: Box Hill Baptist Church Description: This art exhibition will creatively explore the elements of existence. How do these elements create a space in which we engage with God through both ritual and daily life? The intent is to create the sense of immediacy and presence of existence through artistic expression Location: Chapel on Station Gallery, Corner of Station Street and Ellingworth Parade, Box Hill Date: 26 November 2009 - 10 December 2009 Time: Tuesday - Friday 11.30 am - 3.00 pm Saturday 1.00 pm - 4.00 pm Sunday 4.30 pm - 7.00 pm Cost: FREE Website: www.chapelonstationgallery.org.au Accessibility: Tram 109. Train: Belgrave and Lilydale line Talking Faiths - My Story, Your Story, Our Story Organisation: Immigration Museum Description: To coincide with the Parliament the Immigration Museum will document two innovative interfaith dialogue projects involving over 20 schools, during the course of the 2009 academic year. The Melbourne Interfaith Socratic Circle Cluster and the Building Bridges. Eastern Region group will work with visual artists and museum staff in the process of developing interfaith dialogue with Year 9 and 10 students from many faiths including Catholic, Jewish and Islamic and will provide the basis for an interactive multi-media exhibition. Location: Immigration Museum. 400 Flinders Street, City Date: 27 November 2009 - June 2010 Time: 10.00 am - 5.00 pm every day (Closed Christmas Day and Good Friday) Cost: Exhibition Ground Floor - No Charge Museum Entry $8.00: Students, children, concession FREE Enquiries: 13 11 02 Website: www.museumvictoria.com.au/immigrationmuseum Image: Singing Bowl Media Source: Museum Victoria IMMIGRATION MUSEUM
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________________ Sacred Icons and Other Images - Image Versus Idol Organisation: The Icon School of St Peter Melbourne, in Association with Trinity College, Melbourne Description: This exhibition presents modern sacred icons by members of the School and by other local and international iconographers. Membership of the School includes people from a variety of Christian traditions including Anglicans, Catholics, Lutherans, Maronite Church, Uniting Church, Interiaith Centre, both lay people and clergy and members of religious orders. Whilst teaching the Byzantine tradition, our inspiration is drawn from sources such as Greece, Russia, Coptic Egypt and Ethiopia, Crete, the Balkans, Italy and Cyprus - anywhere that iconographical traditions have flourished. Location: Leeper Library, 1st floor of the Burge Building Trinity College, University of Melbourne Royal Parade, Parkville-entry via Gates B, C and E www.trinity.unimelb.edu.au/about/map/Trinity College Map.pdf Date: Monday 30 November 2009 - Friday 11 December 2009 10.00 am - 5.00 pm (Closed Saturdays and Sundays) Cost: FREE Enquiries: Judy Bink - judybinklabigpond.com or 9571 5490 Accessibility: Tram 19 INorth Coburg) to Stop 12, Royal Parade Map: Time: Venice, Rumi and the Architecture of the Soul Description: This exhibition is a fundraising event for the Alola Foundation that supports women and children in East Timor. The artwork was mostly done in Venice and is inspired by the poetry of Rumi. The sacred ambience of Venice is evoked with whirling dervishes, lovers and ordinary people going about their everyday business. Location: Richmond Town Hall, 333 Bridge Road, Richmond Date: 30 November 2009 - 8 January 2010 Time: 8.30 am - 5.00 pm, Monday - Friday Extra opening for PWR: Monday 7 December 2009. 6.00 pm - 8.00 pm Cost: FREE Enquiries: luisamarianni@hotmail.com/0450457027 Bookings: To arrange a viewing time ring Civic Facilities on 9205 5220 Website: sites.google.com/site/luisamariannil Accessibility: Tram 75. Flinders Street - Stop no. 19 Sri Chinmoy Soul-Bird Drawing Exhibition Organisation: Sri Chinmoy Centre Description: Using a wealth of coloured pens and markers and with just a few delt movements, Sri Chinmoy sketches full bodied Soul-Bird images rich in vigour, personality and charm. He does not strive for representational detail, but rather for the essence of the aspiring consciousness of the soul Each bird represents the eternal cry for freedom and oneness in each human heart. Location: St Johns, Southgate. 20 City Road, Southgate Date: 1 December 2009 - 14 December 2009 Time: 10.00 am - 6.00 pm Cost: FREE Bookings: Erika Ashton 0422 511 782 Website: www.us.srichinmoycentre.org/sri_chinmoy/bird-drawings-intro Accessibility: approximately 8 minutes walking distance from MCEC along Yarra River Daily Walking Meditation Organisation: Green Bamboo Sangha and Quang Minh Temple Description: Walking meditation is a great way to start the day. Many spiritual traditions have found that walking meditation calms the mind and gives us the clarity we need to enjoy our busy lives. Join us by the river Beginners are welcome. Location: Batman Park, Melbourne CBD (by the Yarra River off Spencer Street opposite the Crown Casino Date: Wednesday 2 December 2009 - Wednesday 9 December 2009 Time: 7.30 am - 8.30 am Cost: FREE Enquiries: idrobertss@bigpond.com Website: http://dailywalkingmeditation.blogspot.com www.parliamentofreligions.org. 29
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________________ OFFSITE EVENTS (continued] Visions of o new World Visions of A New World: Art Exhibition and Meditation Space Organisation: Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga Centres Description: The artworks invite the viewer to journey into the essence of their being, and to travel to their most elevated spaces within. The works depict the pure energies of love, peace, innocence, and spiritual power, suggesting that as we draw from these core energies we allow change and exert a powerful renewing effect on our world. Location: Date: Time: Cost: Bookings: Website: Location: Date: Time: Cost: Enquiries: Change Yourself and Change the World: The Power of Personal Change Through Meditation Experience a tranquil meditation (guided meditation/music/silence). Free transport/light lunch/afternoon tea (vegetarian). Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga Centre, 256 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy Thursday 3 December 2009 - Wednesday 9 December 2009 The times of free pick-ups and drop-offs from and to the MCEC are as follows: 11.05 am-12.30 pm Organisation: Science of Spirituality Description: 1.05 pm-2.30 pm 4.30 pm- 6.00 pm FREE Location: Please visit the exhibition booth of the Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga Centres (shared with the World Congress of Faiths) during the week of the Parliament. Alternatively, telephone 9417 4883; email: fitzroydau.bkwsu.org. www.bkwsu.org/au Date: Prayer Labyrinth - Walking in Each Other's Footsteps Organisation: The Labyrinth Society, Inc. - Australian Region in collaboration with The Grove Wholistic Centre for Spirituality, The Melbourne City Council and International networks of The Labyrinth Society, Inc. and Veriditas labyrinth facilitators Bookings: Website: Description: The labyrinth enables people of different faiths to share the journey, as we walk together through the twists and turns of life; acknowledging that we all may have a different path to the Divine, but that we all travel towards the centre, where we receive strength, inspiration, guidance, then re-engage with the world in a new way, as we walk out of the labyrinth." The Labyrinth is in Batman Park which runs between Kingsway and Spencer Street Melbourne. The park is a short walk from The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Meditation is the key that unlocks the inner doorway to a life of deep inner peace and spiritual fulfilment. It is the core spiritual practice of all great spiritual and religious traditions. Through meditation, each of us can break through the illusion of separation to see the inherent unity of all life. Speakers: Jim and Sue Rose and Dr Margarete Czerny Southbank Room, Quay West Suites Melbourne, 26 Southgate Ave, Southbank Thursday 3 December 2009 7.30 pm-9.30 pm FREE Etienne de Lavaulx-0425 75 6258 Thursday 3 Dec. 9.00 am - 10.00 am Walking Sacred Desires - Becoming Contemplatives in Action Thursday 3 Dec. 3.30 pm - 5.30 pm Walking Together in Faith and Healing - A Global Healing Walk Promoted Through Labyrinth Networks World-wide Friday 4 Dec. 8.30 am - 10.00 pm Healing the Earth with Traditional Wisdom - A Candlelight Walk with Shane Charles - Yorta Yorta Man of the Kulin Nation Playing the Didgeridoo Saturday 5 Dec. 3.30 pm - 4.30 pm Children's Peace Walk - Bubbles of Fun Saturday 5 Dec. 5.00 pm- 6.00 pm A Personal Spiritual Journey: Past, Present, Future Sunday 6 Dec. 1.00 pm-2.00 pm Prayer - A Walking Meditation Monday 7 Dec. 5.00 pm- 6.00 pm Interfaith Youth Walking a Pathway to Peace Geoffrey Rodda 0408 138 065 www.thegrovecentreforspirituality.com. http://labyrinthlocator.com/ Accessibility: Walking distance from the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre JainsEdupation-Internationalt of the World's Religions
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________________ in winter Other has a better View One is Warm in Winter; the Other Has a Better View Organisation: Platform Youth Theatre Description: A theatre performance about the weight of faith in this secular society from the point of view of young people from across the spectrum of religions and cultures in Melbourne. Writer Adam J. A Cass and director Caitlin Dullard. Duration 80 minutes. No interval, Location: fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, City Date: 3 December 2009 - 13 December 2009 Times: Thursday 3 Dec. 8.00pm - Opening Night Friday 4 Dec. 8.00 pm Saturday 5 Dec. 8.00 pm Sunday 6 Dec. 4.00 pm - Matinee Tuesday 8 Dec. 8.00pm - Industry night and Artists Forum Wednesday 9 Dec. 8.00 pm Thursday 10 Dec. 8.00 pm Friday 11 Dec. 8.00 pm Saturday 12 Dec. 8.00 pm - Closing night show Sunday 13 Dec. 4.00 pm - Matinee and community event Cost: $15.00 Concession, PYT members and PWR 2009 delegates $20.00. Adult Bookings: fortyfivedownstairs box office 9662 9966 or www.fortyfivedownstairs.com/tickets.php Website: www.pyt.org.au Accessibility: Flinders Lane between Exhibition and Spring Sts (Melway ref. 1B U9) Walking distance or a quick tram trip up Flinders Street. Nearest train station: Parliament Station, Disability Access: if you have a companion card and/or if you require disability access, please notily fortyfivedownstairs on 9662 9966 Voices for Didgeridoo, Organ and Narrator by Philip Glass Organisation: Interfaith Centre of Melbourne and the City of Melbourne Description: US composer extraordinaire Philip Glass was commissioned to write this piece by the City of Melbourne to celebrate the re-opening of the Melbourne Town Hall Grand Organ in 2001. Together with celebrated didgeridoo artist Mark Atkins and Wurundjeri elder Joy Murphy Wandin, Glass created a musical and Spiritual message that speaks of both indigenous and Western cultures, Organist: Dr Calvin Bowman Didgeridoo: Mark Atkins, Ron Murray Narrator: Joy Murphy Wandin Voices will be complemented by other musical performers from the Parliament, Location: Melbourne Town Hall, Cnr of Swanston and Collins Sts, City Date: Friday 4 December 2009 Time: 6.30 pm - 8.20 pm with intermission (doors open at 6.00 pm) General admission seating Cost: Parliament registrants: $15.00 (ID at door) Non-registrant prices: $15.00 - $25.00 Bookings and/or enquiries: Easy Tix Email: easytix.com.au Ph: 9639 0096 East Tix office, located at the Melbourne Town Hall, Swanson Street Opening Hours for this event: Friday 4 December: 11.00 am - 6.30 pm Websites: www.easytix.com.au www.thatsmelbourne.com.au/grandorgan www.interfaithcentre.org.au Accessibility: Trams 109. 112 from MCEC to Swanston Street, 10 minutes Walking distance 30 minutes The Ecology of the Soul - Integrating Spirituality and Meditation into Your Daily Life Organisation: Science of Spirituality Description: Meditation is the key to survival in our modern world, It's your own private retreat, a key that unlocks the doorway to deep inner peace. When your day begins with meditation, you're calm and peaceful all day long. Speakers: Jim Rose and Dr Andrew Vidich. Location: Southbank Room, Quay West Suites, Melbourne, 26 Southgate Avenue. Southbank Date: Friday 4 December 2009 Time: 7.30 pm - 9.30 pm Cost: FREE Enquiries: Etienne de Lavaulx - 0425 75 6258 Jan Edition tatemational of the World's Religions www.parliamentowagjainelibrary.org
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________________ OFFSITE EVENTS (continued] Living Ahimsa - The Power of Peace World Tour 2009-2011 Satsanga with Mother Maya Organisation: Wise Earth Monastery Description: The mission of My Peace Vow is to unite the millions of peace lovers and hundreds of peace organisations throughout the world through the simple practice of taking The Vow of Ahimsa - the powerful, yet simple intention to pursue peace and harmony in our thoughts, speech, and actions: Ahimsa. Location: Date: Time: Cost: Bookings: Website: Location: Date: Time: Cost: Bookings: Website: www.mypeacevow.org Shabbat Visit to a Suburban Progressive Jewish Congregation Organisation: Leo Baeck Centre for Progressive Judaism Description: An opportunity to visit a delightful Progressive Jewish congregation in Melbourne's leafy Eastern suburbs to celebrate the Sabbath with us. Leo Baeck Centre for Progressive Judaism, 31-37 Harp Road, East Kew Saturday 5 December 2009 9.00 am - 2.00 pm Our objective is to get 1 million world citizens to take The Vow of Ahimsa in person at Living Ahimsa -The Power of Peace World Tour 2009-2011 (presented by Mother Maya). Theosophical Society. 126 Russell Street, City Saturday 5 December 2009 2.30 pm-4.30 pm Location: Date: Time: Cost: Donation meltheos @netspace.net.au or 9650 2315 www.lbc.org.au Accessibility: Bus service provided Meditation the Ultimate Transformative Experience Organisation: Science of Spirituality Description: Jyoti meditation, meditation on the inner Light, is a universal practice that connects you to your true self. When you develop insight into the profound questions of life who you truly are and what the true purpose of your life is - you have taken the first steps toward personal transformation and spiritual enlightenment. Speakers: Dr Margarete Czerny, Jim and Sue Rose and Dr Andrew Vidich Southbank Room, Quay West Suites, Melbourne, 26 Southgate Avenue, Southbank Location: Date: Time: Cost: FREE 9819 7160 Location: Date: Time: Cost: Enquiries: Quaker Worship Meeting Organisation: The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Description: Worship followed by discussion. 'We seek a gathered stillness in our meetings for worship so that all may feel the power of God's love drawing us together and leading us." Australian Volunteers International, 88 Kerr Street, Fitzroy Sunday 6 December 2009 10.30 am-11.30 am followed by refreshments FREE Enquires: Bruce 0434 612 919 Website: Bookings: Website: Saturday 5 December 2009 7.30 pm-9.30 pm FREE Etienne de Lavaulx - 0425 75 6258 Yoga Aid Challenge 2009 Organisation: Yoga Aid Description: The Yoga Aid Challenge promotes awareness of yoga in the community while raising money for local charities. To complete the Challenge, participants perform 108 sun salutations over two hours and personally raise funds for charity. www.rsfa.affiniscape.com Peninsula, Shed 14, 161 Harbour Esplanade, Docklands Sunday 6 December 2009 8.00 am - 12.00 pm Free with personal fundraising encouraged Rose Macdonald - rosielaYogaAid.com www.YogaAid.com.au 52 PWR-Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ Soul Food Sunday Mass at St Patrick's Cathedral Organisation: Ecumenical and Interfaith Commission of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne Description: The Archbishop of Melbourne, the Most Rev. Denis Hart, will celebrate Holy Mass. Location: St Patrick's Cathedral, Cathedral Place, East Melbourne Sunday 6 December 2009 11.00 am FREE Date: Time: Cost: Bookings: No bookings required Website: www.eic.cam.org.au Accessibility: Trams 109, 112 Soul Food Organisation: Soul Food Working Group, Baha'i Community of Victoria Description: Soul Food provides an opportunity to relax in a tranquil environment and reflect on our relationship to our earth and environment. It features music, visuals and readings from faiths and philosophers, authors and Indigenous cultures, from across the world. All welcome. Location: Date: Time: Cost: Bookings: Website: Light On Yoga Retreat; Finding Peace and Lasting Joy in Challenging Times Organisation: Science of Spirituality Description: Move from the fast lane of stress, hurry and worry to the vast lane of abiding joy through the practice of yoga. Surat Shabd Yoga, meditation on the inner Light, reconnects your spirit to its Source. It's more than relaxation - it's connecting with who you are at the level of your soul. Panel of international speakers: Dr Margarete Czerny, Jim Rose, Sue Rose, Dr Andrew Vidich and Dr Art Stein. With an interlude of sacred music (Anne and Caroline Vercoe - classical singers) The Ruskin Hall, Dame Nellie Melba Opera Trust, 46 York Street, Richmond Sunday 6 December 2009 1.30 pm - 6:00 pm FREE Etienne de Lavaulx-0425 75 6258 Location: Date: Time: Cost: Enquiries: State Library of Victoria - Village Roadshow Theatrette, Cnr Swanston & La Trobe Sts (Entry from La Trobe Street) Sunday 6 December 2009 10.30 am-11.30 am FREE No bookings required www.soulfood.com.au Creation, Climate Change, Christians and Copenhagen Organisation: World Vision Description: A service of worship, prayer, and story as we meet in support of those joining Archbishop Rowan Williams and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the Copenhagen UN Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen Cathedral. Climate Change affects us all, but the poor will clearly suffer the most. As people of Christian faith, hope and love we need to hear, listen and act with justice and compassion. Tim Costello, CEO of World Vision, will speak. St Peter's Eastern Hill Anglican Church, 15 Gisborne Street, City Sunday 6 December 2009 Location: Date: Time: Cost: Enquiries: World Vision, 13 32 48, church@worldvision.com.au Accessibility: Good parking on site and nearby. 109 Tram goes right past. Close to Parliament Station by train Location: Date: Cost: Bookings: 5.00 pm-6.15 pm FREE Dean's Tours of St Paul's Cathedral Organisation: St Paul's Cathedral Description: Tours of the Cathedral conducted by the Dean, with particular reference to the symbolic and practical architecture and decoration. St Paul's Cathedral, 109 Flinders Lane, Melbourne Monday 7 December - Tuesday 8 December 2009 FREE 9563 4333 maximum of 20 people per group, tours will be 40 minutes in duration times according to demand. (Bookings are essential) www.stpaulscathedral.org.au Website: Accessibility: Tram, walk from MCEC www.parliamentofreligions.org 53
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________________ OFFSITE EVENTS (continued) Stitches and Symbols: Substance and the Sacred Organisation: St Paul's Cathedral Description: A selection of ecclesiastical embroideries, garments, and decorative effects used in worship with particular attention to the use of Christian symbols. Location: St Paul's Cathedral, 109 Flinders Lane, Melbourne Date: Monday 7 December - Wednesday 9 December Time: 8.00 am - 6.00 pm Cost: FREE Website: www.stpaulscathedral.org.au Accessibility: Tram, walk from MCEC The Gothic Cathedral: A Sermon in Stone Organisation: Ecumenical and Interfaith Commission of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne and the Friends of St Patrick's Cathedral Description: St Patrick's Catholic Cathedral in Melbourne is one of the finest Gothic revival cathedrals in the world. A reflection on the spiritual meaning of the architecture and design of the Cathedral will be given, followed by guided tours of the building. Location: St Patrick's Cathedral, Cathedral Place, East Melbourne Dates and Monday 7 December 2009; 10.00 am and 2.00 pm Times: Tuesday 8 December 2009. 10.00 am and 2.00 pm Wednesday 9 December 2009; 10.00 am and 2.00 pm Each session lasts one hour Cost: FREE Bookings: David Schutz 9926 5708 ecumsdmelbourne.catholic.org.au Website: www.stpatrickscathedral.org.au/ Accessibility: Trams: 109 to Box Hill, 112 to West Preston Please meet your guide at the front of the Cathedral (cnr MacArthur Street and Cathedral Place by the Cardinal Mannix statue). Basic Principles and Practice of Tibetan Buddhism Organisation: Tara Institute Description: This session is presented by Damian Busby, an experienced Western teacher of Tibetan Buddhism, Damian will explain some of the basic principles of Buddhism in simple terms and lead a quided non denominational meditation which will provide an opportunity for participants to experience a Buddhist approach to deep contemplation. Location: Tara Institute. 3 Mavis Avenue, East Brighton Date: Monday 7 December 2009 Time: 8.00 pm FREE Bookings: Jill Lancashire 9596 7410 Website: www.tarainstitute.org.au Accessibility: Observe parking restrictions in Mavis Avenue. By train. Sandringham Line to North Brighton station and 10 minutes walk Cost: QUAKERSLINT VIGL JUSTICENCE AUSTERIAS Quaker Silent Vigil, Supporting Justice for Indigenous Australians Organisation: The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Description: This vigil has been held every Monday for over 10 years. It is a visible sign to the Australian Community that the concerns of Aboriginal Australians have been heard, and invites passers-by to become informed and to participate to make a difference. Location: Bourke Street Mall, outside the old GPO, Corner Elizabeth & Bourke Sts, City Date: Monday, 7 December 2009 Time: 12 noon-1.00 pm Cost: FREE Enquiries: John 9893 3642 Website: www.rsfa.affiniscape.com Accessibility: Melway ret. 1A LS Jain Education Jatematiena of the World's Religions
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________________ An Interfaith Perspective on 'Make a World of Difference: Hearing each other, Healing the earth: A Presentation and Discussion Between Three Faith Communities - Christian Scientists, Sufis, and Baha'is Organisation: Sponsored by Christian Scientists. Sutis and Baha'is Description: The goal of this panel discussion is to illustrate the unity and healing capacity of three very different faith communities. Specifically through their discussion of the Parliament theme, 'Make a World of Differences Hearing each other. Healing the earth. These three religions are: Christian Science, Sufi, and Baha'l. The unifying factor is their mutual conviction in the power of spirituality to heal the earth of its sorrows and pains. While each tradition is clear about its own wholeness and value to humanity, we look forward to learning from each other, live! Location: Melbourne University. Elisabeth Murdoch Building 134, Theatre A Date: Monday 7 December 2009 Time: 7.30 pm - 9.30 pm Cost: FREE Enquiries: Enquiries: Phone: Wendy Verhagen 0425 775 810 Natalie Mobini-Keshesh 0414 603 145 Shirley Paulson Arini Beaumaris Safa Hull 0433 075 457 - National - Christian Secretary for Website: www.christianscience.com www.bahai.org.au Science lecturer www.suficircle.websyte.com.au and healer Australian Bahai community Accessibility: Allow at least half an hour by public transport from Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre A Jewish Walk of 19th Century Marvellous Melbourne Organisation: Australian Jewish Historical Society Description: An easy two-hour walk around the eastern side of the city, showing the sites around which the Jewish community lived, and explaining life in 19th century Melbourne. Plenty of stops along the way, portable Loudspeaker system used. Tour guide will be Dr Howard Freeman OAM, President AJHS, Location: East Melbourne Synagogue, 488 Albert Street, East Melbourne Date: Tuesday 8 December & Wednesday 9 December 2009 Time: 10.00 am sharp Cost: $20.00 per head Bookings: Liz James 9822 2849 Website: www.ajhs.info/Victoria/ Accessibility: Trams: 109 to Box Hill, 112 to West Preston, 100 metres east from cnr of Albert and Victoria Sts, East Melbourne Reconciliation Bus Ride to Iramoo Organisation: Iramoo Sustainable Community Centre Description: Reconciliation bus ride to Iramoo. Join a Wurundjeri elder on a three-hour bus trip. Visit Wurundjeri sacred sites at Bullum Bullum. See how the western region of Melbourne's Islamic, Christian and Buddhist multi faith groups are working together in planting a community garden at Iramoo Sustainable Community Centre, Location: Pick-up and drop-off at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Date: Tuesday 8 December 2009 Time: Pick-up at MCEC 9.30 am Drop-off at MCEC at 1.30 pm Cost: $15.00 (includes lunch) Bookings: engagefiramoo.org 9919 2815 or 0408 032 052 Peace Through Justice - Nobel Peace Prize Celebration Breakfast Organisation: Co-hosted by Australia Tibet Council and Amnesty International Description: On 10 December 1989. His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, was presented with the Nobel Peace Prize, in recognition of his work towards a peaceful resolution to the issue of Tibet. On the twentieth anniversary of his award, in the company of other leading human rights advocates. His Holiness will speak about the importance of justice in the lasting resolution of conflict. The event will highlight the issue of poverty as a violation of human rights, as part of the Demand Dignity campaign by Amnesty International, itself a Nobel-Prize-winning organisation. Location: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre Date: Thursday 10 December 2009 Time: 8.00 am - 10.15 am includes breakfast) Cost: $175.00/$ 155,00 Enquiries: (02) 9283 3466 Bookings: www.dalaitamainaustralia.org Website: www.atc.org.au/peace-through-justice & www.amnesty.org.au www.parliamentowe ayelibrary.org55
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________________ MONASH University Arts Interreligious Relations in the 21st Century: A Post-Parliament Reflection Organisation: The UNESCO Chair in Interreligious and Intercultural Relations Team in partnership with the Centre for Islam and the Modern World, the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilization, the Centre for Studies in Religion & Theology and the Monash Asia Institute, Monash University. Description: A one-day symposium for scholars in the field of interreligious relations following the Melbourne Parliament of the World's Religions. Location: Date: Time: Cost: Bookings: Website: Accessibility: 5-minute walk from Caulfield train station Jewish Environmental Showhouse Tour Description: There will be a detailed tour of the house and its features. The primary goal is to demonstrate the many unique water- and energy-saving features. Private house, Camberwell Thursday 10 December 2009 Location: Date: Time: Cost: Bookings: Leo Baeck Centre 9819 7160 Accessibility: The venue and address will be provided upon booking 900 Dandenong Rd, Monash University, Caulfield Thursday 10 December 2009 8.30 am- 5.00 pm $50.00 (full registration) $30.00 (student concession) Participation is restricted to those who have attended the Parliament of the World's Religions. If you are interested in receiving an invitation to this symposium, contact Anna.Halafoff@darts.monash.edu.au www.arts.monash.edu.au/psi/post-parliament World Peace, Who is Responsible? A Public Talk by His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso Location: Date: Time: Cost: Organisation: Dalai Lama in Australia Description: Bookings: Website: 2.00 pm- 4.00 pm FREE Location: Date: Time: Cost: Bookings: Website: Compassion can heal not only inner anger, but the world's violence." His Holiness has been a champion of World Peace for over fifty years. Twenty years ago, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his non-violent, middle-way approach to finding a solution to the situation in Tibet. The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre - Plenary Hall, 2 Clarendon Street, Southbank Thursday 10 December 2009 2.00 pm-4.00 pm Plenary Hall - Platinum $125.00 Plenary Hall - A Reserve $75.00 Plenary Hall - B Reserve $55.00 Banquet Room -C Reserve $35.00 (Talk to be relayed via large screens in room] The Jewish Journey: A Tour of Jewish Time Through the Artistry of Glass Organisation: Temple Beth Israel Description: Over a period of ten years, the renowned Australian glass artist David Wright created a series of 23 giant glass medallions for Temple Beth Israel in Melbourne, illustrating the major journeys of the Jewish people: through the week, through the year, and through a Jewish life. This tour will introduce the participants to this remarkable artistic creation and explore its place within the architecture and outlook of the synagogue, Melbourne's largest. Temple Beth Israel, 76-82 Alma Road, St Kilda Thursday 10 December 2009 10.30 am-Noon FREE Temple Beth Israel 9510 1488 www.dalailamainaustralia.org www.dalailamainaustralia.org www.tbi.org.au Accessibility: Trams 3 and 67 from the City stop at the cnr of Alma and Brighton Rds Melbourne Believer Slam - Parliament Series Final Description: The Melbourne Believer Slam is a faith friendly human voice competition dedicated to building social harmony by encouraging responsible freedom of expression. People inspiring people. Baptist Church, 174 Collins Street, City Location: Date: Thursday 10 December 2009 Time: Doors open 7.30 pm Cost: Check website Website: www.melbournebelieverslam.com/ VR Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ EXHIBTION AND VISUAL ARTS PRESENTATIONS Location The Exhibition and Visual Arts Presentations will be an integral part of the Parliament activities and will take place in Bays 13 & 14 of the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. Golden States of Grace: Prayers of the Disinherited A photo-based multi-media exhibition with audio and text which documents how eleven marginalised communities across California find faith, community and sanctuary across their eight faith traditions. It is being presented here as a unique hour-long projected installation by creator Rick Nahmias and will be published as a book by University of New Mexico Press in 2010. Melbourne Exhibition Centre Level 5, Suite 2 Access All participants displaying a name badge will gain entry to the Exhibition hall. No access will be permitted otherwise. Exhibition and Visual Arts Opening Times Friday 4 December 9.00 am - 5.00 pm Saturday 5 December 9.00 am - 7.30 pm Sunday 6 December 9.00 am - 7.30 pm Monday 7 December 9.00 am - 7.30 pm Tuesday 8 December 9.00 am - 7.30 pm Wednesday 9 December 9.00 am - 2.00 pm Visual Arts Presentations Sand Mandala The monks of Gyuto Tantric University are transmission holders of the Tantric Arts of which their unique deep Harmonic Chanting and Sacred Sand Mandala are integral. Over five days, from 5 - 9 December, they will create the 2m sq. exquisite Mandala of Ghuyasamaja, central to the Buddhist teachings of the Dalai Lama and Gyuto Monastery symbolising a healing cosmos in which we practise kindness and compassion towards ourselves and others; the presence of the monks themselves offers such an immediate experience Melbourne Convention Centre Level 1 Foyer Irfanspace (Mark Pedersen, Nazid Kimmie & Natalia Gould) Melbourne-based contemporary Muslim artists Mark! Pedersen, Nazid Kimmie and Natalia Gould invite you to take part in their spiritual journey. Irfanspace is an exploration of the pathways and spaces between people, cultures, past, present and eternity. Sound, images (photography and poetry from Islamic cultures and traditions around the world invite reflection and engagement locally, globally, internally. Lose yourself in the deserts of Oman, Yemen and Jordan: discover communities and connections just a tram-ride away! within the city of Melbourne: explore the conceptual spaces of Islamic mystics; sense the presence that is closer than your heartbeat.' Irfanspace Melbourne Convention Centre Level 1 Foyer The Spirit Within Australian Contemporary Art An exhibition curated by the Arts and Culture Committee of the PWR 2009 in order to showcase the best of Australian Contemporary Spiritual Art to international visitors. This exhibition features works from artists of many different faiths and spiritual traditions because Australia is such a proudly pluralist society. Melbourne Convention Centre Room 112 Mandala Writings (Jenny Funston) Jenny Funston is the Oceanic Representative for the International department of Byakko Shinko Kai. promoting the universal peace message, MAY PEACE PREVAIL ON EARTH'. Mandala Writings is an interactive workshop where a fabric community Mandala will be created over the duration of the PWR week. PWR participants are invited to visit Jenny and join in by writing their messages of peace and positive thoughts and contribute to creating this unique Mandala representing different cultures and spiritual traditions. There will also be a colourful display of completed Mandalas for all to enjoy with the revealing of the Parliament of World's Religions very own Mandala upon its completion. All ages welcome. Melbourne Exhibition Centre Bays 13 & 14 Jain Religious Paintings (Mehendra Mehta and the Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust) This series of specially commissioned paintings are faithful replicas of original Jain paintings. Completed with delicate precision by renowned artists the paintings depict the cosmology, mathematics and sciences as practised by ancient Jain scholars. These inspiring works not only represent the universe but also enable the viewer to experience poise and mental calm through their precise symmetry and order. Each painting is accompanied by written text by both renowned Jain scholars and Directors of Indian Museums Melbourne Convention Centre Level 1 Foyer Blueprint for a Better World The exhibition 'Blueprint for a Better World' invites all people of goodwill to engage in the global Millennium Development Goal campaign to eradicate extreme poverty and work towards positive social change for all. 'Blueprint for a Better World' is presented by Caritas! Australia in cooperation with AusAID. Melbourne Exhibition Centre Bays 13 & 14 For Privals & Personal use only www.parliamento religions.org 57
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________________ EXHIBITING ORGANISATIONS PWR 2009 would like to acknowledge the following organisations who have exhibited: 30 Share International USA 50 Shinji Shumeikai 14 58 44 Sikh Interfaith Council of Victoria SRI Chinmoy Centre Supreme Master TV.com The Gnostic Movement The National Opal Collection Tara Network [Australia) The Laws of Life Group 41 33 38 27 29 21 16 49 32 15 Centre for Interfaith Relations/ Contemporary Prayer Beads 53-54 Chung Tai Chan Monastery 69.72-73 Church of Scientology 56 61 17 22 11 48 23-25 79-82 1372 8 90-93 18 62-64 34 26 8 7 68 3Fish A Course in Miracles International ACRATH - Australian Catholic Religions against Trafficking Humans Adidam Australia Ansvar Insurance 28 47 66 35 Anuvibha Australian Baha'i CommunityVictorian Office Australian Government - Department of Immigration & Citizenship Biame Network Bible Society Australia (Victoria) Brahma Kumaris Raja Yoga Centres/ World Congress of Faiths Dhammakaya International Society of Australia Dharma Realm Buddhist Association/ UNITED RELIGIONS INITIATIVE Digamber Jain Sangh of North America Divine Life Society of South Africa Dr Haruhisa Handa - World Faiths Development Dialogue, Asia Faiths Development Dialogue, and Shinto Foundation EarthSpirit Community ETM Travel/Globus First Church Christ, Scientist, Waverley Global Family for Love and Peace/ Museum of World Religions Global New Thought Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewark Jatha UK Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewark Jatha UK Happy Science Australia Hartley Film Foundation Hindu Community Council of Victoria ICUU- International Council of Unitarians and Universalists Iran Cultural Heritage, Handicraft and Tourism Org Iskcon Melbourne Koorie Heritage Trust/Aboriginal Tourism Victoria Melbourne College of Divinity Norbulingka Institute Our Sacred Space Oz Child Patheos Readings Religions For Peace Rissho Kosei - Kai 52 76-78 Teachings of the Traditions 51 Science of Spirituality Selimiye Foundation Ltd 40 83-84 Dark to Dawn: Being Creative about Depression Dark to Dawn: Being Creative about Depression 88-89 Jain Education internationa 58 PWR- Parliament of the World's Religions 43 4-6 =yugtstshsmaas=PS 59 19 94 78 77 76 66 58 49 48 35 34 18 17 16 1 Mandala Writing Art Display B Exhibitor Registration 93 79 75 67 65 59 50 47 92 15 80 36 37 2 74 33 32 46 19 20 Entry to Melbourne Convention Centre 14 3 || Entry/Exit Flag Display 91 For Piwale & Pericia Use Only 81 64 57 38 31 21 Display Panels 13 4 90 82 68 63 56 51 Satchel Collection 62 55 Caritas "Blue Print For Better World" Exhibition 39 30 22 12 ExpoHire Brochure Service Desk Tables 5 60 20 3 55 37 39 9 13 ~ 89 83 73 45 40 29 The Salvation Army The Theosophical Society in Australia The Urantia Book UBIEE FUTURO-PLAN Vedanta Centre of Sydney Victorian Government Word Vision Australia Inc. Zoroastrian Association of Victoria 11 6 88 P 84 72 69 61 60 52 46 23 24 41 28 10 7 87 86 85 71 70 54 53 43 Thru to Catering 42 27 26 9 25 8 Thru to Catering Registration www.janel.brey.org
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________________ GENERAL INFORMATION Registration Desk The registration desk is located in the concourse of the Melbourne Exhibition Centre and will operate during the following times: Thursday 3 December 11.00 am - 8.00 pm Friday 4 December 7.00 am - 6.30 pm Saturday 5 December 7.00 am - 8.00 pm Sunday 6 December 7.00 am - 8.00 pm Monday 7 December 7.00 am - 8.00 pm Tuesday 8 December 7.00 am - 8.00 pm Wednesday 9 December 7.00 am - 3.00 pm Performers and presenters are required to visit the Performers and Presenters Room at least 3 hours prior to the start of their session. If you have already sent your presentation, please liaise with the audiovisual technician to ensure that all is in order The Council Hub Main Foyer of the Melbourne Convention Centre Stop by the Council Hub to: Network with Council staff and volunteers * Make a financial contribution to support the on-going work of the Council. * Join PeaceNext.org, the Council's premier online social network Program Enquiries Desk The program enquiries desk is located in foyer of the Melbourne Convention Centre and will operate during the following times: Thursday 3 December 11.00 am - 8.00 pm Friday 4 December 7.00 am - 6.30 pm Saturday 5 December 7.00 am - 8.00 pm Sunday 6 December 7.00 am - 8.00 pm Monday 7 December 7.00 am - 8.00 pm Tuesday 8 December 7.00 am - 8.00 pm Wednesday 9 December 7.00 am - 3.00 pm Program Changes Program changes will be posted on the program changes board located in the Melbourne Convention Centre Foyer. Please check this board regularly Airport Transfers Melbourne Tullamarine Airport is located approximately 25km from central Melbourne and will take approximately 30 minutes by car. The airport shuttle bus. Skybus, provides a rapid transit link between the airport and the CBD every 10-15 minutes, with free hotel connection during the day. Fares are A$16.00 per adult one way and A$26.00 return. Alternatively, a taxi ride from Melbourne Airport to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) will cost approximately A$50.00. Banking Facilities/Currency The nearest automated teller machine to the MCEC is located near the cloakroom on the ground level. Alternatively, there are two automated teller machines on the MCEC concourse. Banks are open Monday to Thursday 9.30 am - 4.00 pm and open 9.30 am - 5.00 pm on Friday. Some banks offer extended hours and some are open on Saturday mornings. Decimal currency is used in Australia with the dollar as the basic unit (100 cents = A$1). Notes come in $100, $50, $20, $10 and $5. Coins come in 50, 100, 200, 500 $1 and $2 denominations. Currency exchange facilities are available in most banks, hotels and airports and operate normal business hours. Credit cards are accepted at most restaurants and shops. American Express, Diners, MasterCard and Visa are accepted. Tours & Group Registration Desk The group registration and tours desk will be located on the concourse of the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, and will operate during the following times: Thursday 3 December 11.00 am - 8.00 pm Friday 4 December 7.00 am - 6.30 pm Saturday 5 December 7.00 am - 8.00 pm Sunday 6 December 7.00 am - 8.00 pm Monday 7 December 7.00 am - 8.00 pm Tuesday 8 December 7.00 am - 8.00 pm Wednesday 9 December 7.00 am - 3.00 pm Catering Catering is not included in the PWR registration fee. We have, however, made arrangements for catering to be available for those that have pre-purchased a tickets). Performers' and Presenters' Preparation Room The performers' and presenters preparation room are located in the Organisers Office 101. This room will operate during the following times: Thursday 3 December 4.00 pm - 7.30 pm Friday 4 December 7.30 am - 6.30 pm Saturday 5 December 7.30 am - 7.30 pm Sunday 6 December 7.30 am - 7.30 pm Monday 7 December 7.30 am - 7.30 pm Tuesday 8 December 9.30 am - 7.30 pm Wednesday 9 December 7.30 am - 2.00 pm www.parliamentofreligions.org 89
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________________ GENERAL INFORMATION (continued) Lunch Participants who have purchased lunch will be provided with their tickets upon registration. Lunch will be served in the Melbourne Exhibition Centre Bays 15 & 16 during the following times: 1.00 pm-2.30 pm 1.00 pm-2.30 pm Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday 1.00 pm-2.30 pm 1.00 pm-2.30 pm 1.00 pm-2.30 pm 1.00 pm-2.30 pm *Tickets must be pre-purchased a minimum of one day in advance and will be subject to availability. Dinner Participants who have purchased dinner will be provided with their tickets upon registration. Dinner will be served in the Melbourne Exhibition Centre Bays 15 & 16 during the following times: Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday 6.00 pm-7.30 pm 6.00 pm-7.30 pm 6.00 pm-7.30 pm 6.00 pm - 7.30 pm *Tickets must be pre-purchased a minimum of one day in advance and will be subject to availability. Tuesday, December 8, 2009 Vegetarianism has been the source of nourishment and energy throughout the past. For over thirty years, World Vegetarian Day has been observed uniting vegetarians from all over the world. Acknowledging the significant number of participants at the Parliaments who adhere to traditions where a vegetarian diet is essential to their religious or spiritual practices, Tuesday, December 8, 2009 has been designated as "Vegetarian Day". Catering provided on-site in the Parliament venue will be a gourmet selection of healthy, protein-based vegetarian meals. Local eateries within a short walking distance of our venue will both provide vegetarian and non-vegetarian options to meet all preferences. Offsite Food and Beverage Options The closest places to the Melbourne Convention Centre that serve a quick and easy lunch are listed below: DFO South Wharf Food Court From the Clarendon Street entrance to the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, follow the walkway around the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and continue down Orrs Walk between the Melbourne Convention Centre and the Hilton Hotel, South Wharf. Arrive at DFO. Open 7 days a week from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm 60 PWR-Parliament of the World's Religions 1. Health Express - Shop F1 Wholemeal pies, filo pastries, lasagne, gado gado, meat & vegetarian casseroles, soups, garden-fresh vegetables, scrumptious sandwiches, delicious wholemeal cakes & cookies, freshly squeezed fruit & vegetable juices, herbal teas, cappucino & decaffeinated coffee and smoothies. 2. Genki Sushi - Shop F2 Traditional Japanese food, quick and easy! 3. Subway Shop F3 Specialists in submarine sandwiches and salads, SUBWAY(r) restaurants offer a great tasting alternative to other options with their delicious range of sandwiches, salads, wraps and freshly baked cookies. 4. Cafe Espresso - Shop F4 Take a coffee break with a toasted sandwich after you have perused the shops! Tiffins Indian Takeaway Tiffins will provide fresh, health vegetarian and non-vegetarian Indian food at a special price for Parliament participants. Address: Shop 4, 60 Siddeley Street, Docklands. Tiffins are located only 150 metres from the MCEC. Walk across the footbridge that crosses the Yarra River and they are right there! You will be able to see their tricycles out the front of the shop! Tiffins also delivers to Docklands, Southbank, and the south side of the Central Business District. Tiffins will open for lunch and dinner during the Parliament. Phone number for delivery orders: 1300 843 346 Crown Casino Food Court - Ground Level To get to the ground level Food Court in the Crown Casino, exit the Melbourne Exhibition Centre onto Clarendon Street. Cross Clarendon Street at the traffic lights directly opposite the Exhibition Centre. Walk along the Yarra River for approximately 150 metres and you will find the main entrance to the Ground Level Food Court located on the right. Enter here for the following food options: 1. Burger Edge Ph: 9686 7950 One hundred per cent Australian, healthy gourmet burgers - vegetarian available. Location: Food Court | Ground Floor as you enter the complex from the Yarra River 2. Calatrava Ph: 9686 5757 Great-tasting coffee and a wide selection of cakes. For something a little cooler, enjoy one of our ice creams or milkshakes. Location: Food Court | Ground Floor as you enter the complex from the Yarra River
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________________ 3. 8 The Lot Crown Casino Food Court - Level 1 Ph: 9686 1031 To get to the Level 1 Food Court, you will enter the Free Trade organic coffee, fresh salads and Casino via the entrance that is directly opposite the sandwiches. Melbourne Exhibition Centre via the taxi rank. Take the Location: Food Court Ground Floor as you enter the escalators up to Level 1. Walk 15 metres and turn right complex from the Yarra River at the 'Pub Restaurant'. 4. Il Pomodoro Walk to the end of this corridor and find the 3 outlets Ph: 9686 1644 listed below. Italian cuisine with vegetarian options available, 13. McDonalds Location: Food Court | Ground Floor as you enter the Ph: 9699 5650 complex from the Yarra River Takeaway burgers and fries. 5. Iseya Location: Food Court I Level 1 Ph: 9686 6833 14. Orient Express Japanese cuisine with vegetarian options available. Ph: 9292 8888 Location: Food Court | Ground Floor as you enter the Asian takeaway. complex from the Yarra River Location: Food Court Level 1 6. Little India 15. KFC Ph: 9696 6242 Ph: 9690 1115 Indian cuisine with vegetarian options available. Kentucky Fried Chicken -takeaway Location: Food Court I Ground Floor as you enter the Location: Food Court Level 1 complex from the Yarra River 16. Crown Cafe Corso 7. Mediterranean Ph: 9292 5350 Ph: 9686 1655 Crown Cafe Corso offers a wide range of light meals, European flavours. cakes and drinks from breakfast time until late at night Location: Food Court Ground Floor as you enter the - and of course the coffee is second to none! complex from the Yarra River Whether you're after a quick bite or want to come in 8. Shark Fin and relax for a while, Cafe Corso is convenient and Ph: 9645 8088 cosy with a welcoming atmosphere in the style of an Chinese cuisine with vegetarian options available. Italian cafe. Location: Food Court Ground Floor as you enter the Location: Level 1 next to The Pub at Crown. To get complex from the Yarra River here you will enter the Casino via the entrance that is 9. Think Asia directly opposite the Melbourne Exhibition Centre via Ph: 9686 1766 the taxi rank. Take the escalators up to Level 1 and turn Order from the cook-to-order menu, cooked fresh right for the Cafe Corso. within minutes. Or, if you're on the run, select from our Restaurant Options for participants steaming hot bain marie. Location: Food Court Ground Floor as you enter the with Halal, Kosher, Vegan and, complex from the Yarra River Vegetarian requirements 10. Brubakers Requirement: Halal Ph: 9292 7849 Coffee and pastries, sandwiches. Restaurant: Curry Vault Indian Restaurant & Bar Location: Ground Floor Riverside Cuisine: Indian and Pakistani Weblink: http://www.curryvault.com.au/ 11. Cafe Baci Location: 18-20 Bank Place, Melbourne 3000 Ph: 9682 0588 Ph: 9600 0144 Cafe Baci is the ultimate Italian bar. The best in coffee, Approximate Walking and Tram Distance from cakes and gelato. Convention Centre: 26 minutes to walk or 15 minutes Location: Ground Floor Riverside by tram 12. Automatic Cafe Public Transport Directions: From Melbourne Ph: 9690 8500 Convention and Exhibition Centre (Southbank) Automatic Cafe is a casual, funky eatery serving fresh walk about 380 metres to Tram Stop 124A - Casino a la carte meals at reasonable prices. The extensive Exhibition Centre/Clarendon St (Southbank) menu includes Asian dishes, wood-fired pizzas, pasta Take the Route 109 tram towards Box Hill or take the & risottos and vegetarian options. Route 112 tram towards Preston. Get off at Stop 3 - Bookings accepted for large groups, Monday to William St/Collins St (Melbourne Cityl: From here Walk, Thursday - lunch and dinner. about 270 metres to 20 Bank Place; Jain Edesation Ground Floor Riverside www.parliamentot Menang dannelibrary.org
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________________ GENERAL INFORMATION (continued Zone(s): City Saver: trams run every 4 minutes during the week, takes approximately 16 minutes Features: Mon - Fri noon - 3.00pm Mon-Sat 6.00pm 10.00pm: Children's menu available: outside dining, takeaway Restaurant: Empress of India Cuisine: Indian & Asian Weblink: http://www.empressofindia.com.au/ Location: 375 Queen Street, Melbourne Ph: 9670 5521 Approximate Walking and Tram Distance from Convention Centre: 44 minutes to walk or 22 minutes by tram Public Transport Directions: From Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (Southbank) Walk about 150 metres to Tram Stop 125 - Clarendon St/ Normanby Rd (Southbank). Take the Route 96 tram towards East Brunswick. Get off at Stop 4 - Queen St Bourke St (Melbourne Cityl: From here Walk about 670 metres to 375 Queen Street; Zone(s) for ticket purchase: 1; trams run every 7 minutes during the week, takes approximately 22 minutes Features: Daily 11.30am - 3.00pm. 6.00pm - 11.00pm takeaway available, outside dining and wheelchair access Restaurant: Namaste on King Indian Restaurant Cuisine: Indian Halal beef and lamb and chicken Weblink: http://www.namasteonking.com.au/ Location: 225 King Street, Melbourne Ph: 9642 2264 Approximate Walking and Tram Distance from Convention Centre: 26 minutes to walk or 10 minutes by tram Public Transport Directions: From Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (Southbank) Walk about 150 metres to Tram Stop 125 - Clarendon St/ Normanby Rd (Southbank). Take the Route 96 tram towards East Brunswick. Get off at Stop 1 - Spencer St/ Bourke St (Melbourne City): From here walk about 350 metres to 225 King Street: Zonels) for ticket purchase: 1: trams run every 8 minutes during the week, takes approximately 15 minutes Features: Mon - Fri 11.30am - 3.00pm Daily 5.30pm - 10.00pm takeaway about 220 metres to Tram Stop 124B-Whiteman St/ Clarendon St (Southbank) Take the Route 96 tram towards St Kilda Beach. Get off at Stop 134 - Park St/Fitzroy St (St Kildal: From here Take the Route 16 tram towards Kew - St Kilda Beach: Get off at Stop 41 - Empress Rd/Balaclava Rd (Caulfield North). Walk about 530 metres to 441 Inkerman Street; Zonell for ticket purchase: 1; 96 trams run every 8 minutes, 16 tram runs every 12 minutes during the week, takes approximately 39 minutes, Features: Open for dinner: Sun - Thurs 5.30pm - 9.00pm Restaurant: Daneli's Deli Cuisine: American Deli style & fleishig Location: 328A Carlisle Street, Balaclava (next door to Glick's Balaclava) Approximate Walking and Tram Distance from Convention Centre: Too far to walk or 40 minutes by tram Public Transport Directions: From Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (Southbank) Walk about 600 metres to Tram Stop 114 - City Rd/Kings Way (Southbank). Take the Route 55 tram towards Domain Interchange. Get off at Stop 20 - Domain Interchange/ St Kilda Rd (Melbourne City: From here Take the Route 3/3a tram towards East Malvern; Get off at Stop 39 - Orange Gr/Carlisle St (Balaclava). Walk about 80 metres to 328A Carlisle Street; Zone(s) for ticket purchase: 1; 55 trams run every 12 minutes, 3/3a tram runs every 12 minutes during the week, takes approximately 36 minutes Features: Opening Sun - Thurs 11.00am-9.30pm. Erev Shabbos/Yom Tov 8am until 2hrs before candle lighting. Motzei Shabbos/Yom Tov, 1 hour after haydalah until late. Daniel's mobile is 0439 018 951 Restaurant: Shemesh Pizza Cuisine: Vegetarian Weblink: http://www.shemesh.com.au/ Location: 813 Glenhuntly Road, Caulfield South Approximate Walking and Tram Distance from Convention Centre: Too far to walk, 50 minutes by tram Public Transport Directions: From Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (Southbank) Walk about 600 metres to Tram Stop 114 - City Rd/Kings Way (Southbank). Take the Route 55 tram towards Domain Interchange. Get off at Stop 20 - Domain Interchange/ St Kilda Rd (Melbourne City); From here Take the Route 67 tram towards Carnegie; Get off at Stop 50 - Royal, Pde/Glenhuntly Rd (Caulfield). Walk about 20 metres to 813 Glenhuntly Road; Zone(s) for ticket purchase: 1; 55 trams run every 12, minutes, takes approximately 52 minutes Features: Mon - Tues: 4.00pm - 9.00pm, Wed - Thurs 4.00pm - 9.30pm Fri - Sat: Closed, Sun: 4.00pm - 10.00pm Takeaway or delivery Ph: 9523 0444 Requirement: Kosher Restaurant: Kimberly Grill Cuisine: Strictly kosher Weblink: http://www.kimberleygardens.com.au/ restaurant.php Location: 441 Inkerman Street, East St Kilda Ph: 9526 3865 Approximate Walking and Tram Distance from Convention Centre: Too far to walk. 40 minutes by tram/train Public Transport Directions: From Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (Southbank) Walk 62 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ Requirement: Vegan Restaurant: Enlightened Cuisine Vegetarian Restaurant Cuisine: Chinese, Asian, Vegetarian Weblink: http://ecuisine.com.au/index.html Location: 113 Queensbridge Street, Southbank Ph: 9686 9188 Approximate Walking and Tram Distance from Convention Centre: 10-15 minutes over the Yarra River, past the Crown Casino Public Transport Directions: From Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (Southbank) walk about 630 metres to 113 Queensbridge St (Southbank) Features: Corkage per-person: $0.80, BYO, deliveries, limited parking, private dining area, takeaway, wheelchair access; relaxed ambience Restaurant: Las Vegan Nirvana Cafe Cuisine: All Weblink: http://yourrestaurants.com.au/guide/las_ vegan_nirvana_cafe/ Location: 22 Smith Street Collingwood Ph: 9415 9001 Approximate Walking and Tram Distance from Convention Centre: Hour to walk or 20 minutes by tram Public Transport Directions: From Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (Southbank) Walk about 150 metres to Tram Stop 125 Clarendon St/ Normanby Rd (Southbank). Take the Route 109 tram towards Box Hill. Get off at Stop 15 - Smith St/Victoria Pde (Fitzroy); From here Walk about 170 metres to 22 Smith Street; Zone(s) for ticket purchase: 1; trams run every 8 minutes during the week, takes approximately 28 minutes Features: Seats 20, takeaway available; outside dining and wheelchair access; Open Tues - Wed 11.00am - 3.30pm Thurs - Fri 11.00am - 9.00pm Famous Nirvana burger (a fragrant biodynamic rice and lentil pattie on house-baked roll with garden salad, ground nuts, organic ketchup, homemade salsa and vegan mayo] and kick back with a full stomach amid the boho bric-a-brac furniture and warmly coloured feature walls Restaurant: The White Lotus Vegetarian Restaurant Cuisine: Asian, Chinese, Vegan and Vegetarian Weblink: http://yourrestaurants.com.au/guide/the_ white_lotus_vegetarian_restaurant/ Location: 185 Victoria St West Melbourne Ph: 9326 6040 Approximate Walking and Tram Distance from Convention Centre: 49 minutes to walk or 25 minutes by tram Public Transport Directions: From Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (Southbank) walk about 600 metres to Tram Stop 114 - City Rd/Kings Way [Southbank). Take the Route 55 tram towards West Coburg Get off at Stop 10 - Victoria St/Peel St (West Melbourne); From here Walk about 70 metres to 185 Victoria Street; Zone(s) for ticket purchase: City Saver; trams run every 12 minutes during the week, takes approximately 23 minutes Features: Dinner only: Tues-Sat 6.00pm - 10.00pm; BYO (wine only) $1 corkage per person. BYO alcoholic beverages only; Wheelchair access; takeaway available Requirement: Vegetarian Restaurant: Gopal's Vegetarian Cuisine: Vegetarian; Preparations are freshly made and sanctified by offering to Lord Krishna before being served. Hence we provide a truly blessed and karmafree meal. Weblink: http://www.menulog.com.au/gopals_ vegetarian_restaurant Location: 139 Swanston Street, Melbourne Ph: 9650 1578 Approximate Walking and Tram Distance from Convention Centre: 39 minutes to walk or 20 minutes by tram Public Transport Directions: From Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (Southbank) Walk about 380 metres to Tram Stop 124A - Casino Exhibition Centre/Clarendon St (Southbank) Take the Route 109 tram towards Box Hill or take the Route 112 tram towards Preston. Get off at Stop 5Elizabeth St/Collins St (Melbourne City); From here Walk about 370 metres to 139 Swanston Street; Zone(s): City Saver; trams run every 4 minutes during the week, takes approximately 21 minutes Features: A variety of menu offerings including rice, soups, curries, salads, pastas, grain, bean and legumes are there for the choosing, with several daily specials on offer Mon - Sat: 11.00am - 10.30pm Restaurant: The Shakahari Cuisine: Japanese, Chinese and Thai Weblink: http://www.shakahari.com.au/ Location: 201-203 Faraday Street, Carlton Ph: 9347 3848 Approximate Walking and Tram Distance from Convention Centre: Over an hour to walk or 30 minutes by tram Public Transport Directions: From Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (Southbank) Walk about 500 metres to the Bus Stop at Clarendon St/ City Rd (Southbank); Take the Route 251 bus towards Northland SC or take the Route 253 bus towards Carlton North. Get off at Stop Grattan St/Rathdowne St (Carlton); From here Walk about 460 metres to 201 Faraday Street; Zone(s): 1; buses run every 9 minutes during the week, takes approximately 32 minutes Features: Vegan, non-dairy, gluten free options for all courses Mon - Sat Lunch: 12.00 midday - 3.00pm Mon - Sun Dinner: 6.00pm - 9.30pm www.parliamentofreligions.org 63
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________________ GENERAL INFORMATION (continued) Restaurant: Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery and Tea House Cuisine: Chinese Buddhist restaurant and meditation hall Weblink: http://www.bliav.org.au/exhibition/ galleryindex.html Location: 141 Queen Street, Melbourne Ph: 9642 2388 Approximate Walking and Tram Distance from Convention Centre: 30 minutes to walk or 20 minutes by tram Public Transport Directions: From Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (Southbank) Walk about 150 metres to Tram Stop 125 - Clarendon st/ Normanby Rd (Southbank). Take the Route 96 tram towards East Brunswick. Get off at Stop 4 - Queen St/ Bourke St (Melbourne Cityl: From here Walk about 480 metres to 141 Queen Street; Zonels) for ticket purchase: 1; trams run every 7 minutes during the week, takes approximately 19 minutes Features: Open Mon-Sat 10.00am-5.00pm so basically, a lunch place), very nice vegetarian food at reasonable prices. A Shrine where one can pay respect to the Buddha, a gift shop, and classrooms for group meeting and Dharma talks Restaurant: The Vegie Bar Cuisine: All Weblink: http://www.vegiebar.com.au/hifi intro.html Location: 378 Brunswick Street, Fiztroy Ph: 9417 6935 Approximate Walking and Tram Distance from Convention Centre: Hour to walk or 30 minutes by tram Public Transport Directions: From Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (Southbank) Walk about 380 metres to Tram Stop 124A - Casino Exhibition Centre/Clarendon St (Southbank) Take the Route 112 tram towards Preston: Get off at Stop 17 - Leicester St/Brunswick St (Fitzroyl: From here Walk about 90 metres to 378 Brunswick Street; Zone(s): 1: trams run every 8 minutes during the week, takes approximately 33 minutes Features: Vegetarian Icon restaurant that gives back to the local community regarding Communities Night should be directed to the Communities Night table located in the exhibition area. Upon registration participants will receive their Communities Night ticket and related information. Entrance to the Parliament Each registered participant of the Parliament will receive a name badge at the registration desk. This badge will be your official pass and must be worn to obtain entry to all sessions, the exhibition area, catering area, art displays and plenaries. Children 12 years old and under will receive a wristband and must wear this to access the sessions. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by a registered guardian/parent, who must be present when the child is receiving the wristband. Please note, each participant may be subject to security screening during the Parliament. Goods and Services Tax (GST), GST is included in all prices, unless otherwise stated, Home Stay enquiries Please visit the Volunteer Registration Desk located in the Melbourne Exhibition Centre Foyer for any enquiries on Home Stay. The Parliament CPWR and PWR Melbourne would like to thank everyone involved in the Home Stay program for their generosity and support. Insurance Registration fees do not include insurance of any kind. It is strongly recommended that you secure appropriate travel and health insurance. CPWR, PWR Melbourne and arinex can not take any responsibility for any participant failing to arrange their own insurance. Cloakroom The cloakroom at the Melbourne Convention Centre is located on the ground level, near the customer service desk. This facility is free of charge. Communities Night Table Communities Night will take place on Friday 4 December. This will be an opportunity for people from one-faith communities or spiritual traditions to provide hospitality to participants of the Parliament to come together. On Thursday 3 and Friday 4 December the community hosts will be in the Melbourne Convention Centre Foyer to provide opportunities for those participants that are attending to visit their chosen community or spiritual tradition. All enquiries Internet Participants can purchase wireless internet from the Melbourne Convention Centre by credit card via the Melbourne Convention Centre wireless portal. The service is available via two usage plans: * Plan 1:1 hour or 75MB download for A$10.00 (including GST) * Plan 2: 8 hours or 250MB download for A$20.00 lincluding GST) All access hours must be used within 48 hours from the time of purchase. Wireless connection instructions To connect to a wireless network click Start, control panel, then click network connection. Alternatively, click the wireless icon in the lower right of your screen to access the wireless connections available in the area. Refresh network list to connect to 'MCC Service Set Identification (SSID) via 'Wireless Manager'. Once Jain Education Internationant of the World's Religions
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________________ connected to 'MCC' SSID, you can open the web browser. The 'MCC credit card page will automatically load. Participants can select the desired plan from the Select Internet Access plan drop-down box Once a plan has been selected, participants will need to click the "Update Total button to confirm selection, Then proceed with the credit card details. Delegates will have to type a password but a username is automatically generated. The 'I accept MCC terms and conditions' checkbox must be selected before you can proceed to the next step. Once you click on 'Purchase Now, the credit card transaction will be processed. If successful, the purchase confirmation page will return with username and password details. Please save this page as a proof of purchase or invoice, After noting your username, click on Continue to Internet' and you will see the login page, enter your username and password you have from Proof of Purchase and you will be able to access the internet. Messages All messages received during the Parliament will be placed on the message board in the registration area, located in the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. To collect or leave messages please visit the registration desk. Mobile Phones and Pagers Please respect the presenter/performer and other members participating by ensuring your mobile phone and/or pager is switched off or to silent while you are in session, Parliament Name Badge In line with the Parliament's vision for a collective goal of healing the earth. We would like to bring to your attention the composition of your name badge. Your lanyard is made from recyclable material and your name tag has been made from recycled paper. Whilst the plastic pouches are not recyclable or made from recycled material, we invite you to drop yours off, together with your lanyard, at the registration desk on your last day at the Parliament. We then invite participants who feel that they, or their organisation, could make good use of the plastic pouches and lanyards to come and collect as many as are available. As the lanyards are made from recyclable material, any left-overs will either be recycled or re-used, Parliament Registration Entitlements 7 Day Participants The registration fee entitles all participants to the following: * All sessions during the Parliament * All official documentation * Opening Plenary * Communities Night * International Plenary * Sacred Music Concert * Melbourne Plenary * Closing Plenary * Satchel 3 Day Participants VALID - Friday 4, Saturday 5 & Sunday 6 OR Monday z Tuesday 8 & Wednesday 9 December 2009 The registration fee entitles all participants to the following: . All sessions during the Parliament on the 3 days of attendance * All official documentation Satchel 1 Day Participants VALID - Friday 4. Saturday 5, Sunday 6, Monday z Tuesday 8 OR Wednesday 9 December 2009 The registration fee entitles all participants to the following: * All sessions during the Parliament on the day of attendance * All official documentation Parliament Photographer By registering to attend the Parliament you grant the organising committee permission to both photograph and video record you during Parliament activities, This footage will possibly be used in relation to future Parliaments and the ongoing work of the Parliament. Mobility Needs Should you require specific assistance, please see the staff at the registration desk Parking MCEC has two car parks. The Melbourne Exhibition Centre has 1060 undercover parking spaces managed by Wilson Parking. Entrance is off Normanby Road, This car park is open 24 hours, 7 days a week. The early bird rate is A$10.00 Monday to Friday Center 6.00 am - 9.00 am and exit after 3.00 pm and before midnight). The standard rate is A$6.00 for the first hour and a maximum rate of A$28.00. Night rates of A$8.00 apply for entry after 5.00 pm and exit before 6.00 am The weekend rate is A$10.00 per exit, per day The Melbourne Convention Centre has 550 openair parking spaces available managed by Wilson Parking. Entrance is of Normanby Road. The car park operation hours are 7.00 am - 10.30 pm. A flat rate of A$10.00 applies www.parliamentowejabaty.orgs
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________________ GENERAL INFORMATION (continued) Participant List A list of participants will be available on the website post Parliament of the World's Religions. This list will contain all participants. The participant list contains the names, organisations and state or country of origin of registered participants, excluding those who opted out in line with privacy laws. Prayer Rooms The prayer rooms are located on ground level of the Melbourne Convention Centre. They will be open during the Parliament hours. Privacy Australia introduced the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000 in 2001. arinex comply with this legislation which is designed to protect the right of the individual to privacy of their information. Information collected in respect of proposed participation in any aspect of the Parliament will only be used for the purposes of planning and conduct of the Parliament and may also be provided to the organising body or to organisers of future events. PWR may disclose some of the information that is collected in the Registration Form such as your name, organisation and its location and email address for marketing or networking purposes to other Parliament participants, sponsors or exhibitors unless you opt out of this through the provided check boxes. PWR will not otherwise, without your consent, use or disclose personal information for any purpose unless it will be reasonably expected that such purpose is related to the offer, provision and improvement of the PWR or where such purpose is permitted or required by law. It is also standard practice to produce a Participant List of attendees at the Parliament and to include the individual's details in such a list. Time In December Melbourne is 11 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (Daylight Savings Time). Tipping Tipping is not expected in Australia but is appreciated for particularly good service. Tours Meeting Points Details regarding the meeting and departure point for your tour will be included on your ticket provided to you at the Registration desk. Please ensure you are at the departure point at least 15 minutes prior to the departure time All tours (except those listed belowl will be departing from the Convention Centre Place main entrance (off Montague Street), Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Please note that delegates will be required to make their own way to the following: * The Docklands & River Gardens Cruise * Williamstown Cruise Experience Dinner at the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant Please note that delegates will be required to make their own way to the Hilton Hotel South Wharf main entrance (2 Convention Centre Place, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre) to the following: * Puffing Billy with Blue Dandenongs * Mount Dandenong Experience Terms and Conditions These tours, designed by arinex Destination Management (license No. 2 TA001144), are for participating delegates of the Parliament of the World's Religions 2009. All sightseeing tours include informative English speaking commentary, all entry fees and meals where specified. Comfortable shoes and clothing are recommended for all tours. For any outdoor tours we recommend that participants bring sun protection cream, sunhat and sunglasses. All tours are based on a minimum number of participants. Il minimum numbers are not reached, alternative arrangements or a complete refund will be made. Places on all tours are limited and will be allocated strictly in order of receipt of payment. Where participants cancel their day tour, no refund will be made. Disclaimer The organisers have made every attempt to ensure that all information in this publication is correct. The organisers take no responsibility for changes to the program, or any loss that may occur as a result of changes to the program. Some of the information contained in this publication has been provided by external sources. Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy, currency and reliability of the content, the organisers accept no responsibility in that regard. Public Telephones Public telephones are located on the MCEC concourse and on each level of the Melbourne Convention Centre, Volunteers There will be volunteers to assist in program or any other queries that you may have. Alternatively please visit the registration desk. Disclaimer The services specified in these tour descriptions are available at the time of writing. However, in the event that any service(s) become unavailable for any reason, arinex will make every effort to supply alternative services of an equal standard and value but cannot accept any responsibility for failure to provide the specified services. Jain Education Internationaht of the World's Religions
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________________ Transport Melbourne offers a range of public transport facilities, with a network of trams, trains and buses. Both Flinders Street Train Station and Southern Cross Train Station are within walking distance from the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Tram stops are located on Clarendon Street. For information on transport routes and timetables, please visit www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au Telephone Directory * Emergency Services (Fire/police/ambulance)... 000 * Registration Desk 9235 8829 * Emergency Centre Royal Melbourne Hospital .... 9342 7000 * Directory Assistance 1223 Taxi Services Silver Top ........... . 131 008 Yellow Cabs.......... ....... 132 227 * Tourism Victoria Level 32, 121 Exhibition St. .9653 9777 ACCOMMODATION CONTACTS Hilton South Wharf 2 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf, Melbourne Vic 3006 P: 9027 2000 F: 9027 2001 Crowne Plaza Melbourne 1-5 Spencer Street, Melbourne, Vic 3000 P: 9648 2777 F: 9629 5624 Citigate Melbourne 270 Flinders Street, Melbourne, Vic 3000 P: 9654 6888 F: 9654 0368 Citigate Albert Park 65 Queens Road, Melbourne, Vic 3004 P: 9529 4300 F: 9521 3111 10 Grand Hyatt 123 Collins Street, Melbourne, Vic 3000 P: 9657 1234 F: 9650 3491 Crown Promenade 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank, Vic 3006 P: 9292 6688 F: 9292 6600 17 3 Crown Towers 8 Whiteman Street, Southbank, Vic 3006 P: 9292 6666 F: 9292 6600 Rendezvous Hotel Melbourne 'Official Hotel 328 Flinders Street, Melbourne, Vic 3000 P: 9250 1888 F: 9250 1877 Vibe Savoy Hotel Melbourne 630 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, Vic 3000 P: 9622 8888 F: 9622 8818 Langham Hotel Melbourne 1 Southgate Avenue, Southbank, Vic 3006 P: 8696 8888 F: 9690 5889 Holiday Inn on Flinders 575 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Vic 3000 P: 9629 4111 F: 9629 4300 Melbourne Short Stay Apartments Southbank 186 City Road, Southbank, Vic 3006 P: 9682 7311 F: 9696 2177 Jain Eden Internet For Private & Personal use only www.parliamentofreugune.orbrusy.org
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________________ 13 14 15 16 17 Travelodge Southbank Cnr Riverside Quay & Southgate Ave, Southbank, Vic 3006 P: 8696 9600 F: 9690 1160 Batman's Hill on Collins 623 Collins Street, Melbourne, Vic 3000 P: 9614 6344 F: 9614 1189 Metro Apartments Bank Place 18 Bank Place, Melbourne, Vic 3000 P: 9604 4321 F: 9604 4300 Mercure Hotel Welcome 265-281 Little Bourke St, Melbourne Vic 3000 P: 9639 0555 F: 9663 4711 Hotel Enterprize Melbourne 44 Spencer Street, Melbourne, Vic 3000 P: 9629 6991 F: 9614 7963 ACCOMMODATION MAP FOOTSCRAY RO NEW QUAN VICTORIA HARBOUR CENTRAL PIER WESTGATE FWY WURUNDJERI WAY TELSTRA DOME BOURKE ST MONTAGUE ST YARRA RIVER LORIMER ST 68 PWR-Parliament of the World's Religions DUDLEY ST 18 19 WESTGATE FWY 20 21 FLAGSTAFF GARDENS LA TROBE ST 19 22 14 17 8 21 Hotel Ibis Melbourne 15-21 Therry Street, Melbourne, Vic 3000 MELBOURNE COHIBITION CENTRE NORMANBY RD P: 9666 0000 F: 9666 0050 Hotel Ibis Little Bourke Street 600 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne, 3000 P: 9672 0000 F: 9672 0123 Hotel Grand Chancellor Melbourne 131 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, Vic 3000 P: 9656 4000 F: 9662 3479 LONSDALE ST Pensione Melbourne 16 Spencer St, Melbourne, Vic 3000 P: 9621 3333 F: 9621 1922 QUEEN VICTORIA MARKET LT BOURKE ST BOURKE ST LT COLLINS ST COLLINS ST FLINDERS LN FLINDERS ST 6 CROWN ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX 24 KINGS WAY 18 YARRA RIVER SOUTHGATE RIVERSIDE QUAY VICTORIA ST 12 CITY RO POWER ST 16 FLINDERS STREET STATION 23 FLINDERS ST 13 20 4SOUTHGATE AV SOUTHBANK BVD FEDERATION SQUARE 22 Kingsgate Hotel 131 King Street, Melbourne, Vic 3000 10 23 Hotel Unilodge on Flinders 24 ALEXANDRA GARDENS P: 9629 4171 F: 9629 7110 QUEEN VICTORIA GARDENS 328 Flinders Street, Melbourne, Vic 3000 P: 9224 1500 F: 9224 1530 Urban Central Melbourne 334 City Road, Southbank, Vic 3006 25 Hotel Discovery Melbourne 167 Franklin Street, Melbourne, Vic 3000 P: 9329 7525 F: 9326 7667 P: 9693 3700 F: 9682 7554 TERRARUNG MARR KINGS DOMAIN ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS
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________________ ABOUT MELBOURNE AND AUSTRALIA Melbourne, the capital city of the state of Victoria, has a rich diversity of cultures, languages and religions. There are more than 200 languages spoken in and around the city, with 10 per cent of the population speaking a language other than English at home. More than 100 different religions and faiths are practised by Melbourne residents. There is always something exciting happening in and around Melbourne, be it a festival of one of the world's faiths, special days of religious significance, a world-renowned sporting event such as the Australian Open Tennis Championships, an exciting arts festival or a conference of leading thinkers. Savour the delight of alfresco dining along the banks of the Yarra River, at the Docklands or by the beach in St Kilda. Melbourne's dining spots provide an array of multicultural cuisine in cafes, and restaurants, Within an hour's drive of the city, you'll find spectacular coastlines, wildlife reserves, award-winning wineries, surf beaches, rainforests, coastal villages and rejuvenating hot mineral springs, The Parliament of the World's Religions will be an opportunity for people of all religions to celebrate their faith and build networks with those of different faiths. MELBOURNE CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTRE (MCEC) The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre is Melbourne's newest icon and the largest combined exhibition and convention centre in Australia. The centre is designed to achieve the first six green star environmental rating, making it one of the greenest convention centres in the world. It is a state of the art facility superbly situated on the banks of Melbourne's Yarra River, close to the heart of the central business district and just 30 minutes from Melbourne s International Airport. The new Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre is part of a $1 billion development including a Hilton hotel, a lifestyle retail precinct and 60,000 m2 of shopping. The MCEC is situated on the river's edge! linking Southbank to Docklands. As well as being visually striking with an 18 metre glass facade facing the Yarra River, it has a 5000 seat plenary hall, which is unparalled in its flexibility. MCEC Chief Executive. Leigh Harry, says the convention centre is an important architectural landmark for Melbourne and emulates what the city stands for. It leaves those who enter the space feeling like they have experienced Melbourne, from its maritime history, to its arts and culture and sporting ethos'. www.parliamento religions.org 69
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________________ VENUE FLOOR PLAN Yarra River Yarra River 101 102 GROUND LEVEL EH LEVEL 1 Yarra River LEVEL 2 Elevators Entry Cloakroom. Jam ECR or Fatemalions of the World's Religions. 103 114 105 Pre-Event 109 Entry 201 Ta 110 Pre-Event 202 106 Performers' and Presenters' Preparation Room Female Restroom 107 108 Pre-Event Void) Void Foyer 203 Male Restroom Plenary Stage Void SP Balcony 205 206 Pre-Event Plenary Stage 204 207 208 209 210 BE GUI Stage Plenary Void 211 Back-of-House Service Area Foyer Prayer Rooms 212 213 Enclosed link to Exhibition Centre Void Balcony 216 Entry 214 215 Pre-Event 1/217 218 219 Access area for delegates 220 This way to Exhibition & Catering Meeting Rooms
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________________ NOTES
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________________ THE Pencuin PARAD FAN INTI MATE EVE NI NG" COMMENCES: SUNSET DAILY
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________________ Phillip Island Real Entertainment For the best shows nature has to offer visitvictoria.com/phillipisland You'll love every piece of Victoria
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________________ NOTES WR Partiansent of the World's Religions
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________________ Major Subthemes The 2009 Parliament of the World's Religions features seven programmatic subthemes that focus on different aspects of our overall theme: "Make a World of Difference: Hearing each other, Healing the earth." These subthemes have emerged out of the dialogues from previous Parliaments and continue to resonate as urgent matters to address in this time and place by the largest interreligious gathering in the world. Each of these subthemes is a piece in the puzzle that must be put together if we want to see our visions of peace and justice for people everywhere, of all religious and spiritual traditions, become reality. They represent important ways of integrating personal and communal journeys into an ongoing commitment to make a difference in the world. Healing the Earth with Care and Concern Indigenous Peoples Overcoming Poverty in an Unequal World Securing Food and Water for All People Building Peace in the Pursuit of Justice Creating Social Cohesion in Village and City Sharing Wisdom in the Search for Inner Peace pages 72-73 pages 74-76 pages 77-78 page 78 pages 79-81 pages 81-83 pages 84-86 www.parliamentofreligions.org 71
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________________ MAJOR SUBTHEMES Healing the Earth with Care and Concern climate change, the growth of green architecture and more. The Parliament is an unparalleled opportunity to showcase the partnership between communities and other guiding institutions in pursuing practical approaches for mitigating the many challenges to our environment and implementing new solutions. Creating a sustainable, healthy world is of paramount concern to many religious and spiritual traditions, and it is a major focus of the Parliament. For Indigenous communities and many others, the natural world is more than home and shelter: it is the heart and essence of sacred spirituality. Caring for the environment is an essential expression of religious conviction. The 2009 Parliament of the World's Religions is a forum to share our hopes, dreams and achievements in protecting, sustaining and repairing the earth. Over the course of the week, you will experience dozens of keynote speakers, seminars, debates, workshops and discussions on topics including local farming, reducing energy consumption, mitigating Highlights to look for: Religion and Ecology Symposium See page 106 for more information. See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time Location 4 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 103 4 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 107 4 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 201 4 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 106 4 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 202 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm Room 105 Room 218 Room 213 4 Dec 5 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 8:00-9:00am Plenary Hall Room 203 5 Dec Sessions on Healing the Earth Session Title Adapting to Climate Change: How, and How Far? Numen: The Nature of Plants Mother Nature Doesn't Do Bailouts - Daily Youth Session How Can Interreligious Dialogue Address Global Food, Water and Climate Problems? Religious Responses to the Ecological Crisis as Climate Change Grows Climate Change and the Question of Overconsumption Caring Practices for the Earth - Australia and USA Green Faith New Directions in Asian Religions and Ecology on the Ground (Southeast Asia) The Human Face of Climate Change Mother of Compassion: Ancient Secrets to Inner Peace: Healing Our Earth, Our Faith and Ourselves Respect for the Earth: A Morning Observance Yoruba Worship of the Earth and Veneration of the Environment Zoroastrianism: Its Stewardship for All Creation, The Animate and Inanimate Krishna Consciousness and the Environment Thomas Berry and the Great Work of Our Time Climate Change as a Concern for Justice Multifaith Insights on Deep Ecology Selections from the New Film Journey of the Universe Christian Action and Witness For the Environment: What You Can Do When You Go Home Healing the Earth with Care and Concern: Religious Responses to the Earth Charter Religion, Science, and Environmental Activism (Session 3) Reconciliation with Land-Reconnecting Spirituality. Ecology and Human Creativity, and Reverence for Earth Arctic Peoples: Environment and Traditional Ways Appreciative Inquiry and Healing the Earth: Extending Faith Beyond the Realms of Religion ronment 5 Dec 8:00-9:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am Room 204 Room 209 Room 208 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1.00pm Room 111 Room 212 Plenary Hall Room 111 Room 213 Room 108 5 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 219 5 Dec 5 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm Room 210 Room 103 5 Dec 5 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm Room 215 Room 215 72 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ MAJOR SUBTHEMES Healing the Earth with Care and Concern 6 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 208 6 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 214 6 Dec 6 Dec 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm Room 202 Room 214 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm Room 218 Room 111 Room 210 6 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 4:30-6:00pm 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm Room 202 Room 208 Room 203 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm Room 214 Room 106 Room 219 Room 215 Room 210 Room 108 By the Fig and the Olive Tree: A Qur'anic Perspective on Healing the Earth with Care and Concern Decolonising our Hearts and Minds, Healing the Earth and Ourselves: North American Indigenous Perspectives Religious Leaders for a Sustainable Future The New Planetary Narrative: Connecting Ecology, Social Justice and Cosmology Faith, Community and Disaster Risk Reduction In Search of Sustainable Pathways New Directions in Asian Religions and Ecology on the Ground (India) The Science and Spirituality of Climate Change Jaina Doctrine of Ahimsa and Sustainable Living The Reality of the Universal Human Family: Interreligious Cooperation in Healing the Earth Private Property. Religion and the Environment Christianity and Ecology East Asian Perspectives on Ecology Judaism, Vegetarianism and Tikun Olam (Healing the World) Earth Charter as a Global Ethics for a Sustainable Futuro Global Ecological Crisis: A Time for the Reunion of Science and Religion? Green Buildings, Green Cities - An Ethical Path Forward The Muslim Green: Muslim Contributions to Healing the Earth Is Climate Change the New Slavery? Healing the Earth: A Meditation of Universal Oneness The Impact of Modernity and Climate Change in Oceania Enabling Response: Contributions of the Ecological Humanities toward an Environmental Culture Environmental Issues Affecting the Health of Indigenous Peoples Rivers of Life. Community, Water and Spirit in Australia Expressing Our Links with the Environment Sanctuaries for Healing the Earth: Sharing Collective Wisdom and Ceremony Whole Self - Whole Earth Plant Perspectives Perspectives on Sustainability: Buddhist and Jewish Perspectives Renewal: Religious Grassroots Environmentalism (Premier Film Series Selection) 1-Kuan Tao: Healing the Earth with Care and Concern, Sharing Wisdom in the Search of Inner Peace How Spiritual Progressives Can Help Move Both Religious and Secular Communities to Enlarge their Focus Beyond Personal Fulfilment or Individual Salvation toward a Global Transformation Healing the Earth: Buddhist and Hindu Theological Perspectives 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 8 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 8:00-9:00am 9:30-11:00am 2:30-4:00pm Room 209 Room 219 Room 202 Room 215 Room 211 Room 108 8 Dec 8 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 111 8 Dec 8 Dec 9 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 8:00-9:00am Room 213 Room 212 Room 214 9 Dec 9 Dec 9 Dec 8:00-9:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1.00pm Room 102 Room 103 Room 106 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 110 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 217 9 Dec Room 211 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 220 www.parliamentofreligions.org 73 For Private & Personal use only
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________________ MAJOR SUBTHEMES Indigenous Peoples in a spirit of trust by providing a chance for Indigenous Peoples around the world to voice their concerns and aspirations, as well as share their wisdom and insights. Topics include the environment, spirituality, rights and governance, culture lincluding history, education and language), colonization, de-colonization and more. The Indigenous Australian communities practice the world's longest continuous cultural and religious tradition. going back more than 55,000 years. Like other Indigenous or First Nation Peoples across the world, they live close to the land and its waters. Their traditional knowledge and wisdom guides them in living in harmony with the environment. Across the globe, however, the lands to which Indigenous Peoples belonged were invaded; their families, communities and health were severely disrupted; and their respective cultural and spiritual beliefs and practices were undermined. Leaders of some countries and religious and spiritual communities have started a reconciliation process with the Indigenous peoples whom they have marginalized and mistreated. The Parliament offers the opportunity to continue with the reconciliation process Highlights to look for: Indigenous Reception See page 112 for more information. Indigenous Assembly See page 112 for more information. See back of book for full descriptions. Date 4 Dec Time 9:30-11:00am Location Room 105 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am 2:30-4:00pm Room 211 Room 217 Room 102 Room 103 Room 215 Room 111 5 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 216 Sessions on Indigenous Australians Session Title Framlingham Aboriginal Trust, the Gunditjmara People and Brambuk Cultural Centre The Samoan Experience The Wurundjeri People of Melbourne Working Together, The Health of Two Worlds Our Impact on the Land Has the Same Impact on Us Mamaa: The Untouchable Ones Indigenous Perspectives on Education: Building Academic Skills with a Strong Cultural Grounding Maori Custom Law and Listening to the LandAustralian Aboriginal Meditation The Responsibility of the Mainstream for Reconciliation (Part 1) Spirituality and Healing in Melbourne's North Aboriginal Reconciliation in Melbourne: Working for Land Justice and Reconciliation Knowing Home: A Presentation of Indigenous Spirituality Kanyini Spirituality and the Western World The Centrality of Spirituality in Australian Indigenous Education The Impact of Modernity and Climate Change in Oceania Aboriginal Women - Healing the Land and its People Hearing the Other: How Can Cultural Organisations Best Work with Indigenous Communities? The Responsibility of the Mainstream for Reconciliation (Part 2) The Black GST (Genocide, Sovereignty, Treaty] Beyond the Dreamtime: Aboriginal Belief Systems and Their Deeper Philosophic Construct The Stolen Generation and The Apology 5 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm Room 202 Room 102 Room 207 6 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Room 218 Room 110 Room 105 Room 102 Room 211 Room 207 Room 214 8 Dec 9 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm Room 110 Room 106 Room 102 9 Dec 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 212 74 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ MAJOR SUBTHEMES Indigenous Peoples Sessions on Diverse Indigenous Peoples Session Title Observance on Dene [Indigenous Canadian) Spirituality Yoruba Religious Observance Indigenous Biodiversity Indigenous Perspectives on Conflict Resolution People Call Us Pagan - The European Indigenous Traditions Reviving Indigenous Spirituality: Reclaiming Strength and Identity [Session 1] Indigenous Women: Protecting Culture, Promoting Cultural Strengths Climate Change and the Arctic: The Indigenous Perspective Naga Chants Repatriation: Reclaiming Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property Rights Observance in the Haudenosaunee Prophecy and Spirituality History of the Inupiat: Nipaa Ilitqusipta/The Voice of Our Spirit (Premier Film Series Selection} Religious Dimensions of the Reconciliation Process in TimorLeste Taize Chants Sung in the Gunai Kurnai Indigenous Language by the Lavalla Catholic College Liturgical Choir The Chiefs' Prophecy: Survival of the Northern Cheyenne Nation 4 Dec There are No Back Row Seats in The Hoop of Life 4 Dec 4 Dec Protecting Religious Freedom & Sacred Sites: Examples from Indigenous Communities (Session 1] Reviving Indigenous Spirituality: Reclaiming Strength and Identity (Session 2) Yoruba Worship of the Earth and Veneration of the Environment Colonisation: Indigenous Peoples Striving for Self-Determination Outreach to Indigenous Aetas in the Philippines Arctic Peoples: Environment and Traditional Ways Indigenous Land Rights: Struggles and Survival (Session 1) Indigenous Perspective on Education: Building Academic Skills with a Strong Cultural Grounding Protecting Religious Freedom & Sacred Sites: Examples from Indigenous Communities (Session 2] Rivers of the Heart: Indigenous Knowledge and Literature Striving to Live in a Liveable World (Session 1] Decolonising our Hearts and Minds, Healing the Earth and Ourselves: North American Indigenous Perspectives Indigenous Peoples and the United Nations: the Struggle for Recognition Families: Family and Kinship in Contemporary Indigenous Communities Removal: The Indigenous Reality - Daily Youth Session Removal: The Indigenous Reality - Daily Youth Workshop See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 8:00-9:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm Location Room 218 Room 214 Room 208 Room 210 Room 111 Room 108 Room 218 Room 101 Room 201 Room 111 Room 201 Room 107 Room 217 Room 208 Room 219 Room 107 Room 218 Room 108 Room 209 Room 219 Room 214 Room 215 Room 217 Room 111 Room 208 Room 102 Room 209 Room 214 Plenary Hall Room 111 Room 201 Room 210 www.parliamentofreligions.org 75
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________________ MAJOR SUBTHEMES Indigenous Peoples 6 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 214 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm Room 208 Room 217 Room 209 Room 103 7 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 111 Accommodating Indigenous Spirituality in the Contemporary World: Valuing and Respecting the Importance of Indigenous Spirituality Hear the Voices of the Indigenous Elders Indigenous Land Rights: Struggles and Survival (Session 21 Striving to Live in a Liveable World (Session 2] Edmonton's Experience of Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples Returning to Right Relations between Christians and Indigenous Peoples in North America and Australia: A Powerful Source of Learning Hearing the Concerns and Voices of Indigenous Youth Observance on (Native American) Cochiti Pueblo Spirituality Observance on Zimbabwe Shona/Nodebelo Spirituality Burying and Resurrecting Our Tlingit Culture International Indigenous Repatriation UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Veneration of the Ancestors Development of Indigenous Foundations: Helping Communities Develop Foundations for Indigenous Peoples The Doctrine of Discovery and Indigenous Peoples Sustaining Spiritual Practices in a Changing World Understanding Vodun: A West African Spirituality Traditionat Knowledge: The Value of Teaching and Preserving Traditional Knowledge Ainu Indigenous Spirituality and Culture of Japan Environmental Issues Affecting the Health of Indigenous Peoples Observance on Tlinglit Indigenous Alaskan Nativel Spirituality Indigenous Food Insecurity The Haudenosaunee Prophecy The Revival of the European Pagan Religions Health and Healing: Healing the Person, Healing the Family Health and Healing: Indigenous Healing in the Modern Allopathic Medical World Reviving and Maintaining Indigenous Languages: Saving Indigenous Languages in the face of Globalisation 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm Room 105 Room 212 Room 208 Room 218 Room 111 Room 213 Room 216 Room 215 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Room 216 Room 105 Room 209 Room 210 8 Dec 8 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm Room 214 Room 111 9 Dec 9 Dec 9 Dec 9 Dec 9 Dec 9 Dec 8:00-9:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Room 217 Room 111 Room 213 Room 220 Room 111 Room 208 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 103 76 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ MAJOR SUBTHEMES Overcoming Poverty in an Unequal World To some, poverty is a word. To others, it is a way of life. While many have escaped the plight of poverty, along with the disease, hunger and other struggles that come with it, too many people have not. The United Nations Millennium Goals have expressed the hope that extreme poverty will be halved by 2015. To help attain this goal, the 2009 Parliament will explore how religious and spiritual communities throughout the world are implementing practical solutions to ensure that basic human rights to adequate food, clean water, housing, education and employment opportunities are available to everyone. Come learn how Sessions on Overcoming Poverty Session Title The Rights of the Poor and the Orphan in the Qur'an: Overcoming Poverty in an Unequal World Poverty Must No Longer Be With Us Interreligious Partnerships for Ending Hunger The Crisis and the Opportunity: Wisdom from Faith Traditions and Communities Breaking Through Patriarchy: New Visions for Women of Faith How a Profound Spiritual Theology can Overthrow Poverty Poverty in Wealthy Countries: Challenges Ahead Cambodia in the Aftermath of Genocide: Where Does Faith Come in? Interfaith and the Future of Africa Halting the Spread of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria: Challenges for Faith Engaging Faith-Based Organisations for the Millennium Development Goals: Comparative UN Experiences Pastoral Responses to HIV/AIDS from the Global to the Local Perspective Socially Engaged Buddhism: a Pathway to Peace Global Poverty Project Discoveries from 'Mapping' Faith Engagement in the International Development Challenge Building a Culture of Peace- Development on the ground in El Salvador UN Millennium Development Goals, Challenges and Opportunities for Global Stability Education for Successful Societies A Baha'i Perspective on the Right to Development Poverty, Health and Religion in Australia Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement - Grassroots Development, Conflict Resolution and Education Faith-Consistent Investing Homeland: Four Portraits of Native Action Stop the Traffic, People are Not for Sale: Human Trafficking and Slavery in the World Today Caritas Australia - Community Development in a Multifaith and Multicultural Environment you can adapt these ideas to your own community. With commitment, creativity and collaboration, people of faith, spirit and goodwill can make poverty a thing of the past. Highlights to look for: Poverty and Development Symposium See pages 106-107 for more information. See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8:00-9:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 4:30-6:00pm. 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm Location Room 207 Plenary Hall Room 101 Room 110 Room 110 Room 214 Room 109 Room 208 Room 202 Plenary Hall Room 207 Room 211 Room 110 Room 105 Room 208 Room 108 Room 204 Room 109 Room 102 Rooms 105 & 106 Room 203 Room 204 Room 107 Room 218 Room 102 www.parliamentofreligions.org 77
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________________ MAJOR SUBTHEMES Overcoming Poverty in an Unequal World 9 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 208 Sacred Activism: Cooperative Partnerships Advocating for Global Peace, Human Rights and the Millennium Development Goals Peace-Building in Mindanao: A Strategy to Promote Social Cohesion Among Diverse Communities of Faith in a Situation of Armed Conflict 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 207 Securing Food And Water For All People The problem of securing food and water for all people has never been one of scarcity - but one of access. Even with the recent rises in global food prices and population, there is enough for all, within the means of all. The fact that so many religious and spiritual traditions use food and water as key elements of their most significant observances testifies to their inherent recognition of this basic human need. The 2009 Parliament will explore how this ancient link between food and spirituality can inspire all of us to make this human need a human right. Come learn what people of goodwill around the world are doing to translate this commitment into realily and what you can do now in your own community and country to ensure that food and water flow wherever people hunger and thirst - not just from time to time, but for all time. See back of book for full descriptions. Time Date 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Location Room 101 Room 216 Room 106 5 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 105 Sessions on Securing Food and Water Session Title Interreligious Partnerships for Ending Hunger Sharing Scarce Resources in an increasingly Globalised World How Can Interreligious Dialogue Address Global Food, Water and Climate Problems? Vegetarianism - Ethics, Environmental Concerns and Complex Realities Thirst (Premier Film Series Selection) A Baha'i Perspective on the Right to Development Sustainable Way of Life Through Shumei Natural Agriculture Compassionate Eating for the YouTube Generation Judaism, Vegetarianism and Tikun Olam (Healing the World) Securing Food and Water For All People: The Compassion of a Qur'an Based Approach Rivers of Life: Community, Water and Spirit in Australia Indigenous Food Insecurity Compassion as a Common Value / The Global Food Crisis as a Spiritual Challenge 108 Bowls: A Mala of Water 6 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 8 Dec 4:30-6:00pm 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1.00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 8:00-9:00am Room 210 Room 102 Room 209 Room 101 Room 215 Room 216 8 Dec 9 Dec 9 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am Room 213 Room 111 Room 219 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 216 78 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ MAJOR SUBTHEMES Building Peace in the Pursuit of Justice Peace and justice are within the world's grasp. But they must be pursued together. Religious and spiritual communities around the world are increasingly recognizing the intrinsic connection between these two goals. By addressing pivotal issues of social justice, they are becoming more effective at spreading peace than ever before. The 2009 Parliament is proud to offer a wide array of diverse, expert perspectives on how people of all religious and spiritual traditions can move closer to realizing the vision of a just and peaceful world. Come meet real peacemakers from diverse conflict areas around the globe. Hear their success stories and learn practical approaches and strategies that build bonds of trust, cooperation and Sessions on Peace and Justice Session Title Indigenous Perspectives on Conflict Resolution Sancta Sophia Meditation Community: Promoting Peace through Interreligious Dialogue Achieving Sustainable Peace Perspectives on Conflict Resolution in the Middle East Building Peace in Pursuit of Justice: Indonesian, Turkish and Kashmiri Case Studies Cultivations of Solidarity: A Textual Analysis Building Peace in the Pursuit of Justice: A BuddhistMuslim Dialogue Convening Session - Conflict Resolution Not in God's Name Religious Unity and Nonviolence Religious Dimensions of the Reconciliation Process in Timor-Leste Om Shanthi Om Asian Conference of Religions for Peace [Religions for Peace Asia) Cambodia in the Aftermath of Genocide: Where Does Faith Come in? Global Ethics and Religion Forum: Religion and Post War Reconciliation in a Sustainable and Just World of Human Rights Landscape of Faith: Sharing Wisdom for a New Vision of Community - Part II: Living in Community in the Shadow of Injustice Interreligious Dialogue in Conflict Resolution Panel Religions and the Resolution of Violent Conflict Building Peace in the Pursuit of Justice: A Baha'i Approach Global Ethics and Religion Forum - The Role of Religion in Post War Treaties, Constitutions and International Law Religion, Conflict, and Peace building: The Case of Papua New Guinea The Street Theology of Anger and the Logic of Dying to Win African American Muslims: Mirrors for Global Justice understanding. When we build bridges of dialogue, recognize our shared humanity and work to overcome injustice, peace is not simply a dream - it is an attainable reality. Highlights to look for: Peace Building Program Cluster See pages102-103 for more information. War and the Role of Religion in a Just and Sustainable World Symposium See page 107 for more information. See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 1:00-2:30pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm Location Room 210 Room 104 Room 213 Room 212 Room 108 Room 214 Room 219 Room 203 Room 109 Room 106 Room 218 Room 201 Room 110 Room 208 Room 110 Room 220 Room 109 Room 203 Room 217 Room 110 Room 203 Room 213 Room 218 www.parliamentofreligions.org 79
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________________ MAJOR SUBTHEMES Building Peace in the Pursuit of Justice 2:30-4:00pm Room 109 4:30-6:00pm Room 212 8:00-9:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Room 207 Room 103 Room 201 Room 217 Room 214 11:30am-1.00pm Room 207 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Room 220 Room 110 1:00-2:30pm Room 110 2:30-4:00pm Room 105 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm Room 216 Room 203 The Gulen Movement's Global Peace and Social Reconciliation 5 Dec Vision and Projects: Lessons Learned from Germany, the US and Medina Religion, Conflict, and Peace building: the Case 5 Dec of the Philippines The Prayer of Women for Giving Peace on Earth || 6 Dec Creators of Peace 6 Dec Tari Sesaji Tri Yoni Saraswati 6 Dec The Impact of Women in Conflict Resolution 6 Dec The New Planetary Narrative; Connecting Ecology, 6 Dec Social Justice and Cosmology Aboriginal Reconciliation in Melbourne: Working for Land 6 Dec Justice and Reconciliation The Vision of Humanity: The Components of Peace 6 Dec Global Ethics and Religion Forum - Religion and the Future of 6 Dec Humanitarian Intervention in a Sustainable and Just World Global Ethics and Religion Forum - What is Peace in a 6 Dec Sustainable and Just World? Feeding a Plan of Action for the UN Decade of Interreligious and 6 Dec Intercultural Dialogue, Understanding and Cooperation for Peace (Session 1) The Women's Interfaith Initiative and Grassroots Movement 6 Dec Religion, Conflict and Peace building: The Case of Israel-West 6 Dec Bank-Gaza The Necessity of Nuclear Disarmament and Steps Toward 6 Dec its Achievement Breaking Barriers: Global Women of Faith Network, 6 Dec Religions for Peace Religion, Conflict, and Peace building: the Case of Colombia 7 Dec Conflict Transformation and Peace Building 7 Dec Religious Conflict and Persecution: The Cases of Myanmar, 7 Dec Thailand and Iran Women's Peace Initiatives 7 Dec Global Ethics and Religion Forum - Rotary International Peace 7 Dec Fellows, International Christian University Global Ethics and Religion Forum - World Religions 7 Dec Perspectives on Justice, War and Peace - Panel I Peacemaking in the Middle East 7 Dec Religion, Conflict and Peace building: The Case of Thailand 7 Dec Sharing Wisdom - Fostering Peace 7 Dec Dhakiyarr vs. the King (Premier Film Series Selection) 7 Dec Blue Gold: World Water Wars 7 Dec Worship and Justice 8 Dec Islam 101 Series: How Islam Deals with Social Justice, Gender 8 Dec Justice and Religious Diversity Global Ethics and Religion Forum - World Religions 8 Dec Perspectives on Justice, War and Peace - Panel II The Role of Religion in Mediating Conflict 8 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 102 2:30-4:00pm Room 220 Room 212 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Room 212 Room 217 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Room 109 Room 110 1:00-2:30pm Room 110 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 9:00-10:30pm 8:00-9:00am 9:30-11:00am Room 105 Room 109 Room 208 Room 210 Room 107 Room 102 Room 219 11:30am-1:00pm Room 110 11:30am-1:00pm Room 109 80 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ MAJOR SUBTHEMES Building Peace in the Pursuit of Justice 8 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 213 8 Dec 1:00-2:30pm Room 110 8 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 217 Signposts of Engaged Spirituality: Faith and Interfaith Initiatives for Building a Culture of Peace Global Ethics and Religion Forum - Open meeting: final assessment and report on project Feeding a Plan of Action for the UN Decade of Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, Understanding and Cooperation for Peace (Session 2) Religion, Conflict, and Peace building: The Case of Myanmar The Episcopal Church Confronts Racism: 'Traces of the Trade Religion, Conflict, and Peace building: the Case of Afghanistan A Qur'anic Moral Imperative: Building Peace in the Pursuit of Justice Interreligious Dialogue Making a World of Difference to Establish Peace: Sikh Perspective Australia's Diverse Cultures and Multifaith Communities: Fethullah Gulen's Vision and Building Bridges Projects Engagement for Justice: Meeting the Needs of Refugees Closing Remarks on Conflict Resolution 8 Dec 8 Dec 9 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 8:00-9:00am Room 109 Room 107 Room 203 Room 220 9 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 110 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 204 9 Dec 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Room 104 Room 219 Creating Social Cohesion in Village and City For those who live, work and raise families in urban environments, the need for respectful, harmonious relationships among people of diverse ethnicities, cultural values and religious and spiritual traditions is today clearer than ever - but no more easy to achieve. Gaining the full participation of migrant or marginalized populations, without prejudice or discrimination, can be especially challenging. The 2009 Parliament offers an impressive group of speakers and presentations that address the multiple challenges and solutions to creating social cohesion in village and city. Come learn how social harmony can be transformed from an ideal into a reality. Highlights to look for: Partner Cities Network Program Cluster See page 90 for more information. Global to Local Interreligious Movements Program Cluster See pages 88-89 for more information. International Partner Cities and 2009 Ambassadors Reception See page 112 for more information. See back of book for full descriptions. Time Date 4 Dec Location Room 204 9:30-11:00am 4 Dec 4 Dec 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am Room 214 Room 219 Sessions on Social Cohesion Session Title Freedom of Religion and Belief: The Project of the Australian Human Rights Commission Introduction to Big Mind Big Heart Muslim Women Securing Their Own Individuality: Different Societies, Same Struggle Globethics.net Principles: Sharing Values across Cultures and Religions Strangers in a Strange Land: Integration of Religious Minorities, their Families and their Identities into Australia Perspectives on Conflict Resolution in the Middle East Cultivations of Solidarity: A Textual Analysis Interfaith Engagement: Issues, Reflections and Prospects 4 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 210 4 Dec 11:30am-1.00pm Room 220 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm Room 212 Room 214 Room 208 www.parliamentofreligions.org 81 For Private & Personal use only
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________________ MAJOR SUBTHEMES Creating Social Cohesion in Village and City 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm Room 216 Room 105 Room 212 Room 214 5 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 220 5 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 213 5 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 218 5 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 104 5 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 220 5 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 103 5 Dec 5 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Room 106 Room 101 5 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 220 Spiritual Companionship: Listening with a Grateful Heart Democracy and Diversity in Global Perspective Recent Developments in Jewish Christian Dialogue Faith in Action: How Faith-Based Organisations Care for People in Need Landscape of Faith: Sharing Wisdom for a New Vision of Community - Part I: Living in Community Neighbourhoods of Difference: The Uniting Church in Australia and Interfaith Relations Voices of Challenge and Wisdom: Gay and Lesbian Perspectives on Faith, Spirituality and Embodied Grace Developing an Interreligious Community: How Silicon Valley Used the Partner City Process Landscape of Faith: Sharing Wisdom for a New Vision of Community - Part II: Living in Community in the Shadow of Injustice Interfaith in Australia: The Co-ordinating Work of the Australian Partnership of Religious Organisations Islamic Education: Vehicle for Social Cohesion Religion, Spirituality and Wellbeing: Implications for Living and Learning Landscape of Faith: Sharing Wisdom for a New Vision of Community - Part III: Addressing Alienation within the Human Family and with the Natural World Vedantic Wisdom and Middle Eastern Affirmations Landscape of Faith: Sharing Wisdom for a New Vision of Community - Part IV: The Arts as Transformation The February 2009 Bushfires in Victoria: Religious Response in the Role of Recovery and Renewal The Headscarf Debates: Religious Dress and Secular Fundamentalism Integration of Immigrants and Refugees into Australia: Interfaith and Cross-cultural Understanding Many Religions, One Community: The Theory and Practice of Living Together in Muslim Spain and India One Voice, Many Musics: Many Faiths, One Community Faith, Community and Disaster Risk Reduction Who is My Neighbour? Religious Identity and the Limits of Love Sacred Envy: Exploring What We Love about Our Own Faith, What We Admire in Others and What Challenges Us in Both Religious Identity Formation: The Templars in Australia Edmonton's Experience of Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples Knit Together in Love: Communities Enriched by Altruistic Handicrafting So That You May Know One Another: The Call for Social Cohesion in the Qur'an Living Mindfully For A Peaceful And Sustainable Future Best Practices in Interfaith Youth Work: Religious Schools and Community-based Programs Respond 5 Dec 5 Dec 4:30-6:00pm 4:30-6:00pm Room 209 Room 220 6 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 204 6 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 219 6 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 108 6 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 213 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Room 209 Room 218 Room 108 Room 204 6 Dec 6 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm Room 215 Room 103 6 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 108 7 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 207 7 Dec 7 Dec 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm Room 214 Room 207 82 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ MAJOR SUBTHEMES Creating Social Cohesion in Village and City 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm Room 103 Room 212 Room 207 7 Dec 7 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm Room 211 Room 207 7 Dec 8 Dec 4:30-6:00pm 9:30-11:00am Room 105 Room 203 8 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 106 8 Dec 8 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Room 220 Room 216 Room 204 8 Dec 8 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 207 8 Dec 8 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm Room 201 Room 102 8 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 106 Sharing Wisdom in Search of Inner and Outer Peace Alternatives to Empire, Another World is Possible Strangers Becoming Neighbours: Community Interfaith Responses to Interdependence (Session 1] The State and Religious Freedom Strangers Becoming Neighbours: Community Interfaith Responses to Interdependence (Session 21 Experience the Women's Interfaith Network Restoring Peace and Fostering Dialogue within Religious Traditions: The Experience of Christian Ecumenism in Australia and Beyond Praying Together in Times of Happiness, in Times of Sorrow? The Ongoing Dilemma for the Interiaith Movement The Swami and the Rabbi: A Conversation The Doctrine of Discovery and indigenous Peoples Towards a Shared Language of Religious Training: Interfaith Education for Religious Leaders Christian-Muslim Engagement: Action through Understanding in the Writings of Said Nursi Simonel! Caritas Australia - Community Development in a Multifaith and Multicultural Environment Changing the Conversation about Islam and Muslims Through Film: Shia, Puerto Rican-American and Australian Voices Building Cities of Harmony Healing the Earth One Workplace at a Time - Spiritual Paths Through the World of Work Interfaith Australia, Social Cohesion and the Muslim Communities Faith, Culture and Policing: The Victorian Experience Dance Workshop - Expression of Emotions Exploring the Universality of God's Religion Courage to Care: Listening to the Messages of the Holocaust Survivors The Common Enterprise of Peace-building: A New Model for Spiritually Motivated Social Action Within, Among & Beyond Communities of Faith Interreligious Dialogue and the Catholic Church in Australia and Melbourne Engagement for Justice: Meeting the Needs of Refugees Australia's Diverse Cultures and Multifaith Communities: Fethullah Gulen's Vision and Building Bridges Projects How Spiritual Progressives Can Help Move Both Religious and Secular Communities to Enlarge their Focus Beyond Personal Fulfilment or Individual Salvation toward a Global Transformation Milestones and Signposts in Interfaith Relations: the View from Christianity, Islam and Hinduism Peace-Building in Mindanao: A Strategy to Promote Social Cohesion Among Diverse Communities of Faith in a Situation of Armed Conflict 8 Dec 8 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm Room 215 Room 101 8 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 209 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 9 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 9:30-11:00am Room 216 Room 215 Room 101 Room 216 9 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 211 9 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 104 9 Dec 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Room 104 Room 204 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 211 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 209 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 207 www.parliamentofreligions.org 83
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________________ MAJOR SUBTHEMES Sharing Wisdom in the Search for Inner Peace For some, spirituality is personal, quiet and contemplative; for others, it is outward and active. But for all, spirituality implies a deeper involvement with the world and a more empathetic understanding of others. The quest for enlightenment and inner tranquillity is a thread that runs throughout virtually every religious and spiritual tradition - even when the answers vary. At the 2009 Parliament, a wide range of religious and spiritual traditions will Sessions on Wisdom and Inner Peace Session Title Silent Meditation - Ch'an The Radiant Path: Meditation Practice and Philosophy in the Kriya Yoga Tradition Calling Out to Allah: The Role of Du'a (Supplication) in Islam And Its Benefits for Inner Peace Sri Aurobindo, a Prophct for the 21st Century Meditation: The Heart of All Things Globethics.net Principles: Sharing Values across Cultures and Religions Globalisation and Spiritual Values Turning the Dharma Wheel 12 Steps: A Complete, Non-Denominational Spiritual Path for the 21st Century Preksha Meditation The Art of Qur'an Recitation: Sharing Wisdom in the Search for Inner Peace Awakening Meditation Taking just-a-minute: Meditation on the Move Mother of Compassion: Ancient Secrets to Inner Peace: Healing Our Earth, Our Faith and Ourselves Meditation as a Therapy: How Traditional Techniques Translate into Modern Healing Invoking Inner Tranquillity: Buddhist Chanting and Meditation Working with Self, Benefiting Others Sri Chinmoy: A Spirituality of Transformation Voices of Challenge and Wisdom: Gay and Lesbian Perspectives on Faith, Spirituality and Embodied Grace The Art of Creative Expression: Youth Workshop A String and A Prayer: Creating Universal Peace Beads Vedantic Wisdom and Middle Eastern Affirmations Movement Mudra of Traditional Solonese Dance Shum, A Language of Meditation Guided Metta (Loving-Kindness) Meditation Meditation and Sacred Music Hindu Meditation: Spirituality in Everyday Life Middle Way Meditation Sacred Earth: Music for Inner Peace 84 PWR Parliament of the World's Religions share what spirituality means to them and how it affects individuals at their deepest personal level. These sessions will explore how spirituality can provide a framework of meaning, serve as an asset in times of crisis or become an enduring source of personal fulfilment. Come learn about worldwide spiritualities as practiced individually and communally, and begin to understand how wisdom nearly always finds its way from the one to the many. See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 9:30-11:00am Location Room 109 Room 216 Room 108 Room 215 Room 220 Room 210 Room 211 Room 103 Room 215 Room 102 Room 212 Room 215 Room 101 Room 203 Room 216 Room 209 Room 211 Room 217 Room 218 Room 211 Room 214 Room 209 Room 102 Room 110 Room 111 Room 212 Room 108 Room 217 Room 201
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________________ MAJOR SUBTHEMES Sharing Wisdom in the Search for Inner Peace 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am Room 218 Room 215 Room 106 6 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 210 6 Dec 11:30am-1.00pm Room 104 6 Dec 6 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Room 103 Room 106 6 Dec 6 Dec 7 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 8:00-9:00am Room 211 Room 101 Room 217 7 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 216 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am Room 214 Room 102 Room 109 7 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 216 The Spiritual Tradition of Scientology Meditation: the Ultimate Transformative Experience Changing the World from the Inside Out: Making a Difference through Evolutionary Enlightenment Religious Dual Belonging: The Future of the Dialogue of Experience? Practising Yoga: Covert Conversion to Hinduism or the Key to Mind-Body Wellness for All? Panentheism: God and World in an Ecological Age Towards a Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the World's Religions Role of Religion and Spirituality in the Public Discourse Buddhist Christian Dialogue Daily Puja: The Daily Jain Ritual of a Shwetambar Jain Idol Worshiper Purifying the Heart and Soul through Remembrance of Allah: Dhikr As An Islamic Devotional Act for Inner Peace Self-Enquiry Meditation Seon (Zen) Meditation Practise Living Ahimsa Meditation: The Power of Harmony in our Thoughts, Speech and Action The Tree of Humanity and the One God of All Religions: The Brahma Kumaris Religion, Spirituality & Life Threatening Illness The New Archaic: Neuroscience, Spiritual Practice and Healing Sharing Wisdom in Search of Inner and Outer Peace Sharing Wisdom - Fostering Peace A Spiritual Audit of the World's Workplaces: Sharing Our Stories of the Human Spirit at Work The Spiritual Dynamics of Hearing/Listening and Healing: Awakening to the Flow Within, Between and Among Us Spiritual Practice. The Inner Search 2 Jews, 3 Opinions: An Open Conversation on the implications of the Parliament for Our Jewish Communities Twenty-One Moments of Stillness Understanding the Wisdom of Muslim Obligatory Prayers: Salaat & Inner Peace Meditation Training and Practice Devotional Singing and Meditation for Inner Peace The Sacred Art of Listening: Hearing From the Heart A Course in Miracles Unleashed: A Direct Encounter with Jesus Christ in the Evolution and Enlightenment of the Human Species Sharing Wisdom - Fostering Peace: A Workshop For the Interreligious Panel Unity in Diversity through the Arts and Religiosity of Indonesia The Search for Inner Peace: Multifaith Views from Women around the World, Part 1 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm Room 211 Room 216 Room 103 Room 208 Room 215 7 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 216 7 Dec 7 Dec 4:30-6:00pm 4:30-6:00pm Room 103 Room 218 7 Dec 8 Dec 4:30-6:00pm 8:00-9:00am Room 215 Room 207 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am Room 103 Room 217 Room 215 Room 104 8 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 204 8 Dec 8 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm Room 208 Room 103 www.parliamentofreligions.org 85 Jain Education Intemational
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________________ MAJOR SUBTHEMES Sharing Wisdom in the Search for Inner Peace 8 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 202 8 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 103 8 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 208 Creating a Stress-Free Mind and a Violence-Free World: Violence Ends Where Love Begins The Search for Inner Peace: Multifaith Views from Women around the World, Part 2 Spiritual Intimacy: Taking Interfaith Engagement to the Next Level The Holy Scriptures and Questions of intended Use The Urantia Papers-What's Love got to do with it? Sanctuaries for Healing the Earth: Sharing Collective Wisdom and Ceremony Whole Self-Whole Earth Master Class in Raja Yoga: A Pathway to Healing and Transformation 1-Kuan Tao: Healing the Earth with Care and Concern, Sharing Wisdom in the Search of Inner Peace 108 Bowls: A Mala of Water Furthering Global Human Thriving through Interreligious and Interdisciplinary Discourse 8 Dec 8 Dec 9 Dec 4:30-6:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 8:00-9:00am Room 218 Room 102 Room 214 9 Dec 9 Dec 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am Room 102 Room 212 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 217 9 Dec 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Room 216 Room 214 86 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ Program Clusters In order to give Parliament participants a way to focus their interests and take part in ongoing interdisciplinary dialogues, sessions of varying formats have been organised by topic into program clusters. These organically emerging clusters highlight the ways in which diverse religious and spiritual communities are striving toward shared aspirations and contributing practical solutions to the world's problems. Local to Global Interreligious Movements Partner Cities Network Islam in the Global Context Women in Leadership Youth Family Media and Religion Interreligious Education Human Rights Peace Building Nuclear Non-Proliferation Disaster Relief pages 88-89 page 90 pages 91-93 pages 93-94 pages 95-96 page 97 page 98 pages 99-100 pages 101-102 pages 102-103 page 103 page 104 www.parliamentofreligions.org 87
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________________ PROGRAM CLUSTER Local to Global Interreligious Movements Since the first modern Parliament of the World's Religions, which expressed the deep desire of religious and spiritual communities to dialogue and engage with each other, local and regional interreligious movements have sprung up around the world. These movements have worked tirelessly to build bridges of trust and understanding among diverse religious and spiritual traditions with Sessions related to Interreligious Movements Session Title 2014 Site Selection Orientation Opening Reception Sancta Sophia Meditation Community: Promoting Peace through Interreligious Dialogue Interreligious Partnerships for Ending Hunger Building Peace in Pursuit of Justice: Indonesian, Turkish and Kashmiri Case Studies 2014 Site Selection Orientation Part 1 How Can Interreligious Dialogue Address Global Food, Water and Climate Problems? Hindu Jewish Leadership Initiative Developing a Dynamic Interfaith Movement for Your City or Area Religions for Peace Workshop Landscape of Faith: Sharing Wisdom for a New Vision of Community - Part I: Living in Community Developing an Interreligious Community: How Silicon Valley Used the Partner City Process Landscape of Faith: Sharing Wisdom for a New Vision of Community - Part II: Living in Community in the Shadow of Injustice Religious Freedom and Interreligious Dialogue: International Association for Religious Freedom and Its Work in India Landscape of Faith: Sharing Wisdom for a New Vision of Community - Part III: Addressing Alienation within the Human Family and with the Natural World International Partner Cities and 2009 Ambassadors Reception Landscape of Faith: Sharing Wisdom for a New Vision of Community - Part IV: The Arts as Transformation Taking Our Place in the Interreligious Movement: Women in Society, Peacemaking, and Interfaith Dialogue Our Interreligious Future Towards the Heart of Humankind: Critical Considerations of Unity, Diversity and a Declaration of Global Spirituality The Work of AIS - 1 of 2 IF Alliance Workshop Religions for Peace Gathering 88 PWR- Parliament of the World's Religions the goal of tackling common local, regional and global issues. The sessions in this program cluster will tackle the question of how you can use what you have learned from dialogue and collaboration at the global level to foster the interreligious movements in your part of the world. What new tools and strategies for creating and maintaining interreligious communities will you take home with you? See back of book for full descriptions. Date 3 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 6 Dec Feeding a Plan of Action for the UN Decade of Interreligious and 6 Dec Intercultural Dialogue, Understanding and Cooperation for Peace (Session 1] 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec Time 3:00-5:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm. 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm Location Room 103 Room 104 Room 101 Room 108 Room 111 Room 106 Room 204 Room 215 Room 207 Room 220 Room 104 Room 220 Room 108 Room 220 Room 212 Room 220 Room 213 Room 211 Room 212 Room 213 Room 105 Room 218 Room 220
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________________ PROGRAM CLUSTER Local to Global Interreligious Movements 7 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 103 7 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 203 7 Dec 7 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm Room 217 Room 207 7 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 213 7 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 207 7 Dec 8 Dec 4:30-6:00pm 9:30-11:00am Room 103 Room 204 Global and Interreligious Education through Peer-to-peer and Online Learning in Australian and US Schools The Reality of the Universal Human Family: Interreligious Cooperation in Healing the Earth The Work of AIS - 2 of 2 Strangers Becoming Neighbours: Community Interfaith Responses to Interdependence (Session 1) UNESCO Chair in Interreligious and Intercultural Relations - Asia Pacific: An Interregional Perspective on Interreligious Relations Strangers Becoming Neighbours: Community Interfaith Responses to Interdependence (Session 2) United Religions Initiative Workshop Sharing Wisdom - Fostering Peace: A Workshop For the Interreligious Panel Creative Methodologies for Interreligious Dialogue 2014 Site Selection Orientation Part 2 Social Cohesion Feeding a Plan of Action for the UN Decade of Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, Understanding and Cooperation for Peace (Session 2] Voices of Peace: Models for Productive Coexistence Among Youth The Gift of Global Community Faith, Culture and Policing: The Victorian Experience Melbourne: An Interfaith Experience Interreligious Dialogue and the Catholic Church in Australia and Melbourne Interreligious Dialogue Making a World of Difference to Establish Peace: Sikh Perspective Furthering Global Human Thriving through Interreligious and Interdisciplinary Discourse Monastic Interreligious Dialogue: Dialogue at the Level of Spiritual Practice and Experience 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm Room 211 Room 111 Room 208 Room 217 8 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 104 8 Dec 8 Dec 9 Dec 9 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am Room 210 Room 216 Room 204 Room 104 9 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 110 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 214 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 210 www.parliamentofreligions.org 89 For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGRAM CLUSTER Partner Cities Network more about the network and vibrant city-based interreligious activities around the world, consider attending any of these sessions. The diversity of the world is increasingly reflected in metropolitan centres, with myriad religious and spiritual communities residing in major cities across the globe. The Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions (CPWR) seeks to support and partner with cities fostering interreligious grassroots movements and promoting harmonious and cooperative relationships between communities. In 2009, CPWR launched its enhanced Partner Cities Network and now cordially invites cities from around the world to consider applying to the network through completion of a City Interreligious Case Study. To learn Highlights to look for: International Partner Cities and 2009 Ambassadors Reception See page 112 for more information. See back of book for full descriptions Date Time Location 5 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 104 Sessions on the Partner Cities Network Session Title Developing an Interreligious Community: How Silicon Valley Used the Partner City Process International Partner Cities and 2009 Ambassadors Reception Strangers Becoming Neighbours: Community Interfaith Responses to Interdependence (Session 11 Strangers Becoming Neighbours: Community Interfaith Responses to Interdependence (Session 2) 5 Dec 7 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm Room 212 Room 207 7 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 207 See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time Location 4 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 215 5 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 103 Other Sessions related to Partner Cities Session Title Developing a Dynamic Interfaith Movement for Your City or Area Interfaith in Australia: The Co-ordinating Work of the Australian Partnership of Religious Organisations Religions for Peace Gathering Creative Methodologies for Interreligious Dialogue Faith, Culture and Policing: The Victorian Experience Melbourne: An Interfaith Experience 6 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 9 Dec 4:30-6:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am Room 220 Room 211 Room 216 Room 204 2014 Parliament Site Selection Orientation These sessions are for city-teams considering hosting the 2014 Parliament of the World's Religions. Private consultation for each city-team focused on their particular approach and specific questions will be available on request at mutually convenient times. Session Title 2014 Site Selection Orientation Opening Reception 2014 Site Selection Orientation Part 1 2014 Site Selection Orientation Part 2 See back of the book for full descriptions. Date Time Location 3 Dec 3:00-5:00pm Room 103 4 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 111 8 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 111 90 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGRAM CLUSTER Islam in the Global Context At the heart of Islam's social conscience is a shared concern for a "just, peaceful and sustainable world." The Holy Qur'an calls on Muslims to provide for the poor, to protect nature and to come together with diverse peoples to learn from one another. In keeping with this year's theme, "Hearing each other," the Parliament presents a number of sessions designed to break down stereotypes and misunderstandings of Islam and Muslims by providing authentic and diverse expressions of the faith. Muslim sessions will include observances, intrareligious panels representing diverse aspects of Islam, interreligious panels modelling dialogue with other religious and spiritual traditions on various issues, engagement workshops in multi-religious settings and exhibitions featuring Muslim art, music, painting, poetry and film. The 2009 Parliament also offers Muslim youth the opportunity to participate with young people of all religious and spiritual traditions I see the Youth Program Cluster on pages 95-96 for more info). See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time Location 4 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 216 6 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 202 Islam 101 Series Session Title Islam 101 Series: Reverence for the Virgin Mary and Jesus in Islam Islam 101 Series: War and Peace in Al-Islam: The Prophet's Struggle Islam 101 Series: Women's Rights as Human Rights in Islam Islam 101 Series: Applying Islamic Principles for a Just and Sustainable World Islam 101 Series: How Islam Deals with Social Justice, Gender Justice and Religious Diversity Islam 101 Series: Muslim Women's Contributions to a More Just and Sustainable World Room 219 7 Dec 7 Dec 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am Room 110 8 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 219 8 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 220 See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time Location 4 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 207 4 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 108 4 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 219 4 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 216 4 Dec 4 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Room 209 Plenary Hall Sessions on Islam Session Title The Rights of the Poor and the Orphan in the Qur'an: Overcoming Poverty in an Unequal World Calling out to Allah: The Role of Du'a (Supplication) in Islam And Its Benefits for Inner Peace Muslim Women Securing Their Own Individuality: Different Societies, Same Struggle Islam 101 Series: Reverence for the Virgin Mary and Jesus in Islam Muslim Women's Artistic Expressions of Faith and Interfaith Respecting and Defending Human Rights and Humanitarian Principles. An Islamic Global Perspective Building Peace in Pursuit of Justice: Indonesian, Turkish and Kashmiri Case Studies Building Peace in the Pursuit of Justice: A Buddhist Muslim Dialogue Friday Jumu'ah Congregational Prayer Sufism and Peace: A Meeting Point for All Religious Traditions The Art of Quran Recitation: Sharing Wisdom in the Search for Inner Peace Islam and Politics: Faith, Governance and Society Islamic Education: Vehicle for Social Cohesion The Street Theology of Anger and the Logic of Dying to Win African American Muslims: Mirrors for Global Justice 4 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 108 4 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 219 4 Dec 4 Dec 5 Dec 1:00-2:30pm 2:30-4:00pm 8:00-9:00am Room 202 Room 104 Room 212 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm Room 202 Room 106 Room 213 Room 218 www.parliamentofreligions.org 91 For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGRAM CLUSTER Islam in the Global Context The Gulen Movement's Global Peace and Social Reconciliation Vision and Projects: Lessons Learned from Germany, the US and Medina Learn Arabic Letters in 90 Minutes-An Interfaith Cultural Presentation You Can Use By the Fig and the Olive Tree: A Qur'anic Perspective on Healing the Earth with Care and Concern Remembrance of Allah and His Prophet Through Song Politics and Governance: An Islamic Perspective on Religious Democracy in Iran The Headscarf Debates: Religious Dress and Secular Fundamentalism Many Religions, One Community: The Theory and Practice of Living Together in Muslim Spain and India A Tale of Two Women: A Multifaith Reading of the Sarah/Hagar Narrative The Challenge of Islamophobia and the Media: How Innovative Dialogue is Changing the Landscape Islam 101 Series: War and Peace in Al-Islam: The Prophet's Struggle The Sufism of Hazrat Inayat Khan: Universal Sufism An Islamic Conscience: the Aga Khan and the Ismailis So That You May Know One Another: The Call for Social Cohesion in the Qur'an Purifying the Heart and Soul through Remembrance of Allah: Dhikr As An Islamic Devotional Act for Inner Peace Islam 101 Series: Women's Rights as Human Rights in Islam Islam 101 Series: Applying Islamic Principles for a Just and Sustainable World Islamic Finance: The Compassionate Approach to Market and Money Blogistan: Muslims Dialogue through New Media Interfaith Dialogue and Institutions of Higher Learning: India, Indonesia and United States Case Studies The Muslim Green: Muslim Contributions to Healing the Earth Securing Food and Water For All People: The Compassion of a Qur'an Based Approach. Understanding the Wisdom of Muslim Obligatory Prayers: Salaat & Inner Peace Islam 101 Series: How Islam Deals with Social Justice, Gender Justice and Religious Diversity The Imam and the Pastor: An Exploration of MuslimChristian Dialogue and Collaborative Power in Nigeria Islam and the West: Creating an Accord of Civilisations Voices of Peace: Models for Productive Coexistence Among Youth Christian-Muslim Engagement: Action through Understanding in the Writings of Said Nursi Changing the Conversation about Islam and Muslims Through Film: Shia, Puerto Rican-American and Australian Voices 92 PWR Parliament of the World's Religions 5 Dec 5 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm Room 109 Room 108 Room 208 Room 204 Room 216 Room 219 Room 213 Room 202 Room 219 Room 202 Room 102 Room 107 Room 207 Room 216 Room 219 Room 110 Room 220 Room 208 Room 209 Room 219 Room 216 Room 207 Room 219 Room 103 Plenary Hall Room 104 Room 207 Room 106
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________________ PROGRAM CLUSTER Islam in the Global Context 8 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 220 8 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 209 8 Dec 9 Dec 4:30-6:00pm 8:00-9:00am Room 101 Room 220 Islam 101 Series: Muslim Women's Contributions to a More Just and Sustainable World Interfaith Australia, Social Cohesion and the Muslim Communities Exploring the Universality of God's Religion A Qur'anic Moral Imperative: Building Peace in the Pursuit of Justice A Review on Shi'ism from the Islamic Republic of Iran Leadership Among Muslim Males in the Post-9/11 Era Analyse This!: Views of Young Saudi, Australian and American Muslim Women on Their Faith and Evolving Roles Australia's Diverse Cultures and Multifaith Communities: Fethullah Gulen's Vision and Building Bridges Projects Milestones and Signposts in Interfaith Relations: the View from Christianity, Islam and Hinduism 9 Dec 9 Dec 9 Dec 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am Room 203 Room 217 Room 218 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 204 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 209 Women in Leadership The role of women, in both social and religious settings, has a long history of transformation and evolution. In the present day, the imbalance of women to men in leadership is becoming less dramatic, creating greater opportunity for personal and professional development among individuals. The Women in Leadership Program Cluster will trace the historic trajectory of women's leadership and explore women's transition to more influential roles. By sharing stories of success, these sessions will act as a catalyst for women to provide needed leadership in their own communities and to reach out as representatives of their religious and spiritual traditions. Both individually and through various networks, women have furthered a synthesis of spirituality and service. By expanding equality between women and men, we can aspire to create a world where all may reach their full human potential. See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time Location 4 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 101 4 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 219 4 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 218 Sessions on Women in Leadership Session Title The Prayer of Women for Giving Peace on Earth Muslim Women Securing Their Own Individuality: Different Societies, Same Struggle Indigenous Women: Protecting Culture, Promoting Cultural Strengths Muslim Women's Artistic Expressions of Faith and Interfaith Breaking Through Patriarchy: New Visions for Women of Faith Peace at the Heart of the World A Creative Exploration of the Sacred Feminine The Divine Feminine Creators of Peace Taking Our Place in the Interreligious Movement: Women in Society, Peacemaking, and Interfaith Dialogue 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 5 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am Room 209 Room 110 Room 202 Room 220 Room 105 Room 103 Room 213 www.parliamento religions.org 93 For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGRAM CLUSTER Women in Leadership 9:30-11:00am Room 219 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Room 217 Room 202 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm Room 216 Room 220 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 4:30-6:00pm Room 219 Room 109 Room 214 4:30-6:00pm 9:30-11:00am Room 105 Room 212 The Headscarf Debates: Religious Dress and Secular 6 Dec Fundamentalism The Impact of Women in Conflict Resolution 6 Dec A Tale of Two Women: A Multifaith Reading of the Sarah/ 6 Dec Hagar Narrative The Women's Interfaith Initiative and Grassroots Movement 6 Dec Breaking Barriers: Global Women of Faith Network, Religions 6 Dec for Peace Islam 101 Series: Women's Rights as Human Rights in Islam 7 Dec Women's Peace Initiatives 7 Dec Personal and Professional Journeys of Women Leaders: 7 Dec A Worldwide Dialogue Experience the Women's Interfaith Network 7 Dec Women of Faith Network, Religions for Peace, Australia 8 Dec and New Zealand Preventing Violence Against Women: Australian and 8 Dec International Perspectives Indigenous Australian Women - Healing the Land and its People 8 Dec The Search for Inner Peace: Multifaith Views from Women 8 Dec around the World, Part 1 Islam 101 Series: Muslim Women's Contributions to a More Just and Sustainable World The Search for Inner Peace: Multifaith Views from Women 8 Dec around the World, Part 2 Analyse This!: Views of Young Saudi, Australian and American Dec Muslim Women on Their Faith and Evolving Roles East and West: Spirituality and Women's Leadership in Different 9 Dec Religious Perspectives Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai 5 Dec (Premier Film Series Selection) 11:30am-1:00pm Room 104 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm Room 207 Room 103 2:30-4:00pm Room 220 4:30-6:00pm Room 103 9:30-11:00am Room 218 9:30-11:00am Room 212 4:30-6:00pm Room 211 94 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ PROGRAM CLUSTER Youth At the 2009 Parliament of the World's Religions, the youth are the future' torch has been kept ablaze with the Youth Program, designed and organised by young people for young people. The Youth Program features four elements: the Youth Plenary Session, Daily Youth Sessions and Workshops, Service Projects and an after-hours Coffee House. Listen, discuss, get active, socialise and network to your heart's content at the 2009 Youth Program. Daily Youth Sessions and Workshops Session Title Mother Nature Doesn't Do Bailouts - Daily Youth Session Mother Nature Doesn't Do Bailouts - Daily Youth Workshop Talkin' 'Bout My Generation - Daily Youth Session Talkin' 'Bout My Generation - Daily Youth Workshop Removal: The Indigenous Reality - Daily Youth Session Removal: The Indigenous Reality - Daily Youth Workshop Does the Media Have Faith? - Daily Youth Session Does the Media Have Faith? - Daily Youth Workshop Sports as a Tool for Peace - Daily Youth Session Sports as a Tool for Peace Workshop Service Projects Here's your chance to get your hands dirty and get out into the community to serve others. Where to meet? At the main entrance to Melbourne Convention Centre (near the Hilton hotel). What should I bring? Sun-smart clothes, comfortable shoes, hat, sunscreen, water and lunch (except if attending Quang Minh Buddhist Temple). See back of book for full descriptions. Session Title Sacred Heart Mission Market Garden Samaritan's Purse Quang Minh Buddhist Temple CERES Lentil As Anything Coffee House & Table Talk Mix with Parliament participants and locals at the afterhours Coffee House where beverages, entertainment and new friends will be the order of the night. Talk to youth from around the world who are involved in organisations and projects centred on young people and interreligious work. Session Title DJ FLK and DJ Spinaphix Culture Club featuring Kundalila, Anise and Behzad Khoshmashrab Reggae and dub poetry with Yasus Afari and friends direct from Jamaica Highlights to look for: Youth Plenary Session See page 21 for more information. See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time 4 Dec 4 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec Date 4 Dec 5 Dec 6 Dec 7 Dec 8 Dec Date 5 Dec 7 Dec 8 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm Time 12:15-4:30pm 7:00am-3:00pm 10:30-3:00pm 1:15-5:00pm 6:15-10:00am Time 9:00pm-midnight 9:00pm-midnight 9:00pm-midnight Location Room 201 Room 210 Room 201 Room 204 Room 201 Room 210 Room 201 Room 220 Room 201 Offsite Location Offsite Offsite Offsite Offsite Offsite Location Room 201 and Foyer Room 201 and Foyer Room 201 and Foyer www.parliamentofreligions.org 95
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________________ PROGRAM CLUSTER Youth See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time Location 4 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 106 4 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 220 5 Dec 5 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Room 211 Room 215 5 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 216 Other Sessions for Youth Session Title Pilgrims Progress 2008: Research on Those who Attended the Sydney World Youth Day The Future of Religion in Australia? Melbourne's Religious Leaders in Dialogue with Young People (Seminar 11 The Art of Creative Expression: Youth Workshop Ending Legalised Violence Against ChildrenA Religious Imperative Youth Spirituality: Join the Evolution! Youth, Spiritual Development and Activism Sikh Youth Perspectives Footy Training Clinic - Offsite Youth Workshop Role of Youth Convening Education Session: Schooling. Young People and Social Inclusion Best Practices in Interfaith Youth Work: Religious Schools and Community-based Programs Respond The After Party - Legacy and Young People (Session 1) Hearing the Concerns and Voices of Indigenous Youth Sustaining Spiritual Practices in a Changing World Voices of Peace: Models for Productive Coexistence Among Youth Taking the Initiative...the Role of Youth in Global Interfaith Action The After Party - Legacy and Young People (Session 2) Youth Projects - Sustaining Peace from the Inside Out The Future of Religion in Australia? Melbourne's Religious Leaders in Dialogue with Young People (Seminar 2] Analyse This!: Views of Young Saudi, Australian and American Muslim Women on Their Faith and Evolving Roles 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 7 Dec 9:30-11:00am 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 9:30-11:00am Room 210 Offsite Room 216 Room 210 7 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 207 7 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 4:30-6:00pm 8:00-9:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm Room 212 Room 105 Room 105 Room 104 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 9 Dec 4:30-6:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 9:30-11:00am Room 216 Room 212 Room 104 Room 210 9 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 218 96 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGRAM CLUSTER Family Across the world, there are many different beliefs and traditions regarding the configuration and extent of a family. Family could be defined as the small nuclear unit of parents and children, or the extended family that includes several generations or even the larger network of kinship. Extended ever further outward, all peoples are related to each other in one global human family. In all societies, the family is a binding and vital social and spiritual unit. This cluster identifies those programs that are especially concerned with family matters: the raising of children to be grounded in a religious or spiritual tradition but with a spirit of interreligious openness; the rewards and challenges of interreligious marriages and strategies for building harmony within them; ways to strengthen bonding within a family, and prevention and healing strategies for family-destroying traumas like domestic violence and child abuse. Come learn about family dynamics in different traditions, and take new wisdom home to your own family, wherever they may be. See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time Location 4 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 104 4 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 208 5 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 215 5 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 220 6 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Sessions on Family Session Title Rev Moon's Vision of Global Family Older People: Revered or Redundant Ending Legalised Violence Against ChildrenA Religious Imperative Landscape of Faith: Sharing Wisdom for a New Vision of Community - Part III: Addressing Alienation within the Human Family and with the Natural World Families: Family and Kinship in Contemporary Indigenous Communities The Reality of the Universal Human Family: Interreligious Cooperation in Healing the Earth Veneration of the Ancestors Preventing Violence Against Women: Australian and International Perspectives Interfaith Marriage: A Workshop in Working with Difference Strengthening Families with Weekly Family Night The Importance of Family Health and Healing: Healing the Person, Healing the Family Room 111 7 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 203 8 Dec 8 Dec 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm Room 216 Room 104 8 Dec 9 Dec 9 Dec 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Room 108 Room 215 Room 215 Room 111 www.parliamento religions.org 97 For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGRAM CLUSTER Media and Religion In our modern world, the far-reaching effects of the media have shaped the way we see others and ourselves. These sessions touch upon the negative and positive role the media has played around the world. While mass media has the capacity to simplify and generalize, as with the case of negative portrayals, ostracised religious and spiritual communities can still find a place for interreligious dialogue on the Internet and by creating a new, positive relationship with media outlets. These sessions will explore the desire for a more nuanced and intelligent Sessions on Media and Religion Session Title The Challenge of Islamophobia and the Media: How Innovative Dialogue is Changing the Landscape The Digital Revolution and the Age of Religious Pluralism The Role of Media in Conflict Resolution - Panel Blogistan: Muslims Dialogue through New Media Does the Media Have Faith? - Daily Youth Session Does the Media Have Faith? - Daily Youth Workshop Media Savvy for Better Coverage Religion and Global Media The Hazards of Writing About Religion 98 PWR Parliament of the World's Religions dialogue in the media sphere, and the impact that such portrayals can have on such sensitive issues as conflict resolution and racism. How can the media become a positive partner of religious and spiritual communities? How can new media provide the depth of dialogue and perspective that will reshape the image of various religious and spiritual traditions in the eyes of various demographics? This series of programs will address such questions, bringing together leaders from religious and spiritual communities and the media around the world. See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time 6 Dec 6 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 8 Dec 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Location Room 219 Room 109 Room 204 Room 208 Room 201 Room 220 Room 110 Room 204 Room 213
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________________ PROGRAM CLUSTER Interreligious Education Interreligious education is a discipline that can hardly emerge fast enough to meet the growing demand. In our ever-changing global society, many parts of the world that were once relatively homogenous are grappling with the rewards and challenges of burgeoning diversity. As some religious and spiritual communities feel threatened by these changing demographics, the possibility for misunderstandings and conflicts increases, which means that the need for establishing trust and understanding among people of different religious and spiritual traditions has never been greater. The Parliament is proud to contribute to this cause with the Interreligious Education Program Cluster. Many of these sessions focus on the education of children and young people - but learning does not end in adulthood. Religious leaders and laypcoplc of all ages can learn from the expert presenters showcased in this cluster. Come learn what you can do to further the cause of interreligious education in your own community. Highlights to look for: Landscape of Faith: Sharing Wisdom for a New Vision of Community See page 112 for more information. Educating Religious Leaders for a Multi-Religious World Symposium See page 109 for more information, Enhancing Religious Leadership for the Future Symposium See page 109 for more information, Australian Schools: Educators and Students Symposium See page 110 for more information. Date Sessions on Interreligious Education See back of book for full descriptions. Session Title Time Location Building a sense of Belonging in a Culturally Diverse Australia - 4 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 202 The Australian Government's Role Strangers in a Strange Land: Integration of Religious 4 Dec 11:30am - 1:00pm Room 220 Minorities, their Families and their identities into Australia Educating Religious Leaders for a Multi-Religious World: The 4 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 219 Need for Multi-Religious Education for All Religious Leaders All We've Got: A Documentary Film about Hope 4 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 104 Landscape of Faith: Sharing Wisdom for a New Vision 5 Dec 9:30-11:00 am Room 220 of Community - Part 1: Living in Community Interfaith Dialogue and Education for a Culture of Peace: 5 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 212 A Workshop for Empowerment and Transformation Landscape of Faith: Sharing Wisdom for a New Vision of 5 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 220 Community - Part II: Living in Community in the Shadow of Injustice Islamic Education: Vehicle for Social Cohesion 5 Dec 11:30am-1.00pm Room 106 Indigenous Perspective on Education: Building Academic 5 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 111 Skills with a Strong Cultural Grounding Landscape of Faith: Sharing Wisdom for a New Vision of 5 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 220 Community - Part III: Addressing Alienation within the Human Family and with the Natural World Innovative Approaches to Multicultural and Interfaith 5 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 104 Education in Schools Learn Arabic Letters in 90 Minutes-An Interfaith Cultural 5 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 108 Presentation You Can Use Educating Religious Leaders for a Multi-Religious World: 5 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 219 Practical Initiatives and Examples of Multi-Religious Education Landscape of Faith: Sharing Wisdom for a New Vision of 5 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 220 Community - Part IV: The Arts as Transformation What Religious Insights Can Bring to Secular Education 6 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 212 Integration of Immigrants and Refugees into Australia: 6 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 108 Interfaith and Cross-cultural Understanding Education for Successful Societies 6 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 109 www parliamentofreligions.org 99
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________________ PROGRAM CLUSTER Interreligious Education 6 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 219 7 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 210 7 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 103 7 Dec 7 Dec 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm Room 213 Room 209 7 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 211 7 Dec Room 207 7 Dec 7 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Room 107 Room 104 Educating Religious Leaders for a Multi-Religious World: Resources for and Obstacles to Multi-Religious Education in One's Own Tradition Convening Education Session: Schooling, Young People and Social Inclusion Global and Interreligious Education through Peer-to-Peer and Online Learning in Australian and US Schools Jain Heritage and Education for Peace and Harmony Interfaith Dialogue and Institutions of Higher Learning: India, Indonesia and United States Case Studies Religion's Imperative to Present the Other' Faithfully (Session 1) Best Practices in Interfaith Youth Work: Religious Schools and Community-based Programs Respond Beyond Beliefs - Muslims and Non-Muslims Living in Australia Talking Faiths: Your Story. My Story and Our Story, across Schools and the World Wide Web Spiritual Education and Interreligious Learning for Primary (Elementaryl and Secondary Students Religion and Belief in Public Schools Educating Religious Leaders for a Multi-Religious World: Virtues and skills for Multi-Religious Education The Centrality of Spirituality in Australian Indigenous Education Faith-based Education in Human Values for a Sustainable Future Creative Methodologies for Interreligious Dialogue Interfaith Dialogue in Victorian Schools Religion's imperative to Present the Other' Faithfully (Session 21 Towards a Shared Language of Religious Training: Interfaith Education for Religious Leaders Educating Religious Leaders for a Multi-Religious World: What We've Learned ... What Next Steps We Hope to Take Jain Perspective on Nonviolence and Self-Control: a Model for Education 7 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 104 7 Dec 7 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm Room 102 Room 219 8 Dec 8 Dec 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm Room 102 Room 101 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 11:30am-1.00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Room 211 Room 216 8 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 204 8 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 219 9 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 214 100 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ PROGRAM CLUSTER Human Rights When the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, it was generally understood to be an ambitious statement of idealism rather than a description of reality. More than 60 years later, the document continues to serve as a vital checklist of work that must still be done. The cry of the world for universal human rights comes into Sessions on Human Rights Session Title Freedom of Religion and Belief: The Project of the Australian Human Rights Commission Respecting and Defending Human Rights and Humanitarian Principles: An Islamic Global Perspective Breaking Through Patriarchy: New Visions for Women of Faith Reconciling Religious Values and the Universal Entitlement to Human Rights AMES: People, Programs and Pathways Mamaa: The Untouchable Ones Violence Finds Refuge in Falsehood: Religion and the Future of Torture Interfaith Dialogue and Education for a Culture of Peace: A Workshop for Empowerment and Transformation Global Ethics and Religion Forum: Religion and Post War Reconciliation in a Sustainable and Just World of Human Rights Indigenous Peoples and the United Nations: the Struggle for Recognition Towards a Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the World's Religions Discoveries from 'Mapping' Faith Engagement in the International Development Challenge Feeding a Plan of Action for the UN Decade of Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, Understanding and Cooperation for Peace (Session 1) A Baha'i Perspective on the Right to Development A New Ethical Manifesto for the Global Economy Islam 101 Series: Women's Rights as Human Rights in Islam Jaina Doctrine of Ahimsa and Sustainable Living Interpreting the Text: Apostasy and Homosexuality UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Preventing Violence Against Women: Australian and International Perspectives Proselytisation and Religious Freedom Feeding a Plan of Action for the UN Decade of Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, Understanding and Cooperation for Peace (Session 2] Religion, Conflict, and Peace building: the Case of Afghanistan Hindu Intrafaith Meet: The Challenges and Opportunities Facing Hinduism in the Western World conflict with governments, corporations, individuals and sometimes even religious institutions and doctrines. In a sense, nearly every program at the 2009 Parliament is in some respect about human rights. However, the sessions highlighted here are most directly concerned with "the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family." See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 8 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 8 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Location Room 204 Plenary Hall Room 110 Room 204 Room 209 Room 215 Room 102 Room 212 Room 110 Plenary Hall Room 106 Room 208 Room 105 Room 102 Room 202 Room 219 Room 208 Room 105 Room 213 Room 104 Room 106 Room 217 Room 203 Room 202 www.parliamentofreligions.org 101
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________________ PROGRAM CLUSTER Human Rights Sacred Activism: Cooperative Partnerships Advocating for Global Peace, Human Rights and the Millennium Development Goals Engagement for Justice: Meeting the Needs of Refugees Milestones and Signposts in Interfaith Relations: the View from Christianity, Islam and Hinduism Peace Building This Program Cluster is presented with the generous support of Ven. Dharma Master Hsin Tao, the Global Family for Love & Peace and the Museum of World Religions in Taipei, Taiwan. The news is fraught with stories of violence perpetrated in the name of religious and spiritual beliefs; images of death are associated with diverse traditions far too frequently. Ignorance and fear bred by religious discrimination generate hostility and conflict that ranges from Grassroots Peace Building Teams Session Title Religion, Conflict, and Peace building: The Case of Papua New Guinea Religion, Conflict, and Peace building: the Case of the Philippines Religion, Conflict and Peace building: The Case of Israel-West Bank-Gaza Religion, Conflict, and Peace building: the Case of Colombia Religion, Conflict and Peace building: The Case of Thailand Religion, Conflict, and Peace building: The Case of Myanmar Religion, Conflict, and Peace building: the Case of Afghanistan Sessions on Peace Building Session Title Indigenous Perspectives on Conflict Resolution Achieving Sustainable Peace Perspectives on Conflict Resolution in the Middle East Convening Session - Conflict Resolution Religious Dimensions of the Reconciliation Process in Timor-Leste Interreligious Dialogue in Conflict Resolution Panel Religions and the Resolution of Violent Conflict The Impact of Women in Conflict Resolution The Women's Interfaith Initiative and Grassroots Movement 102 PWR-Parliament of the World's Religions 9 Dec 9 Dec 9 Dec 5 Dec 6 Dec workplace tension to holy war. This program cluster will show how religion and spirituality, rather than being divisive forces, can and do serve as avenues for harmony. While much of the violence in our world is attributed to seemingly irreconcilable differences between diverse religious and spiritual communities, courageous people within these communities are working across boundaries to build peace. These unique sessions will analyse conflict transformation, mediation, and resolution as well as peace building and social development. 7 Dec 7 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 9:30-11:00am See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time 5 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 5 Dec 5 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 4:30-6:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm Room 208 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Room 104 Room 209 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm See back of book for full descriptions. Time Date 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 5 Dec Location Room 203 Room 212 Room 203 Room 212 Room 109 Room 109 Room 203 Location Room 210 Room 213 Room 212 Room 203 Room 218 Room 109 Room 203 Room 217 Room 216
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________________ PROGRAM CLUSTER Peace Building The Role of Media in Conflict Resolution - Panel Conflict Transformation and Peace Building The Role of Religion in Mediating Conflict Signposts of Engaged Spirituality: Faith and Interfaith Initiatives for Building a Culture of Peace Closing Remarks on Conflict Resolution Nuclear Non-Proliferation Nuclear weapons represent a grave threat to humanity's ability not only to survive but also to hear each other and heal the earth. The threat of violent and devastating destruction that can be caused by even a small nuclear exchange has too often become a tool for demeaning "the other" into compliance rather than engaging "the other" in dialogue. Religious and spiritual people have always been significant participants in the quest to abolish Sessions on Nuclear Non-Proliferation Session Title The Necessity of Nuclear Disarmament and Steps Toward its Achievement Nuclear Non-Proliferation: Response and Advocacy by Religious Communities 7 Dec 7 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 9 Dec 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm. 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 7 Dec nuclear weapons, and today their roles are more important than ever. Parliament programming will include panel discussions exploring how diverse religious and spiritual communities are responding to this issue, as well as "From a Culture of Violence to a Culture of Peace: Transforming the Human Spirit," an exhibition created by Sokka Gakkai International. See back of book for full descriptions. Time Date 6 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 204 Room 212 Room 212 Room 213 2:30-4:00pm Room 219 Location Room 102 Room 204 www.parliamentofreligions.org 103
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________________ PROGRAM CLUSTER Disaster Relief Before there was an International Red Cross or United Nations Refugee Relief Agency, there were religious and spiritual communities. Over the centuries, these communities have responded to human and ecological disasters brought on by drought, floods, hurricanes, fires, social and political upheaval and war. Today these communities work side-by-side with outstanding local, national and interreligious relief organisations to serve on the first-lines in providing aid to millions around the world for whom the imminent availability of water, food, shelter and medical care are a matter of life and death. Accounts of the extraordinary relief efforts tied to religious and spiritual motivations will be highlighted at the 2009 Parliament, with special attention paid to the practical ways in which their vital missions can and must be supported. Scc back of book for full descriptions Date Time Location 6 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 204 Sessions on Disaster Relief Session Title The February 2009 Bushfires in Victoria: Religious Response in the Role of Recovery and Renewal Faith, Community and Disaster Risk Reduction Religions Respond to Disasters Not Broken 1-Kuan Tao: Healing the Earth with Care and Concern, Sharing Wisdom in the Search of Inner Peace 6 Dec 6 Dec 8 Dec 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm Room 218 Room 211 Room 107 Room 217 104 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ Symposia The Parliament Symposia offer an opportunity for people of faith, spirit and goodwill to interactively focus in depth on a variety of important issues with leading international scholars and practitioners. All Symposia are closely related to the Parliament theme, "Hearing each other, Healing the earth," and focus on matters of urgent concern to religious and spiritual communities around the world. Because the different programs build on one another over the course of each day or series of days, we invite participants to consider attending all of the sessions for a particular symposium. Religion and Ecology page 106 Connection to Copenhagen page 106 Poverty and Development pages 106-107 War and the Role of Religion in a Just and Sustainable World page 107 Sacred Sites, Sacred Solidarity page 108 Science and Religion page 108 Educating Religious Leaders for a Multi-Religious World page 109 Enhancing Religious Leadership for the Future page 109 Australian Schools: Educators and Students page 110 Voices of Latin America page 110 www.parliamentofreligions.org 105 For Private & Personal use only
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________________ Symposia Religion and Ecology tions of climate change, to explore the emerging models seeking to address it and to mobilize religious and spiritual communities in calling for clear-headed and courageous responses to this threat to the human community. See back of book for full descriptions. Schedule: Adapting to Climate Change: How, and How Far? 4 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 103 Climate Change as a Concern for Justice 5 Dec 9:30-11:00am Plenary Hall The Science and Spirituality of Climate Change 6 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 202 Is Climate Change the New Slavery? 7 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 202 Poverty and Development This symposium is presented in partnership with the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale University, which is dedicated to bringing religion's symbolic insights to bear on supporting a vibrant earth community. Our planet is on the brink of an ecological crisis that can not be remedied by one group, one religion or one country alone. The participation of all people of goodwill is necessary if our efforts to save our planet are to be successful. The 2009 Parliament's Religion and Ecology Symposium is more than just a call to action; it focuses on both practical action and spiritual motivation to mobilize and sustain environmental efforts. Come learn how you and your religious community can make a difference. See back of book for full descriptions. Schedule: How Can Interreligious Dialogue Address Global Food, Water and Climate Problems? 4 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 106 Thomas Berry and the Great Work of Our Time 5 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 212 Selections from the New Film Journey of the Universe 5 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 213 East Asian Perspectives on Ecology 7 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 219 Earth Charter as a Global Ethics for a Sustainable Future 7 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 210 Green Buildings. Green Cities - An Ethical Path Forward 7 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 209 Expressing Our Links with the Environment 8 Dec 2:304:00pm Room 212 Renewal: Religious Grassroots Environmentalism (Premier Film Series Selection) 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 110 This symposium is presented with the generous support of Mr. Haruhisa Handa, the Asian Faiths Development Dialogue, the International Shinto Foundation and the World Faiths Development Dialogue. The Poverty and Development Symposium will explore how religious and spiritual communities are meeting the many dimensions of contemporary poverty. The Year 2000 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) offer a framework for global action, setting priority goals and targets, but the experience and reflections of diverse communities are not fully part of the MDG process. A central Parliament objective is to jolt this situation with new insights and ideas. This symposium's 20 sessions cover a challenging agenda, exploring the historic shifts from charity and compassion to respect, rights and equity as drivers of social justice, as well as practical approaches to fostering education, health and opportunities for the impoverished. Come learn from experts in the field about how your community can collaborate not only with other religious and spiritual groups, but also with guiding institutions committed to eradicating poverty through international development. See back of book for full descriptions. Schedule: Poverty Must No Longer Be With Us 4 Dec 9:30-11:00am Plenary Hall Interreligious Partnerships for Ending Hunger 4 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 101 The Crisis and the Opportunity: Wisdom from Faith Traditions and Communities 4 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 110 How Can Interreligious Dialogue Address Global Food, Water and Climate Problems? 4 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 106 Breaking Through Patriarchy: New Visions for Women of Faith 4 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 110 Connection to Copenhagen The tourist island of Maldives is but one example of the consequences of global climate change. For the 300,000 inhabitants who live there, ecological disaster is just around the corner. If the world's sea level rises by just one meter within the next century, which is the scientific forecast, their homeland will lie under the sea. While the developed world debates the validity of such forecasts. and wrestles with the social and economic implications, for nearly 300 million people around the world, the impact of global warming is already a reality in the form of erosion, drought, violent and unpredictable weather patterns. accompanied by escalating poverty, disease, misery and hardship. For all of these reasons, the eyes of the world will be on Copenhagen from 7th to 20th December, where an international gathering to discuss limiting green house gases will take place. Considering this overlap with the 2009 Parliament, participants in Melbourne will be invited to consider the latest analysis of the ecological ramifica 106 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ Symposia War and the Role of Religion in a Just and Sustainable World Poverty in Wealthy Countries: Challenges Ahead 5 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 109 Cambodia in the Aftermath of Genocide: Where Does Faith Come in? 5 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 208 Interfaith and the Future of Africa 5 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 202 Halting the Spread of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria: Challenges for Faith 5 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Plenary Hall Engaging Faith-Based Organisations for the Millennium Development Goals: Comparative UN Experiences 5 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 207 Pastoral Responses to HIV/AIDS from the Global to the Local Perspective 5 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 211 Socially Engaged Buddhism: a Pathway to Peace 6 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 110 Discoveries from Mapping' Faith Engagement in the International Development Challenge 6 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 208 Education for Successful Societies 6 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 109 A Baha'i Perspective on the Right to Development 7 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 102 Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement - Grassroots Development, Conflict Resolution and Education 7 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 203 Faith-Consistent Investing 7 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 204 Universities, Interreligious Dialogue, and Social Justice: A Conversation 8 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 203 Stop the Traffic, People are Not for Sale: Human Trafficking and Slavery in the World Today 8 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 218 Caritas Australia - Community Development in a Multifaith and Multicultural Environment 8 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 102 Closing Remarks for Poverty and Development Symposium 9 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 105 Peace-Building in Mindanao: A Strategy to Promote Social Cohesion Among Diverse Communities of Faith in a Situation of Armed Conflict 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 207 This symposium is presented in partnership with the Global Ethics and Religion Forum, an educational nonprofit organisation dedicated to promoting global ethical responsibility Arrayed against deep human aspirations to live in harmony and peace, the persistence of war threatens justice and sustainable living and poses a daunting challenge to the world's religious and spiritual traditions. This symposium aims to address these challenges through an analysis of the theory of just war," a doctrine with a long history of religious reflection. This doctrine holds that armed conflict must be restrained by clearly articulated ethical criteria. In this symposium, experts will address the need for a revised and complete ethics of war ar peace for a just world. The multi-religious panels offered on this subject will explore some of the most salient ways in which the role of religious and spiritual traditions in just war thinking intersect with and can be brought to bear upon important dimensions of human and planetary sustainability See back of book for full descriptions. Schedule: Global Ethics and Religion Forum: Religion and Post War Reconciliation in a Sustainable and Just World of Human Rights 5 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 110 Global Ethics and Religion Forum - The Role of Religion in Post War Treaties, Constitutions and International Law 5 Dec 1:00-2:30pm Room 110 Global Ethics and Religion Forum - Religion and the Future of Humanitarian Intervention in a Sustainable and Just World 6 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 110 Global Ethics and Religion Forum - What is Peace in a Sustainable and Just World? 6 Dec 1:00-2:30pm Room 110 Global Ethics and Religion Forum - Rotary International Peace Fellows, International Christian University 7 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 110 Global Ethics and Religion Forum - World Religions Perspectives on Justice, War and Peace - Panel I 7 Dec 1:00-2:30pm Room 110 Global Ethics and Religion Forum - World Religions Perspectives on Justice, War and Peace - Panel 11 8 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 110 Global Ethics and Religion Forum - Open meeting: final assessment and report on project 8 Dec 1:00-2:30pm Room 110 www.parliamentofreligions.org 107 For Private & Personal use only
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________________ Symposia Sacred Sites, Sacred Solidarity This symposium is presented with the generous support of Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha. Throughout the span of human history, civilisations, societies and communities have grounded their religious beliefs and practices with sacred spaces. From shrines and sanctuaries to holy cities and sacred mountains, these sites reflect a diverse spiritual landscape of vast significance both to the traditions that revere them and to a world concerned with preserving its precious heritage. As globalisation sweeps across the planet and contact among diverse peoples grows, so do opportunities to target the sacred sites of religious and spiritual traditions for misguided sectarian and political purposes. In response to the increasing necessity to protect these often-fragile links between the physical and the spiritual, there is a growing international interest in establishing a preservation protocol for sacred sites of religious and spiritual traditions. This symposium will bring together representatives of many diverse traditions, as well as international and non-governmental organisations. Inspiring interdisciplinary perspectives on the mutual respect for and care of sacred sites will be voiced. Practical ways for interested parties to join with existing initiatives - and ways to expand those efforts - will be explored. The use of websites and cutting-edge social networking vehicles to link partners together - across town and across the globe - will also be presented. See back of book for full descriptions. Schedule: Sacred Sites, Sacred Solidarity: The Time is Now 2:30-4:00pm Room 106 4 Dec Protecting Religious Freedom & Sacred Sites: Examples from Indigenous Communities (Session 1] 4 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 208 Sacred Sites, Sacred Solidarity Working Session 1 4 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 103 Protecting Religious Freedom & Sacred Sites: Examples from Indigenous Communities (Session 2) 5 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 208 Sacred Sites, Sacred Solidarity: Stories from the Frontlines 5 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 106 The Lost & Endangered Religions Project: Preserving the World's Religious Diversity 6 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 104 Sacred Sites, Sacred Solidarity: Teachings of the Traditions 6 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 106 Sacred Sites, Sacred Solidarity: Current Initiatives 7 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 106 Sacred Sites, Sacred Solidarity: A Call for Collaboration 8 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 219 Sacred Sites, Sacred Solidarity Working Session 2 8 Dec Room 207 4:30-6:00pm 108 PWR- Parliament of the World's Religions Jain Education Intemational Science and Religion This symposium is presented in partnership with the International Society for Science and Religion. The relationship between science and religion is complex and difficult to navigate. New scientific discoveries can often challenge religious worldviews and present previously unimagined questions about ethics and morality. Yet many religious and spiritual traditions have histories and doctrines fully compatible with the desire to study the natural world and humanity's place within it. With the current ecological crisis, the advent of neuroscience and other developments, religion and science must find ways to become interrelated - not mutually exclusive - paths to knowledge and wisdom about the world. This symposium consists of results-oriented workshops because our planet no longer has time for us to dwell on abstractions. These sessions will examine compassion as an essential principle of interest for diverse traditions and scientific disciplines alike and will facilitate real-world strategies for making change for humanity and for the earth. See back of book for full descriptions. Schedule: The Warfare is Over: Science and Spirituality as Allies for the Sake of the Planet (Session 1] 5 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 210 Science, Spirituality, and Overcoming Religious Conflict (Session 2) 5 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 210 Religion, Science, and Environmental Activism (Session 3) 5 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 210 The Practicalities of Getting from 'Is' to 'Ought': Religion, Science and Ethics 5 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 105 Transforming Compassion in Science and Religion (Session 6 Dec 9:30-11:00am Transforming Compassion in Science and Religion (Session 1) Room 109 Room 109 The New Archaic: Neuroscience, Spiritual Practice and Healing 7 Dec 2) 7 Dec 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm Room 216 Global Ecological Crisis: A Time for the Reunion of Science and Religion? 7 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 108 Darwin in the Dreaming 8 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 102 Interpreting the Text: Creationism, Intelligent Design and Evolution 9 Dec Room 209 9:30-11:00am
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________________ Symposia Educating Religious Leaders for a Multi-Religious World This symposium is presented with the generous support of the Henry Luce Foundation. The Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions, with the support of the Henry Luce Foundation, has coordinated with 15 theological institutions to explore ways to increase education for interreligious leadership in North American theological schools. Institutions strongly acknowledged the urgency of interreligious engagement and the preparation of a religious leadership equipped with knowledge and understanding of the plurality of religious and spiritual traditions in the contemporary world. To that end, under the leadership of Dr. Paul Knitter of Union Theological Seminary, each of the 15 institutions engaged students through a course in preparation for the 2009 Parliament and brought a group of students to attend. The selected institutions also designed this symposium to answer this key question: "How might seminaries foster significant teaching/learning opportunities for the development of a new generation of leaders equipped to serve in the challenging milieu of today's multi-cultural, multi-religious world?" Each session will begin with a panel discussion of the day's topic, followed by a small group conversation and a closing reflection. See back of book for full descriptions. Schedule: Educating Religious Leaders for a Multi-Religious World: The Need for Multi-Religious Education for All Religious Leaders 4 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 219 Educating Religious Leaders for a Multi-Religious World: Practical Initiatives and Examples of Multi-Religious Education 5 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 219 Educating Religious Leaders for a Multi-Religious World: Resources for and Obstacles to Multi-Religious Education in One's Own Tradition 6 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 219 Educating Religious Leaders for a Multi-Religious World: Virtues and Skills for Multi-Religious Education 7 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 219 Educating Religious Leaders for a Multi-Religious World: What We've Learned... What Next Steps We Hope to Take 8 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 219 Enhancing Religious Leadership for the Future This symposium is presented in partnership with The Elijah Interfaith Institute. The Elijah Board of World Religious Leaders, a group of scholars representing diverse religious and spiritual traditions, recently gathered to discuss "The Future of Religious Leadership." They prepared study materials about how leadership is understood in each tradition, addressing questions such as: What is the goal of religious or spiritual leadership? What challenges have leaders always faced or are facing anew today? How should future leaders be trained? These questions are now the focus of a workshop symposium at the 2009 Parliament. In each session, participants will explore what leadership means to another tradition, using the papers produced by the recent gathering as guides. To maintain a continuity of discussion as each tradition is explored in turn throughout the week, this symposium will be held during the Open Space time slot and will require advance registration, limited to thirty participants, with a commitment to participate in all sessions. Priority will be given to religious and spiritual leaders and leaders-in-training. To register, please email enhancing@parliamentofreligions.org before the Parliament or visit the Open Space sign-up table at the Parliament. See page 134 for more information about Open Space sessions. See back of book for full descriptions. Schedule: Enhancing Religious Leadership for the Future 1 of 3 4 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 111 Enhancing Religious Leadership for the Future 2 of 3 7 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 111 Enhancing Religious Leadership for the Future 3 of 3 8 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 111 www.parliamentofreligions.org 109
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________________ Symposia Voices of Latin America Australian Schools: Educators and Students Inspired by the 2004 Barcelona Parliament, the city of Monterrey, Mexico stepped forward and orchestrated a unique social, cultural and interreligious event that attracted thousands of participants. The 2007 Monterrey Forum invited the Parliament to participate in a significant way, which in turn served as an important bridge toward developing a close relationship between the Parliament and the interreligious communities of Mexico. Since then, through the Partner Cities Network, headed by Zabrina Santiago, the Parliament has sought to deepen and enrich ties with and among the various religious and spiritual communities of Latin America. Partner Cities Associate Ruth Broyde Sharone, who visited four Latin American countries this year - Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Argentina - will facilitate this Symposium dedicated to this year's participants in Melbourne from Latin America. This will be an interactive symposium in Spanish, offering opportunities to network and examine interreligious challenges that are particular to Latin America. The goals are twofold: (1) to develop better communication among the interreligious communities of Latin America and (2) to connect the communities individually and collectively with the global Parliament. Children and young people are on a journey of spiritual discovery and learning, doubt and questioning, wonder and fear. They have a compelling curiosity about the world, its people and what lies beyond. This symposium provides a major professional opportunity for teachers involved in interreligious and intercultural studies, as well as world religions, values and conflict resolution studies. Educators of many religious and spiritual traditions will share their diverse experiences and expertise with symposium participants. Teachers at all levels of the educational curriculum - primary, secondary slower and upper) and tertiary - will find sessions that are sure to inspire them with new ideas for themselves and for their students. See back of book for full descriptions. Schedule: Innovative Approaches to Multicultural and Interfaith Education in Schools 5 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 104 Convening Education Session: Schooling, Young People and Social Inclusion 7 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 210 Global and Interreligious Education through Peer-to-peer and Online Learning in Australian and US Schools 7 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 103 Jewish-Christian-Muslim Association of Australia (JCMA): A Working Model of Interfaith in Action 7 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 215 Best Practices in Interfaith Youth Work: Religious Schools and Community-based Programs Respond 7 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 207 Talking Faiths: Your Story, My Story and Our Story, across Schools and the World Wide Web 7 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 104 Spiritual Education and Interreligious Learning for Primary (Elementaryl and Secondary Students 7 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 104 Religion and Belief in Public Schools 7 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 102 Interfaith Dialogue in Victorian Schools 8 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 219 En Espanol: Inspirada por el Parlamento de Barcelona de 2004, la ciudad de Monterrey, Mexico se puso a la vanguardia y orchestro un evento social, cultural e interreligioso que atrajo miles de participantes. El Forum de Monterrey del ano 2007 invito la participacion del Parlamento para servir como un puente importante y para desarrollar relaciones estrechas entre el Parlamento y las comunidades interreligiosas de Mexico. Desde aquel entonces, por medio de la Red de Ciudades Hermanas, dirigida por Zabrina Santiago, el Parlamento ha buscado maneras de profundizar y fortalecer los vinculos con las diversas comunidades interreligiosas de America Latina. Facilitara este simposium Ruth Broyde Sharone, la representante de la Red de Ciudades Hermanas, la cual visito cuatro paises de America Latina este ano: Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, y Argentina. El simposium esta dedicado a los participantes de Latinoamerica que se encuentren en el Parlamento de Melbourne. Esto sera un simposium interactivo en espanol. Ofrecera oportunidades de "networking" y de examinar los desafios particulares de America Latina. Los objetivos son dos: (1) desarrollar mejor comunicacion entre si y (2) vincular las comunidades individualmente y colectivamente con el Parlamento global. See back of book for full descriptions. Vea detras del libro para las descripciones completas. Schedule/Horario: Spanish Language Session 1 of 2 7 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 101 Spanish Language Session 2 of 2 7 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 101 110 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ Special Events The Parliament of the World's Religions is pleased to offer these special events. Each provides a unique opportunity to showcase an extraordinary aspect of the global interreligious movement. Don't miss them! page 112 Indigenous Reception 3 December Landscape of Faith 5 December page 112 page 112 International Partner Cities and 2009 Ambassadors Reception 5 December Paul Carus Award 5 December page 112 Indigenous Assembly 7 December page 112 Convocation of Hindu Spiritual Leaders 8 December page 113 www.parliamentofreligions org 111 For Private & Personal use only
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________________ Special Events for the Council to recognize those who have made unique contributions in support of the 2009 Parliament, and to set in motion the expansion of Partner Cities Network over the course of the next five years. Indigenous Reception 3 December 2009 2:00-4:00pm Room 105 This Reception is a private event for all international Indigenous speakers, their spouses, Indigenous Peoples in the community, local dignitaries, affiliated boards and staff of the Parliament of the World's Religions. The International Indigenous Task Force and the Indigenous Australian Planning Committee of Melbourne are very pleased to greet such a sizeable and excited group at the Indigenous Reception. The high calibre of these Indigenous speakers will undoubtedly initiate and cultivate some very thrilling endeavours. We anticipate that the bond among all the Indigenous attendees from worldwide will continue to grow and inspire the innovative ideals of the Parliament as well as their surrounding communities. Landscape of Faith: Sharing Wisdom for a New Vision of Community 5 December 2009 9:30am-6:00pm Room 220 This special event is presented in partnership with the Temple of Understanding. This interreligious educational one-day seminar seeks to provide a context for community building by addressing the challenges of prejudice, injustice and alienation from the earth while weaving the possibility of transformation through the arts throughout the day. Participants are encouraged to attend all four sessions. See back of book for full descriptions. Schedule: Part I: Living in Community 9:30-11:00am Part II: Living in Community in the Shadow of Injustice 11:30am-1:00pm Part III: Addressing Alienation within the Human Family and with the Natural World 2:30-4:00pm Part IV: The Arts as Transformation 4:30-6:00pm Paul Carus Award 5 December 2009 7:30-9:00pm Plenary Hall The Award will be bestowed at the International Plenary on Saturday 5 December. The Council is again honoured to announce the 2009 Paul Carus Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Interreligious Movement, to be presented by the Carus Family on the occasion of the 2009 Parliament of the World's Religions. This award will be given in the amount of $100,000 (USD) to an individual, community or organisation that has contributed in an extraordinary way to the international interreligious movement. Join us for the dedication of this award during the International Plenary as a way of recognizing the nominees and the selected winner. As a capstone special event, the Paul Carus Award will emphasize and celebrate the power of interreligious action to effect change around the world. Members of the Council for the Parliament of the World's Religions' International Advisory Committee have advised the Council for the Parliament of the World's Religions on criteria and selection of the current and future recipients of this prestigious award. The first Paul Carus Award was presented to Bishop McLeod Baker Ochola Il and the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative at the 2004 Parliament of the World's Religions in Barcelona. This year's award will add yet another deserving recipient to this distinguished list. International Partner Cities and 2009 Ambassadors Reception 5 December 2009 2:30-4:00pm Room 212 Indigenous Assembly 7 December 2009 9:00am-7:00pm Abbotsford Convent Because the Assembly is designed as a working session, attendance is by invitation only. The gathering, hosted by the Indigenous Australian Planning Committee of Melbourne, will provide a much-needed forum for the Indigenous representatives from several countries to discuss common issues and to strategize on ways to address some of these issues. The Assembly will begin with an of ficial "Welcome to Country" by Indigenous Australian Elders, followed by roundtable discussions covering several key topics, including issues such as shared loss of heritage, identity. language, natural resources and land, as well as desecration of sacred sites. During the Assembly, the Indigenous Australian representatives will also have an opportunity to acquaint attendees with their local history: survival challenges, and current efforts to preserve their land, culture, language and spiritual practices. The roundtable discussion groups will include Indigenous leaders who can address issues, provide models and work to formulate programs that could be shared in future gatherings. Attendance at this Reception is by invitation only. This special reception will honour Legacy Partner Cities, 2009 Parliament Ambassadors and Pre-Parliament Event hosts from over 70 cities around the world. This unique event provides an opportunity 112 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ Special Events Break, 11:00-11:30am Convocation of Hindu Spiritual Leaders 8 December 2009 8:00am-1:00pm Room 202 A special feature of the Melbourne Parliament will be an assembly of a number of the most outstanding spiritual leaders of India. The convocation of saints will begin with Vedic chanting, prayers, meditation and music. These opening observances will be followed by a number of eminent speakers on universal themes, such as spiritual values and peace, as well as current issues such as humanitarian work, education and the environment. All are welcome at this very inspiring and enlightening gathering! Schedule: Opening Ceremony, 8:00-9:00am * Welcome Srimati Tara Rajkumar, OAM * Opening Invocation Rajarathina Sarma Premakantha Kurukkal Bsc, Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple * Vedic Chanting Visiting Spiritual Leaders * Rejang Sacred Dance Ni Ketut Arini, Bali, Indonesia * Address H. H. Dadi Janki, Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University * Kirtan International Society for Krishna Consciousness * Address Dada J. P. Vaswani, Sadhu Vaswani Mission * Bharat Natyam Dr. Chanderabhanu, Chandrabhanu Bharatalaya Academy of Indian Classical dance and Music * Closing Prayer Swami Parameshananda, Bharat Sevashram Sangha Convocation: Part Two, 11:30 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. Presiding: Dr. Arvind Sharma, McGill University * Opening Prayer Her Grace Taraka Devi Dasi, International Society for Krishna Consciousness * Address H. H. Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami, 163rd Preceptor. Kailasha Parampara of the Nadinatha Sampradaya * Address Sri Paramahamsa Prajnanananda Giri, Kriya Yoga Prajnana Mission * Address H. H. Swami Sandeep Chaitanya, School of Bhagavad Gita * Address Sri Swami Mayatitananda Saraswati, Wise Earth School of Ayurveda * Address H. H. Dr. Swami Avdeshanand Giri, Juna Peeth and Acharya Sabha * Reading of the Hindu Declaration on Climate Change Closing Prayer Ida Pedanda GK Sebali Tianyar Arimbawa, Chief Priest, Indonesian Hindu Council Convocation: Part One, 9:30-11:00 a.m. Presiding: Dr. Seshagiri Rao, Encyclopaedia of Hinduism and Indic Religions * Opening Prayer H. H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, The Art of Living * Address H. H. Swami Amarananda, Centre Vedantique, Geneva * Address Amma Sri Karunamayi, Penusila Ashram * Address H. H. Swami Chidananda Saraswati, Paramarth Niketan and India Heritage Foundation * Address Yogini Sri Chandra Kali Prasad Mataji, Sri Kali Gardens Ashram * Address H. H. Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji, Jeeyar Educational Trust * Closing Prayer Sevadevi Glover, Yoga in Daily Life and Ayurveda Yoga Australia www.parliamentofreligions.org 113 For Private & Personal use only
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________________ Intrareligious Sessions The 2009 Parliament includes the opportunity for religious and spiritual communities to express their values. vibrancy and commitments. Many of these sessions are combined panels, to allow for multiple voices from each religious tradition and to express a variety of perspectives from different geographic locations. A broad variety of religious and spiritual traditions will be included, along with spiritual and secular perspectives. Baha'i Intrareligious Sessions Session Title Building Peace in the Pursuit of Justice: A Baha'i Approach The Sacred Journey A Baha'i Perspective on the Right to Development See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time Location 5 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 217 6 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 209 7 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 102 Buddhist Intrareligious Sessions Session Title Introduction to Big Mind Big Heart Pure Mind, Pure Land: A New Lifestyle for World Harmony Turning the Dharma Wheel Working with Self. Benefiting Others A Buddhism for Today: Introduction to Rissho Kosei-kai Socially Engaged Buddhism: a Pathway to Peace Living Mindfully For A Peaceful And Sustainable Future A Buddhist Story Just for you See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time Location 4 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 214 4 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 110 4 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 103 5 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 211 5 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 203 6 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 110 7 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 214 8 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 217 Christian Intrareligious Sessions Sec back of book for full descriptions. Session Title Date Time Location Meditation: The Heart of All Things 4 Dec 9:30-11:00 am Room 220 How a Profound Spiritual Theology can Overthrow Poverty 5 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 214 Christian Action and Witness For the Environment: What You 5 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 108 Can Do When You Go Home Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Samoan Choir 5 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 201 Orthodoxy in Australia: Current and Future Perspectives 6 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 104 Edmonton's Experience of Reconciliation with Indigenous 6 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 103 Peoples Returning to Right Relations between Christians and Indigenous 7 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 111 Peoples in North America and Australia: A Powerful Source of Learning The Episcopal Church Confronts Racism: 'Traces of the Trade 8 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 107 Introducing Quakers: What Canst Thou Say? 9 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 108 Interreligious Dialogue and the Catholic Church in Australia and 9 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 104 Melbourne 114 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ Intrareligious Sessions Hindu Intrareligious Sessions Session Title Many Meanings of the Ramayana The Divine Purpose of Life: The Hindu Journey Within Hindu Meditations for the Earth 5 Dec 5 Dec Krishna Consciousness and the Environment Om Shanthi Om 5 Dec 6 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec Hindu Spirituality in Dance: Odissi Performance Hindu Perspectives on Interfaith Understanding Convocation of Hindu Spiritual Leaders: Part One Convocation of Hindu Spiritual Leaders: Part Two Hindu Intrafaith Meet: The Challenges and Opportunities Facing 8 Dec Hinduism in the Western World 8 Dec Indigenous Intrareligious Sessions Session Title Indigenous Perspectives on Conflict Resolution Indigenous Biodiversity Reviving Indigenous Spirituality: Reclaiming Strength and Identity (Session 1) The Wurundjeri People of Melbourne Framlingham Aboriginal Trust, the Gunditjmara People and Brambuk Cultural Centre The Samoan Experience Indigenous Women: Protecting Culture, Promoting Cultural Strengths Working Together, The Health of Two Worlds Repatriation: Reclaiming Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property Rights Yoruba Worship of the Earth and Veneration of the Environment Reviving Indigenous Spirituality: Reclaiming Strength and Identity (Session 2) Mamaa: The Untouchable Ones Colonisation: Indigenous Peoples Striving for Self Determination See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time 4 Dec 4 Dec Maori Custom Law and Listening to the Land-Australian Aboriginal Meditation Arctic Peoples: Environment and Traditional Ways 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec The Chiefs' Prophecy: Survival of the Northern Cheyenne Nation 4 Dec Climate Change and the Arctic: The indigenous Perspective Protecting Religious Freedom & Sacred Sites: Examples from Indigenous Communities (Session 1] 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec Indigenous Perspective on Education: Building Academic Skills 5 Dec with a Strong Cultural Grounding Striving to Live in a Liveable World (Session 1) 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm Location Room 101 Room 102 Room 101 Room 111 Room 201 Room 201 Room 101 Room 202 Room 202 Room 202 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm Location Room 210 Room 208 Room 108 Room 217 Room 105 Room 211 Room 218 Room 102 Room 111 Room 107 Room 101 Room 208 Room 209 Room 108 Room 215 Room 219 Room 111 Room 209 Room 216 Room 215 www.parliamentofreligions.org 115
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________________ Intrareligious Sessions 5 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 208 5 Dec 5 Dec 6 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am Room 102 Room 217 Plenary Hall 6 Dec 6 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Room 201 Room 111 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm Room 210 Room 209 Room 214 Protecting Religious Freedom & Sacred Sites: Examples from Indigenous Communities (Session 21 Rivers of the Heart: Indigenous Knowledge and Literature Indigenous Land Rights: Struggles and Survival (Session 11 Indigenous Peoples and the United Nations: the Struggle for Recognition Removal: The Indigenous Reality - Daily Youth Session Families: Family and Kinship in Contemporary Indigenous Communities Removal: The Indigenous Reality - Daily Youth Workshop Striving to Live in a Liveable World (Session 2) Accommodating Indigenous Spirituality in the Contemporary World: Valuing and Respecting the Importance of Indigenous Spirituality Indigenous Land Rights: Struggles and Survival (Session 21 Knowing Home: A Presentation of Indigenous Spirituality Hearing the Concerns and Voices of Indigenous Youth The Centrality of Spirituality in Australian Indigenous Education Veneration of the Ancestors UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples International Indigenous Repatriation Kanyini Spirituality and the Western World Burying and Resurrecting Our Tlingit Culture Sustaining Spiritual Practices in a Changing World Understanding Vodun: A West African Spirituality Traditional Knowledge: The Value of Teaching and Preserving Traditional Knowledge Development of Indigenous Foundations: Helping Communities Develop Foundations for Indigenous Peoples Aboriginal Women - Healing the Land and its People Indigenous Food Insecurity The Haudenosaunee Prophecy The Black GST (Genocide. Sovereignty. Treaty The Stolen Generation and The Apology Beyond the Dreamtime: Aboriginal Belief Systems and Their Deeper Philosophic Construct Health and Healing: Healing the Person, Healing the Family Reviving and Maintaining Indigenous Languages: Saving Indigenous Languages in the Face of Globalisation Health and Healing: Indigenous Healing in the Modern Allopathic Medical World 6 Dec 6 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 8:00-9:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1.00pm Room 217 Room 218 Room 105 Room 102 Room 216 Room 213 Room 111 Room 110 Room 105 Room 218 Room 105 Room 209 Room 210 8 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 215 8 Dec 9 Dec 9 Dec 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Room 207 Room 111 Room 213 Room 106 Room 212 Room 102 9 Dec 9 Dec 9 Dec 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Room 111 Room 103 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 208 116 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ Intrareligious Sessions Jain Intrareligious Sessions Session Title Jain principles for Corporate Social Responsibility Jaina Doctrine of Ahimsa and Sustainable Living Jain Heritage and Education for Peace and Harmony Jainism and the Environment Jain Perspective on Nonviolence and Self-Control: a Model for Education Jewish Intrareligious Sessions Session Title Strengthening One's Faith Through Interfaith Dialogue The Torah through Paintings and Poetry Judaism, Vegetarianism and Tikun Olam (Healing the World) Diversity, Unity and Community: Charting a Course for the Jews under the Southern Cross Muslim Intrareligious Sessions Session Title Muslim Women Securing Their Own Individuality: Different Societies, Same Struggle Islam 101 Series: Reverence for the Virgin Mary and Jesus in Islam Muslim Women's Artistic Expressions of Faith and Interfaith Respecting and Defending Human Rights and Humanitarian Principles: An Islamic Global Perspective Sufism and Peace: A Meeting Point for All Religious Traditions New Muslim Cool Islam and Politics: Faith, Governance and Society Islamic Education: Vehicle for Social Cohesion The Street Theology of Anger and the Logic of Dying to Win African American Muslims: Mirrors for Global Justice The Gulen Movement's Global Peace and Social Reconciliation Vision and Projects: Lessons Learned from Germany, the US and Medina Politics and Governance: An Islamic Perspective on Religious Democracy in Iran The Headscarf Debates: Religious Dress and Secular Fundamentalism Many Religions, One Community: The Theory and Practice of Living Together in Muslim Spain and India Islam 101 Series: War and Peace in Al-Islam: The Prophet's Struggle The Sufism of Hazrat Inayat Khan: Universal Sufism An Islamic Conscience: the Aga Khan and the Ismailis Islam 101 Series: Women's Rights as Human Rights in Islam See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time 6 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 8 Dec 9 Dec See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time 4 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 9 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 6 Dec See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time 4 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 6 Dec 6 Dec 7 Dec 9:30-11:00am 8:00-9:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am Location Room 207 Room 208 Room 213 Room 208 Room 214 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 9:30-11:00am Location Room 207 Room 218 Room 215 Room 207 Location Room 219 Room 216 Room 209 Plenary Hall Room 104 Room 107 Room 202 Room 106 Room 213 Room 218 Room 109 Room 216 Room 219 Room 213 Room 202 Room 102 Room 107 Room 219 www.parliamentofreligions.org 117
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________________ Intrareligious Sessions 7 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 110 7 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 220 7 Dec 7 Dec 8 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am Room 208 Room 219 Room 219 Islam 101 Series: Applying Islamic Principles for a Just and Sustainable World Islamic Finance: The Compassionate Approach to Market and Money Blogistan: Muslims Dialogue through New Media The Muslim Green: Muslim Contributions to Healing the Earth Islam 101 Series: How Islam Deals with Social Justice, Gender Justice and Religious Diversity Changing the Conversation about Islam and Muslims Through Film: Shia, Puerto Rican-American and Australian Voices Islam 101 Series: Muslim Women's Contributions to a More Just and Sustainable World A Review on Shi'ism from the Islamic Republic of Iran Leadership Among Muslim Males in the Post-9/11 Era Analyse This!: Views of Young Saudi, Australian and American Muslim Women on Their Faith and Evolving Roles Australia's Diverse Cultures and Multifaith Communities: Fethullah Gulen's Vision and Building Bridges Projects 8 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 106 8 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 220 9 Dec 9 Dec 9 Dec 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am Room 203 Room 217 Room 218 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 204 Pagan Intrareligious Sessions Session Title People Call Us Pagan - The European Indigenous Traditions Peace at the Heart of the World Celtic Mysticism: An Introduction to its Arts and Traditions Men Who Love the Goddess Australian Pagans Speak: A Community Forum The Revival of the European Pagan Religions See back of book for full descriptions Date Time Location 4 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 111 4 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 202 5 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 104 5 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 105 7 Dec 9:30-11:00 am Room 217 9 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 220 Sikh Intrareligious Sessions Session Title Interfaith Understanding in Sikh Theology and History Sikh Youth Perspectives Preservation of Sikh Heritage Gender and Equality and the Sikh Faith Sikh Panel on Principles and Articles of Faith An Exploration of Gurmat Sangeet - Sikh Musical Heritage Sikh Diaspora and Global Sikh Community Cohesion and Unity in the Sikh Community Interreligious Dialogue Making a World of Difference to Establish Peace: Sikh Perspective See back of book for full descriptions Date Time Location 4 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 110 6 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 210 6 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 217 7 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 101 7 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 108 7 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 201 8 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 108 8 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 207 9 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 110 118 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ Intrareligious Sessions Zoroastrian Intrareligious Sessions Session Title Zoroastrianism: Its Stewardship for All Creation, The Animate and Inanimate Zoroastrians: Their Imperative to be Bridge Builders The Many Faces of Peace The Zoroastrian Ethos of Compassion Intrareligious Sessions of Diverse Traditions Session Title Rev Moon's Vision of Global Family A Religion of Healthy Mindedness - New Thought's Uniquely American Contribution to the Arena of New Religious Community Unitarian Universalists - Working for Peace, Civil Rights, and Earth Sri Chinmoy: A Spirituality of Transformation Cultivating Universal Intelligence The Spiritual Tradition of Scientology Meditation: the Ultimate Transformative Experience Sustainable Way of Life Through Shumei Natural Agriculture A Course in Miracles Unleashed: A Direct Encounter with Jesus Christ in the Evolution and Enlightenment of the Human Species Living a Good Life: The Secular Way Rastafari: The Livity of Spirituality Creating a Stress-Free Mind and a Violence-Free World: Violence Ends Where Love Begins The Urantia Papers-What's Love got to do with it? I-Kuan Tao: Healing the Earth with Care and Concern, Sharing Wisdom in the Search of Inner Peace See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time 5 Dec 6 Dec 7 Dec 8 Dec Date 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 7 Dec 8 Dec See back of book for full descriptions. 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 9 Dec 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am Time 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 4:30-6:00pm 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 2:30-4:00pm Location Room 208 4:30-6:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Room 111 Room 207 Room 210 Location Room 104 Room 203 Room 218 Room 217 Room 210 Room 218 Room 215 Room 209 Room 104 Room 109 Room 209 Room 202 Room 102 Room 217 www.parliamentofreligions.org 119
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________________ Regional Sessions The representation of regional and religious diversity is one of the ongoing aims of the Parliament of the World's Religions. By bringing together individuals of diverse personal and geographic backgrounds, the Parliament hopes to foster a broader understanding with all inhabitants of the earth. These sessions showcase the voices, worldviews, cultures and religious and spiritual traditions that otherwise may go unheard on the global stage. They focus on local endeavours and on bridging diverse regions through a focus on individual response to global themes. You are invited to explore the different perspectives of fered in these sessions and discover the often multi-faceted means of understanding and tackling issues such as climate change, poverty and conflict around the world. Sessions related to Africa See back of book for full descriptions Session Title Date Time Location Yoruba Religious Observance 4 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 214 South African Songs for the Soul 4 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 201 Yoruba Worship of the Earth and Veneration of the Environment 5 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 209 Halting the Spread of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria: 5 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Plenary Hall Challenges for Faith Interfaith and the Future of Africa 5 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 202 Interreligious Regional Concerns: Africa 5 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 110 African Religions in Latin America 7 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 102 Veneration of the Ancestors 8 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 216 The Imam and the Pastor: An Exploration of Muslim-Christian 8 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 103 Dialogue and Collaborative Power in Nigeria Rastafari: The Livity of Spirituality 9:30-11:00am Room 209 Understanding Vodun: A West African Spirituality 8 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 209 Revelations Chapter 1 8 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 201 Catholic Mass, Coptic Rite 9 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 215 8 Dec See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time Location 5 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 108 5 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 104 5 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 110 Sessions related to East Asia Session Title Given Life by Heaven and Earth: A Shinto Observance Challenge of Shinto: An Approach to Living Together in Diversity Asian Conference of Religions for Peace (Religions for Peace Asial Role of Youth Seon (Zen) Meditation Practise Sustainable Way of Life Through Shumei Natural Agriculture East Asian Perspectives on Ecology The Changing Shifts in Religion and Spirituality on the AsiaPacific Rim Ainu Indigenous Spirituality and Culture of Japan The Way of Balance 6 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 8 Dec 4:30-6:00pm 8:00-9:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Room 216 Room 102 Room 209 Room 219 Room 103 8 Dec 9 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 8:00-9:00am Room 214 Room 207 120 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ Regional Sessions Sessions related to South Asia Session Title Building Peace in Pursuit of Justice: Indonesian, Turkish and Kashmiri Case Studies Naga Chants Om Shanthi Om Asian Conference of Religions for Peace [Religions for Peace Asia) The Street Theology of Anger and the Logic of Dying to Win Religious Freedom and Interreligious Dialogue: International Association for Religious Freedom and Its Work in India Vedantic Wisdom and Middle Eastern Affirmations Many Religions, One Community: The Theory and Practice of Living Together in Muslim Spain and India New Directions in Asian Religions and Ecology on the Ground (India) Thirst (Premier Film Series Selection] Gurbani Kirtan: Sikh Sacred Classical Music Interfaith Dialogue and Institutions of Higher Learning: India, Indonesia and United States Case Studies Sacred Music of India: Natesan Ramani and Manjiri Kelkar Convocation of Hindu Spiritual Leaders: Opening Ceremony Convocation of Hindu Spiritual Leaders: Part One Convocation of Hindu Spiritual Leaders: Part Two Religion, Conflict, and Peace building: the Case of Afghanistan Sessions related to Southeast Asia Session Title Appreciating and Cultivating Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) and Pancasila to Address Religious Radicalisms in Indonesia Building Peace in Pursuit of Justice: Indonesian, Turkish and Kashmiri Case Studies New Directions in Asian Religions and Ecology on the Ground (Southeast Asia) Religious Dimensions of the Reconciliation Process in TimorLeste Asian Conference of Religions for Peace (Religions for Peace Asial Outreach to Indigenous Aetas in the Philippines Cambodia in the Aftermath of Genocide: Where Does Faith Come in? Religion, Conflict, and Peace building: the Case of the Philippines Movement Mudra of Traditional Solonese Dance Offerings for Barong Pa-Hayu Buwana / World Peace Barong See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time 4 Dec 4 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 6 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 8:00-9:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 8:00-9:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time 4 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am Location Room 108 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 4:30-6:00pm Room 201 Room 201 Room 110 Room 213 Room 108 Room 209 Room 213 Room 210 Room 210 Room 220 Room 209 Room 201 Room 202 Room 202 Room 202 Room 203 Location Room 102 Room 108 Room 213 Room 218 Room 110 Room 214 Room 208 Room 212 Room 102 Room 214 www.parliamentofreligions.org 121
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________________ Regional Sessions Interfaith Dialogue and Institutions of Higher Learning: India, Indonesia and United States Case Studies Religious Conflict and Persecution: The Cases of Myanmar, Thailand and Iran Religion, Conflict and Peace building: The Case of Thailand UNESCO Chair in Interreligious and intercultural Relations - Asia Pacific: An Interregional Perspective on Interreligious Relations The Changing Shifts in Religion and Spirituality on the AsiaPacific Rim Unity in Diversity through the Arts and Religiosity of Indonesia Religion, Conflict, and Peace building: The Case of Myanmar Peace-Building in Mindanao: A Strategy to Promote Social Cohesion Among Diverse Communities of Faith in a Situation of Armed Conflict Sessions related to Europe Session Title People Call Us Pagan - The European Indigenous Traditions Celtic Mysticism: An Introduction to its Arts and Traditions Many Religions, One Community: The Theory and Practice of Living Together in Muslim Spain and India Catholic Mass, Ukrainian Rite Interreligious Regional Concerns: Europe The Revival of the European Pagan Religions Sessions related to Latin America Session Title Building a Culture of Peace- Development on the ground in El Salvador Thirst (Premier Film Series Selection) Religion, Conflict, and Peace building: the Case of Colombia African Religions in Latin America Sessions related to the Middle East Session Title Perspectives on Conflict Resolution in the Middle East Building Peace in Pursuit of Justice: Indonesian, Turkish and Kashmiri Case Studies Learn Arabic Letters in 90 Minutes-An Interfaith Cultural Presentation You Can Use Vedantic Wisdom and Middle Eastern Affirmations 122 PWR-Parliament of the World's Religions 7 Dec Jain Education Intemational 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 9 Dec 6 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec Migrar o Morir/Paying the Price (Premier Film Series Selection) 7 Dec Spanish Language Session 1 of 2 7 Dec 7 Dec Spanish Language Session 2 of 2 7-Dec 8-Dec 9-Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 5 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 5 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time 4-Dec 5-Dec 6-Dec 9:30-11:00am 8:00-9:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 8:00-9:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 9:30-11:00am 4:30-6:00pm 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm Room 209 Room 217 See back of book for full descriptions. Date 6 Dec Time 2:30-4:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Room 109 Room 213 4:30-6:00pm 4:30-6:00pm Room 103 Room 208 Room 109 Room 207 Location Room 111 Room 104 Room 213 See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time 4 Dec 4 Dec Room 110 Room 109 Room 220 Location Room 108 Room 210 Room 212 Room 102 Room 107 Room 101 Room 101 Location Room 212 Room 108 Room 108 Room 209
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________________ Regional Sessions 6 Dec 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am Room 216 6 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 203 7 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 217 Politics and Governance: An Islamic Perspective on Religious Democracy in Iran Religion, Conflict and Peace building: The Case of Israel-West Bank-Gaza Religious Conflict and Persecution: The Cases of Myanmar, Thailand and Iran Interreligious Regional Concerns: Middle East Peacemaking in the Middle East Sport as a tool for Peace - Daily Youth Session 'Tackling Peace' and 'SAG (it's all about human rights) A Review on Shi'ism from the Islamic Republic of Iran 7 Dec 7 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am - 1:00pm 9:30-11:00am Room 218 Room 105 Room 201 Room 107 Room 203 See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time Location 4 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 203 4 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 6 Dec 4:30-6:00pm 8:00-9:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am Room 107 Room 219 Room 107 Room 218 Room 214 Sessions related to North America Session Title A Religion of Healthy Mindedness - New Thought's Uniquely American Contribution to the Arena of New Religious Community New Muslim Cool Observance in the Haudenosaunee Prophecy and Spirituality Divided We Fall African American Muslims: Mirrors for Global Justice Decolonising our Hearts and Minds, Healing the Earth and Ourselves: North American Indigenous Perspectives American Outrage Thirst (Premier Film Series Selection) Edmonton's Experience of Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples Returning to Right Relations between Christians and indigenous Peoples in North America and Australia: A Powerful Source of Learning Journey into America Interfaith Dialogue and Institutions of Higher Learning: India, Indonesia and United States Case Studies Joanne Shenandoah: Healing Through Music Homeland: Four Portraits of Native Action Observance on (Native American) Cochiti Pueblo Spirituality Not Broken The Episcopal Church Confronts Racism: "Traces of the Trade Homeland: Four Portraits of Native Action (Second Showing) The Haudenosaunee Prophecy 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 4:30-6:00pm Room 107 Room 210 Room 103 7 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 111 7 Dec 7 Dec 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm Room 107 Room 209 7 Dec 7 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 9 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 8:00-9:00am 9:30-11:00am 2:30-4:00pm 9:00-10:30pm 9:30-11:00am Room 201 Room 107 Room 212 Room 107 Room 107 Room 107 Room 213 www.parliamentofreligions.org 123 For Private & Personal use only
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________________ Regional Sessions Sessions related to Oceania Session Title The Mandaeans in Australia: Baptism, Living Water and the Link to John the Baptist Freedom of Religion and Belief: The Project of the Australian Human Rights Commission Strangers in a Strange Land: Integration of Religious Minorities, their Families and their Identities into Australia The Samoan Experience 4 Dec Building a Sense of Belonging in a Culturally Diverse Australia - 4 Dec The Australian Government's Role Caring Practices for the Earth - Australia and USA Green Faith The Future of Religion in Australia? Melbourne's Religious Leaders in Dialogue with Young People (Seminar 1) Neighbourhoods of Difference: The Uniting Church in Australia and Interfaith Relations Interfaith in Australia: The Co-ordinating Work of the Australian Partnership of Religious Organisations Religion, Conflict, and Peace building: The Case of Papua New Guinea 'The Imam and the Pastor' and 'Australia's Muslim Women' Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Samoan Choir Integration of Immigrants and Refugees into Australia: Interfaith and Cross-cultural Understanding Orthodoxy in Australia: Current and Future Perspectives Religious Identity Formation: The Templars in Australia Returning to Right Relations between Christians and Indigenous Peoples in North America and Australia: A Powerful Source of Learning Poverty, Health and Religion in Australia Global and Interreligious Education through Peer-to-Peer and Online Learning in Australian and US Schools Australian Pagans Speak: A Community Forum Beyond Beliefs - Muslims and Non-Muslims Living in Australia UNESCO Chair in Interreligious and Intercultural Relations - Asia Pacific: An Interregional Perspective on Interreligious Relations The Responsibility of the Mainstream for Reconciliation (Part 1) 5 Dec 5 Dec Maori Custom Law and Listening to the Land-Australian Aboriginal Meditation The Impact of Modernity and Climate Change in Oceania Restoring Peace and Fostering Dialogue within Religious Traditions: The Experience of Christian Ecumenism in Australia and Beyond The Centrality of Spirituality in Australian Indigenous Education Women of Faith Network, Religions for Peace, Australia and New Zealand See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time 4 Dec 124 PWR Parliament of the World's Religions 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 4 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8:00-9:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am Location Room 210 Room 204 Room 211 Room 202 Room 220 Room 218 Room 220 Room 213 Room 103 Room 202 Room 216 Room 203 Room 107 Room 201 Room 108 Room 104 Room 215 Room 111 Rooms 105 & 106 Room 103 Room 217 Room 107 Room 213 Room 211 Room 203 Room 102 Room 212
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________________ Regional Sessions Preventing Violence Against Women: Australian and International Perspectives The Changing Shifts in Religion and Spirituality on the AsiaPacific Rim The Responsibility of the Mainstream for Reconciliation [Part 2] Caritas Australia - Community Development in a Multifaith and Multicultural Environment. The Future of Religion in Australia? Melbourne's Religious Leaders in Dialogue with Young People (Seminar 2) Australia's Diverse Cultures and Multifaith Communities: Fethullah Gulen's Vision and Building Bridges Projects 8 Dec 8 Dec Rivers of Life: Community, Water and Spirit in Australia Interfaith Australia, Social Cohesion and the Muslim Communities Melbourne: An Interfaith Experience 9 Dec Interreligious Dialogue and the Catholic Church in Australia and 9 Dec Melbourne 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 9 Dec 9 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm Room 104 Room 103 Room 110 Room 102 Room 213 Room 209 Room 204 Room 104 Room 210 Room 204 www.parliamentofreligions.org 125
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________________ Observances The 2009 Parliament offers the opportunity to deepen your own spirituality and get to know others. Each morning, a wide range of services - Eastern, Western, traditional, creative, theistic, atheistic and more - are offered. Don't miss the opportunity to observe the Parliament's vast array of spiritual offerings while celebrating your own. Baha'i Observance Session Title Baha'i Devotional Gathering: 'The Earth is but One Country' Buddhist Observances Session Title Silent Meditation - Ch'an Meditation as a Therapy: How Traditional Techniques Translate into Modern Healing Invoking Inner Tranquillity: Buddhist Chanting and Meditation Guided Metta (Loving-Kindness) Meditation Middle Way Meditation Seon (Zen) Meditation Practise Meditation Training and Practice Melbourne Buddhist Leaders Observance Chan Meditation to Ease the Body and Mind at All Times and on All Occasions Christian Observances Session Title Catholic Mass, Roman Rite-Friday A Celebration of the Cosmos and its Processes from a Mystical, Inclusive Perspective Observance Session with Father Freeman Anglican Sunday Morning Liturgy Catholic Mass, Ukrainian Rite Uniting Church Prayer Service Catholic Mass, Roman Rite-Tuesday Worship and Justice Catholic Mass, Coptic Rite Hindu Observances Session Title 5 Dec 5 Dec Respect for the Earth: A Morning Observance Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Morning Observance 6 Dec 6 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 9 Dec The Prayer of Women for Giving Peace on Earth The Radiant Path: Meditation Practice and Philosophy in the Kriya Yoga Tradition 126 PWR-Parliament of the World's Religions See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time 6 Dec Date 4 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 7 Dec 8 Dec 9 Dec 9 Dec 8:00-9:00am Time 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am See back of book for full descriptions. Time Date 4 Dec 4 Dec 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am Location Room 209 Location Room 109 Room 216 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am Room 209 Room 111 Room 217 Room 102 Room 103 Room 218 Room 110 Location Room 104 Room 215 See back of book for full descriptions. Time Date 4 Dec 4 Dec Room 210 Room 204 Room 103 Room 105 Room 110 Room 111 Room 104 Room 102 Room 215 Location Room 101 Room 216
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________________ Observances The Prayer of Women for Giving Peace on Earth I Yoga as a Spiritual Practice Sri Sri Yoga: A Celebration of the Diversity in Yoga Taking 'just-a-minute: Meditation on the Move Shum, A Language of Meditation Self-Inquiry: The Yoga of Thought and Feeling Meditation and Sacred Music Hindu Meditation: Spirituality in Everyday Life Criteria for Deciding the Eternal Truths Living Ahimsa Meditation: The Power of Harmony in our Thoughts, Speech and Action Convocation of Hindu Spiritual Leaders: Opening Ceremony Sunrise Yoga Viswamitra in Union with the Universe Master Class in Raja Yoga: A Pathway to Healing and Transformation Indigenous Observances Session Title Yoruba Religious Observance Observance on Dene (Indigenous Canadian) Spirituality Observance in the Haudenosaunee Prophecy and Spirituality Observance on (Native American) Cochiti Pueblo Spirituality Observance on Zimbabwe Shona/Nodebele Spirituality Observance on Tlinglit (Indigenous Alaskan Native) Spirituality Jain Observances Session Title How a Jain Starts the Day: The Rituals Preksha Meditation Daily Puja: The Daily Jain Ritual of a Shwetambar Jain Idol Worshiper Ancient Jain Mantra: Sound and Spirituality Jewish Observances Session Title Jewish Morning Observance - Saturday Orthodox Jewish Morning Observance - Monday Orthodox Jewish Morning Observance - Tuesday Contemplative Shacharit [Jewish Morning) Service Jewish Reform Morning Observance - Wednesday 4 Dec 4 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 9 Dec 9 Dec 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 9 Dec 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time 4 Dec 4 Dec 5 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 9 Dec 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time 4 Dec 5 Dec 7 Dec 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am Room 101 Room 102 Room 110 Room 101 Room 110 Room 214 Room 212 Room 108 Room 204 Room 109 8:00-9:00am Room 202 Room 220 Room 204 Room 212 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am Location Room 214 Room 218 Room 219 Room 212 Room 208 Room 217 Location Room 103 Room 102 Room 217 See back of book for full descriptions. Time Date 5 Dec 7 Dec 8 Dec 9 Dec 9 Dec Room 105 Location Room 103 Room 103 Room 218 Room 216 Room 103 www.parliamentofreligions.org 127
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________________ Observances See back of book for full descriptions, Date Time Location 4 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 207 4 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 108 4 Dec 5 Dec 1:00-2:30pm 8:00-9:00am Room 202 Room 212 6 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 208 Muslim Observances Session Title The Rights of the Poor and the Orphan in the Qur'an: Overcoming Poverty in an Unequal World Calling out to Allah: The Role of Du'a (Supplication) in Islam And Its Benefits for Inner Peace Friday Jumu'ah Congregational Prayer The Art of Quran Recitation: Sharing Wisdom in the Search for Inner Peace By the Fig and the Olive Tree: A Qur'anic Perspective on Healing the Earth with Care and Concern Remembrance of Allah and His Prophet Through Song The Prayer of Women for Giving Peace on Earth 11 So That You May Know One Another: The Call for Social Cohesion in the Qur'an Purifying the Heart and Soul through Remembrance of Allah: Dhikr As An Islamic Devotional Act for Inner Peace Securing Food and Water For All People: The Compassion of a Qur'an Based Approach Understanding the Wisdom of Muslim Obligatory Prayers: Salaat & Inner Peace A Qur'anic Moral Imperative: Building Peace in the Pursuit of Justice 6 Dec 6 Dec 7 Dec 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am Room 204 Room 207 Room 207 7 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 216 8 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 216 8 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 207 9 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 220 See back of book for full descriptions. New Religious and Spiritual Movement Observances Session Title Gathering of the Spirit of Peace in All I Kuan Tao - Melbourne The Power of Spiritual Experience A Celebration of Urantia, Our Planet Date 5 Dec 5 Dec 7 Dec 9 Dec Time 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am Location Room 111 Room 217 Room 101 Room 208 Time Pagan Observances Session Title Dancing the Seven Sacred Directions Solstice Sites and Celebrations Sing Praise for the Earth Whole Self - Whole Earth See back of book for full descriptions. Date Location 4 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 111 5 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 214 8 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 101 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 102 Shinto Observances Session Title Morning Observance with Dr Haruhisa Handa (Toshu Fukamil Given Life by Heaven and Earth: A Shinto Observance Shinto Prayer for the Sunrise Ritual See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time Location 4 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 105 5 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 108 8 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 110 128 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ Observances Sikh Observances Session Title Gurbani Kirtan: Sikh Sacred Classical Music Sikh Observance organised by Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha Devotional Singing and Meditation for Inner Peace Sunrise Morning Sadhana Sikh Observance by Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha See back of book for full descriptions Date Time Location 7 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 220 8 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 109 8 Dec 9 Dec 9 Dec 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am Room 217 Room 108 Room 109 Zoroastrian Observances Session Title Zoroastrian Daily Morning Prayers and Worship: Day 1 Zoroastrian Daily Morning Prayers and Worship: Day 2 See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time Location 5 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 218 6 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 218 See back of book for full descriptions. Date Time Location 4 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 202 4 Dec 4 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am Room 208 Room 203 Room 215 Room 203 5 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 207 6 Dec 6 Dec 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am Room 216 Room 102 Observances of Diverse Traditions Session Title The Path of a Multifaith Chaplaincy: Parliament Labyrinth as Spiritual Observance Celebrating Diversity and Unity: An Inclusive Spiritual Service The Breath of Life Awakening Meditation Mother of Compassion: Ancient Secrets to Inner Peace: Healing Our Earth, Our Faith and Ourselves Global Meditation: Experiencing a Powerful Key To Healing. Transformation, and Empowerment Guided Gathering of Mind through Seven Steps Sukyo Mahikari: Light and Principles for Peace and Harmony Whatever the Faith Self-Enquiry Meditation Five Pillars of Spiritual Life Seeking Heaven on Earth - Our Common Quest The Still Mind, Emptiness and Divine Love Healing the Earth: A Meditation of Universal Oneness Peace Pole Dedication Ceremony for Reconciliation Among Religions and Peace Among Nations Sanctuaries for Healing the Earth: Sharing Collective Wisdom and Ceremony The Way of Balance Living in Peace Not Pieces: How to Find and Remain Anchored in Joy, Peace, and Bliss Amidst the Waves and Storms of Daily Life 7 Dec 7 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8:00-9:00 am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am 4:30-6:00pm Room 214 Room 212 Room 214 Room 108 Room 215 Room 220 9 Dec 8:00-9:00am Room 214 9 Dec 7 Dec 8:00-9:00am 8:00-9:00am Room 207 Room 203 www.parliamentofreligions.org 129 For Private & Personal use only
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________________ Films chronicles Inupiat history that spans 150 years, starting with the epidemics, followed by the missionaries and what happened to the Inupiat children with the establishment of a boarding school. Stories are a medium through which we encounter the personal and communal power of religion and spirituality Films provide a vivid way to tell those stories and gain new perspectives and understanding. The 2009 Parliament Program will include screenings of an outstanding array of films. This premier film series was developed in collaboration with the Hartley Film Foundation and Auburn Media and includes the best of current documentaries on the world's religious and spiritual traditions that are also related to 2009 Parliament themes. Parliament attendees will be enriched, informed and delighted by these extraordinary films. Subtheme: Securing Food and Water for All People Migrar o Morir/Paying the Price: Migrant Workers in the Toxic Fields of Sinoloa 7 December 2009 2:30-4:00pm Room 107 This film examines the lives of impoverished workers from Guerrero, Mexico, who migrate to Sinaloa to pick exotic Chinese vegetables for the export trade. It is a devastating portrait of hardship - from these migrants community of origin, largely abandoned by the local and state governments, to the inhumane and slave-like working conditions of the migrant camp. Premier Film Series winners include: Subtheme: Healing the Earth with Care and Concern Renewal: Religious Grassroots Environmentalism 9 December 2009 11:30am - 1:00pm Room 110 Across the United States, people of faith, spirit and goodwill are standing up for the environment - from Evangelical Christians fighting mountaintop removal, to Muslims supporting sustainable farming, to Jews helping children experience the bond between nature and spirituality. This documentary portrays the growing movement of religious and spiritual communities united in their efforts to protect the precious life on our planet. Thirst 6 December 2009 4:30 - 6:00pm Room 210 Is water part of a "shared commons" - a human right for all people? Or is it a commodity to be bought, sold and traded in a global marketplace? Thirst tells the story of communities in Bolivia, India and the United States that are asking these fundamental questions Subtheme: Indigenous Peoples Dhakiyarr vs. the King 7 December 2009 4:30 - 6:00pm Room 210 The family of the great Yolngu leader Dhakiyarr Wirrpanda is searching for answers. Seventy years after his controversial murder trial and subsequent disappearance, Dhakiyarr's body still has not been found. His descendants know that justice has not been served. They want to restore what was denied to him: his honour. This is their story, told in their own words - of two laws, two cultures and two families coming to terms with the past. Dhakiyarr vs. the King is the story of the Yolngu People of northeast Arnhem Land, Australia. Subtheme: Building Peace in the Pursuit of Justice Pray the Devil Back to Hell 8 December 2009 4:30 - 6:00pm Room 214 Pray the Devil Back to Hell chronicles the remarkable story of the courageous Liberian women who came together to end a bloody civil war and bring peace to their shattered country. Thousands of women - ordinary mothers, grandmothers, aunts and daughters, both Christian and Muslim - came together to pray for peace and then staged a silent protest outside of the Presidential Palace. Armed only with white t-shirts and the courage of their convictions, they took on the warlords and non-violently forced a resolution during the stalled peace talks in their country. History of the Inupiat: Nipaa Ilitqusipta/The Voice of Our Spirit 5 December 2009 9:30 - 11:00am Room 107 The Voice of Our Spirit follows individuals, young and old, who struggle with the loss of language in their own personal way. "For a long time now I have been wondering why I don't speak my language," says Dora "Aluniq Brower of Barrow, Alaska, in the film's opening minutes. "I would always hear it around me because my parents and my grandparents were speaking, but when it came to us children they would speak to us in English. It wasn't expected of me to speak back in Inupiaq." The film Subtheme: Creating Social Cohesion in Village and City Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai 5 December 2009 4:30 - 6:00pm Room 211 When rural Kenyan women lacked firewood and clean drinking water, Wangari Maathai suggested they plant trees. Discover how this simple act led to overthrowing a dictator and the Nobel Peace Prize. 130 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ Films Subtheme: Sharing Wisdom in the Search for Inner Peace The Dhamma Brothers 6 December 2009 11:30am - 1:00pm Room 107 The Dhamma Brothers is a moving story of transformation. Men held in an overcrowded maximum-security prison in Bessemer, Alabama, are forever changed by a meditation program. The Dhamma Brothers has been described as a film where "East meets West in the Deep South," an apt portrait of what happens to a number of hardened criminals who volunteer for a ten-day Vipassana retreat. Q & A will be hosted by Macky Alston, who serves as Director of Auburn Media at Auburn Theological Seminary, dedicated to informed, engaging coverage of religion in the media. Alston is an award-winning filmmaker and an organiser in the worlds of media and religion. He has received the Sundance Film Festival Freedom of Expression Award, the Gotham Open Palm Award, three Emmy nominations, and appeared widely in the press, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show and The New York Times (www.mackyalston.com). Praying with Lior 4 December 2009 4:30 - 6:00pm Room 210 This film series was curated by Macky Alston, Executive Director of Auburn Media; filmmaker, Barbara Abrash, Director of Public Programs at the Centre for Religion and Media, New York University; Faye Ginsburg, David B. Kriser Professor of Anthropology and Co-Director of the Centre for Religion and Media, New York University: Sarah Masters, Managing Director of Hartley Film Foundation; Cara Mertes, Director of the Sundance Institute Documentary Program; Alison van Dyk, Executive Director of The Temple of Understanding: Dean Wilson, Consultant to the Film Studies Program, Vietnam National University in Hanoi; and Angelo Zito, Co-Director of the Centre for Religion and Media, New York University Praying with Lior challenges our beliefs about whom and how one speaks to God. The film follows Lior Liebling. a thirteen-year-old boy with Down Syndrome nicknamed "the little rebbe," for the four months that lead up to his Bar Mitzvah. The filmmaker brings to life a stirring story of how a community grapples with the particular gifts and handicaps of a special needs child, and how that child views meaning from his particular social location. All curated film screenings will be followed by a Q & A. Other Films (not curated) See back of book for full descriptions. Session Title Date Time Location Numen: The Nature of Plants 4 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 107 "The Green Patriarch' and 'The Arctic: The Consequences 4 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 107 of Human Folly The Chiefs' Prophecy: Survival of the Northern Cheyenne Nation 4 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 107 Not in God's Name 4 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 109 New Muslim Cool 4 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 107 Soldiers of Peace 4 Dec 9:00-10:30pm Room 107 Divided We Fall 5 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 107 Selections from the New Film 'Journey of the Universe 5 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 213 The Last Yoik in Saami Forests? 5 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 107 "The Imam and the Pastor' and 'Australia's Muslim Women 5 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 107 The Sacred Planet 5 Dec 9:00-10:30pm Room 107 With One Voice 6 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 107 American Outrage 6 Dec 2:30-4:00pm Room 107 An Islamic Conscience: the Aga Khan and the Ismailis 6 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 107 Burma VJ 6 Dec 9:00-10:30pm Room 107 Journey into America 7 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 107 Beyond Beliefs - Muslims and Non-Muslims Living in Australia 7 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm Room 107 Homeland: Four Portraits of Native Action 7 Dec 4:30-6:00pm Room 107 Blue Gold: World Water Wars 7 Dec 9:00-10:30pm Room 107 www.parliamentofreligions.org 131
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________________ Films 8 Dec 9:30-11:00am Room 104 A Course in Miracles Unleashed: A Direct Encounter with Jesus Christ in the Evolution and Enlightenment of the Human Species Not Broken Kanyini Tackling Peace and 'SAG (it's all about human rights) The Episcopal Church Confronts Racism: "Traces of the Trade Compassion Rising (World Premiere) Homeland: Four Portraits of Native Action (Second Showing The Soul of Kalaupapa Soldiers of Peace (Second Showing) 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 8 Dec 9 Dec 9 Dec 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 9:00-10:30pm 9:30-11:00am 11:30am-1:00pm Room 107 Room 110 Room 107 Room 107 Room 107 Room 107 Room 107 Room 107 132 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions Jain Education Interational
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________________ Performances Come and enjoy musical and performance styles from around the world, across diverse religious and spiritual traditions. Listen to Sufi music, throat music from Nagaland combined with the didgeridoo and drum, Jewish storytelling, Rumi poetry expressed in song, reggae and dub poetry direct from Jamaica, Native American music, classical Indian songs, Baha'i Sacred Writings sung in a contemporary style and a mix of traditional and modern music from South Africa. Watch theatre performances, multi-art-form concert performances and Hindu dancing. Hear the vocal harmonies of choirs hailing from America, Samoa and Australia. Whatever your performance taste, there is something for you at the 2009 Parliament. See back of book for full descriptions. Session Title Naga Chants Taize Chants Sung in the Gunai Kurnai Indigenous Language by the Lavalla Catholic College Liturgical Choir South African Songs for the Soul Leaps Of Faith On the Way of Love: Ruby Performs Music Inspired by Rumi Om Shanthi Om The Art of Creative Expression: Youth Workshop Le Carnaval Spirituel Agape Choir Sri Chinmoy International Music Group Open Space Concert Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Samoan Choir Tari Sesaji Tri Yoni Saraswati Walking With Wisdom by Jeremy 'Yongurra Yerin' Donovan Hindu Spirituality in Dance: Odissi Performance Come into the Presence of God! A Celebration of the Divine in Words, Music and Silence An Exploration of Gurmat Sangeet - Sikh Musical Heritage Sacred Earth: Music for Inner Peace Let's Shake Shadi Toloui-Wallace Joanne Shenandoah: Healing Through Music Sacred Music of India: Natesan Ramani and Manjiri Kelkar Rhythmic Experience for Peace Wings of the Spirit in Concert Darwin in the Dreaming Simone[!] Revelations Chapter 1 The Sacred Fire: The Music of Hildegard of Bingen Michael Leuning Date 4 Dec 4 Dec Time 2:30-4:00pm 2:30-4:00pm 4 Dec 4:30-6:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 4 Dec 5 Dec 9:30-11:00am 5 Dec 9:30-11:00am 5 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 5 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 5 Dec 5 Dec 4:30-6:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 5 Dec 6 Dec 9:30-11:00am 6 Dec 9:30-11:00am 6 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 4:30-6:00pm 6 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 1:00-2:30pm 7 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 7 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 7 Dec 4:30-6:00pm 8 Dec 9:30-11:00am 8 Dec 9:30-11:00am 8 Dec 11:30am-1:00pm 8 Dec 2:30-4:00pm 8 Dec 4:30-6:00pm 8 Dec 4:30-6:00pm 9:30-11:00am 9 Dec 9:30-11:00am 9:30-11:00am Location Room 201 Room 201 Room 201 Room 201 Room 201 Room 201 Room 211 Room 201 Room 201 Room 216 Room 201 Room 201 Room 201 Room 201 Room 201 Room 201 Room 201 Room 215 Room 201 Room 201 Room 201 Room 201 Room 201 Room 102 Room 201 Room 201 Room 201 Room 201 www.parliamentofreligions.org 133
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________________ Open Space Open Space Discussion The experience of the Parliament of the World's Religions is fundamentally about encounters - encounters that shape and expand how we view this world that we all share. To help facilitate this, the 2009 Parliament offers a time of planned encounter called Open Space. Open Space is a flexible, informal time to extend the conversations that you began earlier in the day, to form a discussion group around areas of shared interest or to further explore a topic that you know little about. You may participate in Open Space discussions in two different ways: you can join in discussions that are already hosted by another group or individual or, if you want to begin a new discussion, you can sign up to host a discussion meeting and form a new conversation group. The Official 2009 Parliament Book Release Celebration The 2009 Parliament of the World's Religions in Melbourne is pleased to showcase and celebrate various book releases by Parliament participants. This program is unique in its conversational element and procedure and will take place daily during the Open Space segment of the day All are encouraged to visit the breathtaking reception area, outside the largest plenary hall, as authors share with Parliament guests their recently published works. This Book Release will feature Rev. Dr. Marcus Braybrooke, Judge Weeramantry, Jessi Kaur, Marian De Souza, Kathleen Engebretson, Prabha Duneja, Samir Selmanovic and Ron Madison. Authors who wish to discuss their recent publication and the contribution it will make to their respective fields are welcome and encouraged to join in with the featured authors. Times to meet these individual authors will be included in the Daily Program Update. Process From 4:30 to 6:00pm each day is reserved for Open Space meetings. Room assignments will be announced in the Daily Program Update, distributed each morning of the Parliament. Each discussion topic will be hosted in a different room, ranging from large meeting rooms to smaller, more personal gatherings. If you are interested in hosting a discussion during this time, there will be a sign-up period from 1:00 to 2:30pm every day at the Program Enquiries Desk in the foyer of the Melbourne Convention Center, Room assignments will be given on a first-come-first-serve basis, 134 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ PROGRAM DERS Friday, December 4, 2009 The Prayer of Women for Giving Peace on Earth I Ni Ketut Arini Room 101 Religious or Spiritual Observance Yayasan Dharma Samuan Tiga is a nonprofit public foundation in Bedulu, Bali, Indonesia dedicated to maintaining and supporting the spirit of conciliation that arose in the interfaith meeting at Samuan Tiga Temple in the year 1011. The foundation strives to promote intercultural collaboration through sharing in the arts and religiosity among cultures in Indonesia and among nations throughout the world. In this program, distinguished Balinese performer Ni Ketut Arini will sing Kidung Gayatri. Ni Ketut Arini is one of Bali's most accomplished and versatile dancers and musicians and is one of Bali's most revered teachers and performers. Ni Ketut Arini, of Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, is a distinguished performer, choreographer and teacher of classical and modern Balinese dance. She was a faculty member at the Indonesian Conservatory of Performing Arts [KOKAR) and then a supervisor for national high schools throughout Bali. In 1973, she founded Sanggar Warini, a traditional studio in her birth-village Lebah, where she continues to guide hundreds of young artists. She has toured extensively throughout the world. Yoga as a Spiritual Practice Sevadevi Glover Gita Azar Swami Gopal Puri Room 102 Religious or Spiritual Observance Yoga is vast and full of possibilities. There are 8.4 million asanas, mantras, pranayamas, kriyas, bandhas, mudras, and meditation techniques. A study of the whole is like taking a peek into many rooms along a corridor. Each room holds valuable treasures, unless you fully step into one room-and immerse and explore with your mind, body, heart and soul all of its possibilities-the gems, the wisdom and realisation, are beyond grasp. During this workshop participants will learn about the Yoga in Daily Life system, which is the Master System of Pramhans Swami Maheshwarananda. Yoga in Daily Life easily guides practitioners from simple to difficult asanas without torture, without challenge and without competition. Progress is realised with continuous patient practice, with confidence and devotion. This also applies to pranayama and meditation. Relaxation and a new sense of inner freedom are very important aspects of the system of Yoga in Daily Life. Although these techniques seem to be very simple, they have great influence on the physical and pranic body. By practising this system, the student will use the ancient science of yoga to achieve ultimate health. Sevadevi Glover is a member of the Australian Association of Yoga in Daily Life, a nonprofit, humanitarian organisation offering a comprehensive master system of classical yoga postures, Pranayama, relaxation and meditation. Sevadevi has been a Senior Yoga Teacher for 12 years. In 2005 she became a Founding Member of Ayurveda Yoga Australia (AYA). The AYA has hosted two International Conferences in Sydney to spread the wisdom and knowledge of the sister sciences of ayurveda and yoga. 8:00-9:00am MORNING OBSERVANCES Gita Azar is co-director of the Yoga in Daily Life centre in Richmond, Melbourne. She has years of experience sharing her inspiration and conviction of the broad and deep benefits for a wide range of people of yoga. meditation practice, and the yogic way of life. Swami Gopal Puri is a 'Train the Trainer' Senior instructor for Yoga in Daily Life. Born in Hungary, he holds a degree in Physics and brings a unique perspective on Yoga. He is co-director of the Yoga in Daily Life Centre in Richmond, Melbourne where he conducts classes for a wide range of students, from preschool age to seniors. Many will have seen his popular weekly yoga segments on Melbourne community television Channel 31. How a Jain Starts the Day: The Rituals Kirit C Daftary Room 103 Religious or Spiritual Observance The rituals of Jainism are intended to create harmony among all of the Earth's creatures: plants, animals and fellow human beings. This session will present the daily morning spiritual practice of the two major sects of Jainism. The Shwetamber sect, or white-clad monks, will demonstrate Samayik (meditation), and Pratikraman, the act of seeking forgiveness through the confession of past sins in deed or thought. The program will then present practices of the Digamber sect, or sky-clad monks, which will include worship, meditative music and a theoretical exposition. Through a live demonstration, a slide presentation, and Q&A, this session will bring to light how practitioners of Jainism greet each day. Kirit C Daftary is President of Anuvibha of North America and past President of the Federation of Jain Associations in North America JAINA), which represents 67 Jain Centres and over 150,000 Jains in North America. He is also the alternative representative to the United Nations of Anuvrat Global Organization (ANUVIBHAI. Mr Daftary regularly lectures on Jainism and Hinduism at several universities and also participates in many interreligious dialogues. Catholic Mass, Roman Rite-Friday Bishop Michael Putney Bishop Christopher Prowse Room 104 Religious or Spiritual Observance This observance will include a Eucharist celebrated by the two leading Australian Catholic bishops in interreligious affairs. The ceremony will be explained for the benefit of those observers who are not familiar with it. Most Rev Michael E Putney is the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Townsville in North Queensland. A student of the Gregorian University in Rome and the Catholic University of Louvain, Bishop Putney has taught theology in Pius XII Seminary, Australian Catholic University, University of Queensland, and Gregorian University. Bishop Putney has represented the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity at numerous international consultations, dialogues and events. He has been the Chair of Australian Catholic Bishops' Commission for Ecumenism and Interreligious Relations since 2006. Most Rev Christopher Prowse, recently appointed as Bishop of Sale in Victoria, was formerly the auxiliary bishop of Melbourne (Western Region of Melbourne; Episcopal Vicar for Justice and Social Services], a member of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and an alumnus of the Gregorian University and the Lateran University in Rome. www.parliamentofreligions.org 135
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________________ PROGRAM DES Friday, December 4, 2009 Morning Observance with Dr Haruhisa Handa (Toshu Fukami) Dr Haruhisa Handa Room 105 Religious or Spiritual Observance This morning observance will be given by Dr Haruhisa Handa, an ordained Zen Buddhist priest in the Rinzai tradition. After completing an arduous program of religious training on Mt. Hiei, one of Japan's oldest monastic centres of Buddhist scholarship and religious practice, Dr Handa formally adopted the Buddhist name 'Toshu Fukami, replacing his secular name for his religious and artistic work. Born in Japan in 1951, Dr Haruhisa Handa operates more than a dozen companies in Japan and abroad, ranging from management consulting to publishing. He is heavily involved with social causes, currently serving as director of World Faiths Development Dialogue; founder and chairman of Asia Faiths Development Dialogue; president of the International Shinto Foundation; advisor to the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions; and chairman of the International Foundation for Arts and Culture. Calling Out to Allah: The Role of Du'a (Supplication) in Islam And Its Benefits for Inner Peace Muhsin Canbolat Room 108 Religious or Spiritual Observance Allah says in the Qur'an (2:186), 'When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close [to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me..." In this Observance, a speaker to be announced will highlight how du'a (supplication) is used as a form of worship in Islam and a path to inner peace strengthening one's relationship with their Creator. Participants will have the opportunity to observe and participate in du'a that addresses issues of shared concern to all people of faith such as inner peace, peacemaking, alleviating poverty. and reconciliation. Muhsin Canbolat was born in 1970 in Turkey. He graduated from Ankara Merkez Imam Hatip School in 1987 and graduated from Divinity Faculty in Marmara University in 1993. Since then he has served as a teacher of Islamic Studies: 6 years in Kazakhstan, 5 years in Sydney and 5 years in Melbourne. He currently teaches the subject of Religion and Values in Isik College and voluntarily serves as coordinator for the Serenity Foundation. Silent Meditation - Ch'an Dharma Master Hsin Tao Room 109 Religious or Spiritual Observance In this morning observance, Dharma Master Hsin Tao will introduce participants to a guided Ch'an meditation, using a method that focuses on breathing and quieting the mind. The focus of this guided meditation is toward awareness of the silence that lies at the heart of all things, both inside and outside of us. Learning to listen in 136 PWR- Parliament of the World's Religions 8:00-9:00am MORNING OBSERVANCES this silence and to enter into it deeply with every breath is a practical and spiritual method to let go of worries and stress. It opens up the dimension of inner peace and compassion that leads to healing of self and others. Dharma Master Hsin Tao was born in Burma in 1948 and came to Taiwan at age 13. He became a monk at age 25 and established the Wu-sheng Monastery on Ling-jiou mountain in 1983. He founded the Museum of World Religions and is president of the Global Family of Love and Peace. The series of Buddhist-Muslim dialogues he initiated in 2001 has been conducted in ten countries, including the UNESCO Paris and UN in New York. Dancing the Seven Sacred Directions T Thorn Coyle Room 111 Interactive Workshop In this workshop participants will move, dance, breathe, and celebrate the sacred all around them. Using sacred movements, together we will call upon Air, Fire, Water, Earth and the Spirit that connects them all. These movements address the Seven Sacred Directions (East, South, West, North, Above, Below and Centre) used by many Pagan traditions. In connecting the sacred directions and elements of life to our bodies, we are placed in a direct, flowing relationship with the sacred earth. By including the physical, we make a connection with all that is sacred to us, transforming ourselves and our relationships. The movements are simple, repetitive meditations designed for non-dancers. T Thorn Coyle is an internationally respected teacher, mystic, and magic worker. Her practice focuses on the alchemy that occurs when we fully open ourselves to our humanity in our quest for divine knowledge and connection. Founder of Solar Cross, a non-profit temple and educational centre, and the Morningstar Mystery School, her most recent book is Kissing the Limitless: Deep Magic and the Great Work of Transforming Yourself and the World. The Path of a Multifaith Chaplaincy: Parliament Labyrinth as Spiritual Observance Rev Di Williams Room 202 Religious or Spiritual Observance Walking the labyrinth is a regular spiritual practice for many University of Edinburgh students and staff. This spiritual observance session is designed to make the labyrinth available to Parliament delegates for walking meditation, contemplation, prayer and reflection. The Rev Di Williams, Anglican priest and currently Chaplain to the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, UK, is an experienced creator. facilitator and Master Teacher of labyrinths in the UK and internationally. She was recently honoured by the Queen (MBE) for her interreligious and labyrinth work in Higher Education and has just completed her book Labyrinths: Landscapes of the Soul".
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________________ PROGRAM DES Friday, December 4, 2009 The Breath of Life William Skudlarek Rev Heng Sure Room 203 Religious or Spiritual Observance Our first act as human beings-and our last-is to breathe. We all breathe the same air, thereby making human life and human community possible. Awareness of our breathing brings us to a deeper awareness of and appreciation for life as a gift. That grateful awareness deepens our commitment to the well-being of all living things. During this interreligious observance, two monks-one Buddhist, one Catholic-will lead participants in a service that honours both traditions' commitment to healing the Earth. Participants will engage in a guided Buddhist meditation on breath, as well as a Biblically-based ritual involving readings, chants and prayers that celebrate God as the life-giving breath (Spirit) and the universe as filled with the Spirit of God. William Skudlarek is a Benedictine monk. After serving as President and Executive Director of the North American branch of Monastic Interreligious Dialogue, he was appointed Secretary General in 2008. From 1994-2001 he lived in Japan and participated in zazenkai and sesshin offered by the San-un Zendo in Kamakura. In the summer of 2007 he walked with Jotipalo Bhikkhu on a seven-day, 100-mile Tudong in northern Minnesota. Rev Heng Sure is the Director of the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery and a former Global Councilor of the United Religions Initiative. He has been a Buddhist monk for 33 years, and holds a PhD from the Graduate Theological Union, in Berkeley, California (USA) and an MA from the University of California, Berkeley. An author and musician, Rev Sure recently released the CD 'Paramita: American Buddhist Folk Songs'. The Rights of the Poor and the Orphan in the Qur'an: Overcoming Poverty in an Unequal World Imam Khalid Fattah Griggs Room 207 Religious or Spiritual Observance In this session, Imam Khalid Fattah Griggs, an activist Imam of the Community Mosque of Winston-Salem in North Carolina, will discuss the Qur'anic approach to overcoming poverty in an unequal world, especially with regard to the rights of the poor and orphans. This session is one of six in a series of Muslim observances on the Qur'an scheduled across the six days of the Parliament. Each session will include inspirational recitations of the Qur'an, clear translation, and illuminating exegesis around a different Parliament subtheme each day. This series will show how the subthemes of the Melbourne Parliament are all issues of shared concern to Muslims, as they are at the heart of Islam's social conscience. Imam Khalid Fattah Griggs has been the imam of The Community Mosque of Winston-Salem in North Carolina since 1984. He is cochairman of the North Carolina-based Black Leadership Roundtable of Winston-Salem-Forsyth County, Griggs holds a degree in political science and English from Howard University in Washington, DC. He was part of the anti-Vietnam war movement in the late 1960s and was involved with the Islamic Party of North America in the 1970s after his conversion. 8:00-9:00am MORNING OBSERVANCES Celebrating Diversity and Unity: An Inclusive Spiritual Service Dr Kim Cunio Room 208 Religious or Spiritual Observance In our troubled world, there is an urgent need to go beyond respectful dialogue between people of different faiths to an authentic experience of spiritual inclusivity. While religion is so often associated with ignorance, divisiveness and even violence, the healing power of such inclusive experiences cannot be underestimated. This service presents 'interfaith' as more than just a way for members of different faith communities to connect respectfully. Rather, it can simultaneously support and transform existing faith communities and reach out to those who have been wounded by, or are not comfortable with, mainstream religion, yet who might genuinely seek communion with the transcendent and with other seekers. Through carefully chosen prayers, readings, music, inspirational talk and the surrender that comes with silence, we have discovered how possible it is for people to have an intense and deeply healing experience of the sacred that is free of even the best-intentioned labels, 'differences' and dogma. This 75-minute service, emphasising content and personal and shared experience, offers a unique opportunity for people to take their understanding and experience of interfaith and interspirituality to a new level. Dr Kim Cunio is Australia's leading composer and interpreter of sacred traditional music. He has received commissions to investigate the music of a multitude of sacred traditions. Some of those commissions include the Art in Islam exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales; The Sacred Fire: The Music of Hildegard of Bingen; the Temple Project [Music in the Time of Jesus); and The Thread of Life, a reuniting of Arabic and Jewish musicians (New York, 2007). The Mandaeans in Australia: Baptism, Living Water and the Link to John the Baptist Ganzibra Dr Brikha H S Nasoraia Sandi van Rompaey Room 210 Living Water is the essential, life-giving ingredient in the baptism of the Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran. The Mandaeans, whose Gnostic religion predates Christianity, regard baptism as a crucial element in their quest for enlightenment, inner peace and sacred wisdom. Baptism is conducted in the living waters of a healthy river or spring which is called Yardana (Jordan). As such, baptism is fundamental to Mandaean religious practice and the foundation of its universal redemptive system. Due to the recent wars in Iraq and Iran, a majority of the Mandaeans have migrated to countries of the Diaspora, including Australia, where there are currently more than six thousand Mandaeans, including nine practising priests. Based in western Sydney, this major resettlement is dependent www.parliamentofreligions.org 137
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________________ PROGRAM Friday, December 4, 2009 8:00-9:00am MORNING OBSERVANCES on access to the Nepean River in which all the main Australian baptisms are conducted. This presentation will focus on the baptismal practices of the Mandaeans in Australia today and seeks to outline the intricate processes associated with this central rite. It will also consider the origins of Mandaeism in biblical times, looking in particular at the tradition which links these practices to John the Baptist, from whom the Mandaeans believe they are descended. Iraqi born Ganzibra Dr Brikha HS Nasoraia is a high priest of the Mandaean religion now living in Sydney. He earned his PhD from the University of Sydney for research into a previously unpublished Mandaean illustrated manuscript and is currently finishing a second doctoral thesis on the esoteric and mystical concepts of the Mandaean secret scrolls. He is President of the Mandaean Spiritual Council of Australia and of the International Mandaean Nasoraean Supreme Council. Sandi van Rompaey is currently completing a doctoral thesis on the symbolic art of the Mandaean religious manuscripts that are housed in the Bodleian Library. Oxford, and the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana. These complex, stylised black ink illustrations, meant only for the knowledge of Mandaean priests, have not been previously researched. Sandi has presented papers at an international level and has conducted research in Israel, London, Paris, Rome and Berlin A Celebration of the Cosmos and its Processes from a Mystical, Inclusive Perspective William Wallace Room 215 Religious or Spiritual Observance The Cosmos is a blessing which we can receive and share with others. During this observance participants will be asked to think deeply about their place in the Cosmos, acknowledge their failures and misuses of other people and the planet, and let go of illusions, while at the same time affirming the cosmic origin and sacred identity of each person and celebrating the common bonds of humankind. There will be readings from a variety of sources, including a song based on the "Canticle of the Sun by St Francis. William L Wallace, BA Dip Ed, is a New Zealand Methodist Minister and an internationally published writer of hymns and other worship resources. His children's songs, including hymns and Mass of the Universe, are soon to appear on the website of the Centre for Progressive Christianity. Bill has chaired the New Zealand branch of the World Conference on Religion and Peace (CRPI and served on the executive committee of the Asian CRP Yoruba Religious Observance Baba Wande Abimbola, Nigeria: Yoruba Room 214 Religious or Spiritual Observance Yoruba religion is an Indigenous religion of West Africa that has been transported to the Americas, and from the Americas to other parts of the world as a result of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. It is hoped that this program will rekindle an interest in the ancient knowledge of Africa and in the religion of all Indigenous peoples throughout the world. This session will be a demonstration of a typical process of Ifa divination. During this process, a client or clients will consult a priest of Ifa and the priest of Ifa will use his divining instruments to discover the clients' problem. The priest of Ifa will then chant the relevant verses of sacred oral literature and prescribe the appropriate sacrifices. The presenter will use his own sacred emblems of Yoruba religion in this devotional worship service. Professor Wande Abimbola is the current Awise Agbaye, or Spokesperson of Yoruba Religion in the World. He was formerly ViceChancellor of University of lfe Inow Obafemi Awolowo University. Ile-Ife from 1982-1989. Senate Majority Leader for the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 1992-1993; and Special Adviser to the President of Nigeria from 2003-2005. Professor Abimbola has taught at Harvard and Boston Universities. He is currently President of the UNESCO sponsored lra Heritage Institute, Nigeria. The Radiant Path: Meditation Practice and Philosophy in the Kriya Yoga Tradition Ellen O'Brian Room 216 Religious or Spiritual Observance Superconscious meditation is a scientifically proven way to cultivate inner peace by allowing restless thought activity to subside. One who knows how to cultivate this inner peace through meditative stillness can truly listen to others. Without this ability, there is often only attachment to one's own thoughts or beliefs. Without inner peace how can we truly listen? How can we heal the earth without the ability to be fully present? This program will offer an experience of meditation as well an overview of its philosophical foundation. It will offer an eight-step method for the practice of superconscious meditation and Spiritually conscious living based on the Kriya Yoga teachings outlined in Patanjali's Yoga Sutra. This systematic approach to superconsciousness is built upon universal guidelines for ethical living, insight into the nature of mind and consciousness, and the direct experience of Reality Participants will be given an overview of yoga philosophy that is supportive of meditation practice. This will include a guided meditation experience, explanation of the stages of practice, and clear guidelines for continuing on their own. The workshop will also discuss the relevance of this spiritual practice to personal and planetary healing. Rev Ellen Grace O'Brian is the Spiritual Director of the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment and a minister in the spiritual tradition of Kriya Yoga. She was ordained in 1981 by Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda. She serves on the board of trustees of the Parliament, is the President of Meru Seminary, and leads a thriving congregation. She is the author of several books on meditation and spiritual practice. 138 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGRAM Friday, December 4, 2009 Observance on Dene (Indigenous Canadian) Spirituality Francois Paulette, Canada: Dene Room 218 Religious or Spiritual Observance During this spiritual observance, Francois Paulette will be offering traditional prayers in Dene. Francois Paulette is a Dene Suline and member of the Smith's Landing Treaty & First Nation. He became the youngest chief in the Northwest Territories Indian Brotherhood. In 1972, along with other chiefs, he challenged the crown to recognise treaty and Aboriginal rights. He served on the National Indian Brotherhood Treaty Implementation Committee, the Assembly of First Nations Renewal Commission, and the Parks Canada Aboriginal Consultative Committee and has spoken internationally on Dene history and Aboriginal rights. INTRARELIGIOUS 9:30-11:00am Poverty Must No Longer Be With Us Haruhisa Handa Jim Wallis Katherine Marshall Dr A T Ariyaratne Tim Costello Sulak Sivaraksa Rabbi David Saperstein Sr Joan Chittister Plenary Hall Panel Discussion In 2000, world leaders came together at United Nations Headquarters in New York and committed their nations to a new global partnership to reduce extreme poverty. They set out a series of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), with a deadline of 2015, ranging from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education. The poverty symposium will explore how faith communities are meeting the many dimensions of contemporary poverty. The MDGs offer a framework for global action, but the experience and reflections of faith communities are not fully part of the MDG process. A central Parliament objective is to jolt this situation with new ideas. This session introduces major themes addressed in the symposium's twenty sessions. The agenda explores the historic shifts from charity and compassion to respect, rights, and equity as drivers of social justice; practical approaches from education and health to finance to healing the earth; provocations and answers to conflict; women as leading partners for successful modern communities; and seizing the opportunity for change in times of crisis. The common thread linking. 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION poverty symposium sessions is the search for ideas and paths towards action by faith communities and new forms of partnership, both interfaith and among social actors inspired by faith and the core values of human rights. Born in Japan in 1951, Dr Haruhisa Handa operates more than a dozen companies in Japan and abroad, ranging from management consulting to publishing. He is heavily involved with social causes, currently serving as director of World Faiths Development Dialogue; founder and chairman of Asia Faiths Development Dialogue; president of the International Shinto Foundation; advisor to the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions; and chairman of the International Foundation for Arts and Culture. Jim Wallis is a best-selling author, public theologian, speaker, and international commentator on faith and public life. He is the author of The Great Awakening: Reviving Faith & Politics in a Post-Religious Right America' and 'God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It'. Wallis speaks around the country, and his columns appear in major newspapers, including The New York Times and Washington Post. Katherine Marshall is a Senior Fellow at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and Visiting Professor in the Government Department and the School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University. She leads the Berkley Center's work on faith-inspired institutions working in development, involving a series of regional background papers and consultations with academics and practitioners, and a series of reviews of development topics. AT Ariyaratne is founder and president of Sri Lanka's Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, a nonprofit organisation that involves millions of people in 15,000 villages in development projects. Ariyaratne has won international recognition, including the Sushil Kumar International Peace Award in 2006 and Srilankabhimanya (pride of Sri Lankal, Sri Lanka's highest civilian honor, in 2007, Sri Lanka's largest non-governmental organisation, Sarvodaya plays an important role in the country's ongoing recovery from the 2004 tsunami. Tim Costello is a leading Australian voice on social justice issues, having spearheaded public debates on gambling, urban poverty, homelessness, reconciliation and substance abuse. As CEO of World Vision Australia, Tim has insisted that the issues surrounding global poverty be on the national agenda. World Vision serves nearly 100 million people around the globe. Tim's many awards include Victorian of the Year. Officer of the Order of Australia. Victorian Australian of the Year, and the Australian Peace Prize Sulak Sivaraksa, of the Santi Pracha Dhamma Institute, is a Nobel Prize nominee and prominent Buddhist social and environmental activist in Thailand. He has founded numerous organisations and has been involved in Buddhist-Christian dialogue for decades. His books include 'Seeds of Peace: A Buddhist Vision for Renewing Society' and 'Loyalty Demands Dissent'. Designated in Newsweek's 2009 list as the most influential rabbi in the United States and described in a Washington Post profile as 'the quintessential religious lobbyist on Capitol Hill, Rabbi David Saperstein represents the national Reform Jewish Movement to Congress and the Administration as the Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. Joan Chittister, OSB is a noted national and international lecturer who focuses on women in church and society, human rights, peace and justice, and contemporary religious life and spirituality. In addition to being the executive director of Benetvision, a center for contemporary spirituality located in Erie, Pennsylvania, she is author of 22 books, including Illuminated Life: Monastic Wisdom for Seekers of Light' and 'The Story of Ruth: Twelve Moments in Every Woman's Life'. www.parliamentofreligions.org 139
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________________ PROGRAM Friday, December 4, 2009 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION Many Meanings of the Ramayana Srilata Krishnan Mangalam Vasan Room 101 Panel Discussion The great Indian epic the Ramayana is a living, evolving tradition. This program will explore different versions of the Ramayana, including the celebrated Tamil of the medieval poet Kamban and modern retellings which give a voice to unvoiced stories. The Ramayana narratives offer an open-ended space in which to reflect on and engage with issues as diverse as the environment, religious strife, gender and oppression of the marginalised as well as eternal themes of good and evil. The forest can be seen as a sacred and magical place that enables renewal and healing of the self. The Ramayana provides a vision for today of environmental crisis and the threat of climate change, understanding Sita's abduction as the abuse of Mother Earth. To dramatise this ecological interpretation and its ethical and spiritual dimensions, key episodes of the epic will be performed in classical Indian dance. Srilata Krishnan is Assistant Professor of English at the Indian Institute of Technology. Madras and a poet, fiction writer and translator. She has a PhD in literature from Hyderabad Central University. Her books include 'The Other Half of the Coconut: Women Writing Self-Respect History (Zubaanl. 'Rapids of a Great River. The Penguin Book of Tamil Poetry [Penguin) and 'Short Fiction from South India (OUP). Her academic interests now include theories of creativity, spirituality and literary traditions Mangalam Vasan teaches Hinduism in Glen Waverley and Box Hill Tamil Schools and the Shiva Vishnu Temple at Carrum Downs. She has participated in interreligious dialogues in various countries. A highlight of her participation in interreligious dialogues was at the Assembly of World Religions in San Francisco in 1990, when she was chosen to be part of the plenary speakers and congratulated by the chairman Rev Kwak on being an asset to the Assembly sustainability principles, using as an example the Hindu four-fold path as described in the Purusharthas. The Purusharthas prescribe an experiential path, in obedience to dharma or duty, such that moksha or a state of complete self-awareness is achieved. The program will maintain that self-aclualisation may be considered an ideal state of sustainability. Dr Yamini Narayanan is a lecturer in the Politics and International Relations Program at La Trobe University, Melbourne. Her doctoral thesis investigated how urban sustainability may be grounded in religious wisdom, and her particular interest is in the rapidly developing megapolises of South Asia. Her primary research interests include exploring the connections between spirituality and sustainability, women and development, and creative adaptation to climate change, especially in South Asia. Alan Croker is an architect from Sydney and specialises in conservation and adaptive re-use. Craker has studied Hindu temples and traditions and been a student of Vedanta philosophy for more than twenty years. Alan has presented lectures and written articles on temples and iconography, and regularly visits South India to attend major temple festivals. Dr Kala Acharya is the director of the K J Somaiya Bharatiya Sanskriti Peetham. She has authored two books and edited several additional books. Acharya nas presented papers and organised interfaith dialogue seminars in India and abroad. She is a working group member of the Congress of World and Traditional Religions in Kazakhstan Adapting to Climate Change: How, and How Far? Miriam Pepper Will McGoldrick Tamasin Ramsay Room 103 Panel Discussion Climate change is no longer just an abstract concept. It is a reality that is negatively affecting many people around the world. Increased incidence of extreme weather events such as floods, droughts and heat waves, sea level rise, increased food and water insecurity, and greater prevalence of tropical disease have all begun to have a devastating impact on many countries. Adaptation is essential to prevent further climate change. But how can communities adapt and how far should they go? What kind of local and international support is needed for affected communities? What is the role of spiritual practice in community resilience? What are the likely outcomes of the imminent Copenhagen Climate Change Conference and what are the implications for adaptation to climate change? This program will address these and other pressing questions. The Divine Purpose of Life: The Hindu Journey Within Dr Yamini Narayanan Alan Croker Dr Kala Acharya Room 102 Panel Discussion This program will explore important aspects of the Hindu tradition. It will explain how, particularly in the Shaivite tradition, the traditional South Indian temple embodies a sacred journey from the mundane world to the sanctum within, and towards ultimate union with the Absolute. The program will also explore how religious transcendence and self-actualisation apply to sustainable development. In the question of sustainability there is the tension of reconciling want and need. Development planning and implementation strategies, to genuinely and affirmatively impact human life, need to be meaningful to all aspects of human reality, including the capacity for transcendence and self-actualisation. This program will attempt to make the connection between religious self-actualisation and Miriam Pepper is secretary of the multifarth network the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change, and a member of the Faith and Ecology Network. She is a founding member of Uniting Earthweb, and worships at Maroubra Junction Uniting Church in Sydney. She has a PhD examining Christianity and sustainable consumption Will McGoldrick is Policy and Research Manager at The Climate Institute. He specialises in environmental policy, with a particular interest in international climate change law. Current areas of research include international funding mechanisms for climate change mitigation and adaptation, and the implications of WTO law for domestic climate policies. Tamasin Ramsay is an Endeavour Research Fellow 2008 and PhD candidate at Monash University. She is a qualified paramedic with a graduate degree in Medical Anthropology and has recently co-authored a report to the Secretary General of the United Nations on the impact of climate change. Her contribution addresses Mental Health and Psychosocial Well-Being 140 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGRAM Friday, December 4, 2009 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION phase: renewal. Brambuk, which is shared among five Aboriginal communities, stands as a symbol and affirmation of that process of renewal. Geoff Clarke is the Chairperson of Framlingham Aboriginal Trust. which provides cultural, community and health services to people of the Framlingham community. He is a National Indigenous Leader and traditional owner of South Western Victoria, Jeremy Clarke is the CEO of Brambuk National Park and Cultural Center. He is a National Indigenous Leader and traditional owner of South Western Victoria Rev Moon's Vision of Global Family Dr Thomas Walsh Room 104 This presentation will explore Rev Dr Sun Myung Moon's lifelong mission, guided by a vision of humanity as one global family under God, called to live in accordance with core, universal principles. Rev Dr Moon teaches that the most important wisdom is to know God's heart and His ideal, the root cause of human conflict, and the destination of the human course towards a common purpose and common destiny, which is peace. His vision, therefore, has compelled him to found a wide range of organisations and programs, including the Unification Church, dedicated to realising the ideal of a 'peace kingdom, a realm in which humankind, centred on God, lives together in harmony as a global family, transcending racial, national and religious barriers. In an innovative way. Universal Peace Federation was founded to develop new models of governance, guided by representatives of religion and government, in a respectful, cooperative relationship for the sake of peace. Projects and programs of UPF are guided by the principle that living for the sake of others is the way to reconcile the divided human family, and that peace will only come through the cooperation beyond the boundaries of ethnicity, race and religious background. Dr Thomas Walsh is the Secretary General of the Universal Peace Federation. He received his Duclorale in Philosophy from Vanderbilt University. He has been a teacher, author and editor, with specialisation in areas of theology, character ethics, social theory, and religious studies. He serves on the board of several nonprofit organisations. As Secretary General of the UPF, he coordinates its worldwide activities. Among other works, Dr Walsh is the executive editor of Renewing the United Nations and Building a Culture of Peace, Framlingham Aboriginal Trust, the Gunditjmara People and Brambuk Cultural Centre Geoff Clarke Jeremy Clarke Room 105 Panel Discussion Indigenous Leaders Geoff and Jeremy Clarke, father and son, will speak about their people and culture and the challenges of modernity on Australia's Indigenous Leaders. They will present their perspectives on their self-determined future. Geoff will provide insight into his journey as an Aboriginal Leader, locally and nationally, and will speak about his ancestry and spirituality as well as his feelings about the impacts of colonial invasion. Jeremy, who is the CEO of Brambuk National Park and Cultural Center, will discuss how Brambuk brings to life the history and culture of Aboriginal communities of South Western Victoria. Since their dispossession, Aboriginal people have moved through two phasesresistance and persistence-and have now entered a new Pilgrims' Progress 2008: Research on Those who Attended the Sydney World Youth Day Michael Mason Andrew Singleton Ruth Webber Room 106 Seminar This session presents the findings of a three-year research project which studied the pilgrims attending the Tenth International World Youth Day in Sydney in July 2008 (WYD08). World Youth Day (WYD) is an international youth-oriented Catholic celebration which has been held at intervals of two or three years since 1987, and has become the largest recurring youth event in the world. Approximately 223,000 registered pilgrims from 170 countries participated in a week-long series of events and activities culminating in the Papal Mass, celebrated by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI and attended by an estimated 400,000 people. The project studied the experiences of pilgrims before, during and after World Youth Day, seeking to discover what WYDO8 meant for its youthful participants, to determine the personal outcomes of the WYD pilgrimage, and to explore the community-building effect of WYD. The methods used were interviews, observation and a large-scale Internet survey of pilgrims both before and after WYD. The presentation will be followed by a discussion Michael Mason PhD is a Senior Research Fetiow at Australian Catholic University's Quality of Life and Social Justice Research Centre in Melbourne. He has been a principal investigator in several national sociological Surveys on religion and spirituality. He has puslyrauuale qualifications in sociology, religion studies and theology. His research interests are in sociology of religion, religion in Australia, and religious experience. He is a Catholic priest of the Redemptorist order. Andrew Singleton PhD is a Senior Lecturer in the Sociology Program, School of Political and Social Inquiry, Monash University. His research interests include youth spirituality, alternative religions, and men and masculinity. Andrew has published extensively in these areas both nationally and internationally. He teaches units on contemporary religion and Spirituality: men, masculinity and society, and social research methods Ruth Webber PhD is Professor in the School of Arts and Sciences, and Director, Quality of Life and Social Justice Research Centre, at Australian Catholic University. Her research has focused on youth spirituality, youth violence and substance abuse, intellectual disability, family breakdown, and social policy. She has published extensively on at risk' youth. Social justice is of paramount importance to her research activities and community service. She has postgraduate qualifications in education, psychology and sociology www.parliamentofreligions.org 141
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________________ PROGRAM Friday, December 4, 2009 Numen: The Nature of Plants Matthew Hall, Respondent Room 107 Film This documentary film explores the healing power of plants around the globe and throughout human history. It focuses on the importance of preserving traditional methods of herbal healing and the plants that provide these remedies. It includes interviews with herbalists, ethno-botanists, naturopaths, journalists, and many other experts from the herbal world. The film was directed by Terrence Youk and Ann Armbrecht. Matthew Hall is a postdoctoral researcher at the Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh's Centre for Middle Eastern plants. Matt's research includes ecological surveying and developing botanical field guides, as well as philosophical work on conservation theory, interspecies ethics and attitudes to plants in religious traditions. He is a founding member of the ecological humanities research group. Reviving Indigenous Spirituality: Reclaiming Strength and Identity (Session 1) Dr Joseph Henry Suina, USA: Cochiti Pueblo, Moderator Constantino Pinto, East Timor: Timorese Mandaza Augustine Kandemwa, Zimbabwe: Shona/ Ndebele Room 108 Panel Discussion For most Indigenous communities, spirituality cannot be separated from culture. However, Indigenous spiritual beliefs and practices have been a special subject of persecution over the centuries. These pressures have caused some sacred rites and ceremonial activities to move from the public into the private sphere. Policies of assimilation and cultural pressures have separated Indigenous peoples from their spiritual practices. In this session, panel members will explore the ways in which their respective Indigenous communities are maintaining or reviving their unique spiritual beliefs and practices. Dr Joseph H Suina is a Professor Emeritus in the College of Education at the University of New Mexico and has numerous publications on culture and education. He directed the Institute for American Indian Education at UNM for tribes throughout the Southwest. He is a former governor and a current tribal council member, who continues to advocate for Native American tribes in the areas of health, museums, language retention, sacred sites, economic development and housing. Constantino Pinto is co-founder and current director of Fundacao Lafaek Diak (FLD The Good Crocodile Foundation), an Indigenous Timorese non-profit, non-government community development organisation. He and his family lived through the Indonesian military invasion and occupation of Cast Timor Mandaza Augustine Kandemwa was born a Svikiro lin Shona, his native tonguel-a carrier of many earth and water spirits, and a Mhondoro-one who is in constant prayer on behalf of others. As a vessel of the Spirits, Mandaza receives visions and dreams, makes offerings, performs healing rituals, and serves as messenger for the Ancient Ones. Mandaza teaches us to become "living prayers in service of the One Spirit. PWR- Parliament of the World's Religions 142 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION Interfaith Understanding in Sikh Theology and History Dr Balwant Singh Hansra, Moderator Dr Harnam Singh Shan Dr Sangat Singh Syalee Dr Devinder Singh Chahal Dr Balwant Singh Dhillon Room 110 Panel Discussion Interfaith understanding and respect are an integral part of the Sikh faith. Not only Sikhs but also Hindus and Muslims held the Sikh Gurus in high esteem. A Muslim Sufi saint is said to have laid the foundation of Sri Harmandar Sahib at Amritsar. The Sikh scripture, which includes the writings of the Sikh Gurus as well as Muslim and Hindu saints of South Asia, is the only known interfaith scripture in the world. This session will discuss the universality of the Sikh faith and its theological underpinnings along with the role of interfaith understanding in Sikh history during and after the time of the Sikh Gurus. Dr Balwant Singh Hansra has been an At-Large Executive Committee Member of the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions and Chair and Professor of the Natural Science Department at Daley College in Chicago. He has also been Chair of the Sikh Host Committee and Appointed Chair of the Administration & Finance Committee. Dr Harnam Singh Shan is an eminent Sikh scholar, formerly professor, chairman, Guru Nanak Chair, and head of the departments of Punjabi Studies and Sikh Studies at Panjab University, Chandigarh. He is the author of numerous books on the Sikh faith and was honoured by The Sikh Review journal with a special issue celebrating his scholarship. His forthcoming book is titled 'Universality of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Dr Sangat Singh Syalee has served as Vice President of Guru Nanak Foundation, New Delhi, India and as President of Gurmat Prachar Sabha. He is a Fellow of the Multifaith Organization of Long Island, New York and President of the Interfaith Council of Southwest Queens, New York. He is also the author of many papers and co-author of the book 'Gems of Gurbani. He has participated in the past three Parliaments of the World's Religions. Dr Devinder Singh Chahal is President of the Institute for Understanding Sikhism and editor-in-chief of the publication Understanding Sikhism. The Research Journal'. He has written many articles on the interpretation of Gurbani. He has also written a few critical analyses of some works on Sikhism and Gurbani and has authored four books on the philosophy of Guru Nanak Sahib Dr Balwant Singh Dhillon has a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania. He taught at the University of Delhi, Punjab University and at Old Dominion University. Dr Singh has written several articles for distinguished papers and journals. He is a member of the Community Alliance for Respect and Equality. People Call Us Pagan - The European Indigenous Traditions Angie Buchanan Andras Arthen Phyllis Curott Room 111 Panel Discussion As the world confronts environmental devastation, we are beginning to appreciate the wisdom of Indigenous peoples who have lived for thousands of years in sustainable harmony and spiritual connection with the Earth. After
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________________ PROGRAM Friday, December 4, 2009 hundreds of years of suppression, most Westerners have forgotten that their ancestors once shared this wisdom as the Indigenous traditions of Europe. Today, people are rediscovering the perennial spiritual wisdom of Mother Earth-by living in harmony with nature, we live in harmony with divinity. This panel offers people the opportunity to learn about this forgotten and often misunderstood spirituality. The panel participants, leaders in their respective traditions, will discuss spiritual principles, practices, rites and ceremonies, experiences, values and challenges, including discrimination. We also look forward to a lively discussion with those who are present. Rev Angie Buchanan is a Family Tradition Pagan. She is a founder and director of Gaia's Womb, an interfaith spirituality group for women, and Earth Traditions, a Pagan Church that also offers a Training Program for Pagan Ministry. Angie has been a presenter at a number of interfaith events, including the 2004 Parliament and the Buddhist Council of the Midwest Women's Conference. She has worked with CPWR as a Board Member since 2002. Rev Andras Corban Arthen is the spiritual director of the EarthSpirit Community, a religious and educational organisation dedicated to the preservation of Earth-centred spirituality, particularly the indigenous European traditions. He has been a presenter at many interfaith events, including the 1993 and 2004 Parliaments, and the 2007 World Interreligious Encounter. Of Hispanic descent, Rev Arthen teaches and lectures on the Indigenous European pagan religions throughout the US and abroad. An attorney and Wiccan priestess for almost 25 years, H Ps Phyllis Curott is the author of "WitchCrafting: A Spiritual Guide to Making Magic. An outspoken advocate for the rights of Wiccans, she has been widely profiled in the national and international media, and is a founder of the Temple of Ara. A Religion of Healthy Mindedness - New Thought's Uniquely American Contribution to the Arena of New Religious Community Dr Roger Teel, Moderator Dr Michael Beckwith Rev Dr Kenn Gordon Dr Kathy Hearn Dr Barbara King Dr James Trapp Rev Dr Mary Tumpkin Dr Frank zum Mallen Rev Christian Sorensen Room 203 Audiovisual Presentation and Discussion In the book "Varieties of Religious Experience', William James referred to New Thought as the 'only truly American contribution to the world body of religious thought' and 'the religion of healthy mindedness'. The various branches of New Thought include Religious Science, Divine Science, Unity, and Independent Works, all of which teach the principle that humans are endowed with the potential to make this world a place of peace, compassion and abundance. They revere the underlying unity and interdependence of all life, and affirm that our divine Source is called by many names. This panel discus 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION sion will bring together representatives from each New Thought denomination, who will explore the Parliament's themes, emphasising the shift in consciousness that can transform negative conditions and challenging physical circumstances at the root level of spiritual law. They will also discuss the idea that those in 'privileged' societies have a responsibility to develop their own spiritual discernment in order to be of service to a world in need. The program will include sacred music interludes and time for questions. Dr Roger Teel is Senior Minister and Spiritual leader of Mile Hi Church of Religious Science, Denver, Colorado. He holds a degree in psychology and religion, is a Religious Science Fellow, and was awarded a Doctor of Divinity degree in 1988 and a Doctor of Religious Science degree in 1999. He is co-founder of the Association for Global New Thought and serves on the boards of the Foundation for Affordable Housing and the Community First Foundation. Dr Michael Beckwith is Founder and Spiritual Director of the Agape International Spiritual Center. A co-founder and President of the Association for Global New Thought, Dr Beckwith is the originator of the Life Visioning Process. He is a noted author and international keynote speaker and has been the recipient of the Gandhi-King-Ikeda Award and the Humanitarian Award of the National Council for Community and Justice. Rev Dr Kenn Gordon is President of Religious Science International and the founding pastor and spiritual leader of the Kelowna Centre for Spiritual Living in Kelowna, BC, Canada. Dr Gordon has served nine years. on the Board of Directors of Religious Science International, and is currently President and CEO. He received a doctorate in Religious Science in 2006. Dr Kathy Hearn is Community Spiritual Leader (President) of United Church of Religious Science/United Centers for Spiritual Living. She is the publisher of 'Science of Mind' magazine and has served as Chair and Vice Chair of United Clergy of Religious Science. Dr Hearn travelled to the Middle East as part of Harvard University's Abraham Path Initiative. She was the sole female religious leader on this trip. Dr Barbara King is Minister and founder of the Hillside Chapel and Truth Center, Inc, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, as well as the founder and President of the Barbara King School of Ministry. Her ministry was the first African American New Thought affiliate to establish a sister church in South Africa. In 2003, Savoy magazine recognised Dr King as one of the 100 Most Influential Blacks in America. King is the author of seven books and monologues. Dr James Trapp is President and CEO of the Association of Unity Churches International. He is an ordained Unity minister and holds an AB degree from Princeton University, a JD from the University of Florida, and an Honorary Doctorate in Sacred Theology from the South Florida Theological Seminary. Rev Dr Mary Tumpkin is President of the Universal Foundation for Better Living and Senior Minister of the Universal Truth Center for Better Living in Miami Gardens, Florida, USA. Her books include "Tithing: Are You Ready?", 'Before You Pray-Forgive' and 'Do You Know the Secret?: Understanding the Spiritual Nature of the Law of Attraction. Dr Tumpkin is currently the interim Senior Minister of Christ Universal Temple in Chicago. Dr Frank zumMallen is President of the Affiliated New Thought Network [ANTN). Founded in 1992 by independent Religious Science ministers, ANTN focuses on heart-centred connection, support and networking for independent Religious Science ministries. Dr zum Mallen currently serves as the Spiritual Co-Leader of the Center for Awakening Ways in Atascadero, California, USA. Reverend Dr Christian Sorensen, DD is the Spiritual Leader of the Seaside Center for Spiritual Living in Encinitas, California, USA. He served as the president of the worldwide United Church of Religious Science and is the director of the nationally accredited Master's Degree program for the Holmes Institute of Consciousness Studies. As a member of the Leadership Council for the Association for Global New Thought, his weekly messages are podcast worldwide. He is author of numerous books. www.parliamentofreligions.org 143
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________________ PROGRAME Friday, December 4, 2009 Freedom of Religion and Belief: The Project of the Australian Human Rights Commission Conrad Gerschevitz Hass Dellal Gary Bouma Room 204 Lecture The freedom to practise freely one's chosen religion and to change one's religious allegiance is one of the most fundamental human rights. Yet the freedom of religion and belief remains under attack in various parts of the world. Challenges have recently arisen in Australia, prompting the Australian Human Rights Commission to appoint the Australian Multicultural Foundation to conduct a project examining freedom of religion and belief. The session will provide an overview of the project, examining the key issues such as religious vilification or hatred laws, the exemptions given from the requirements of the Equal Opportunity legislation for religious organisations regarding gender equality, and the discrimination against personal lifestyles not in accord with certain religious sensibilities. For the last three years, Conrad Gerschevitz has managed a unit responsible for programs and policies broadly related to racial and religious. discrimination at the Australian Human Rights Commission. Previously, he was the director at FECCA, Australia's peak multicultural NGO. He has worked in a number of Commonwealth agencies with particular responsibilities for programs associated with cultural diversity and human rights. He has also been a Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University, where he has focused on issues related to sustainable cultural development. Dr Hass Dellal is the executive director of the Australian Multicultural Foundation. He has over twenty years of experience in policy, management, community development and programming for cultural diversity. He is a special advisor to the National Police Ethnic Advisory Bureau, Committee Member of the European Multicultural Foundation, board member of the Adult Multicultural Education Services and Fellow of the Williamson Leadership Program. Gary Bouma is the Emeritus Professor of Sociology at Monash University and an Associate Priest at St John's East Malvern. His research has primarily focussed on the interaction between religion and society in Western societies including Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. He has been named the UNESCO Chair in Interreligious and Intercultural Relations. Strengthening One's Faith Through Interfaith Dialogue Peta Pellach Jeremy Jones Room 207 Interactive Workshop In Australia and around the globe, the experience of interfaith dialogue has enriched the faith of those who have embraced it. The presenters of this workshop have represented their faith, Judaism, and represented their country, Australia, in diverse interfaith settings on five 144 PWR-Parliament of the World's Religions Jain Education Intemational 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION continents. Each experience has brought with it rewards and challenges. This interactive workshop will explore what makes a successful dialogue experience and how encountering, listening to and learning from believers of other faiths can enhance one's own faith. Peta Pellach is a teacher of Judaism and an active participant in interfaith dialogue in Australia, including the Women's Interfaith Network, the Uniting Church-Jewish Dialogue, the Jewish dialogue with the Catholic Bishops' Conference and the Australian National Dialogue of Christians, Muslims and Jews. She was an Australian delegate to the Regional Dialogue on Interfaith Cooperation in Indonesia in 2004 and in the Philippines in 2006. Winner of the 2007 Australian Human Rights Medal, Jeremy Jones is highly regarded as an advocate for interfaith dialogue. His award cited his contribution to religious understanding and promoting interfaith cooperation in Australia. He is the Australia/Israel Jewish Affairs Council's Director of International and Community Affairs, Member, Order of Australia, long-time anti-racist and interfaith activist, and a member of key international Jewish bodies dealing with anti-Semitism, interreligious dialogue and global challenges. Indigenous Biodiversity Dr Rosita Worl, USA: Tlingit, Moderator Alejandro Argumedo, Peru: Quechua Marcos Terena, Brazil: Terena Room 208 Panel Discussion All Indigenous cultures have lived on this earth with the knowledge necessary to sustain our ecosystems. Waste and destruction were not a part of their existence. There was a balance in their cultures but now power, greed and politics have seriously destroyed this delicate balance on Earth. Humans as well as all living beings need a healthy environment in which to survive. The panel members will share some innovative and creative changes that can serve as models to restore biodiversity to the world. Rosita Worl, whose Tlingit names are Yeidiklats okw and Kaa.hani, is Tlingit, Ch'aak (Eagle] moiety of the Shangukeidi Clan from the Kawdliyaayi Hit (House Lowered From the Sun) in Klukwan. She is President of Sealaska Heritage Institute, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to perpetuating the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian cultures. Formerly an Assistant Professor at the University of Alaska Southeast, she has a PhD and MS in Anthropology from Harvard University and a BA from Alaska Methodist University. Mr Alejandro Argumedo, a Quechua from Peru, is Executive Director of the autonomous international NGO, Cultural Survival Canada, focusing on the connection between cultural and biological diversity and on Indigenous peoples' traditional resource rights. Mr Argumedo is coordinator for the Indigenous Peoples' Biodiversity Network (IPBN) and is a member of the steering committee and advisory group for IPBN's Indigenous Knowledge Programme. He holds a degree in agriculture from McGill University. Marcos Terena is a professor of Traditional and Spiritual Knowledge of the Indigenous People and Coordinator of the International Indigenous. Forum on Biodiversity. He founded the United Indigenous Nations, the first Indigenous movement in Brazil and he was a leader in gaining recognition for Indigenous rights in the Brazilian Constitution. He is a spokesman for Indigenous rights for the UN and President of the Intertribal Committee and VIATAN, an Indigenous information centre.
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________________ PROGRAM Friday, December 4, 2009 Learning to Forgive: Healing Our Past, Creating Our Future Michael Henderson Lyndon Harris Rev Eileen Epperson Dr Tim McCowan Room 209 Panel Discussion This panel will present models for practising forgiveness from the heart. It will present practical tools for moving beyond grievance, for healing from the past, and for creating a new future. Three different approaches will be offered, along with stories that present forgiveness as a powerful tool in conflict resolution. Michael Henderson is an English journalist and broadcaster. He has authored ten books, including No Enemy To Conquer: Forgiveness in An Unforgiving World', 'Forgiveness: Breaking the Chain of Hate, and See You after the Duration. He has worked in some 25 countries with Initiatives of Change (formerly Moral Re-Armament) and was for many years on its boards in the US and the UK. He is married and has one daughter and two granddaughters. The Reverend Lyndon F Harris was the priest in charge of the relief ministries at Saint Paul's Chapel, near Cround Zero, after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. For this work, Harris received the 'Blessed are the Peacemakers' Award from the World Council of Churches. Harris is currently Executive Director of Gardens of Forgiveness, an interfaith nonprofit organisation dedicated to teaching forgiveness as a strategy for peacemaking and conflict transformation. The Reverend Eileen Epperson, a Presbyterian minister, has been a college chaplain, hospital chaplain and parish minister. Eileen has been active in interfaith dialogue for over 35 years and presented programs at both the 1993 and 1999 Parliaments of the World's Religions. She has a private practice in spiritual direction with a specialty in forgiveness. She originated The Forgiveness Process and leads workshops in the northeastern United States. Dr Tim McCowan is the founding director of Building Bridges, Director of Reconciliation and Peacemaking at the Well Spring Centre, and Lecturer in Spirituality at the Churches of Christ Theological College in Melbourne. Indigenous Perspectives on Conflict Resolution Tonya Gonnella Frichner, USA: Onondaga, Moderator Constantino Pinto, East Timor: Timorese Lilybeth Sulutan, Phillipines: Bagobo Tagabawa Margaret Lokawua, Uganda: Karimjong Room 210 Panel Discussion People often ignore or do not hear the voice of the Indigenous person in conflict situations, despite the great effect these situations have on Indigenous communities. In this program, Indigenous persons will discuss their experiences with conflict as members of Indigenous communities. The panel will include Indigenous people from areas around the world, including East Timor, the Philippines and the United States. Tonya Gonnella Frichner, Esq is the North American representative to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and a professor of Native American law and human rights. She is president and founder of the American indian Law Alliance, an NGO in consultative 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. An expert on the legal aspects of Indigenous peoples' rights, she is a veteran activist and advocate with long experience of the United Nations and its systems. Constantino Pinto is co-founder and current director of Fundacao Lafaek Diak (FLD The Good Crocodile Foundation), an Indigenous Timorese nonprofit, non-government community development organisation. He and his family lived through the Indonesian military invasion and occupation of East Timor. Lilybeth Sulutan is a member of the Bagobo Tagabawa tribe of Mindanao and represents Indigenous peoples, a major party involved in local conflicts. She is an expert in post-training PAR-T activities as well as the problems that arise in the field. Margaret Lokawua is a member of the United Nations Forum on Indigenous Issues. She is also the Chairperson for the Civil Society for Indigenous Organizations in Karamonja, as well as the Director of the Indigenous Women Environmental Conservation Project. The Samoan Experience His Highness Tupua Tamasese Maulolo T Amosa Room 211 This program will focus on the unique place the Samoan Experience holds in the Pacific culture and way of thinking. Like the making of garlands (ula) and body-oil, [fagu u), the ideas espoused also emit fragrance-Le Manogi-and become lasting contributions to humanity at large. Like their creation, through the intermingling of different flowers and leaves, Pacific thoughts and practices function to inform and transform in spatio-temporal modes our seemingly fixed past, and elusive, yet-to-takeplace future, constantly, yet consciously mediating them in the ever-moving present. His Highness Tupua Tamasese is the Samoan Head of State. Maulolo T Amosa is Assistant CEO, Internal Division, Samoa. Building a Sense of Belonging in a Culturally Diverse Australia - The Australian Government's Role Murray Davies, Chair Laurie Ferguson Room 202 Panel Discussion Australians speak 300 different languages and embody 200 different ancestries. Over forty per cent of Australians have at least one parent born overseas. In his address, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services will focus on Australia as a multicultural, multilingual and multifaceted society. One of the great Australian success stories is that Australia compares well with other countries in terms of its low levels of discrimination, social tension or disharmony. Our social cohesion has benefited from a deliberate approach by the Australian Government and its predecessors over the years. This approach recognises that while not all Australians are at the same starting point, the way to cul www.parliamentofreligions.org 145
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________________ PROGRAM Friday, December 4, 2009 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION tivate a sense of belonging for all is to have policies and programs that enable all Australians to access opportunities. But Australia cannot be complacent in the face of social unrest and new challenges. Murray Davies, Chair, Faith Communities Forum, Victoria; Member & Treasurer, Baha'i Council for Victoria, and Co-Chair, Communities Relations Committee, Melbourne Parliament of the World's Religions The Hon Laurie Ferguson MP. Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services, has had a longstanding commitment to reluyees and immigrants within a social justice framework. He was appointed to his present position in 2007 after a long and distinguished career in the New South Wales (NSW) Parliament from 1984 to 1990 and the Australian Parliament, since 1990. In his current role he engages with community and faith groups across Australia and has overseen several major national initiatives, including the Diverse Australia Program, the appointment of the Australian Multicultural Advisory Council (AMAC) and the launch of the national strategic settlement framework for refugees and new settlers beginning new lives in Australia Introduction to Big Mind Big Heart Philip Oude-Vrielink Room 214 Interactive Workshop This workshop session is an introduction to the Big Mind Big Heart method, an interactive workshop using a dialogue method that enables us to communicate and connect with different aspects of ourselves, both psychological and spiritual. Big Mind Big Heart is a facilitated process developed by American Zen Master Genpo Roshi to convey Eastern teachings to Western audiences, Blending Western psychology and science with the Eastern traditions passed down from ancient times, it has been developed for the express purpose of helping us to better understand the mind and the nature of human life. This method allows for direct experience and insight into our true nature, a process that can be personally transformative. In recognising aspects of our own humanity and the community of our own selves, we create the possibility to be in community and relate more effectively with the humanity of others. The Big Mind Big Heart process helps us to connect with aspects of ourselves that spontaneously and naturally scck a world more congruent with love. Philip Oude-Vrielink is a student of Genpo Roshi, the originator of the Big Mind Big Heart process. He is an endorsed Big Mind Big Heart workshop facilitator living in Melbourne, Australia Committed to furthering human dignity, he is passionate about helping people to know and empower themselves through discovering a source of wisdom, love and power in their own lives. Sri Aurobindo, a Prophet for the 21st Century Hilary Anderson, Moderator Joseph Subbiondo Rudolf Schmitz-Perrin Joseph Prabhu Room 101 Panel Discussion The Indian sage Sri Aurobindo (1872-1950) has been acknowledged around the world for his vision of spiritual evolution and the development of consciousness that goes with it. UNESCO paid respect to the depth and scope of his teachings by founding the town of Auroville, which is meant to function as a centre which models this new consciousness, finding similarities with the vision of Teilhard de Chardin, the influential Jesuit and scientist. This panel, drawn from different continents and embodying diverse perspectives, examines the nature, scope and implications of Aurobindo's life and thought. In a planetary age like ours, where religions, cultures and spiritualities are brought closer together, the consciousness of religions needs to move beyond tribalism and self-concern to a more global vision, where people and cultures can encounter one another on a dimension that acknowledges and celebrates truth and harmony while at the same time respecting differences. The panel will also look at the experience of Auroville and its potential for serving as a beacon for the transformation of consciousness. Hilary Anderson, PhD, is Professor Emerita at the California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, where she has served as faculty. dean and founding board member. Hilary is a lecturer, therapist, and synthesiser of East-West mythic patterns with Integral psychological approaches, emphasising the Divine Feminine and oracular imagery in ritual and celebrations. In 1992, she founded Universal Way Foundation, Los Angeles, to promote cross-cultural regard for all spiritual pathways. Her publications include numerous articles on Integral Studies and oracular symbolism Joseph Subbiondo is the President of the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIS). CIIS is a university founded in response to Sri Aurobindo's integral vision and committed to the study and practice of multiple spiritual and faith traditions. Mr Subbiondo has published extensively on the history of linguistics, especially regarding the works of John Wilkins and the seventeenth-century philosophical language movement. He presents and publishes on integrative models, spirituality, and interfaith dialogue in higher education, Rudolf Schmitz-Perrin, PhD, ThD, MA, is a psychotherapist and former Chair of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the University of Strasbourg in France. He was a long-term visiting professor at universities in Spain. Rome and Jerusalem and is currently at Northern Arizona University Since 2006, he has been instrumental in creating the University of Human Unity in Auroville, Southern India. He has published and lectured internationally in the fields of medieval philosophy, studies on mysticism. phenomenology and contemporary psychoanalysis Joseph Prabhu is a Professor of Philosophy at California State University, Los Angeles and the President of the Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy. He is the author of Human Rights in CrossCultural Perspective' and 'Liberating Gandhi: Community, Empire and a Culture of Peace' lforthcomingl. He is a Program Task Force Chair and Trustee of the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions. 146 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions Jain Education Intemational
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________________ PROIG Friday, December 4, 2009 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION Unitarian Universalists - Working for Peace, Civil Rights, and Earth Richard Boeke Peter Abrehart Michael McPhee Rev Orlanda Brugnola Pauline Rooney Room 218 Islam 101 Series: Reverence for the Virgin Mary and Jesus in Islam Burhanettin Tatar Najafali Mirzai Imam Mohamad Bashar Arafat Room 216 Panel Discussion Many Christians are astonished to learn that Jesus is reverentially mentioned by name in the Qur'an five times more often than the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, 25 times to five, respectively, and that Mary, the mother of Jesus is named 34 times in the scripture of Muslims. Islamic doctrine mandates that Muslims accept Jesus virgin birth, performance of miracles, and return to Earth as evidence of the kinship of the teachings and messages of Jesus and Muhammad. This panel will explore the Islamic doctrine related to Jesus and Mary and how this knowledge can contribute to Muslim/Christian dialogue and facilitate peace between the two traditions in contemporary times. This program is one of six sessions in the Islam 101 Series designed to highlight critically important issues regarding Islamic beliefs, practice and history that are all too commonly misunderstood. Professor Burhanettin Tatar is the official representative of the Presidency of Religious Affairs of Turkey at the 2009 Parliament. He is a professor at Ondokuz Mayis University, in the faculty of Theology and the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies. He is also a member of the Higher Committee of Religious Affairs Burhanettin Tatar received his PhD degree from the Catholic University of America in 1997. In 1553. Michael Servetus, the first Unitarian in modern history. was burned at the stake for denying the Trinity. He was affirming the 'omnipresence of the Holy in the hope of peace between Christian, Muslim and Jew. Since his death, Unitarians and Universalists have practised freedom, reason and tolerance for ALL. Several of our strong churches with over 1,000 members are named ALL SOULS. Many are dedicated to Peace and Civil Rights such as the Peace Memorial Unitarian Church in Melbourne. Unitarians join in reverence for the Earth, affirming the "Interdependent Web of All Existence of which we are a part'. Our panellists will tell their stories of this witness. Richard Boeke served for three years as a US Air Force Chaplain. After seeing bombers loaded with atomic weapons, he became a peacenik op posing wars in Vietnam and Iraq. He was in Mississippi in the civil rights summer of 1965. Minister Emeritus of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Berkeley, California, he now lives in England. He is Vice President of the World Congress of Faiths, and former Secretary of the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU). Peter Abrehard will present the witness of the Melbourne Peace Memorial Unitarian Church, founded in 1852. He is an active in the church, which has a long history of witness for peace and civil rights, Michael McPhee is a member of the UU Church of Sydney, and a student of UU History Orlanda Brugnola is an interdisciplinary scholar teaching philosophy and religious studies at John Jay College. She has an MFA in painting and curates art exhibitions for college galleries. She is an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister who has worked over the years for the International Association for Religious Freedom Pauline Rooney is currently the Vice President of the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists. In her secular Life Pauline ran her own business in rural South Australia being recognised as South Australian Business Woman of the Year in 1996. She has spent a great proportion of her life working on State and National boards and committees focused on housing, the arts and community development, Najafali Mirzai is Director, Planning Commission for Religious Higher Education and Cultural Counselor of Iran in Lebanon and faculty member and Advisor to the President of the Al-Mustafa International University He has an MA in Philosophy from Islamic Azad University. His publications are 'Dictionary of Contemporary Idioms and Phrases'. An Introduction to Higher Education in Religious Studies, 'The Biography of Sheikh Uthman bin Fawdi, and a number of published papers and treatises. Imam Mohamad Bashar Arafat - Graduate of Sharia Law from Damascus University and Imam in the U.S. since 1989. He served as Campus Imam at Johns Hopkins University and Muslim Chaplain for the Baltimore City Police Department. He's the founder of Civilizations Exchange & Cooperation Foundation, which provides inter laith Exchange programs for students, professionals & clergy, a professor of Islamic Studies, and an international speaker through the US Department of State on Islam and Pluralism in America'. The Wurundjeri People of Melbourne Aunty Joy Murphy-Wandin Room 217 Lecture Aunty Joy Murphy-Wandin is a strong and respected Wurundjeri Elder who was born on her traditional country and still lives there today. In this presentation, she will speak about her life's journey, ancestry and traditional homeland Coranderrk. Aunty Joy Murphy-Wandin is a senior Aboriginal Woman of the Wurundjeri People, Australia. Aunty Joy has received an honor ary Professorship at Swinburne University. She is Chairperson of the Australian Indigenous Consultative Assembly and has held executive positions in different departments of Government Aunty Joy has been involved in Aboriginal issues for the past 30 years. She is a Trustee of the National Gallery of Victoria and a member of the Equal Opportunity Commission Muslim Women Securing Their Own Individuality: Different Societies, Same Struggle Janaan Hashim Hana Bubshait Dr Shohreh Shahsavandi Room 219 Panel Discussion Despite the vast cultural differences between their respective countries, three Muslim women-a Saudi, an Iranian and an American-will share their common struggle: to secure their individuality. These women come from three countries that have three very different views on Islam and who the Muslim woman is. Society may try to dictate how www.parliamento religions.org 147
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________________ PROGRAM DE Friday, December 4, 2009 the Muslim woman should behave (from how she should dress to how she should view herself), but the individual woman is the one who wishes to determine this for herself. This panel of Muslim women professionals will compare their different societies in the context of who the Muslim woman is, how society perceives her, and the challenges she faces in defining herself and her individuality. The panellists will explain how taking an active role in society will secure the right of Muslim women to be who they want to be while they also explore the challenges and barriers they face in taking this step. In discussing the actions women are taking to define themselves, attendees will be inspired to help their sisters achieve their goals. Janaan Hashim is a criminal defense and civil rights attorney practicing in Illinois with Amal Law Group, LLC. She co-founded this firm, the first of its kind in the US, with five other Muslim women. Ms Hashim writes a legal column for Arab Horizon newspaper in Chicago. She is also an adjunct professor at McCormick Theological Seminary. From 2004 to 2008 she was the spokesperson for the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago. Hana Bubshaitis Special Development Program Coordinator for Communication Engineering with Saudi Aramco. In 2008, the US State Department chose Hana to participate in its Legal and Business Fellowship Program with 27 other Middle Eastern women. She studied Executive Education at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business and was then placed with Motorola, Inc as a Human Resources Coordinator. Hana also travelled the US giving talks on cross-cultural Issues. Dr Shohreh Shahsavandi is an associate professor of English Language in the Ferdawsi University of Mashhad, Iran. She holds a PhD in English Language from the Allameh Tabatabaee University, Tehran. She is an expert on the rights of women and has presented a number of papers on such subjects as 'Feminism, Language and Religion and Translatability of the Glorious Qur'an' at different domestic and international seminars. She has also written a book entitled 'The Qur'anic Lexicon. Meditation: The Heart of All Things Laurence Freeman Room 220 Interactive Workshop Meditation is an ideal tool to promote reconciliation and sustainable global peace. This is because it is such a widely accepted practice. Although different traditions may meditate differently, meditation itself is universal. The Christian tradition of meditation is rooted in the essentially contemplative teachings of Jesus on prayer. The theology of Christian meditation was first developed by the early Fathers of the Church and practised by the Fathers and Mothers in the desert, before flowering in the richness of the Christian mystical tradition. Central to meditation in the monastic tradition is the radical simplicity and poverty of spirit of the 'prayer of one word'. The hesychast tradition, or the prayer of the heart as distinct from mental or liturgical prayer, was refreshed, restored and reintegrated into the mainstream of Christian life as a daily practice by some of the great teachers of our time, such as John Main (1926-82], founder of The World Community for Christian Meditation. During this interactive workshop. Fr Laurence Freeman will explore the many facets of Christian meditation. 148 PWR Parliament of the World's Religions Laurence Freeman is a Benedictine monk of the Congregation of Monte Oliveto and Director of The World Community for Christian Meditation. Born in England and educated by the Benedictines, he studied English Literature at Oxford University. Before entering monastic life his experience included the United Nations, banking and journalism. In the monastery his spiritual teacher was John Main, with whom he studied and with whom he helped establish the first Christian Meditation Centre in London. INTERRELIGIOUS 11:30am-1:00pm Plenary Hall Panel Discussion 11:30am-1:00pm INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION Respecting and Defending Human Rights and Humanitarian Principles: An Islamic Global Perspective Dr Mahmud Erol KILIC In this session, Prof Dr Mahmud Erol KILIC, Secretary General of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of the Islamic Conference Member States (PUIC), will discuss the efforts of the PUIC to foster coordination among peoples of the world in order to respect and defend human rights and humanitarian principles and establish peace based on justice. An interfaith panel of respondents will offer reflections and questions followed by a question and answer period with the audience. Professor Mahmud Erol KILIC is the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of the Islamic Conference Member States IPUIC). The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is the second largest inter-governmental organisation after the United Nations. It is the collective voice of the Muslim world, aiming to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world. Interreligious Partnerships for Ending Hunger Ray Buchanan Amjad-Mohammed Saleem Room 101 Panel Discussion Twenty-five thousand people die every day from hungerrelated causes. Eradicating poverty is a goal that members of all religious faiths can agree on. This program will challenge participants to move beyond compassion to justice by teaching them how to establish intentional partnerships between interreligious, faith-based, nongovernmental organisations. These partnerships can foster mutual understanding among diverse groups, as well as help broaden the sense of community by demonstrating the power of working together. This program is aimed at creating a strategic interreligious response to ending world hunger. Ending hunger will only happen if people of faith become leaders in creating a just world, which no longer tolerates twenty-five thousand members of the human family dying every day from hunger. Working together as people of faith we can end hunger in our lifetime.
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________________ PROG Friday, December 4, 2009 11:30am-1:00pm INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION Ray Buchanan is President and CEO of Stop Hunger Now, a nonprofit organisation based in Raleigh, North Carolina that has distributed over $56 million in direct relief and 11 million meals to hungry people worldwide. Mr Buchanan served in the US Marine Corps in Vietnam, earned a Bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Master of Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Divinity from Shenandoah University and Conservatory. Amjad-Mohammed Saleem is the head of media and public relations for The Cordoba Foundation. He was the architect of a global partnership between Muslim Aid and the United Methodist Committee on liet, which was hailed by the British Prime Minister as a landmark example of Muslims collaborating with Christians during times of conflict in South Asia. Appreciating and Cultivating Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) and Pancasila to Address Religious Radicalisms in Indonesia Anand Krishna Maya Safira Muchtar Room 102 Lecture For more than a thousand years, the spirit of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversilyl and Pancasila (the kingdoms of Singasari, Srivijaya, Majapahit, Mataram, etc) has guided the Archipelago of Indonesia as a mosaic of diverse peoples, faiths, and cultures. It was this spirit that Mr Soekarno and other founding parents drew upon in building a new Republic of Indonesia in 1945 as a nation that respects each citizen's way of life and upholds spirituality, humanity, nationalism in the frame of international friendshipl, democracy, and social justice. However, the growth of radicalism throughout the country over the last few decades has threatened the tapestry of unity in diversity to the point of national disintegration. This radical movement threatens not only Indonesia, but the entire Asia-Pacific region as well. Anand Krishna, Indonesia's renowned interfaith spiritualist and humanist, will speak about the importance of returning to the spirit of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika and Pancasila to maintain Indonesia's strategic position as a peacemaker in the Asia-Pacific region. Born in Solo, Central Java, in 1956, Anand Krishna had his early education in Lucknow, North India, where he met his first spiritual mentor, Sheikh Baba, a simple ice vendor and Sufi. Since 1990, Anand has spoken to millions through television shows, radio talks, trainings, books, interviews and articles, as well as meetings and workshops in Indonesia, the United States, Singapore, Brazil and India. Maya Safira Muchtar is a women's activist and Ayurvedic therapist. She chairs the National Integration Movement. A moderate Muslim who has travelled to many countries, she has written several books on spirituality. gender equality, and international friendship. Turning the Dharma Wheel Ven Thich Phuoc Tan Jinwol Lee Camellia Darmawan Rev Yoshiharu Tomatsu My Ly Nguyen, Moderator Room 103 Interactive Workshop The notion that many paths lead to Rome need not imply that one cannot walk alongside another or benefit from another faith's earlier forged paths without diverting from one's destination. Perhaps this sharing could hasten one's journey. It is common for a Zen practitioner to learn Pure Land practice, a Pure Land practitioner to learn Vajrayana, or a Vajrayana practitioner to learn Theravada. In ancient times, disciples might be sent to study under the tutorship of another Master who had a particular strength. This was done to perfect and benefit the student, who remained loyal to the original guru or Master. The Senior Venerable Thich Phuoc Tan was ordained in the Thien Thai tradition in 1981. He is currently the abbot of Quang Minh Temple and the president of the United Vietnamese Buddhist Congregation of Victoria. He is a vice president of the World Fellowship of Buddhists and a member of the Engaging Buddhism Committee. In 2008, Venerable Phuoc Tan was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in recognition of his services to the community Venerable Professor Jinwol Lee is a Buddhist monk and Seon (Zenl Master of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. He received a PhD in Buddhist Studies from UC Berkeley and now teaches at Dongguk University in Korea. He is a Steering Committee Member of the Coalition for the UN Decade for Peace, an Executive Committee Member of the World Fellowship of Buddhists, and a Global Council Member of the United Religions Initiative. PMy Camellia Darmawan BSc is Director of Organisational Development for the Indonesian Therevada Buddhist Council and is a member of the World Fellowship of Buddhists. Rev Yoshiharu Thomatsu is an Executive Council Member of the World Fellowship of Buddhists, a member of Japan Buddhist Federation, Tokyo; and Senior Research Fellow at the Jodo Shu Research Institute of Buddhism, Tokyo. My Ly Nguyen is a researcher and PhD candidate at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Sancta Sophia Meditation Community: Promoting Peace through Interreligious Dialogue Ken Petersen Sr Kathleen Murphy OP Rev Chi Kwang Sunim Brahmacharini Nivedita Chaitanya Room 104 Interactive Workshop This workshop will first describe the Sancta Sophia community, which has been functioning since 1996 on the Carmelite Property 'Karith' in Warburton, Victoria. Its primary aim has been to promote interreligious dialogue through a search for wisdom in the great traditions. Its symbols are The Open Door' and "The Shared Table'. The www.parliamentofreligions.org 149 For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGRAM Friday, December 4, 2009 11:30am-1:00pm INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION Greg O'Donnell is Executive Officer for the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change, and coordinator of Gudhara Holistic Sanctuary, an eco-spiritual retreat centre. He is Founder of the Inter laith Forum and initiator of many multifaith events, and a previous representa tive on the World Conference of Religions and Peace. Imam Afroz Ali is Founder and President of Al-Ghazzali Centre for Islamic Sciences & Human Development, Sydney. He is a qualified Imam in the Islamic Tradition, lecturer and trainer, founding and executive member of the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change, and recipient of the International Ambassador for Peace award. Denise Boyd is the Campaigns Director for the Australian Conservation Foundation. She works with government, Community and business lead ers to achieve the best outcomes for the environment. Previously she was Toxics Campaigner, Oceans Campaigner and Campaign Coordinator for Greenpeace Australia, and head of programs for the International Fund for Animal Welfare in London and Sydney. fruit of these symbols and programs has promoted in terpersonal relationships with people of many traditions, transforming individuals as well as sparking interreligious dialogue in the wider community. Secondly, speakers will introduce some of the great pioneers-both men and women-of interreligious dialogue in the Catholic tradition who have studied other religious traditions and actively attempted to integrate these traditions into their own lifestyles. Thirdly, speakers will engage the audience in a process of dialogue, deep listening, movement, meditation and ritual. Father Ken Petersen, 0 Carm, is Co-Director and Co-Founder of Sancta Sophia Meditation Community in Warburton, Victoria, founded to promote interreligious dialogue. He is a member of the Formation Team for the Carmelites in Australia and a member of the formation Commission for the Carmelites in Australia and East Timor Ken is a Director of the East/West Meditation Foundation to Promote interreligious Dialogue and a member of the Council and Senate of Yarra Thcological Union. Sr Kathleen Murphy OP is a member of the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters and has been an educator in schools for a number of years. Since completing her degree in Theology, Kathleen has been interested in interreligious dialogue. Since 1992 when she lived in a Christian Ashram in the North of India for some months, she has become a Co-Founder and Co-Director of Sancta Sophia Meditation Community She is a teacher of Meditation and a Director of the East/West Meditation Foundation to Promote Interreligious Dialogue. Chi Kwang Sunim has been a Zen Buddhist nun for 30 years. Born in Korea, she now resides in Kinglake, Victoria. She is a founding member of the Buddhist Library in Sydney. Wat Buddha Dharma, and The Seon Centre, and is a seasoned meditation and Buddhist teacher. She is currently Chair of the Australian Sangha Association and recognised in Buddhist and Interfaith circles in Australia and abroad. Brahmacharini Nivedita Chaitanya is a Hindu Nun with the Chinmaya Mission, a worldwide Hindu organisation whose primary aim is the teaching of the knowledge of Advaita Vedanta, the philosophy of oneness. Nivedita trained for two years in India and has been teaching in the Melbourne Ashram at Templestowe for the last 10 years. She is committed to the interfaith vision and is secretary of the Manningham Interfaith network. How Can Interreligious Dialogue Address Global Food, Water and Climate Problems? Solomon Katz Lindsay Falvey Gayle Woloschak Antje Jackelen Mary Evelyn Tucker Room 106 Panel Discussion This session will focus on the critical role that faith communities and spiritual leaders of the world can play in addressing the enormous problems concerning food, water and climate. Although governmental bodies and international secular organisations have initially met their responsibility to identify and begin to address the problems of starvation and poverty, the food crisis of 2007-08 led to a vast increase in the millions of newly hungry people in the world, leaving these traditional organisations overwhelmed in their capacity to respond adequately. Moreover, the recent economic decline has worsened these problems and left a large void in the fabric of support for the poorest of the poor that urgently needs to be addressed. This session is designed to provide clear and concise evidence-based analyses of contemporary scientific data concerning climate change, fresh water access and human food chain problems; and to develop a framework for interreligious dialogue that provides new sources of action and inspiration for spiritual communities and faith leadership to address these problems. We expect that this framework for action will offer new possibilities to explore, renew and restore traditional faith based means for dealing with these crises. Dr Solomon Katz is director of the Krogman Center for Childhood Growth and Development at the University of Pennsylvania and is a professor of anthropology and a senior fellow at the Wharton School Leonard Davis Institute for Health Economics. He was founder and Chairman (1984 to 1986) of the Task Force on the African Famine for the American Anthropological Association (AAA) and is currently Chair of the AAA Task Force on World Food Problems. Climate Change and the Question of Overconsumption Greg O'Donnell Imam Afroz Ali Denise Boyd Room 105 Panel Discussion In order to combat climate change, we need to better manage our planet's limited resources, particularly in terms of what we take out and what we give back. In this session, we will explore the ideas of taking and giving as they relate to our spiritual development, sense of well-be ing and attitude toward our environment. Is gross domestic product per capita now a redundant measure of our personal and collective success? What is the role of selfsacrifice in reining in our consumption? Can we address the climate crisis and the economic crisis simultaneously through 'green growth, or do we need a more fundamental shift in the way our economies work? This panel will address these and other important questions. 150 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ PRO Friday, December 4, 2009 11:30am-1:00pm INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION Lindsay Falvey is a professor at the University of Melbourne, where he was previously Chair of Agriculture, Dean of Land and Food Resources, and Dean of Agriculture, Forestry and Horticulture. He is a life member of Clare Hall, Cambridge, at the University of Cambridge and has writ ten extensively on religion, agriculture and issues of sustainability from multi-religious perspectives. Gayle Woloschak is a professor of Molecular Biology at Northwestern University, adjunct professor of Science and Religion at the Chicago Lutheran School of Theology, and co-director of the Zygon Center for Religion and Science. She is also a water ecology Scientist and has written books on the Orthodox faith, including Challenge Questions on Orthodoxy and Beauty and Unity in Creation Rev Dr Antje Jackelen is Bishop of Lund in the Lutheran Church of Sweden, the first woman bishop to be popularly elected the Church of Sweden. She was previously a professor of systematic theology/religion and science at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago and director of the Zygon Center for Religion and Science. She is the author of Time and Eternity (2005) and numerous articles in a variety of languages. Currently, she serves as president of the European Society for the Study of Science and Theology Mary Evelyn Tucker is a Senior Lecturer and Senior Scholar at Yale University, where she has appointments in the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, the Divinity School, and the Department of Religious Studies. She has been a committee member of the Interfaith Partnership for the Environment at the United Nations Environment Program since 1986 and is a member of the Earth Charter International Council. She is a co-founder and co-director of the Forum on Religion and Ecology Building Peace in Pursuit of Justice: Indonesian, Turkish and Kashmiri Case Studies Sadik Kirazli Rasheeda Cooper Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai Room 108 Panel Discussion Peace, justice and human dignity cannot take a back seat; it is the responsibility of everyone operating in the international arena to ensure that these rights are protected. This program will take a close look at three very different ways Muslims are addressing peace, justice and human dignity for all. We will see this first in the success of Peace Generation, an interfaith peacebuilding and conflict resolution initiative in Indonesia that extends to the international stage, second, in the Gulen Movement, an international body of religiously motivated peacebuilders addressing societal problems that often exist independently of religion, such as drugs, crime, poverty and ethnic conflict; and third, in the way the South Asian region, home to nearly one third of the more than one billion Muslims in the world, furnishes undeniable evidence of how the right of self-determination of the people of Kashmir and the maintenance of international peace and security are interrelated. Sadik Kirazli is a PhD student in Islamic Studies at the Asia Institute of the University of Melbourne. He is currently working on his dissertation on conflict resolution and peacebuilding within an Islamic context. Kirazli received an MA in Social and Public Policy with a concentration in Policy Analysis and Conflict Resolution from Duquesne University, USA, and a BA in Islamir I aw from Marmara University, Turkey. Rasheeda Cooper is an Australian Muslim who has lived and worked in both Indonesia and India. She is a founding director of the Islamic Centre of Education and Development and has visited projects undertaken in Indonesia by the Centre. She has been on the Committee of Management for the Islamic Women's Welfare Council of Victoria since 2000 Ghulam Nabi Fai is the executive director of the Washington-based Kashmiri American Council, the founding chairman of the World Peace Forum, the chairman of the Kashmiri American Foundation and the London-based Justice Foundation, and a member of the board of directors of the Istanbul-based Union of the NGOs of the Islamic World. He has also organised seven international peace conferences. 'Green Patriarch' and 'The Arctic: The Consequences of Human Folly' John Grim Room 107 Film This film presentation will feature two films with a similar theme: our responsibility for caring for the earth. 'Green Patriarch' follows Patriarch Bartholomew, the Ecumenical Patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church, who is a prominent leader in the environmental movement. Since 1997, he has been bringing principle scientists, environmentalists, religious leaders from all faiths, and policy makers from all over the world together to work on the ecological crisis. This film looks at how Bartholomew's activism is inspired by the Orthodox position that we are part of nature, and that God's intention for humans is to be stewards, or caretakers, of all creation. The second film, 'The Arctic: The Consequences of Human Folly, follows the coming together of top experts on the Arctic, politicians, environmental scientists and religious leaders from Christian, Muslim, Hebrew, Buddhist, Hindu. Jain and Sikh traditions - along with Saami and Inuit leaders - as they draw attention to the environmental changes in Greenland that are already affecting the rest of the planet. While the inhabitants of the Arctic have done nothing to contribute to the global ecological crisis, they are first in line to suffer the consequences. Greenland is the canary in the coal mine of immense environmental change in the world. Q and A with John Grim will follow. John Grim is currently a Senior Lecturer and Scholar at Yale University. He is Coordinator of the Forum on Religion and Ecology with Mary Evelyn Tucker, and series editor of World Religions and Ecology, from Harvard Divinity School's Center for the Study of World Religions. He has taught at Bucknell University and Sarah Lawrence College and is widely published on the subjects of religion and ecology www.parliamento religions.org 151
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________________ PROGRAM Friday, December 4, 2009 11:30am-1:00pm INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION The Crisis and the Opportunity: Wisdom from Faith Traditions and Communities Cardinal George Pell Dr Fahad Alhomoudi Others to be Announced Room 110 The 2008 financial crisis prompted re-examination of the broad trust that had been placed in free markets. Faith leaders from many traditions warned from the onset that the crisis revealed fundamental ethical weaknesses in institutions but above all called for a rethinking of underlying values and reforms across the global market system. Central to critiques from faith communities was a concern for the impact of the crisis on the poor, who bore the brunt of the social and economic devastation. This session will explore what has been learned and point to directions for reform. It asks whether there are common lessons from different faith traditions and discusses the significance of differences and the path ahead. Cardinal Pell served as Archbishop of Melbourne before his appoint ment as Archbishop of Sydney He has attended the Asia-Pacific Interfaith Dialogue as part of the official Australian delegation. Cardinal Pell's longstanding commitment to ecumenism was recognised in 1998 with the conferral of the Grand Cross of Merit of the Order of Saint Lazarus and in 2003 with his promotion to Ecclesiastic Grand Cross of Si Lazarus, the Order's highest ecclesiastical rank. From 2001 to 2007, he served as the Order's National Chaplain. Dr Fahad A Alhomoudi obtained his PhD in Islamic Law from McGill University (2006). He was appointed a Vice-Dean for academic research at Imam University in Saudi Arabia (2007) and was awarded a Fulbright scholar award (2008). In addition to his native Arabic. Alhomoudi speaks English and French and can read Persian Alhomoudi has published two books and several articles. His research covers Islamic Law, Environmental Law, Prophetic Tradition, and Interfaith Dialogue. 2014 Site Selection Orientation Part 1 Helen Spector Zabrina Santiago Ellen Grace O'Brian Speakers from Melbourne, Barcelona and Cape Town organising teams Room 111 Seminar The first of two programs describing the 2014 Parliament Site Selection Process will help teams from interested cities understand the requirements of hosting a Parliament event and prepare them to decide whether to engage in the proposal process. This session will help teams to understand how engaging in the process of bid preparation can positively impact the development of their local interreligious movement. This session will specifically focus on: 1. Details of the 2014 Site Selection Process, including the timeline and criteria for evaluation; 2. The process of self-assessment of the local interreligious movement and the social and civil context of which it is a part. We will also distribute the Request for Proposal document for 2014. Helen Spector serves on the Board of Trustees for the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions ICPWR). She joined the Board of CPWR in 1990 to help plan the 1993 Partiament Centenary Celebration and has served as co-chair for the Site Selection task forces that selected Barcelona (2004) and Melbourne (2009) for Parliament gatherings. Helen lives in Portland, Oregon. Zabrina Santiago is Depuly Executive Director and Partner Cities Director for the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions. She brings over 15 years of experience in executive leadership, strategic planning, and relationship management to the Council. She is recognized for her work in over 25 international cities in developing the Partner Cites Network of the Council. The Partner Cities Network serves to connect organizations, guiding institutions, and religious and spiritual communities in cities around the globe who are working toward creating more just cohesive, and sustainable communities. Zabrina, an active leader in the Presbyterian Church (USA), holds a Masters in Theology from McCormick Theological Seminary Rev Ellen Grace O'Brian is the Founding Minister and Spiritual Director of the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment, a ministry rooted in the spiritual tradition of Kriya Yoga. She was ordained in 1981 by Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda. She serves on the board of trustees of the Parliament as Partner Cties Task Force Chair and is the President of Meru Seminary as well as leading a thriving congregation and maintaining an international teaching outreach 152 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ PROORAM Friday, December 4, 2009 11:30am-1:00pm INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION Mother Nature Doesn't Do Bailouts - Daily Youth Session Alana Smith Miriam Pepper Isobel Arthen Stuart Hall Tony Le-Nguyen Josh Stanton Room 201 Panel Discussion The environment is in crisis and no other generation will be more affected by this crisis in the future than today's youth. What can young people do at home, in the workplace, and in their own faith communities to minimise the impact of this global, environmental reality? This session will highlight the urgency of the global environmental situation and how this will affect young people everywhere. It will then explore what particular faith communities around the world are doing to look after the environment and what young people can do as individuals, at home or on the job, to make a difference. Alana Smith is the National Director of Vision Generation, World Vision Australia's youth movement. She is also a steering committee member on the Australian Youth Forum IAYF), which acts as a communication and engagement channel between the Government and young people, and recently became a committee member of Liberty Victoria, an organisation focused on protecting the human rights and freedoms of those living in Australia Miriam Pepper is a Christian environmental activist working to build environmental awareness and action across communities of differ ent faiths and of none. She is a founding member and secretary of the multifaith network, the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change, and is also active in the Faith and Ecology Network Miriam has a PhD from the University of Surrey, UK. Her thesis was titled Christianity and Sustainable Consumption: A Social Psychological Investigation. Isobel Arthen is an Environmental Activist and Member of the EarthSpirit Community Stuart Hall is the lead architect of the Tasmanian Baha'i Centre of Learning. opened in the spring of 2009. The design of the building has won accolades for the attention paid to environmental sustainability through the innovative use of materials, the conservation of water, and low energy consumption Tony Le-Nguyen is a Community Development Coordinator at the Quang Minh Buddhist Temple. Josh Stanton is a Rabbinical student at the Hebrew Union College. slower. However, more recently, the world's religious leaders and laity have been speaking out regarding the moral issues surrounding the ecological crisis in its many forms. The impact of environmental destruction, especially climate change, on both the Earth and on the poor is growing ever more evident and disturbing. This panel will highlight the responses--both in statements and in action-of some of the world's religions to climate change and related environmental issues. With the Copenhagen meeting on climate change following the Parliament, this panel is not only timely but critical. Oren Lyons is the Faithkeeper of the Turtle Clan in the Onondaga Nation of the Hau de no sau nee ('People Building a Long House'). He was raised in the traditional life ways of the Hau de no sau nee. In 1982, he helped establish the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations and has participated in the Indigenous Peoples Conference in Geneva. He is a principal figure in the Traditional Circle of Indian Elders. Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp is President of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, European Region and co-recipient of the 2005 International Alliance Peace Award with Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf. He is an award-winning human rights advocate, lecturer, writer, environmental activist and champion of civil society worldwide. Bishop Geoffrey Davies is the coordinator and founding member of the Southern African Faith Communities' Environmental Institute, which works to raise awareness of environmental issues such as climate change among different faith communities. He was one of the overseas marchers in Christian Aid's Cut the Carbon march around the United Kingdom to draw attention to global warming and the urgent issue of reducing our carbon footprint. Sulak Sivaraksa, of the Santi Pracha Dhamma Institute, is a Nobel Prize nominee and prominent Buddhist social and environmental activist in Thailand. He has founded numerous organisations and has been involved in Buddhist-Christian dialogue for decades. His books include 'Seeds of Peace: A Buddhist Vision for Renewing Society' and Loyalty Demands Dissent Religious Responses to the Ecological Crisis as Climate Change Grows Oren Lyons Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp Bishop Geoffrey Davies Sulak Sivaraksa Mary Evelyn Tucker Room 202 Panel Discussion The destruction of ecosystems, the loss of species, the depletion of resources and the impact of climate change around the planet are becoming ever more pronounced. While scientists have been alerting us to these problems over the last few decades, religious responses have been How Spiritual Progressives Can Help Move Both Religious and Secular Communities to Enlarge their Focus Beyond Personal Fulfilment or Individual Salvation toward a Global Transformation Rabbi Michael Lerner Swami Agnivesh Rabbi Irwin Kula Room 203 Panel Discussion God and religion have often been used as paths to comfort and consolation in the face of powerlessness and suffering, while the task of healing and transforming the planet has traditionally been left to political movements. Unfortunately, those political movements have proven unsuccessful in meeting the survival-threatening challenges of the 21st century, including environmental destruction, cultural and spiritual degradation of human life, and misuse of both science and religion to serve the status quo. This panel discussion will suggest ways in which progressive spiritual and religious communities can pick up where political movements have left off in terms of preserving the environment. www.parliamento religions.org 153 Jain Education Interational
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________________ PROGRAM DES Friday, December 4, 2009 Rabbi Michael Lerner studied at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City and received mentorship from noted scholar Abraham Joshua Heschel. He received a PhD in Philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley in 1972 and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the Wright Institute in 1977. Michael Lerner serves as the rabbi of Beyt Tikkun Synagogue in San Francisco and is the editor of Tikkun Magazine and author of numerous books. Swami Agnivesh is the president of the World Council of Arya Samaj 'Society of Nobles, a Hindu reform movement, founded by Swami Dayananda Saraswati in 1875. He is also Chairperson of United Nations Trust Fund, President of World Council of Arya Samaj and Chairperson of Bonded Labour Liberation Front. Among Swami Agnivesh's immense contributions is his championing of dialogue and peace activities, the anti-caste movement, liberation of bonded labour activities, a movement against alcoholism, and equal rights of women (such as their right to education and reading Indian scriptures]. Rabbi Irwin Kula, also a President of Clal - received the 2008 Walter Cronkite Faith and Freedom Award for his work toward equality, liberty and a truly inter-religious community. Fast Company magazine and 'Religion and Ethics Newsweekly IPBS) both named him one of the leaders shaping the American spiritual landscape. He is the author of Yearnings: Embracing the Sacred Messiness of Life, and is currently developing the Clinton Global Initiative commitment, Disruptive Spiritual Innovation. Hindu Jewish Leadership Initiative Bawa Jain Rabbi David Rosen Room 204 Panel Discussion In 2007 we convened our first Hindu Jewish Leadership Summit in New Delhi, India. This was followed by the second Hindu Jewish Leadership Summit in Jerusalem, Israel in 2008. We are planning our third gathering, and we will convene at the Parliament to discuss this initiative: how it began, what we have achieved, and where we are going. We will discuss commonalities and concerns of Hinduism and Judaism, with an eye to education. Bawa Jain is the Secretary-General of The Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders. Mr. Jain continues to counsel governmental, business and religious organizations on deeper involvement in interfaith activities and global initiatives. In response to the requests of UN Agencies and governments, Bawa Jain travels around the world to speak on religious diplomacy, spirituality, religion, and peace. He is published and has been the recipient of numerous awards. Rabbi David Rosen is Director of the American Jewish Committee's Department for Interreligious Affairs and the Heilbrunn Institute for International Interreligious Understanding. He serves on several international interreligious organisations. Formerly Chief Rabbi of Ireland, he is the immediate past Chair of the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations, a broad-based coalition of Jewish organisa tions representing world Jewry to other religions. 154 PWR-Parliament of the World's Religions 11:30am-1:00pm INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION Dark to Dawn: Being Creative about Depression Joseph Camilleri Liz Bowen Di Bretherton Louis Roller Greg Johns Room 207 Seminar Depression plays a large part in many people's life experiences, both currently and historically. This initiative was created to engage people in dialogue by introducing broad-ranging perspectives geared toward relieving the suffering associated with depression. The views expressed are not limited to clinical analysis nor are they promoting the idea of a single 'cure' or solution. Rather, they comprise an approach that it is hoped will open a dialogue about a new way of perceiving depression-not as an anomaly but as a potentially valuable part of the human psyche that can be a driver of creativity and contribute to humanity. Joseph Camilleri is the founder and director of the Centre for Dialogue at La Trobe University in Melbourne and one of Australia's leading International Relations scholars. Professor Camilleri has pursued a wide range of research interests in the International Relations discipline. These include regional and global governance, the political economy of Asia-Pacific, the role of religion and culture in international affairs, the politics of oil and the Middle East, and security policy lincluding weapons non-proliferation). Liz Bowen is Managing Editor and Vice General Director of Soka Gakai International (SGI) Australia. She has a doctorate in Social Policy and Welfare, with a focus on young people, employment and risk. She is the author of numerous articles and edits SGI Australia's monthly magazine. Di Bretherton is a Quaker. She began her career as a psychologist and for most of her academic career worked at the University of Melbourne, where she became the founding director of the International Conflict Resolution Centre. As director, she was able to combine her academic work with practical work in a number of different countries. In her retirement she is an Honorary Professor at the Australian Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Queensland. Louis Roller has served as an academic at Monash University for 46 years. He 'humanised the university's pharmacy program by introducing the first course in psychosocial sciences in a pharmacy in Australasia and emphasising the patient over the product. He was on the Pharmacy Board of Victoria for 22 years, has significantly contributed to many editions of various pharmaceutical compendia and is the author of hundreds of scientific and professional articles. Greg Johns is General Director of SGI Australia. Also a practising musician and formerly an arts manager, his primary role is to provide opportunities for members of SGI Australia and interested friends to learn about the life-philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism and its application to contemporary struggles, including that of depression. Greg writes and speaks extensively on the application of the life-philosophy of Buddhism, drawing on his experience, conveyed through contemporary and accessible language.
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________________ PROGRAMDE Friday, December 4, 2009 Older People: Revered or Redundant Mary Braybrooke Room 208 Panel Discussion The moral character of a society is reflected in its care for the elderly and the marginalised. This panel discussion focusses on the welfare and care of older people including the issue of dying well.' It will explore how various religious traditions meet the spiritual needs of the dying and also consider the responsibilities of families, local communities, religious congregations, and governments toward the elderly. Particular attention will be given to the hospice movement. Mary Braybrooke is a Vice-President of the World Congress of Faiths and has worked for fifty years as a social worker in child care, in the community, and in hospitals. She has also published a research paper on the attitude of members of different faiths to organ transplants and presented a program on this subject at the Cape Town Parliament. At present she is working with people suffering from renal failure. Muslim Women's Artistic Expressions of Faith and Interfaith Ninie G Syarikin Suad El-Amin Room 209 Artistic Performance Muslim women's artistic expressions of faith reach out across racial, ethnic, religious and geographic boundaries because they so often celebrate the spirit of cooperation between all human beings and because they manifest love for God. This program will celebrate the talent and diversity of Muslim women artists from various disciplines. These women will share the motivation and inspiration behind their arts which include poetry reading, storytelling, chanting, faith-based inspirational music and others. They will also demonstrate and express their God-given talents by performing for participants. These performances are designed to provide both enlightenment and spiritual inspiration. Ninie G Syarikin is a writer, translator/interpreter and broadcaster. Originally from Indonesia, Ninie now lives in the US and has three children. She manages House of Creative Writing, LLC, based in Washington, DC, providing translation, interpreting, writing, language education, and cross-cultural consulting services. Poetry is Ninie's passion and Islamic poetry is her life's work. She is a member of the American Translators Association, the National Writers Union, and the Fulbright Association. Suad El-Amin is an African-American Muslim singer and songwriter with over 30 years of faith-based performance experience with the Honorable Imam WD Mohammed. She performed at the Wisdom University conference 'Sacred Activism: The Power of Inclusion", appeared with Gospel music great Shirley Ceasar, and performed for Ms Rosa Parks, the mother of the Civil Rights movement. 11:30am-1:00pm INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION Globethics.net Principles: Sharing Values across Cultures and Religions Christoph Stuckelberger Shanta Premawardhana Siti Syamsiyatun Heidi Hadsell Wande Abimbola (TBC) Room 210 Symposium In an interdependent, globalised world with challenges such as climate justice, there is a great need for a global ethics. But how can global and contextual values be combined? How can diversity be respected without justifying contextual injustices? What are the methods for a fair sharing of values by different cultures and religions? The global ethics network Globethics.net has developed a set of values, principles, means and methods for sharing values for dialogues to become transformative dialogues and to enable joint actions which build communities. The draft principles were elaborated at the international and interreligious Globethics.net conference which took place in Nairobi in 2009. The panel and plenary discussion will help to further develop and enrich them. The draft principles will be distributed at the event and available from 1 December on www.globethics.net. Professor Christoph Stuckelberger is Executive Director and Founder of Globethics.net, Geneva, Switzerland. Rev Dr Shanta D Premawardhana is the Director of Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation for the World Council of Churches, Switzerland. Dr Siti Syamsiyatun is the Associate Director of ICRS (Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies), Yogyakarta/Indonesia, an International, Inter-religious and Interdisciplinary Ph D program supported by three leading universities in Yogyakarta. She earned her MA in Islamic Studies from McGill University, Canada, and her PhD in Politics from the School of Political and Social Inquiry, Monash University. Australia in 2006. She lectures on History of Islamic Civilization, Gender and Religion, and the History of Indonesian Religions. her main research interests are on gender issues in Islam, women's religious movement, and interfaith relations. Dr Heidi Hadsell is a member of the Board of Globethics.net and President of Hartford Seminary, USA. Dr Hadsell has worked as a consultant to the dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and also has worked with Plowshares Institute in its pilot immersion project for the globalization of theological education. Professor Wande Abimbola is the current Awise Agbaye, or spokesperson of Yoruba Religion in the World. He was formerly Vice-Chancellor of University of Ife Inow Obafemi Awolowo University), Ile-Ife from 1982-1989, Senate Majority Leader for the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 1992-1993, and Special Adviser to the President of Nigeria from 2003-2005. Professor Abimbola has taught at Harvard University and Boston University. He is currently President of the UNESCO-sponsored Ifa Heritage Institute, Nigeria. www.parliamentofreligions.org 155
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________________ | PROGRAMS Friday, December 4, 2009 11:30am-1:00pm INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION Globalisation and Spiritual Values KL Seshagiri Rao Subhash Kak Rabbi Lance Sussman Joseph Prabhu Harbans Lal Muzammil Siddiqi S Wesley Ariarajah Room 211 Panel Discussion In the contemporary world, excessive materialism has led to corruption, sexism, erosion of values, disintegra tion of families, juvenile crime and so on. Societies of the world are shaken by religious and political conflicts, violence and terrorism. There is an urgent need to protect and preserve spiritual and moral values cherished by all religious traditions. Changing conditions bring new challenges, which must be creatively addressed. One of these challenges is globalisation, which has pitched members of many cultures together in big cities and small towns across the globe. It is a tragedy that so many people continue to be strangers to one another's inner cultural and religious life. Such ignorance promotes distrust and hatred. At this critical period, many are turning toward spirituality in search of meaningful solutions. Although religion is supposed to unite humanity, too often, religions still function as strong divisive forces. During this program, panel members will discuss how religious people can work toward building tolerance in a globalised society, while simultaneously deepening their own faiths. The future of humanity rests in releasing the underlying spirituality and morality of all religions. Dr K L Seshagiri Rao is Professor Emeritus of Religion at the University of Virginia, Chief Editor of the Encyclopedia of Hinduism and Indic Religions, and Co-Editor of the journal Interreligious Insight and its predecessor World Faiths Insight. A Trustee of the World Congress of Faiths, he has been active with interfaith organisations for many years. He is the author of many books and articles and has participated in consultations of UNESCO and the World Economic Forum Professor Subhash Kak will provide perspective on Hindu spirituality. Rabbi Lance Sussman will provide perspective on Jewish spirituality. Joseph Prabhu is a Professor of Philosophy at the California State University at Los Angeles and the President of the Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy. He is also the author of Human Rights in CrossCultural Perspective and 'Liberating Gandhi: Community, Empire and a Culture of Peace' (forthcomingl. He is a Program Task Force Chair and Trustee of the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions. Professor Harbans Lal will provide perspective on Sikh spirituality Professor Muzammil Siddiqi will provide perspective on Islamic spirituality S Wesley Ariarajah is Professor of Ecumenical Theology at Drew University in Madison, NJ, USA Perspectives on Conflict Resolution in the Middle East Thomas Daffern Ira Chernus Dr Benjamin MacQueen Room 212 Interactive Workshop The Middle East has seen political, legal, military and economic methods as means to resolve conflicts and achieve peace. This presentation will look at the US invasion of Iraq from a cross-religious and cross-cultural perspective, showing how Christianity and Islam could have cooperated for peaceful relations between the two nations rather than leading to war; it will explore the ongoing ambiquities surrounding these political systems and address the spiritual, intellectual, moral, ethical and philosophical dilemmas that are preventing the discovery of nonviolent solutions to the crises of the region. Israel, Palestine and Iraq present a context where interfaith and intersectarian dialogue must assume great importance. This interactive workshop will engage this vision and focus specifically on conflict resolution, peacemaking skills and mediation. Dr Thomas Daffern, Director of IPSGP, is a global lecturer, having twice spoken at the United Nations headquarters. He has taught the history of ideas, science and religions at the University of Oxford and the University of London, and specialised in the study of different approaches to peace, and the possibility of healing conflicts, both intra- and inter-culturally. In 1990 he founded the International Institute of Peace Studies and Global Philosophy, an educational charity. Ira Chernus is a historian of religions in the US who specialises in the role of religion in shaping US foreign policy. He has focused on the impact of Christianity on George W Bush's war policy in Irag as well as Christianbased protest against the Iraq war generated from Bush's own church. He received his PhD in the history of Judaism and now teaches at Colorado University at Boulder. Dr Benjamin MacQueen is Lecturer in the School of Political and Social Inquiry. He holds a BA from La Trobe University and a PhD from Deakin University in Political Science and International Relations His research interests include the theory and practice of conflict resolution, politics and society in the Middle East and North Africa, international relations of the Middle East; international relations theory: US and Australian foreign policy; and the United Nations and Islamic politics. Achieving Sustainable Peace William F Vendley Pat Walsh Abdul Aziz Naderi Fr Leonel Narvaez Room 213 Panel Discussion Peacebuilding consists of efforts to create sustainable relationships. It is applied conflict prevention and resolution through methods such as mediation, negotiation, and facilitating communication. This panel brings together both international and local-level peacebuilders to discuss their work for peace and conflict resolution. The panel members have significant experience in peacebuilding and bringing reconciliation to situations of instability, violence, or aggression in such parts of the world as Afghanistan, Colombia and Timor-Leste. 156 PWR-Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROQR Friday, December 4, 2009 11:30am-1:00pm INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION and spiritual purpose is an important segment in global tourism numbers. This program will present various case studies from across the world and present issues concerning ethical and practical engagement with international pilgrimage and interfaith relations. Rev Kim Cain is a Uniting Church Minister and current Director of Communications for the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania. He has been a congregational minister and is interested in communications strategy. current affairs and writing. Jeff Wild is Christian World Service Coordinator at the Victorian Council of Churches Dr William F Vendley has served as Secretary General of Religions for Peace since 1994 and has mobilised and equipped religious communities in war-torn regions worldwide. He was a participant in His Majesty King Abdullah's historic intcrrcligious meeting in Madrid, Spain in 2008 and has been requested by the Muslim World League to serve on its Follow-up Committee. Dr Vendley is also an advisor to US President Barack Obama. Pat Walsh is Senior Adviser to the Post-CAVR Technical Secretariat. CAVR is Timor-Leste Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation It was an independent truth commission established in East Timor in 2001 under the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAETI and charged to inquire into human rights violations committed on all sides, between April 1974 and October 1999. and facilitate community reconciliation with justice for those who committed less serious offenses'. Following the dissolution of CAVR in December 2005, President Xanana Gusmao inaugurated a Post-CAVR Technical Secretariat to completo unfinished CAVR projects. Dr Abdul Aziz Naderi was born in Afghanistan and earned an MD from Kabul Medical University in 2007. As Program Manager in charge of the Community Health and Peacebuilding programs at Sanayee Development Organization in Kabul, he has helped develop the Peace Education Curriculum and has assisted in implementing the curriculum in local peace councils, or Peace Shuras, across Afghanistan. Father Leonel Narvaez is a Catholic missionary. He initially worked with the nomadic tribes in Eastern Africa and currently works in the forest of the South Amazon area of Colombia. In 2000, he established the Schools of Forgiveness and Reconciliation (ESPERE is the Spanish acronym). He was a key figure in the Goldin Institute's 2007 global gathering on the topic of reintegration of former child soldiers. Cultivations of Solidarity: A Textual Analysis John Sheveland Prabha Duneja Rev Dr Robert Cathey Venerable Jian Ying Shifu Room 214 Academic Paper This paper envisions the connection between peace and justice as foundational to solidarity and the building of community. It analyses three sacred texts-the Bhagavad Gita, Dhammapada, and Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians-and argues that these texts can renew minds' (Romans 12:5) by transforming narrow apprehensions of personal and group identity into unitive expressions of moral solidarity focused indiscriminately on the human community as a whole. Sharing Scarce Resources in an increasingly Globalised World Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh Bhai Sukhbir Singh Rev Bill Mathew Avtar S Dhaliwal Room 216 Panel Discussion Since the early 1970s, when the Club of Rome released The Limits to Growth report on the perilous state of the world's ability to feed itself and the subsequent population explosion there has been a debate over the sustainability of water and food. This panel examines the relationship between food and faith and explores how different faiths have dealt with issues of scarcity in the past and how these legacies equip us to deal with this issue in an increasingly globalised world. This session will examine the politics of food and water in a world divided between haves and have-nots. For example, the Sikh ethic of responsibility will be explored through the unique conceptualisation of the institution of langar (community kitchen). An exposition of the Sikh's profound act of serving langar at the 2004 Parliament will be shared. Indigenous Women: Protecting Culture, Promoting Cultural Strengths Darlene St Clair, USA: Dakota Lucy Mulenkei, Kenya: Maasai Ryoko Foose, Japan: Ainu Room 218 Panel Discussion Pilgrimages, Tourism and Meaning Rev Kim Cain Jeff Wild Room 215 Interactive Workshop Tourism is one of the world's largest industries, and it encompasses a variety of modes and styles and raises many issues both for the visitor and the visited. As pilgrimage sites exist around the world, travel for religious Colonisation has negatively impacted Indigenous women in many ways. Often they are forced into roles of dependency. Many continue to be victims of discrimination, violence, and exploitation in the workplace. The empowerment of Indigenous women, however, is essential to improving the lives of all Indigenous peoples. This panel will address how some Indigenous women are working together to overcome these challenges. www parliamentofreligions.org 157 For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGRA Friday, December 4, 2009 Iyekiyapiwin (Darlene St Clair) is an assistant professor of American Indian Studies at St Cloud State University and the director of the Multicultural Resource Center. Her career has focused on the education of Native peoples from early childhood to college, the integration of Native cultures' histories and languages into curricula, and the arts and cultural expressions of Native peoples. She is Bdewakantunwan Dakota and an enrolled member of the Lower Sioux Indian Community in Minnesota. Lucy Mulenkei is a Maasai from Kenya. She is the Executive Director of the Indigenous Information Network [IIN) in Kenya, and works with the African Indigenous Women's Organisation in the East African Region. She has coordinated training and capacity building for Indigenous, rural nomadic pastoralists and hunter-gatherers on the topics of the environment and sustainable development, with a main focus on biodiversity conservation and traditional knowledge. Ryoko Foose was born in 1962, in Hokkaido, Japan, in the Pacific Ocean coastal town of Niikappu. Her mother Emiko was of Ainu descent. In 1988, Ryoko became a member of the spiritual organisation Shinji Shumeikai. In 2007, Ryoko became a member of the Hokkaido University Centre for Ainu & Indigenous Studies. Her focus of study is 'Ainu Child Raising Traditions and Their Effect on Future Generations'. Building Peace in the Pursuit of Justice: A Buddhist-Muslim Dialogue Maria Reis Habito, Moderator Dharma Master Hsin Tao Ven Karma Lekshe Tsomo Ruben Habito Amir Al-Islam Dr Chandra Muzaffar Room 219 Panel Discussion This dialogue is part of an ongoing series initiated by the Global Family of Love and Peace (www.gflp.org) in 2002 to foster better understanding and closer cooperation between the Muslim and Buddhist communities of the world. So far, ten dialogues have been held internationally, including at UNESCO in Paris (2003) and the UN headquarters in New York (2008). The world of the 21st century is marked by injustice and discrimination on many fronts. We are called upon to address racial and ethnic injustice, economic injustice, injustice to women and children, and other forms of injustice and discrimination. This panel will consider the following questions: What are Buddhist and Muslim views on situations of poverty, injustice, and discrimination? What are the roots, and is there a cure? What is the relationship between justice and peace? Where and how do we start to make a difference, empowered by our own respective religious traditions? The panellists will be invited to reflect on commonalities and differences in their respective approaches to the topic and on what they can learn from each other. Maria Reis Habito is the International Program Director of the Museum of World Religions and the Director of the Global Family for Love and Peace. After studying Chinese and Japanese languages and religions in Taiwan, Munich and Kyoto, she completed her PhD at LudwigMaximilians-Universitat in 1990. She has organised many international, Interfaith conferences, notably a series of Buddhist-Muslim dialogues published under the title of 'Listening: Buddhist-Muslim Dialoques 2002-2004 (Taipei, 20051. Dharma Master Hsin Tao was born in Burma in 1948 and came to Taiwan at age thirteen. He became a monk at age 25 and established the Wu-sheng Monastery on Ling-jiou mountain in 1983. He founded the 158 PWR-Parliament of the World's Religions Museum of World Religions and is president of the Global Family of Love and Peace. The series of Buddhist-Muslim dialogues he initiated in 2001 have been conducted in ten countries, including the UNESCO Paris and UN in New York. 11:30am-1:00pm INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION Karma Lekshe Tsomo is Associate Professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of San Diego, where she teaches Buddhism, World Religions, and Comparative Religious Ethics. She studied Buddhism in Dharamsala, India for fifteen years and received a doctorate in Philosophy from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She is president of Sakyadhita: The International Association of Buddhist Women and director of Jamyang Foundation, an initiative providing educational opportunities for women in developing countries. Ruben L F Habito, Professor of World Religions and Spirituality at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, is founding Teacher of the Maria Kannon Zen Center, Dallas, Texas. He has been President of the Society for Buddhist Christian Studies and President of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship. His publications include 'Healing Breath: Zen for Buddhists and Christians in a Wounded World (2006). Experiencing Buddhism: Ways of Wisdom and Compassion [2005], and Living Zen, Loving God' (2004). Amir Al-Islam is a Distinguished Lecturer of African American History. Islam and World Civilization at Medgar Evers College (CUNY) in Brooklyn.. He is the former Secretary General of the World Council of Muslims for Interfaith Relations, USA. He is chairman of the Board of the Inner-City Muslim Action Network in Chicago, and Vice-Chair of the Malcolm X and Dr Betty Shabazz Memorial Education Center, and the Muslim Women's Institute for Research and Development. Dr Chandra Muzaffar is a political scientist and founding president of the Malaysian-based NGO International Movement for a Just World (www.just-international.org], which seeks to raise public consciousness on the moral and intellectual basis of global justice. He also served as the first director of the Centre for Civilisational Dialogue at the University of Malaya. In addition to writings on civilisational dialogue, he has published extensively on religion, human rights, Malaysian politics and international relations. Strangers in a Strange Land: Integration of Religious Minorities, their Families and their Identities into Australia Deborah Stone Dr Purushottama Bilimoria Rachel Woodlock Michele Bernshaw Padmasiri de Silva Piara Singh Room 220 Panel Discussion This panel discussion brings together Muslim, Jewish, Sikh and Buddhist representatives from Melbourne's thriving minority communities to discuss the challenges of settlement and community development, education of their children, and the challenges and benefits of integration into a multicultural society. This panel will explore the significance of preserving and promoting identities of ethnic and religious minority communities by observing their rituals and traditions. The program will emphasise the values of people of different faiths and their contribution to the broader society and humanity. The program aims to find elements of commonality, problem solving, and opportunities for celebration among the anxieties that can accompany the experience of being a minority. By focusing on the positive, this will be a healing experience for both panel and participants, who will come to
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________________ PROGR Friday, December 4, 2009 2:30-4:00pm ENGAGEMENT SESSION ENGAGEMENT 2:30-4:00pm acknowledge each other's challenges in maintaining one's own faith, identity and traditions while integrating into the wider community. Deborah Stone is a member of the B'nai B'rith Anti-Defamation Commission, Australia. Dr Purushottama Bilimoria is a Professor of Comparative Religions at Deakin University, Melbourne: Editor-in-Chief of Sophia Philosophy of Religion, Melbourne University: Philosopher, Deakin University and Visiting Professor, University of California at Berkeley and State University of New York at Stony Brook. Rachel Woodlock is a Researcher in the Centre for Islam and The Modern World at the School of Political and Social Inquiry, Monash University Michele Bernshaw is Principal of the King David School in Melbourne. Professor Padmasiri de Silva is a Buddhist philosopher in the Theravada tradition and has written a number of books about Buddhism in the modern context. He has held teaching positions in Sri Lanka, Singapore, the US and New Zealand, and is at present a research assaciate with the School of Historical Studies ai Monash University Piara Singh is a member of the Sikh Interfaith Council of Victoria LUNCHTIME PROGRAMMING 1:00-2:30 pm Friday Jumu'ah Congregational Prayer Sheikh Isse A Musse Room 202 Religious or Spiritual Observance Every Friday just after noon, Muslims come together for the Jumu'ah prayer, a congregational prayer (salat), in lieu of Dhuhr prayer (one of the five obligatory prayers that Muslims perform dailyl. Before the prayer, a khatib (person who delivers the sermon) gives a khutbah isermon). Sheikh Isse A Musse, Imam of the newly built Virgin Mary Mosque in Melbourne and spiritual leader of Melbourne's Horn of Africa Muslim community. will give the khutbah and lead the prayer. The khutbah will centre on the Parliament themes, with emphasis on dialogue between various religious beliefs and issues such as protection of the environment and the indigent, including refugees. All are most welcome to attend. Sheikh Isse A Musse is Imam of the Virgin Mary Mosque and spiritual leader of Melbourne's Horn of Africa Muslim community. He was Imam at the Islamic Council of Victoria Jeffcott Mosque in Melbourne for thirteen years and is a member of the National Council of Fatwa Sheikh Isse is a member of the Dispute Settlement Centre in the Department of Justice and is an appointed marriage celebrant and a marriage counsellor. The Human Face of Climate Change Martin Frick Mary Evelyn Tucker Plenary Hall Panel Discussion Climate change is the most serious emerging humanitarian concern of our age. The consequences of climate change will be disastrous for human beings worldwide, but they are especially worrisome for those societies already on the edge of survival. Climate change redefines the very basis of our existence and relationship with the plane. It is exacerbating many of the already difficult challenges we face, such as access to nutrition and health care, natural disasters and ongoing political and religious conflicts. The Global Humanitarian Forum (GHF), established in 2007. aims to build a strong global community to address these pressing challenges. This program, sponsored by GHF, will demonstrate that those societies who contributed the least to climate change are the ones who will suffer the most from its devastating effects. It will challenge participants of all faith traditions to unite in the name of averting the coming environmental crisis. Martin Frick is Deputy CEO/Director of the Global Humanitarian Forum Frick has served as the Deputy Ambassador in Albania and the Cabinet Allairs Advisor to the German Federal Foreign Minister. Frick is the German representative on the NGO committee of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, the UN Democracy Fund Board, as well as for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and for human rights resolutions of the UN Security Council Mary Evelyn Tucker is a Senior Lecturer in Religion and the Environment at Yale University, holding joint appointments as a Research Scholar in the Divinity School, the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, and the Department of Religious Studies. With John Grim, she cofounded the Forum on Religion and Ecology IFORE). Tucker and Grim also coordinated a ten-conference series on World Religions and Ecology at Harvard's Center for the Study of World Religions. Tucker has been a committee member of the Interfaith Partnership for the Environment at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) since 1986 and is vice president of the American Teilhard Association. Author of many books on religion and ecology. she has recently published Worldly Wonder: Religions Enter Their Ecological Phase (Open Court Press, 2003). She is the co-editor of books on ecological views of Buddhism Confucianism, and Hinduism. She has published the volume Confucian Spirituality co-edited with Tu Weiming, and, The Record of Great Doubts: The Philosophy of Chi. (http://www.religionandecology.org/About/founders.php? Climate Change and the Arctic: The Indigenous Perspective Aqqaluk Lynge, Greenland: Kalaallit, Moderator Francois Paulette, Canada: Dene Norma Kassi, Canada: Vuntut Gwich'in First Nation Room 101 Panel Discussion The frontlines of climate change are in the Arctic. The impact of this transformation are being felt in this region today and it is affecting the health and well being of Arctic www.parliamentofreligions.org 159 For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGRAM Friday, December 4, 2009 peoples. This panel will focus on the impact of climate change and the efforts of Indigenous peoples of the Arctic to address this crisis. Aqqaluk Lynge is president of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC) Greenland and ICC Vice-Chair for Greenland. He has represented the Inuit of Alaska, Canada, Greenland and the Far East of Russia as President of the ICC from 1997 to 2006. Mr Lynge was first elected to the Greenland Parliament in 1983 and also served as a minister with various portfolios. He has demonstrated a deep commitment to pan-Inuit unity since the early 1970s. Francois Paulette is a Dene Suline and member of the Smith's Landing Treaty 8 First Nation. He became the youngest chief in the Northwest Territories Indian Brotherhood. In 1972, along with other chiefs, he challenged the crown to recognise treaty and Aboriginal rights. He served on the National Indian Brotherhood Treaty Implementation Committee, the Assembly of First Nations Renewal Commission, and the Parks Canada Aboriginal Consultative Committee and has spoken internationally on Dene history and Aboriginal rights. Norma Kassi, raised in Old Crow, Yukon, is Vuntut Gwich'in (People of the Lakes). From 1985 until 1992 she was a member of the Yukon Legislative Assembly. She has been a spokesperson in the effort to preserve the Porcupine Caribou Herd and serves on the International Gwich'in Steering Committee for the Preservation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. She is Co-director of the Arctic Health Research Network: Yukon, engaged in health research. Working Together, The Health of Two Worlds Ngangkaris (Traditional Healers) Pat Anderson Stephanie Bell Room 102 Panel Discussion Australian Aboriginal Cultures are rich and vibrant, particularly in the realm of health and healing. They are the oldest surviving cultures in the world. Yet, today, the health of Aboriginal people across Australia is poor, with a 17 year life expectancy gap between Aboriginal and non Aboriginal Australians. Ngangkaris (traditional healers) Andy Tjilari, Rupert Peter and Toby Ginger outline traditional healing methods offered to Anangu (Aboriginal people) in remote communities in the western desert tri state area, as well as those in hospitals, jails, nursing homes and hostels in regional centres. The Ngangkari believe that health outcomes for Aboriginal people are improved by integrating traditional forms of healing with western medicine. They consider that education of health workers about traditional healing practices is essential to this approach. Pat Anderson, a Alyawarre woman, and Stephanie Bell, a Kulilla/Wakka Wakka woman, will provide a discussion on the contemporary Aboriginal health issues based upon their years of experience working with Aboriginal community controlled health organizations and to make comment on the broader social determinants of Aboriginal health. Andy, Toby and Rupert are from the NPY Ngangkari Program; their work is highly valued and the service is in great demand. They are authorised to speak publicly about traditional Anangu culture and Ngangkari practices. Andy Tjilari, Rupert Peter and Toby Ginger are from the NPY (the Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjaral Ngangkari Program; their work is highly valued and the service is in great demand. They are autho 160 PWR- Parliament of the World's Religions Jain Education Intemational 2:30-4:00pm ENGAGEMENT SESSION rised to speak publicly about traditional Anangu culture and Ngangkari practices. Pat Anderson is an Alyawarre woman renowned nationally and internationally as a powerful advocate of disadvantaged people, with a particular focus on the health of Indigenous peoples. She has extensive experience in all aspects of Aboriginal health, including community development, advocacy, policy formation and research ethics. Ms Anderson has spoken before the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous People, was formerly the Chief Executive Officer of Danila Dilba, the Aboriginal community-controlled health service in Darwin, and has been Chair of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, the peak national Aboriginal health organisation. She is also a prolific writer and has had many essays, papers and articles published. Ms Anderson retired from the position of Executive Officer of the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory, which is the peak body of the Aboriginal community-controlled health organisations in the Northern Territory and was the co-author of the Little Children are Sacred report into abuse of Indigenous children in the Northern Territory. Most recently Pat was awarded the Public Health Association of Australia's Sidney Sax Public Health Medal at the 2007 PHAA annual conference. Stephanie Bell, a Kulilla/Wakka Wakka woman, is Director of the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, one of the country's largest and longest established Aboriginal Medical Services. Ms Bell is a former Chair of the Aboriginal Medical Service Alliance of the Northern Territory, Chair of the Northern Territory Aboriginal Health Forum and an executive member of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation. She also is a board member of the Central Australian Division of General Practice and the General Practice Division of the Northern Territory. Ms Bell convenes the Community Forum within the CRC for Aboriginal Health. Our Impact on the Land Has the Same Impact on Us Uncle Max Dulumunmun Harrison Rodney Minicon Room 103 Lecture This program will explore how the land teaches us to forgive those who have caused us grief and suffering and the impact of cleansing Aboriginal massacre sites. Uncle Max Harrison, Aboriginal Elder of the Yuin Nation and Rodney Minicon, Cleanser of Aboriginal Massacre Sites, will share how many hundreds of Aboriginal massacre sites across Australia have been cleansed or are being cleansed. Uncle Max Harrison is an Aboriginal Elder of the Yuin Nation. For the last 30 years, he has been sharing his culture as a teacher and guide for others to appreciate Mother Earth. Rodney Minicon, Cleanser of Aboriginal Massacre Sites, has worked for many years with Aboriginal communities across the land to assist in cleansing the ancestral people and spirits that have been disturbed by the aggressive colonisation practices of Britain and successive governments across the Australian and Pacific Nations. Sufism and Peace: A Meeting Point for All Religious Traditions Dr Golam Dastagir Dr Sirajul Siraj Farhad Ashktorab Bahar Jamshidi Room 104 Panel Discussion Sufis believe that the loving attitude popular in religious traditions today is not a new phenomenon, but rather a continuous unbroken movement in the annals of human
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________________ PROGRAM Friday, December 4, 2009 history. It is a phenomenon that allows for a meeting point of all religious traditions. This diverse panel will discuss how that meeting point on the path to peace and unity can be achieved through Sufism. The discussion will include an examination of the impact of Sufism on Bengal Vaisnavism. It will take a critical look at whether Sufi movements, integrated into local customs, can counter Islamic extremism in Bangladesh and maintain communal harmony and social cohesion despite enormous contemporary challenges. It will also highlight Sufism as a means to achieve the peace that lies within each individual, regardless of culture, religion or background. Dr Golam Dastagir is a visiting research scholar at the University of Toronto. He holds a PhD in Islamic Philosophy. He has also been a Commonwealth Scholar in the UK and a Fulbright Nominee in the US. Dr Dastagir has over 18 years of teaching and research experience in philosophy and world religions at Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, Bangladesh, and is the former director of the Centre for Philosophical Research. Dr Sirajul Siraj teaches in the Department of Philosophy and Religion at Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, India. His doctoral degree is in Sufism and Bhakti. He has done post-doctoral work on civil society from Sufi and Islamic viewpoints at Catholic University in Washington, DC. He is a widely published author on the subjects of Islam and Sufism. Farhad Ashktorab has been the returning officer for the MTO Sufi Association at Melbourne University for many years. Farhad has been a member of the Oveyssi School of Islamic Sufism for over ten years. Through the teachings of Hazrat Nader Shah Angha Pir Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi", he has been able to find inner peace. He now teaches regular meditation workshops through the MTO Sufi Association at Melbourne University. Bahar Jamshidi has been a member of the MTO Sufi Association of Australia for many years and president of the MTO Sufi Association Melbourne University since 2004. Through the teachings of Hazrat Pir Hazrat Nader Shah Angha Pir Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi' from the Oveyssi School of Islamic Sufism, Bahar has participated and presented Sufism at a number of multifaith forums across Melbourne. Democracy and Diversity in Global Perspective Anwar Ibrahim Pal Ahluwalia Bishop Peter Elliott Dr M Din Syamsuddin Rabbi David Saperstein Barbara McGraw Room 105 Panel Discussion In this session, panellists will explore the role of democracy in protecting religious freedom, managing religious diversity and building social cohesion. How do contemporary societies benefit from the unifying aspects of religious traditions, and is this in tension with protecting religious diversity? Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysian Parliamentarian, leader of the People's Pact and a leading voice of democracy in Malaysia, will be joined by Dr Dim Syamsuddin of Indonesia, a multireligious country with a majority Muslim population, and by Australian leaders. Anwar Ibrahim was Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia from 1993 to 1998. Highly respected for his principled stance against corruption and his skilful management of the Malaysian economy as finance minister during the Asian financial meltdown, Anwar spearheaded the Asian 2:30-4:00pm ENGAGEMENT SESSION Renaissance movement and remains a leading advocate of civilised dialogue aimed at bridging the gap between East and West. He is currently Leader of the Opposition in the Malaysian Parliament and is a member of the advisory board of the International Crisis Group. Professor Pal Ahluwalia is Pro Vice Chancellor of Education, Arts and Social Sciences at the University of South Australia. He has published many books and articles and was appointed a UNESCO Chair in Transnational Diasporas and Reconciliation Studies in 2008. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia. Peter Elliott is Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Melbourne. He was a member of the Delegation of the Holy See at the United Nations Conference on Population held in Cairo, at the United Nations Social Summit held in Copenhagen, and at the United Nations Conference on Women held in Beijing. Bishop Elliott is well known as a speaker and as the author of books and articles in the fields of theology, Church history. catechetics, liturgy, marriage and the family, apologetics and demography. Dr M Din Syamsuddin is an author and president of Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's largest modernist Muslim social and educational organisation. He is vice general chair of the Indonesian Ulama Council, professor of Islamic political thought at the National Islamic University in Jakarta and president of the Asian Conference on Religion for Peace, based in Tokyo. Designated in Newsweek's 2009 list as the most influential rabbi in the United States and described in a Washington Post profile as 'the quintessential religious lobbyist on Capitol Hill, Rabbi David Saperstein represents the national Reform Jewish Movement to Congress and the Administration as the Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. Barbara A McGraw, JD, PhD, an author and speaker on world religions and the role of religious pluralism in the public square, is director of the Center for Engaged Religious Pluralism and professor of social ethics, law, and public life at Saint Mary's College of California. She is co-author (with Robert S. Ellwood) of Many Peoples, Many Faiths (several editions): author of Rediscovering America's Sacred Ground (2003); and co-editor/ contributor of/to, Taking Religious Pluralism Seriously (2005). Sacred Sites, Sacred Solidarity: The Time is Now Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh Additional Speakers to be Announced Room 106 Throughout the span of human history, civilisations, societies and communities have grounded their religious beliefs and practices with sacred spaces. From shrines and sanctuaries to holy cities and sacred mountains, these sites reflect a diverse spiritual landscape of vast significance. As globalisation sweeps across the planet and contact among diverse peoples grows, so do opportunities to target the sacred sites of other communities and traditions for misguided sectarian and political purposes. This happens in cities large and small and is expressed through the vandalism and desecration of places of worship and practice. Few examples in recent memory demonstrate the threat to sacred sites more profoundly than the Taliban's wanton destruction of ancient and glorious Buddha statues in Afghanistan. In response to the increasing necessity to protect these often-fragile links between the physical and the spiritual, there is a growing international interest in establishing a preservation protocol for sacred sites of religious and spiritual communities. In this session of the 'Sacred Sites, Sacred Solidarity Symposium, Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh, Sikh spiritual leader of Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha, and others in the field will explore the pressing need for collaboration www.parliamentofreligions.org 161
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________________ PROGRAM D Friday, December 4, 2009 among religious and spiritual communities in concert with organisations of civil society in order to safeguard sacred sites across the world. Bhai Sahib Dr Mohinder Singh comes from a line of spiritual leaders, and is Chairman of Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha. He is a retired civil and structurat engineer, with two honorary Doctorates for work in faith, community and education. Bhai Sahib is also a recipient of the Juliet Hollister Award from the Temple of Understanding. The Chiefs' Prophecy: Survival of the Northern Cheyenne Nation Leo Killsback, USA: Northern Cheyenne, Director Room 107 Film Forced onto a reservation in 1884, the Northern Cheyenne began to lose touch with their cultural values and forms of leadership. A Cheyenne Chief prophesied that the Nation would return to its traditional ways after 100 years. This film presents the history of the Northern Cheyenne and how a new generation of leaders hopes to restore the traditional values of this embattled Nation. Leo Killsback is a member of the Northern Cheyenne Nation of southeastern Montana (USA). He is also a member of the Northern Cheyenne War Dancers Society and a painter for the sacrificial ceremony of life at Noavose. He is currently completing his dissertation on the history of Cheyenne leadership and also teaches courses, including Tribal Law, Tribal Government and Native Americans in Film, at the University of Arizona and Tohono O'ohdam Community College. Life of Jesus: Non-Christian Perspectives John Lindsay Falvey Dr Kala Acharya Jalal Heydari Sandra Carroll Room 108 Panel Discussion At the heart of almost all of Jesus's recorded sayings sits a paradox of language that resonates across many religious traditions. This panel will present Buddhist, Hindu, and Shia Muslim perspectives on the life and teachings of the founder of Christianity. We will also consider the person of Mary, mother of Jesus of Nazareth, and her significance for Muslims and Christians. Lindsay Falvey is a professor at the University of Melbourne, where he was previously Chair of Agriculture, Dean of Land and Food Resources, and Dean of Agriculture, Forestry and Horticulture. He is also a life member of Clare Hall, Cambridge, at the University of Cambridge. He has written extensively on religion, agriculture and issues of sustainability from multireligious perspectives. Dr Mrs Kala Acharya is the director of K J Somaiya Bharatiya Sanskriti Peetham, a cultural and research institute. She has authored two books and edited several books, and she has organised interfaith dialogue seminars in India and abroad. She is the working group member of the Congress of World's and Traditional Religions, Kazakhstan. 162 PWR Parliament of the World's Religions 2:30-4:00pm ENGAGEMENT SESSION Mr Jalal Heydari is the Director of the International World Forum for Islamic Sciences. He is also Director General of the Asia-Pacific, Al-Mustafa International University. He has a Master's degree in Islamic Philosophy and Theology from Imam Sadeq University, Tehran. His publications include 'Possibility and Necessity from the Viewpoints of Sohravardi and Kant' and 'The Infallibility of the Prophets from the Viewpoint of Wisdom and Islamic Traditions". Sandra Carroll lectures in Religious Education at the Strathfield campus of the Australian Catholic University, Sydney. Her doctoral thesis from San Francisco Theological Seminary was titled 'Teaching about Mary: Professional Development for Religious Educators. She is currently on the Editorial Committee of the Journal of Religious Education. She shared a team award for outstanding contributions to student learning from the Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education in 2007. Grassroots Community Organisers Networking for Interreligious Solidarity Rev Dr Shanta D Premawardhana Dr A T Ariyaratne Swami Agnivesh PV Rajagopal Mohammad Tahseen Room 109 Interactive Workshop In our interconnected world, where conflicts originating in one part of the world have repercussions in another, effective community organizing requires not only building powerful local and national organizations, but also creating strong alliances across regional and international boundaries. Leaders of several interreligious grassroots community organizing movements, particularly from South Asian countries, will engage in a conversation about moving organizations in this direction. These veteran community organizers will address the struggles, the victories and the lessons learned from their experience working for justice, reconciliation and peace. Among the questions they will address are: 'How do we motivate our religious communities to move from interreligious dialogue and cooperation to solidarity?, 'How do we build powerful interreligious movements that have the capacity to challenge systemic injustices?', 'How can people in poor, oppressed and marginalized communities become participants and leaders of such movements?' and 'How do we network to strategically counter the rise of violent groups that claim to be motivated by religion?" Rev Dr Shanta D Premawardhana is the Director of Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation for the World Council of Churches, Switzerland. Dr Ahangamage Tudor Ariyaratne is founder and President of Sri Lanka's Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, a non-profit organization that involves millions of people in 15,000 villages in development projects. In 2007, he was recognized as Srilankabhimanya (pride of Sri Lankal, Sri Lanka's highest civilian honor. He has also won international recogni tion for his work in peacemaking and village development including the Gandhi and Niwano peace prizes and the Sushil Kumar International Peace Award. Swami Agnivesh is the president of the World Council of Arya Samaj. A prominent social activist, he is best known for his work against bonded labour. His campaigns have also led him to fight against alcoholism, female foeticide, child labour, and for the emancipation of women. His current 'mission' includes fighting the consumer culture and the Western model of development in India, opposing Western cultural imperialism, and battling casteism. Swami Agnivesh is the 2004 recipient of the Right Livelihood award, which is also known as the alternative Nobel Prize.
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________________ PROGRAM D: Friday, December 4, 2009 PV Rajagopal is the founding president of Ekta Parishad, a federation of approximately 11,000 community based organizations, operating in 11 states in India, and working for the land and livelihood rights of India's most marginalized communities. Janadesh, a 350 km march from Gwalior to Delhi that culminated on October 2nd, 2007 brought together 25,000 people to demand that the Indian Government allow full and equal access over the natural resources they depend on for their livelihoods. In 2012, a one million person march is being planned. Mohammad Tahseen is the Executive Director of South Asia Partnership, Pakistan which came into being in 1987. Following eight years of military rule the opportunity was rife for the development and strengthening of Pakistani civil society. The objective of the organization is to enable the poorest of Pakistan raise their voice for their rights. South Asia Partnership which has similar organizations in other South Asian countries creates the space to bring together civil society activists and organizations both nationally and regionally. Breaking Through Patriarchy: New Visions for Women of Faith Jane Sloan Jacqueline Ogega Katherine Marshall Sr Joan Chittister Jean Duff Room 110 Panel Discussion Gender relations have emerged as one of the central social and political challenges for the 21st century, and they have special significance for the world's religions. New opportunities and roles for women open new vistas and reflect universally agreed-upon human rights, but a host of obstacles still stand in the way of these ideals. This session will lay out specific ideas on the next steps and action roles for faith communities, and will draw inspiration from the December 3rd Asia Pacific Breakthrough summit. The Breakthrough, held on the eve of the Parliament of the World's Religions, aims to build momentum for action with a focus on UN Millennium Development Goals three and five: gender equality and maternal health. A new alliance for women, faith and development in the Asia Pacific region will be launched at Breakthrough to explore opportunities for increased collaboration. The challenges facing women and girls globally are serious and new initiatives for women and their communities are urgently needed. The session aims to highlight the most urgent areas of need for Asia Pacific, Indigenous and refugee women in Australia and to work to end poverty by empowering women. Jane Sloan is Executive Director of the International Women's Development Agency. Formerly, she was strategic marketing manager with Austrade, the Australian Trade Commission. Jacqueline Ogega is the Director of the Women's Program at the World Conference of Religions for Peace. She has served as the African Women's Project Director at Religions for Peace in Africa, where she established the African Women of Faith Network. She has experience and skills in gender, peace building and development programming. She holds a Master's degree as well as a post-graduate diploma in gender and development, both from the University of Nairobi, Kenya. 2:30-4:00pm ENGAGEMENT SESSION Katherine Marshall is a Senior Fellow at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and Visiting Professor in the Government Department and the School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University. She leads the Berkley Center's work on faith-inspired institutions. Katherine's work in development involves a series of regional background papers and consultations with academics and practitioners and a series of reviews of development topics. Joan Chittister, OSB, is a noted national and international lecturer who focuses on women in church and society, human rights, peace and justice, and contemporary religious life and spirituality. In addition to being the executive director of Benetvision, a centre for contemporary spirituality located in Erie, Pennsylvania, she is author of 22 books, including Illuminated Life: Monastic Wisdom for Seekers of Light' and 'The Story of Ruth: Twelve Moments in Every Woman's Life. Repatriation: Reclaiming Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property Rights Christopher Peters, USA: Karuk, Moderator Amos Tripp, USA: Karuk Dr Rosita Worl, USA: Tlingit Room 111 Panel Discussion From the perspectives of many Indigenous peoples, the legal and moral issues of repatriation and cultural heritage are complex and, in many instances, contentious. Many Indigenous communities face a number of obstacles when they petition for the return of their cultural palimony. Repatriation requests include cultural objects, human remains and sacred objects. Members of this panel will discuss some of the key issues that hamper or facilitate repatriation. Christopher Peters is the director of the Seventh Generation Fund for Indian Development, a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting and maintaining the uniqueness of Native peoples throughout the Americas. Amos Tripp is a Karuk-wuh-uttah-uttah from the middle section of the Klamath River in northwestern California. He studied law at the University of California-Davis and currently works for United Indian Health Services in Arcata, California. His local tribes are 'Fix the World' tribes, who believe in living in balance with their surroundings. Mr Tripp is very proud to be part of the healing after the land grab in California devastated these tribes. Rosita Worl, whose Tlingit names are Yeidiklats'okw and Kaa.hani, is Tlingit, Ch'aak (Eaglel moiety of the Shangukeidi Clan from the Kawdliyaayi Hit (House Lowered From the Sun) in Klukwan. She is president of Sealaska Heritage Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to perpetuating the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian cultures. Formerly an assistant professor at the University of Alaska Southeast, she has a PhD and an MS in Anthropology from Harvard University and a BA from Alaska Methodist University. www.parliamentofreligions.org 163
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________________ PROGRAM Friday, December 4, 2009 Naga Chants Visier Sanyu Reg Blow Tom Duncan Room 201 Artistic Performance Naga mystical chants are blessings by the clan elders and prayers to their female God Ukepenuopfu. These chants are originally from Khonoma village in Nagaland and are in the Tenyidie language. The Nagas live in Nagaland in Northeast India and Burma and speak over fifty languages, all of which belong to the Tibeto-Burman language family. Though there are over a thousand chants, songs, prayers and blessings in Khonoma village, these chants and prayers are known by only a few. The presenter is the brother of the late Niyiehu Sanyu, one the most knowledgeable masters of these chants and prayers, who passed away of cancer before his chants could be recorded. His death is a sad reminder that this priceless legacy of an ancient civilisation is in great danger of becoming lost forever and reinforces the importance of keeping the tradition for posterity. Visier Sanyu is a Naga chanter and singer. He was a cast member of Song of Asia, a musical revue of Asian songs and dance that toured Asia and Europe. In 1996, he came to Australia as a Visiting Fellow at La Trobe University in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology. He is currently the Project Manager for Refugee, Act for Peace, Victorian Council of Churches and the director of Naga Yoga Institute in Melbourne. Reg Blow will be accompanying Visier Sanyu on the didgeridoo. Tom Duncan will be accompanying Visier Sanyu on the drum. Taize Chants Sung in the Gunai Kurnai Indigenous Language by the Lavalla Catholic College Liturgical Choir Lavalla Catholic College Liturgical Choir Room 201 Choir Performance The Lavalla Catholic College Liturgical Choir of Traralgon, Victoria, has gained permission from the Indigenous Language Elders to translate chants and prayers from the Taize Community in France into the Gunai Kurnai Indigenous language and to sing the chants at public performances. The project was initiated by Choir Director Shane Reid, who sought to find both meaningful and respectful ways of recognising and celebrating the local Indigenous culture through music and song. Shane Reid is the Director of the Lavalla Catholic College Liturgical Choir. Lavalla College holds the traditions of the Marist Brothers, founded by Saint Marcellin Champagnat in post-revolutionary France; the Brigidine Sisters, founded by Bishop Daniel Delany in Ireland in 1807; and the Presentation Sisters, founded by Nano Nagle in 1718. Through these combined traditions, the college aims to provide an education that nurtures and encourages the dignity, uniqueness and goodness of each person and that strengthens the Christian community. 164 PWR Parliament of the World's Religions 2:30-4:00pm ENGAGEMENT SESSION Convening Session Conflict Resolution Dharma Master Hsin Tao Fr Leonel Narvaez Dr William Vendley Room 203 Convening Session Is religious commitment a source of conflict and violence or of harmony and peacefulness? While there are ardent believers in-and evidence for-both points of view, the Conflict Resolution Sessions will focus on how religious and spiritual communities, no matter how different, can still serve a common cause and support our natural, human instinct for peace. We will hear real-world scenarios from teams working in Afghanistan, Israel (the West Bank and Gaza), Colombia, Liberia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Thailand, all of whom will show how aggression, once begun, can be mediated, transformed and resolved. Led by internationally esteemed leaders Dharma Master Hsin Tao, Father Leonel Narvaez and Doctor William Vendley, the Convening Session presents an overview of the 24 sessions that comprise a key focus of the 2009 Parliament. Dharma Master Hsin Tao was born in Burma in 1948 and came to Taiwan at age 13. He became a monk at age 25 and established the Wusheng Monastery on Ling-jiou mountain in 1983. He founded the Museum of World Religions and is president of the Global Family of Love and Peace. The series of Buddhist-Muslim dialogues he initiated in 2001 has been conducted in ten countries, including the UNESCO Paris and UN in New York. Father Leonel Narvaez is a Catholic missionary. He initially worked with the nomadic tribes in Eastern Africa and currently works in the forest of the South Amazon area of Colombia. In 2000, he established the Schools of Forgiveness and Reconciliation (ESPERE is the Spanish acronym). He was a key figure in the Goldin Institute's 2007 global gathering on the topic of reintegration of former child soldiers. Dr William F Vendley has served as Secretary General of Religions for Peace since 1994. He has mobilised and equipped religious communities in war-torn regions worldwide. He was a participant in His Majesty King Abdullah's historic interreligious meeting in Madrid, Spain in 2008 and has been requested by the Muslim World League to serve on its Follow-up Committee. Dr Vendley is also an advisor to US President Barack Obama. Reconciling Religious Values and the Universal Entitlement to Human Rights Helen Szoke Cardinal George Pell Mark Durie Judge Christopher Gregory Weeramantry Room 204 Panel Discussion In 2006, the State of Victoria introduced a Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities, and Australian legislators are currently investigating whether a similar charter or bill should be introduced at Federal level. This continues to be a subject of debate between religious and human rights leaders in Australia. During this presentation, Dr Helen Szoke will suggest that with a progressive approach, we can encourage human rights and religion to engage in dialogue as a way to reconcile what are seen as
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________________ PROGRAM Friday, December 4, 2009 2:30-4:00pm ENGAGEMENT SESSION of interreligious dialogue for the last three decades in India. He is also the founding member of the Parliament of Religions (Delhi 20071 and was awarded the National Communal Harmony award by the Government of India in 2009 Anna Halafoff is a researcher for the UNESCO Chair in Interreligious and Intercultural Relations - Asia Pacific, and the Global Terrorism Research Centre, School of Political and Social Inquiry, Monash University. She is a practicing Buddhist in the Tibetan FPMT tradition, differing cultural constructs. Cardinal George Pell, who is opposed to a Charter of Rights, will respond to Dr Szoke's statement, as will Jim Wallis and Judge C G Weeramantry. Dr Helen Szoke has extensive experience in regulation, management, policy and research in the health sector. She spent some time working in the area of consumer advocacy and working with community groups. including serving as a local city councillor. She is a former Chair of Women's Health Victoria, a member of the National Health and Medical Research Council Licensing Committee and a former member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Key Centre for Women's Health. Dr Szoke has post-graduate qualifications in public policy Cardinal Pell served as Archbishop of Melbourne before his appointment as Archbishop of Sydney. He attended the Asia-Pacific Interfaith Dialogue as part of the official Australian delegation Cardinal Pell's longstanding commitment to ecumenism was recognised in 1998 with the conterral of the Grand Cross of Merit of the Order of Saint Lazarus and in 2003 with his promotion to Ecclesiastic Grand Cross of St Lazarus, the Order's highest ecclesiastical rank. From 2001 to 2007, he served as the Order's National Chaplain. Dr Mark Durie is a human rights activist, theologian and pastor of an Anglican church. He has published many articles and books on the language and culture of the Acehnese, Christian-Muslim relations and religious freedom. A graduate of the Australian National University and the Australian College of Theology, he has held visiting appointments at the University of Leiden, MIT, UCLA and Stanford, and is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities Judge Weeramantry has been a lawyer, legal educator, international arbitrator and domestic and international judge. He has been Chairman of the Nauru Commission of Inquiry, Coordinator of the United Nations University Project on Technology and Human Rights, and President of the International Association of Lawyers against Nuclear Arms. He has written over twenty books and 200 articles on religious, legal and political topics Interfaith Engagement: Issues, Reflections and Prospects Douglas Pratt Rev Dr Dominic Emmanuel SVD Anna Halafoff Room 208 Seminar Where is interfaith engagement taking us? Where has it come from? What issues and possibilities does it present? Professor Douglas Pratt, Dominic Emmanuel and Anna Halafoff, three scholars of interreligious dialogue and interfaith relations from the Asia-Pacific region, will present their recent research findings. Professor Pratt will reflect on interfaith engagement from a Christian perspective while Fr Emmanuel will present his theory of dialogue. Ms Halafoff will discuss multi-faith movements and the politics of understanding. These presentations will form the basis of a discussion with the audience to answer these questions. Associate Professor Douglas Pratt has teaching and research inter ests in Christian thought, Istam and Christian-Muslim relations, and interreligious dialogue more generally. He is an ordained Anglican Priest and Canon Theologian Emeritus of the Waikato Diocese in New Zealand, With local, national and international involvements in interfaith activities, in 2007 he was honoured by the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand with a Harmony Award for meritorious service to the Muslim community Reverend Dr Dominic Emmanuel SVD, an Indian Catholic Priest, holds a PhD in Communication As Dialogue. He has been engaged in the work AMES: People, Programs and Pathways Catherine Scarth Susan Chou Allender Malou Pascual Anes Parsuram Sharma-Luital Margot Hennessy Room 209 Panel Discussion Adult Multicultural Education Services (AMES) is Australia's largest provider of settlement, education and employment services to refugees and newly arrived migrants and has operated in Victoria for over 50 years. This session focuses on the people working with refugees and the refugees themselves, looking at a range of unique programs that have been developed to facilitate the successful settlement and full participation of individuals, families and communities across Melbourne. These programs focus on life skills, settlement support, English language, work skills, work experience and community capacity building. The session will look at how these programs combine to provide individual pathways for clients building new lives in Australia. Catherine Scarth is General Manager AMES Community & Policy She has over twenty years experience in designing, implementing and evaluating a wide range of innovative community services and programs both in Australia and England. While with the Brotherhood of St Laurence, she developed a range of award-winning partnerships with Business and Government. With AMES, Cath continues to seek innovative ways to partner with employers to achieve positive employment and settlement outcomes for newly arrived migrants and refugees. She is also developing innovative solutions to intractable social issues, she is a founding board member of Social Traders, a new organisation aimed at fostering businesses that trade with a social purpose. Susan Chou Allender is General Manager at AMES Settlement and Community Guides Program. Susan has worked in the area of migrant and refugee settlement for over twenty years. She has extensive experience in strategic planning and policy development in AMES as well as research and program evaluation experience within the community and education sectors focusing on language acquisition, youth programs and cross cultural communication. More recently. Susan has focused on the re-settlement experiences of refugees and the factors impacting successful settlement outcomes during this process. This includes involvement in establishing several social enterprises and other bridging employment / social inclusion programs for new and recent arrivals to Victoria Malou Pascual Anes is Community Manager al AMES Community & Policy. Malou Pascual Anes has over fifteen years of experience in the Community sector. She currently works for AMES as Manager of the Community Unit. More recently, highlights of her work experience in the multicultural setting include managing a Migrant Resource Centre selllement service, setting up AMES Settlement service in the Western region, crisis counselling for victims of sexual assault and family violence, establishing community organisations, and developing a whole of council approach to cultural diversity www.parliamento religions.org 165
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________________ PROGRAM O Friday, December 4, 2009 2:30-4:00pm ENGAGEMENT SESSION Parsuram Sharma-Luital is Project Officer at AMES Learner Driver Program. Parsuram has over fifteen years of experience in the Agriculture and Horticulture sectors in Bhutan and Australia. He joined AMES to manage a market garden and then a Social Enterprise pioneering growing Shitake Mushrooms in logs in Victoria. Through the Social Enterprise, Parsuram helped his community and many others to train in Horticulture. Parsuram then went on to become a Project Officer for the Learner Driver program, working with different refugee communities across Victoria to help clients gain drivers licenses. Margot Hennessy has coordinated the AMES Youth Program for over 5 years. She has overseen the development of innovative and transitional youth programs in the South East and West, addressing the issues facing newly arrived refugee young people with interrupted schooling Margot has worked in education within the culturally and linguistically diverse sector for over 30 years. Her roles have included Centre Manager. coordination of Individual Learning Centres Site Coordinator, counsellor and classroom teacher. Margot is currently completing her Master of Education at RMIT which informs her thinking and practice Mother Nature Doesn't Do Bailouts - Daily Youth Workshop Amy Kean Stuart Hall Room 210 Interactive Workshop The environment is in crisis. And no other generation will be more affected by this crisis in the future than today's younger generation. So what can you do at home, in the workplace and in your own faith communities to minimise the impact of this global environmental reality? This interactive workshop will look further at the nature of the environmental problem; using climate change as an example it will explore the need for a global solution. Amy Kean is the General Manager at Pinpoint Earth. She has extensive experience in international clean energy policy and carbon markets and has worked in business, government and nonprofit entities. She estabLished the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership in South East Asia and Pacific and was the International General Manager at the Clean Energy Council. She has also participated in UN climate change negotiations in Bali and Kenya. Stuart Hall is the lead architect of the Tasmanian Baha i Centre of Learning. opened in the spring of 2009. The design of the building has won accolades for the attention paid to environmental sustainability through the innovative use of materials, the conservation of water and low energy consumption. of Christians and Jews: A Time for Recommitment: the Twelve Points of Berlin-A Call to Christian and Jewish Communities Worldwide. Each workshop participant will receive a copy of the document as a basis for discussion during the session. In addition, a speaker with long experience in Jewish-Christian relations will provide an Australian perspective, including an account of the history of Jewish-Christian dialogue in Australia and an overview of the current issues. Father John T Pawlikowski is Professor of Social Ethics and Director of Catholic-Jewish Studies at the Catholic Theological Union, University of Chicago. A priest of the Servite order, he is the author or editor of numerous books, including The Challenge of the Holocaust for Christian Theology. Christ in the Light of the Christian Jewish Dialogue Jesus and the Theology of Israel', and 'Reinterpreting Revelation and Tradition: Jews and Christians in Conversation Rabbi Ehud Bandel is Vice-President of the International Council of Christians and Jews and the former president of the Masorti Conservativel Movement in Israel. Active on human rights and interfaith issues, Rabbi Bandel served as executive director of Rabbis for Human Rights. Father Michael Trainor, a Catholic priest, teaches Biblical Studies at Adelaide School of Divinity, part of Flinders University in Adelaide. He is the former President of the Catholic Biblical Association of Australia and he has been chair of the Adelaide section of the Australian Council of Christians and Jews. Rabbi John Levi is a former Deputy President of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (2005) and is a Patron of the Council of Christians and Jews Australia). He was the first Australian to be ordained as a rabbi. Rabbi David Rosen is Director of the American Jewish Committee's Department for Interreligious Affairs and the Heilbrunn Institute for International Interreligious Understanding. He serves on several international interreligious organisations, Formerly Chief Rabbi of Ireland, he is the immediate past Chair of the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations, a broad-based coalition of Jewish organisations representing world Jewry to other religions. Recent Developments in Jewish Christian Dialogue Fr John Pawlikowski Rabbi Ehud Bandel Fr Michael Trainor Rabbi John Levi Rabbi David Rosen Room 212 Interactive Workshop This workshop, led by some of the world's foremost authorities on the subject, will discuss recent developments in Jewish-Christian relations. It will focus on the document published recently by the International Council New Directions in Asian Religions and Ecology on the Ground (Southeast Asia) Donald Swearer Padmasiri de Silva Sulak Sivaraska Dr Chandra Muzaffar Fachrudin Mangunjaya Room 213 Panel Discussion The countries of Asia are some of the most dynamic and rapidly developing regions on the planet. With a vibrant mixture of ancient religious traditions and modern industrialisation these countries are already helping to shape the future of the Earth community. Because of the size of this region in terms of both geography and population, some people are looking to Asia for new leadership in sustainability. How will present generations maintain a viable lifestyle that will not destroy the prospects for future generations? How will the resources of water, air, and soil be distributed equitably for sustainable agriculture and fisheries? How will newly emerging democracies contribute to qlobal governance? And most especially what role will religions play in answering such questions? Beyond 166 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions Jain Education Interational
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________________ PROGRA Friday, December 4, 2009 2:30-4:00pm ENGAGEMENT SESSION interreligious dialogue and the public university Sharon Kugler is Chaplain to Yale University and previously to Johns Hopkics University. She holds a Master's degree from Georgetown University. With twenty years of experience in higher education ministry. interfaith collaboration, and pastoral and social ministry. Sharon focuses on further cultivating a chaplaincy that defines itself by serving the needs of people who hold richly diverse religious and spiritual traditions. Sharon is past president of the National Association of College and University Chaplains and the Association of College and University Religious Affairs Imam Abdul Hai Patel shares an Islamic and multifaith perspective. He has the rich experience of chaplaincy in universities, police facilities, correctional facilities, hospitals and the military. He is Muslim Chaplain at the University of Toronto, Chaplain of the York Regional Police, a member of the Canadian Association of Police Chaplains, and President of the Ontario Multifaith Council, responsible for ensuring religious and spiritual care in jails, senior homes and hospitals in Ontario. He also sits on the Interfaith Advisory Council of Federal Jails. the allure of fundamentalism and the call of terrorism what are Asian religions offering toward a manageable future for humans and the Earth? This session will focus on Southeast Asia. Donald K Swearer is the Director for the Center for the Study of World Religions and Distinguished Visiting Professor of Buddhist Studies at Harvard Divinity School. He was previously the Charles and Harriet Cox McDowell Professor of Religion at Swarthmore College. His publications on Buddhism, comparative religions and interreligious dialogue include "Dialogue: The key to Understanding Other Religions and 'For the sake of the World: The Spirit of Buddhist and Christian Monasticism. Professor Padmasiri de Silva is a Buddhist philosopher in the Theravada tradition and has written a number of books about Buddhism in the modern context. He has held teaching positions in Sri Lanka, Singapore, the US and New Zealand, and is at present a research associate with the School of Historical Studies at Monash University. Sulak Sivaraska, of the Sant Pracha Dhamma Institute, is a Nobel Prize nominee and prominent Buddhist social and environmental activist in Thailand. He has founded numerous organisations and has been involved in Buddhist-Christian dialogue for decades. His books include 'Seeds of Peace: a Buddhist Vision for Renewing Society' and 'Loyalty Demands Dissent'. Dr Chandra Muzaffar is a political scientist and founding president of the Malaysian-based NGO International Movement for a Just World [www.just-international orgl, which seeks to raise public consciousness on the moral and intellectual basis of global justice. He also served as the first director of the Centre for Civilisational Dialogue at the University of Malaya, In addition to writings on civilisational dialogue, he has published extensively on religion, human rights, Malaysian politics and international relations. Fachrudin Mangunjaya (Rudyl graduated with a Bachelor's degree from the Faculty of Biology at the National University in Jakarta and was a graduate student in conservation biology at the University of Indonesia He is interested in bringing religion to bear to help conservation goals, Rudy is a member of the Harvard Forum of Religion and Ecology. He has also published more than 100 articles on the environment and conservation in the national Indonesia media. Developing a Dynamic Interfaith Movement for Your City or Area Paul Eppinger NV Shamasundar Gurukirn Kaur Khalsa John Giles Rev Dr Mitzi Lynton Rev Kyra Baehr Room 215 Panel Discussion This program will explain the main components of the Arizona Interfaith Movement (AIFM) and its 24 different faiths groups. Some of the educational elements include monthly faith forums and presentations to college and university classes, churches, mosques, synagogues and temples. Dialogue opportunities are enhanced by visiting places of Worship, the Experience Interfaith Dinner/ Dialogue Exchange and discussions initiated through our interfaith resource guidebook, Voices of Faith. Services include building Habitat for Humanity Houses and Youth Feed the Hungry workdays. A vital and integral component of our work in AIFM is the Arizona Golden Rule Educational Effort (AGREE). The common thread throughout world religions is the concept of the Golden Rule. AGREE is committed to sharing its philosophy and promoting its implementation through a state-wide educational effort. It initiated a State Resolution that proclaimed Arizona to be a Golden Rule State and to create Arizona license plates that proclaim 'Live the Golden Rule. The session will detail how AIFM is funded and supported and it will also present some of the challenges AIFM has faced as it has expanded. Being a University Chaplain in the 21st Century Patricia Blundell RSM Sharon Kugler Abdul Hai Patel Room 214 Interactive Workshop Chaplaincies in universities operate from many models and approaches and have adapted to the changing multicultural and multifaith contexts of university campuses. By exploring the possibilities for chaplaincy in the 21st century, chaplains and others will contribute to making a world of difference, particularly through exploring interreligious relations and dialogue. This workshop will explore visions for university chaplaincies in global multifaith contexts, focusing specifically on conditions for community. deepening spirituality, and encouraging personal transformation. The workshop's interactive format will include time for audience contribution and discussion. Dr Patricia Blundell RSM is Co-Chair, Asia Pacific Women of Faith Network, Religions for Peace, and President of the Tertiary Campus Ministry Association (Australial, the professional association of Australian University Chaplains. She is Secretary of the International Association of Chaplains in Higher Education and is Co-ordinating Ecumenical Chaplain at Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia. Her doctoral dissertation is on Paul Eppinger is the founder and executive director of the Arizona Interfaith Movement. From 1993 to 2002 he was executive director of the Arizona Ecumenical Council and in 1992 he directed A Victory Together, a campaign to establish the Martin Luther King holiday in Arizona. Dr www.parliamento religions.org 167 Jain Education Intemational
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________________ PROGRAM Friday, December 4, 2009 2:30-4:00pm ENGAGEMENT SESSION Eppinger graduated from William Jewell College, Princeton Theological Seminary, and San Francisco Theological Seminary. He was a missionary in Japan and the pastor of four different American Baptist churches, NV Shamasundar has been an active board member of the Arizona Interfaith Movement for many years Gurukirn Kaur Khalsa has been an ordained Sikh minister since 1974. She is also an artist and a poet. She wrote the book Pure Longing Fulfilled', which combines poetry and art in praise of One God. She is a past chair of the International Khalsa Council. Gurukirn Kaur and her family attend Gurdwara Sahib Guru Nanak Dwara in Phoenix, Arizona She has been an active Arizona Interfaith Movement board member for many years John Giles has been an Arizona Interfaith Movement board member for many years and a representative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Rev Dr Mitzi Lynton is the Congregant Care Minister and Chair of the Global Peace in Action Ministry at Creative Living Fellowship in Phoenix, Arizona, a co-leader of the Arizona Department of Peace campaign. She serves on the board of the Arizona Interfaith Movement. She is a co-author of a Religious Proclamation for Animal Compassion and also of Voices of Faith, a book written by 12 different faith leaders. Rev Kyra Baehr has been a Unity Representative and Vice President on the Arizona Interfaith Movement Board for many years. Kristen Hobby lives in Melbourne and works as a spiritual director and retreat leader. She recently sell published her first book titled 'Nurturing a Gentle Heart -- Exploring Spirituality with Pre-Schoolers. She has a passion for social justice and is a member of the Victorian Council of Churches Act for Peace Commission and a member of the formation team that trains Prayer Guides at Kilbride Spirituality Centre as part of the Week af Guided Prayer program. Chi Kwang is a Zen Buddhist who was born and raised in Perth. She spent fifteen years in a Zen Monastery in Korea, learning the chants and discipline of being a Buddhist nun. She now has her own monastery at King Lake Victoria). Melanie Landau is a lecturer at Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation at Monash University. She is currently completing her PhD on a feminist analysis of traditional Jewish marriage. She has studied and taught Jewish texts in Australia, Israel and the US. She has diverse interests including facilitating personal transformation and group processes as well as creating community across difference through learning, dialogue and ritual Bernadette Miles BTheol, GDAS (Organisational Dynamics! is director of the Campion Centre of Ignatian Spirituality in Kew. Victoria. She trained in spiritual direction after twenty years in business management and database consulting. Bernadette is married with four boys and is currently in her final year of a Masters in Applied Science Organisational Dynamicsl. Kava Schafer, MDiv, MA in Holistic Spirituality, certificate in spiritual direction, has worked as a hospice and bone marrow transplant chaplain for the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for nine years. She holds a certificate from Upaya Zen Center's "Being with Dying Program in contemplative Buddhist practice and is a certified Reiki Master Openness to contemplative spiritual practices across traditions characterises her interspiritual direction practice and her work as a chaplain. Lynette Dungan is a Minister of the Word and Sacrament within the Uniting Church in Australia. She received her formation as a spiritual director in the Siloam program at 'Heart of Life' in 1997. She is a spiritual director and a supervisor to people in ministry placements and at Wellspring. Lynette is part of the Australian Ecumenical Council for Spiritual Direction and has been a member of Spiritual Directors International since 2002 Peter Bentley is the director of the WellSpring Centre in Ashburton, Victoria. He is a retreat leader and spiritual director with a special interest in Art, Australian spirituality, and the Enneagram. Spiritual Companionship: Listening with a Grateful Heart Liz Ellmann Kristen Hobby Venerable Chi Kwang Sunim Melanie Landau Bernadette Miles Kava Schafer Lynette Dungan Peter Bentley Room 216 Interactive Workshop Leb Shomea in Hebrew means 'listening heart'. Come learn how the contemplative ministry and service of spiritual companionship, also known as spiritual direction or spiritual guidance, helps people of many spiritual traditions build respect for self, for others, and for God's sacred creation by listening with the heart. A multifaith panel of spiritual companions will share how to cultivate gratefulness through words, silence and sacred movement. Not only will the panel share the history and meaning of the contemplative ministry of spiritual companionship across religious traditions, but they will offer an opportunity to interact and to practise listening with a grateful heart. Together we will explore the role of compassionate listening in cultivating hearts of gratefulness. Liz Budd Ellmann, MDiv, serves as executive director of Spiritual Directors International Iwww.sdiworld.org), a multitaith global learning community. For twenty years, Spiritual Directors International has supported the ministry and service of spiritual direction or companionship through publications, educational contemplative programming, and outreach. More than six thousand members in fifty-three countries tend the holy around the world and across traditions, by offering compassion ate listening that encourages peace, justice, and the integrity of creation. There are No Back Row Seats in The Hoop of Life Kevin Locke Room 217 Artistic Performance Through the medium of the ancient Native American Hoop Dance, Kevin Locke presents a worldview that includes all cultures and all peoples. Lakota mystic Black Elk called this worldview the 'Great Hoop of Life'. Through words, music, and dance, this presentation will convey Kevin's own voice and the voice of his ancestors, who were stewards of the earth and a people committed to living with the land. This presentation will also emphasize the voice of the marginalized peoples. Historically, these peoples have created sustainable life systems, and knowledge traditions still exist within indigenous beliefs that can enhance our current efforts to create a sustainable world. Teaching through the domain of the arts, Kevin offers a program that will appeal to visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners by generating an experience that creates an awareness of our shared humanity. 168 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions Jain Education Interational
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________________ PROGRAM DE. Friday, December 4, 2009 Kevin Locke is a preeminent player of Northern Plains flute, inspiring Hoop Dancer, and cultural ambassador. A pivotal force in indigenous flute tradition, he has recorded 12 albums, including Earth Gift, winning Native American Music Award's 2009 Record of the Year. He has performed in 70 countries over 30 years. The National Endowment for the Arts awarded him a National Heritage Fellowship as Master Traditional Artist. In 2009 the Bush Foundation gave him their 'Enduring Visions Award". Caring Practices for the EarthAustralia and USA Green Faith Stacey Kennealy Rabbi Jonathan Keren-Black Dr Miriam Pepper Room 218 Training Session Many people feel powerless in the face of the grave threats posed by climate change, but there are practical things that we can do as individuals and communities to address this issue. This demonstration and seminar will equip participants with some basic tools and knowledge on ecologically sound practices and technology for homes, houses of worship, schools and other community gathering places. Participants will return to their communities knowing how to conduct a basic environmental audit and how to tinker with technology and behaviour in ways that affect a real reduction in power and water consumption, pollution and green house gas emissions. We will be linking this demonstration and seminar to examples found in faith communities locally and internationally. Stacey Kennealy is Director of Sustainability at GreenFaith, an interfaith environmental coalition based in the United States. She directs the GreenFaith Certification Program, North America's first interfaith environmental certification program for houses of worship. This unique program provides guidance, tools and resources to help congregations become religious-environmental leaders over a two-year period. Stacey also helps US faith-based groups 'green' their operations and educate their members about sustainable consumption habits. Ordained as Rabbi in 1988, Rabbi Jonathan Keren-Black has been at the Leo Baeck Congregation in Kew since 2003 and feels it is important to put prayer into practice His interests in environment and interfaith led to his co-founding the Jewish Ecological Coalition, the Jewish Christian Muslim Association of Australia, and GreenFaith Australia. Miriam Pepper is secretary of the multifaith network the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change, and a member of the Faith and Ecology Network. She is a founding member of Uniting Earthweb, and worships at Maroubra Junction Uniting Church in Sydney. She has a PhD examining Christianity and sustainable consumption. 2:30-4:00pm ENGAGEMENT SESSION The Future of Religion in Australia? Melbourne's Religious Leaders in Dialogue with Young People (Seminar 1] Archbishop Denis Hart Ms Isabel Thomas Dobson Ven Thich Phuoc Tan Rinchen Norbu Demetrio Zema Nathan Hunter Room 220 Seminar This first of two parallel seminars, which will have the participation of the Parliament's senior and youth patrons, will discuss the future of religion in Australia and across the world. Recent decades have seen a very significant decline in mainstream Christianity together with a huge rise in those without a religion. In addition, new religious movements have emerged, adding to the diversity of Australia's multifaith society. This will be a discussion session in which young people, both Christian and nonChristian, will direct questions to some of Melbourne's most important religious leaders. Archbishop Denis Hart is Chairman of the Bishops Commission for Administration and Information in the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference. He is a member of the Permanent Committee and of the Bishops Commission for Liturgy and vice-chairman of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy. In 2001, he was appointed Archbishop of Melbourne and received the Pallium in St Peter's Square, Rome at the hands of Pope John Paul II. Ms Isabel Thomas Dobson Isabel is the Moderator of the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania of the Uniting Church in Australia, Australia's third largest Christian denomination formed in 1977 when the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational Churches united. Isabel is a lay person with wide experience in the church at local, regional, state and national levels. She has been a teacher, political researcher, religious educator and presbytery minister. She is married with 3 young adult children. The Senior Venerable Thich Phuoc Tan was ordained in the Thien Thai tradition in 1981. He is currently the abbot of Quang Minh Temple and the president of the United Vietnamese Buddhist Congregation of Victoria. He is a vice president of the World Fellowship of Buddhists and a member of the Engaging Buddhism Committee. In 2008, Venerable Phuoc Tan was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in recognition of his services to the community. Rinchen Norbu is a Tibetan Buddhist and Youth Patron of the 2009 Parliament of the World's Religions. Demetrio Zema is Roman Catholic and is Youth Patron of the 2009 Parliament of the World's Religions. Nathan Hunter is an unordained minister in the Baptist Union of Victoria. He has a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Theology (Hons) through the University of Melbourne and the Melbourne College of Divinity, and is currently completing his Master of Theology through the MCD. He lives. studies and works with his wife Janine at Whitley College, the Baptist college of Victoria. www.parliamentofreligions.org 169
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________________ PROGRAM Friday, December 4, 2009 4:30-6:00pm OPEN SPACE OPENSPACE 4:30-6:00pm Peace at the Heart of the World Rev Angie Buchanan Dierdre Arthen Rev Andras Corben-Arthen Room 202 Religious or Spiritual Observance Leaders from a variety of Pagan paths come together in the old way, under the open sky, at this most potent and fruitful time of year to celebrate their connections with each other, with spirit and with all of creation. Pagan traditions acknowledge that all humans are one and the same with the Earth and honour our responsibility to care for her and all who are a part of her. At this Parliament, Pagans are gathering from many places to listen to one another and to work to heal the Earth to bring peace. The group invites people of all faith traditions to share in a ritual that has the same purpose. The ritual invites everyone to come together in the spirit of the Earth to open hearts, touch souls and take another step toward finding peace at the heart of the world. Rev Angie Buchanan is a Family Tradition Pagan. She is a founder and director of Gaia's Womb, an interfaith spirituality group for women, and Earth Traditions, a Pagan Church that also offers a Training Program for Pagan Ministry, Angie has been a presenter at a number of interfaith events, including the 2004 Parliament and the Buddhist Council of the Midwest Women's Conference. She has worked with CPWR as a Board Member since 2002 Rev Deirdre Pulgram Arthen is the Director of the EarthSpirit Community, a religious and educational organisation dedicated to the preservation of earth-centred spirituality, particularly the indigenous European traditions. She has been a leader in the Pagan community in the United States for thirty years and is known as a ritualist, musician, teacher and spiritual counsellor. She has offered presentations at the 1993, 1999 and 2004 Parliaments. Rev Andras Corban-Arthen is the spiritual director of the EarthSpirit Community. a religious and educational organisation dedicated to the preservation of Earth-centred spirituality, particularly the indigenous European traditions. He has been a presenter at many interfaith events, including the 1993 and 2004 Parliaments, and the 2007 World Interreligious Encounter. Of Hispanic descent, Rev Arthen teaches and lectures on the Indigenous European pagan religions throughout the US and abroad. All We've Got: A Documentary Film about Hope MaryCatherine Burgess Jung Wai Hoi Nurul Jihadah Hussain Tamara Knowles Vijay Ramnarace Di Williams David Wilson Room 104 Film and Discussion This experiential workshop centres around a 21-minute documentary film. Over the course of a year, students and staff explored and reflected on their efforts to address issues of religious, spiritual, and cultural diversity in their interactions at the University of Edinburgh Chaplaincy. Starting out as 'a year in the life of a multifaith chaplaincy, the film grew into a deepened appreciation for the importance of friendship and trust, an increased understanding of how significant it felt to be part of a 'caring community, and a greater respect for the challenges inherent in addressing questions that matter' and 'issues that concern' when faced with personal and collec difference. Participants share their thoughts and feelings regarding why this kind of dialogue and collaboration about difference is crucial to the world at this time in history. They represent male and female, ages from 20s to 80s, cultures from East and West, and religious and nonreligious perspectives. The film shows how a modern university Chaplaincy can provide a safe and supportive space for people from diverse backgrounds to find hope in sharing common ground and in appreciating their differences. The workshop will include interactive opportunities for participants to engage with topics generated in the film, reflect on their own experiences, and share responses with each other. Mary Catherine Burgess, PhD. is Associate Chaplain at the University of Edinburgh. Rooted in Vatican II Catholicism and cross-cultural shaman ism, she has extensive international experience facilitating spirituality and Divine Feminine retreats. She is learned in psychodrama, sociometry, and sociodrama training: shamanic learning and healing, and interreligious dialogue. Author of the book A New Paradigm of Spirituality and Religion, MaryCatherine integrates human relations skills, action methods, shamanism, counselling, and music into her work. Jung Wai Hoi, former President of the student Buddhist Society and recent Edinburgh University graduate, is from Malaysia and is the one who suggested making this documentary film. Nurul Jihadah Hussain is a fourth-year Edinburgh University student from Singapore who studies Arabic and genuinely shares her Muslim faith and her enthusiasm for interfaith. Tamara Knowles is Chaplaincy Assistant, providing welcome and support at the Chaplaincy drop-in space. She is from the US has two postgraduate degrees, and is happy to be a Christian. Vijay Ramnarace, a fourth-year student in Sanskrit, is a Hindu priest, Co-founder of the student Vedic Society, and member of the University's Chaplaincy Committee (advisory bodyl. Di Williams, Chaplain to the University, Anglican priest, and experienced labyrinth facilitator and master teacher, is the chaplain who first focused on the need for the Edinburgh University Chaplaincy to provide support for those of all faiths and none Sacred Sites, Sacred Solidarity: Working Session Room 103 This session is by invitation only and is designed for individuals and organisations currently engaged in furthering the international movement in support of safeguarding sacred sites. Whether involved directly in sacred sites or more broadly in the preservation of world heritage, this program will highlight the current work being done by each organization, as well as explore diverse views for moving the initiative forward in active collaboration. Stein Villumstad, Deputy Secretary General of Religions for Peace, will moderate this session. 170 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGRAM DE Friday, December 4, 2009 David Wilson, a Religious Studies PhD candidate, is a Christian Spiritualist medium and a member of the University's Chaplaincy Commillee, an advisory body of staff and students. New Muslim Cool Jennifer Maytorena Taylor, Producer/Director Room 107 Film and Panel Discussion Twelve years ago, Puerto Rican American rapper Hamza Perez renounced his life as a drug dealer and converted to Islam. Moving to Pittsburgh's tough North Side, he founds a religious community, rebuilds his shattered family, and, through his music, takes his message of faith to young people. But when the FBI raids his mosque, Hamza must confront the realities of the post-9/11 world and reach for a deeper understanding of his faith.. American filmmaker Jennifer Maytorena Taylor has won awards at festivals around the world, including two Emmys. Her credits include the documentaries Special Circumstances, Ramadan Primetime', 'Paulina. Home Front" and "Immigration Calculations. She has done several television series and short films, and held fellowships at the Banff Centre for the Arts, the Knight Center for Specialized Journalism, and the Sundance Institute Documentary Lab. She also serves as a guest lecturer and teacher in documentary film production. Listening With a Heart of Mercy Anthony Manousos Ruth Broyde-Sharone Noor-Malika Chishti Room 108 Interactive Workshop When we listen and speak to others with a heart of mercy. we create a positive connection with our dialogue partner that builds trust, inspires respect, facilitates openness and enhances communication. During this interactive workshop, we will learn how compassionate listening has been effectively used in difficult settings, such as Israel/ Palestine, and also in local interfaith contexts. We will open the workshop by watching a four-minute video called Listening With a Heart of Mercy', followed by a discussion to explore the challenge posed by a Haredi Rabbi: Can one remain loyal to religious beliefs while extending respect and compassion to devotees of other faiths? A short video segment of the Compassionate Listening Project will then show how others have used deep listening to create a space for reconciliation and healing. To close the session, participants will engage in the exercises they have observed, discuss how to deepen their own ability to listen compassionately, and examine how compassion for one another can expand to caring for the earth. Dr Anthony Manousos travelled to Israel/Palestine with the Compassionate Listening Project and serves on the Christian Interfaith Relation Committee of Friends General Conference and the Southern California Committee for a Parliament of the World's Religions. For twelve years, he was editor of Friends Bulletin, the official publica tion of Western Quakers, and he has edited several books, including Compassionate Listening and Other Writings by Gene Hoffman. Anthony has also written Islam From A Quaker Perspective'. 4:30-6:00pm OPEN SPACE A public speaker, documentary filmmaker and journalist, honoured internationally for her interfaith activism and her contribution to cultural education, Ruth Broyde-Sharone is a leader in dialogue with the US Muslim community. She travels frequently to college campuses to lead interfaith programs and screen her film God and Allah Need to Talk. Ruth. also serves as Partner Cities Associate for the Parliament of the World's Religions. Her new book, 'Minefields and Miracles: My Global Adventures In Interfaith, will be published in 2010 (www.filmsthatmatter.com). Noor-Malika Chishti serves as an authorised Representative of Pir Zia Inayat Khan, head of the Sufi Order International, and was ordained a Cheraga, or minister of Light, in the Universal Worship. Active in Muslim/ Jewish/Christian dialogue groups for many years, she founded a Muslim community in cooperation with the Village Church and a Jewish congregation. Their program of shared environmental and social action and shared holy days brings together members of the three Abrahamic faiths. Not in God's Name Paula Fouce, Director Dr Michael Beckwith Joseph Prabhu Room 109 Film In India in 1984, filmmaker Paula Fouce was trapped in the religious tumult following the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her own Sikh bodyguards. Her own life threatened, Fouce could not understand the horrifying conflicts so often spread in the name of God. Inspired especially by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Paula and a team of award winning filmmakers united to create this beautiful documentary on the search for tolerance. Paula Fouce is President of Paradise Filmworks and the director, writer and producer of 'Not in God's Name'. Sent by her university to Nepal to study art and philosophy, she became fascinated with Eastern religions. Not in God's Name' illustrates the importance of religious tolerance in our conflicted world and features leaders from seven different religions. Paula Fouce is President of Paradise Filmworks and the director, writer and producer of 'Not in God's Name. Sent by her university to Nepal to study art and philosophy, she became fascinated with Eastern religions. Not in God's Name' illustrates the importance of religious tolerance in our conflicted world and features leaders from seven different religions. Dr Michael Beckwith is Founder and Spiritual Director of the Agape International Spiritual Center. A co-founder and President of the Association for Global New Thought, Dr Beckwith is the originator of the Life Visioning Process. He is a noted author and international keynote speaker, and has been the recipient of the Gandhi-King-Ikeda Award and the Humanitarian Award of the National Council for Community and Justice. Joseph Prabhu is a Professor of Philosophy at the California State University at Los Angeles and the President of the Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy. He is also the author of Human Rights in CrossCultural Perspective' and 'Liberating Gandhi: Community, Empire and a Culture of Peace (forthcoming!. He is a Program Task Force Chair and Trustee of the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions. www.parliamentofreligions.org 171
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________________ PROGRAM DEST Friday, December 4, 2009 Enhancing Religious Leadership for the Future 1 of 3 Rabbi Dr Alon Goshen-Gottstein Room 111 What are the newest challenges of religious leaders, and how do they compare with challenges that are longstanding? What should be the goals of religious leaders be? How might religious leaders be trained in light of the above? This is the first session of a three-day open space workshop, based on study materials prepared by a recent gathering of leading interreligious scholars. The session is geared to religious leaders or those in training to become one and is limited to 30 participants. Advanced registration is required, along with a commitment to participate in the entire series. Alon Goshen-Gottstein is the director of the Elijah Interfaith Institute and director of the Centre for the Study of Rabbinic Thought, Beit Morasha College, both in Jerusalem. He was ordained a rabbi in 1977. Projects of the Elijah Interfaith Institute include the bi-annual meeting of the board of World Religious Leaders, the Educational Network, as well as the Jewish and the Muslim Theology of the Religious Other. South African Songs for the Soul Zain Bhikha and Band Room 201 Artistic Performance Please join Zain Bhikha and his South African group for an inspirational and intimate performance incorporating traditional Zulu Acapella songs, Islamic Nasheed and some soulful, new, acoustic tunes. Born in Pretoria, South Africa, Zain Bhikha is a singer-songwriter who has achieved fame as a performer of Nasheed songs. Bhikha has collaborated on albums with other artists, released several solo albums and performed around the world. He is a pioneer in the Nasheed genre and, as one of the first Islamic singers in the English language, he has opened the door for many other Muslim artists. Leaps Of Faith Nobuko Miyamoto Carla Vega Room 201 Artistic Performance A woman born both Jewish and Muslim wrestles with god; a comical superhero attempts to save people from their ignorance about the religious practices of others; a woman raised Catholic finds another mother in the Hindu tradition. These are some of the stories in the ensemble theatre piece Leaps of Faith. In a world where religious differences often become divisive and destructive, 'Leaps of Faith' dives into the swirling waters of religion and spirituality to explore how people of multidimensional cultures and religious identities can live side by side. 172 PWR Parliament of the World's Religions 4:30-6:00pm OPEN SPACE Developed through a highly collaborative process with artists of diverse faiths, 'Leaps of Faith weaves together personal stories, dance and music. Together the artists question contradictions, find humour in differences, and search for a common language to express unity within diversity. The aim of this performance is to deepen our resolve for justice by recognising the humanity in those different from us, and to build community across religious boundaries. Nobuko Miyamoto is a director, performing artist, songwriter, teacher, and Founder and Artistic Director of Creat Leap, which uses the performing arts to bring diverse cultures together. Since 9/11 her art and spiritual practice as a Buddhist have met around the goal of deepening understanding between people of diverse religions. Nobuko has received the Ford Foundation's Leadership for a Changing World award for her work in using art for social change. Protecting Religious Freedom & Sacred Sites: Examples from Indigenous Communities (Session 1) Christopher Peters, USA: Karuk, Moderator Jonas Trinkunas, Lithuania: Romuva Marcos Terena, Brazil: Terena Room 208 Panel Discussion In the first of two sessions, members of this panel will discuss why sacred sites are a necessary part of the spiritual life of their respective Indigenous communities. The spiritual beliefs and practices of most Indigenous peoples are land based. As such, sacred places are an essential part of the culture. There are many different types of sacred sites and while some bear the mark of the ancestors, another place might be the place of emergence or the home of an important deity. Sacred sites, therefore, can be a community's creation story. Various religious or sacred ceremonies are conducted at these sites and are blessed with songs, prayers, and other offerings. Chris Peters is the director of the Seventh Generation Fund for Indian Development, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to promoting and maintaining the uniqueness of Native peoples throughout the Americas. Chris Peters is the director of the Seventh Generation Fund for Indian Development, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to promoting and maintaining the uniqueness of Native peoples throughout the Americas. Jonas Trinkunas is Krivis (highest priest) of Romuva, the Indigenous pagan religion of Lithuania, and teaches ethics at the Vilnius Pedagogical University. In 1997, he was awarded the National Prize for his work and contributions in the field of Lithuanian culture. The main area of Trinkunas's activity is the revival and popularisation of the ancient Baltic faith of the Lithuanians. Marcos Terena is a professor of Traditional and Spiritual Knowledge of the Indigenous People and Coordinator of the International indigenous Forum on Biodiversity. He founded the United Indigenous Nations, the first Indigenous movement in Brazil and he was a leader in gaining recognition for Indigenous rights in the Brazilian Constitution. He is a spokesman for Indigenous rights for the UN and President of the Intertribal Committee and VIATAN, an Indigenous information centre.
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________________ PROGRAM Friday, December 4, 2009 Praying with Lior (Premier Film Series Selection) Room 210 Film Praying with Lior' challenges our beliefs about whom and how one speaks to God. The film follows Lior Liebling, a thirteen-year-old boy with Down's Syndrome nicknamed 'the little rebbe', for the four months that lead up to his Bar Mitzvah. The filmmaker brings to life a stirring story of how a community grapples with the particular gifts and handicaps of a special needs child, and how that child views meaning from his particular social location. A question and answer period will follow the film. The film was directed by Ilana Trachtman. Q&A to follow. Amerta Movement: the Gardening of Mandala Salam Suprapto Suryodarmo Room 212 Artistic Performance The main intention of the Joged Amerta movement work is to develop a way to lessen the sense of identification in art happenings through movement. Hence, it is more than an approach to improvisation; Joged Amerta is a practice cultivating an attitude towards life. The practice of Joged Amerta originates from the idea of 'from the garden back to the garden'. Improvisation begins with everyday movement, such as resting, sitting, crawling and walking, with variations to find other potential that is not yet awakened. Then, one chooses a composition based on the context of the environment and the ever-changing happenings surrounding it. Some movements include 'Circle', bowing in praying or spiritual language: 'Oval, purification in circulation or nature language; and 'Square', discussion in unity or human language. The goal is to offer oneself for the garden towards diversity in unity. Suprapto Suryodarmo founded his Padepokan Lemah Putih school in Mojosongo, Solo, Java in 1986. Since 1970, he has studied free movement, Vipassana and Javanese Sumarah meditation. He uses these practices in the nature, temple and human fields. For twenty years, Suprapto Suryodarmo has taught his Joged Amerta method and created ritual art in Indonesia, Europe, the US, Mexico, Australia, the Philippines, Japan and India. He is a founding member of Dharma Nature Time and Yayasan Dharma Samuan Tiga. Faith in Action: How Faith-Based Organisations Care for People in Need Jason Davies-Kildea Steve Denenberg Hyder Gulam Room 214 Seminar 4:30-6:00pm OPEN SPACE Social welfare services and community aid programs are being delivered by faith-based organisations around the world. This seminar draws upon recent research involving nearly fifty Christian, Jewish and Muslim services across the United States, the United Kingdom and Africa. It will include a discussion and slideshow presentation of Jason Davies-Kildea's recent Churchill Fellowship trip, visiting Christian, Jewish and Islamic services around the world. This program aims to promote greater appreciation of faith-based organisations unique methods of delivering vital services. Captain Jason Davies-Kildea is a Salvation Army officer currently appointed as Social Program Secretary for the Melbourne Central Division. Jason has a Master's degree in Theology and is currently studying for a Master of Social Science (Policy and Human Services) degree. In 2007, he was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to study faith-based social services internationally. Steve Denenberg is an English-born, Israel-trained social worker. He moved to Sydney in 1986 and later established Plum Partnerships, providing low-cost fundraising and profile raising' for Israel and Australiabased nonprofit organisations. In 2008 he became Executive Director of the Union for Progressive Judaism (UPJ). Steve has a Bachelor of Social Work from the Hebrew University, Jerusalem. He received the Centenary Award for services to the Jewish community, the aged, young people and people with disabilities. Hyder Gulam was born in Singapore and educated in Melbourne. He is a registered nurse, a qualified lawyer, an accredited mediator as well as a Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing in Australia. He has post graduate qualifications in business/management, law and nursing. He has served as an officer with the Royal Australian Air Force, both in Australia and overseas. He has published in areas such as trans-cultural nursing, health law, criminal law and military law. Hyder has also worked in indigenous health, paediatric nursing, aged care, as well as emergency and trauma. Prior to accepting a role with Logie-Smith Lanyon Lawyers, Hyder worked in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for one of the world's biggest law firms. Hyder practices mainly in the areas of Commercial & Corporate, Defence Procurement and Islamic Finance, Hyder is an Executive of the Islamic Council of Victoria, member of the Australian Red Cross - International Humanitarian Law committee, member of the Royal College of Nursing Australia (Vic), as well as co-founder of the Muslim Legal Network and the City Circle (2008 Revival) 12 Steps: A Complete, Non-Denominational Spiritual Path for the 21st Century Doug Childers Room 215 Interactive Workshop The 12 Steps were originally designed to free alcoholics from their self-destructive addiction. They subsequently were applied to address a wide range of problematic and self-destructive human addictions and behaviors. But the www.parliamentofreligions.org 173
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________________ PROGRAMA Friday, December 4, 2009 4:30-6:00pm OPEN SPACE 12 Steps are in fact a complete, rigorous spiritual path, comparable with any of the great spiritual traditions of mankind. Non-denominational, principle-based, without theology of any kind, the 12 Steps are compatible with all paths and traditions, and are sufficient, in and of themselves, to deliver all of the spiritual fruits and benefits promised by any of the great spiritual traditions. This program will describe the spiritual journey of the 12 Steps, and will reveal the Steps as a potentially radical, contemporary spiritual tradition for the 21st century. Doug Childers is a published author and meditation teacher. For 30 years, he studied and practiced 'Sadhana in several spiritual traditions. But his rigorous apprenticeship in the 12 Steps of Alanon/AA distilled the practices and understandings of spiritual life in a straightforward, practi cal, non-theological path of awakening to God consciousness through surrender, self-knowledge, and selfless service. Kava Schafer, MDiv, MA in Holistic Spirituality, certificate in spiritual direction, has worked as a hospice and bone marrow transplant chaplain for the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for nine years. She holds a certificate from Upaya Zen Center's 'Being with Dying Program in contemplative Buddhist practice and is a certified Reiki Master Openness to contemplative spiritual practices across traditions characterises her interspiritual direction practice and her work as a chaplain. Rev Jill Manton is a Protestant minister, in addition to parish ministry. she has been actively involved in ecumenical and interfaith activities for many years, including the interfaith seminars at the WellSpring Ecumenical Spirituality Centre in Ashburton, where she was the founding director. Now retired from fulltime ministry, Jill remains a member of the Council of Christian and Jews, with an ongoing commitment to interfaith activities and ecurrienical concerns. She maintains an active ministry of spiritual direction, retreat leadership and professional development of spiritual directors Nola Vanderfeen belongs to the Christian faith tradition and the Catholic denomination. She has great interest and involvement in Multi-Faith Relations. She is a past Convenor of the JCMA Women's Conference and belongs to JCMA Women's Group and the Catholic Interfaith Council and the Port Phillip Multi-Faith Council. She is a trained, active spiritual director, with membership in the Australian Council of Spiritual Directors and International Spiritual Directors. She finds great heart and life in the privilege of accompanying others in their faith life journey. A Listening Place Each Day Kristen Hobby Lynette Dungan Bernie Miles Kava Schafer Jill Manton Nola Vanderfeen Room 217 Interactive Workshop We welcome you to a safe place where you can simply be. This is a quiet place where you can sit and meditate or reflect on what has touched or challenged you throughout the day of the Parliament of the World's Religions. Spiritual directors will be available in this room: you may talk to them if there is anything you would like to share. Spiritual directors are trained to listen in a non-judgmental and respectful way and are available for people of all faith traditions. Kristen Hobby lives in Melbourne and works as a spiritual director and retreat leader. She recently self-published her first book, "Nurturing a Gentle Heart - Exploring Spirituality with Pre-Schoolers. She has a passion for social justice and is a member of the Victorian Council of Churches Act for Peace Commission. She is a member of the formation team that trains Prayer Guides at Kilbride Spirituality Centre as part of the Week of Guided Prayer program. Lynette Dungan is a Minister of the Word and Sacrament within the Uniting Church in Australia. She received her formation as a spiritual director in the Siloam program at Heart of Life in 1997. She is a spiritual director and supervisor to people in ministry placements and at Wellspring. She is part of the Australian Ecumenical Council for Spiritual Direction and has been a member of Spiritual Directors international since 2002 Bernadette Miles BTheol, GDAS (Org Dynamics) is director of the Campion Centre of Ignatian Spirituality in Kew, Victoria. She rained in spiritual direction after twenty years in business management and database consulting, Bernadette is married and is the mother of four boys She is currently in her final year of a Masters in Applied Science [Organisational Dynamics). Educating Religious Leaders for a Multi-Religious World: The Need for Multi-Religious Education for All Religious Leaders North American Theological School Students Room 218 Panel Discussion In this session, students and faculty will address the question, 'Why is multi-religious education needed in seminaries and theological institutions?' It will explore the various reasons why the issue of 'the religious other is impinging on the awareness of, and calling for new answers from, believers in all religious traditions. Among the different contexts that are stirring these questions and calling for new forms of interfaith engagement are the following: 1) Pastoral: the growing perplexity many ordinary believers feel about the reality and vitality of so many other religions, 2) Theological: how to reconcile an understanding of other religions with the traditional understanding of one's own, 3) Civic: the complexities of being good multi-religious neighbours' in societies that are becoming ever more multi-religious, and 4) Political: In a world in which religion is playing an ever more significant role in geopolitical relationships, religious believers feel the need to foster interreligious cooperation toward a world of peace, justice and ecological sustainability. This is part of a symposium entitled 'Educating Religious Leaders for a Multi-Religious World'. The Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions, with the support of The Henry Luce Foundation, has coordinated with fifteen theological institutions to explore ways to increase education for interfaith leadership in North American 174 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGRAM Friday, December 4, 2009 theological schools. Institutions strongly acknowledged the urgency of interfaith engagement and the preparation of a religious leadership equipped with knowledge and understanding of the plurality of faith traditions in the contemporary world. A Creative Exploration of the Sacred Feminine Meredith Tenney Kathe Schaaf Anne Fitzgerald Room 220 Interactive Workshop Individuals from religious traditions around the world have come to know and experience the Divine Mother. Her face is reflected in Kuan Yin, Tara, Shiva, the Virgin Mary, and many other forms that express the feminine aspects of deity. Her voice is often missing from formalised religion. We come together to honour and celebrate the Sacred Feminine. We will enjoy a creative, co-created exploration of the Sacred Feminine in the music, dance, poetry and song of many traditions. This program will provide an inspiring experience that promotes spiritual unity, empowers women as spiritual leaders, and acknowledges and celebrates the Sacred Feminine. This session may meet out of doors; please check for final details. Meredith Tenney is a visionary program developer. She has degrees in law, public health and nurse-midwifery. and was the Creator/Director of Adolescent Preventive Services, an innovative program for at-risk youth. She is a Urantia Book reader, who co-founded InnerLife International, Inc, a nonprofit organisation that trains spiritual leaders. She works internationally with women to build spiritual unity and foster a global sisterhood. Meredith Tenney is a visionary program developer. She has degrees in law, public health and nurse-midwifery, and was the Creator/Director of Adolescent Preventive Services, an innovative program for at-risk youth. She is a Urantia Book reader, who co-founded Inner Life International, Inc, a nonprofit organisation that trains spiritual leaders. She works internationally with women to build spiritual unity and foster a global sisterhood. Kathe Schaaf is one of the original co-founders of Gather the Women Global Matrix and served as President and administrator of that collaborative global community for five years. She currently anchors numerous collaborative conversations connecting women and women's organisations internationally, including six Gather the Women Congresses on six continents, a series of trans-partisan dialogues in 2008 and Constellations of Hope in November 2008, which brought together representatives of 40 North American women's organisations. Anne Fitzgerald is a co-creator of this session. 9:00-10:30pm EVENING PROGRAMMING EVENING PROGRAMMING 9:00-10:30pm Soldiers of Peace Room 107 Film Contrary to popular belief, there are fewer armed conflicts in the world today than ever before. However, the world is faced with new challenges, from climate change to a lack of fresh drinking water, to ever decreasing biodiversity, to diminishing oil reserves and an ever-growing population. This documentary film examines the different ways in which governments and individuals can face these problems-through war or peace. The film was directed by Tim Wise. www.parliamentofreligions.org 175
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________________ PROGRAM DET Saturday, December 5, 2009 Taking just-a-minute": Meditation on the Move Christine Westbury Kalvinder Shields Room 101 Religious or Spiritual Observance This session will present a creative and practical journey into the art of bringing meditation into the many activities of our daily lives. A great deal of our day is taken up with prosaic activities, and finding the time to maintain our spiritual observances while doing our routine tasks can be quite challenging. If we can maintain an elevated consciousness while we are at work, at home, or while doing mundane things, then we will be better able to achieve peace and happiness in all aspects of our life. The program will be interactive and fully participatory with movement and one-on-one interaction as well as group participation. There will be creative visualisation and guided meditations to take the participant into inner stillness. The session is part of just-a-minute-a global initiative that encourages people to experience the power of a peaceful and calm mind starting with just one minute at a time. The initiative is aimed at people from all faiths and backgrounds and for those who feel the need to quieten and re-energise their mind wherever they are, regardless of what they do or how busy their life is. Christine Westbury has been studying and teaching B K Raja Yoga meditation for the past 12 years. She currently coordinates their Fitzroy branch and oversees many of their Melbourne activities. She is on the advisory board for a Parliament of the World's Religions and has worked closely with interfaith groups, hosting numerous events. She works as a medical research nurse at Royal Children's hospital. Christine coordinated "just-a-minute' in Melbourne. Dr Kalvinder Shields currently holds the position of Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne. She has been a practitioner of Raja Yoga meditation, as taught by the Brahma Kumaris, for over 10 years. Integrating her professional responsibilities and a spiritual lifestyle, she is a facilitator of meditation retreats and has been conducting meditation sessions in the workplace for many years. Preksha Meditation Vinay Pragya Samani Akshay Prajna Room 102 Training Session Based on ancient texts, modern science and practical experience, Preksha meditation is a technique that changes attitudes, modifies behaviour and integrates the personality. It uses exercises such as relaxation, long breathing, alternate breathing and colour meditation to purify the emotions and consciousness. Preksha meditation enhances mental abilities and creativity, while strengthening willpower and the ability to achieve goals. During this training session, two Jain nuns will teach participants from all faith traditions how Preksha meditation can help them bring about positive change in their personalities and their habits. 8:00-9:00am MORNING OBSERVANCES Vinay Pragya is a Jain nun and disciple of H.H. Acharya Mahapragya. She holds a BSc and MA in Jainology, as well as an MPhil and NET. Her initiation was in 2002. She speaks several languages including Prakrit, Sanskrit, Hindi and English, and has conducted numerous international workshops and seminars. She has travelled throughout the United States. United Kingdom, and India. Samani Akshay Prajna is a Jain Nun and disciple of H.H. Acharya Mahapragya. She holds an MA in Jainology and was initiated in 1983. She has travelled to over thirty countries and speaks several languages including Prakrit, Sanskrit, Hindi and English. She has conducted numerous international workshops and seminars. Jewish Morning Observance - Saturday Jewish Participants Room 103 Religious or Spiritual Observance This morning prayer will be conducted by those who gather on this Shabbat at the designated place for prayer. Celtic Mysticism: An Introduction to its Arts and Traditions Michelle MacEwan Cath Connelly Room 104 Presentation, Observance, and Discussion This inspirational presentation features storytelling, healing, meditation and discussion based on the path of Celtic mysticism. It will explore family traditions in healing and spiritual work through sharing personal stories, healing journeys and initiations into the mystical pathway. It will also explore the relevance of the Celtic mystical path in the 21st century. The presentation highlights the importance of listening, sharing, and learning to hear and to trust the voice of the heart. It will present the concept of harmonising heart and soul, and how this awakens our instinct and power of sovereignty, enabling us to be co-creators of a sustainable, diverse and harmonious world. To achieve these goals, we must first experience and value our personal genius or creative spark. Our inner transformation occurs as we embrace our wisdom and find the courage to follow our own inner lights. By harmonising heart and soul, compassion for self, for others, and for the planet emerges naturally. Michelle MacEwan is a Celtic mystic and spiritual activist who continues a line of mysticism in the Scottish and Irish traditions. Descended from an ancient matriarchal lineage, over time Michelle has developed her own unique style of practising these arts. She has found a balance between the old and the new that complements life in the 21st century. Cath Connelly is an experienced workshop facilitator with a background in counselling, pastoral care and spiritual direction. Her current project involves exploring the Celtic figure of Brigid and her representations as Celtic Saint and as Goddess. Cath is a professional Celtic harpist who performs, records, teaches and facilitates harp and spirituality workshops throughout Australia. www.parliamentofreligions.org 177
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________________ PROGI Saturday, December 5, 2009 8:00-9:00am MORNING OBSERVANCES Given Life by Heaven and Earth: A Shinto Observance Rt Rev Yoshinobu Miyake Room 108 Religious or Spiritual Observance This program is a performance in the tradition of Konkokyo, a sect that has played a prominent role in the history of Shinto tradition. In the traditional Shinto worldview, 'Nature' stands as a higher concept than 'Kami (divine being). Kami as well as humans (and all sentient beings! are fully capable of bringing their primary powers into full play under the field of Nature (which could be restated as "Heaven and Earth'). After an explanation of this worldview, Rt Rev Yoshinobu Miyake will outline and perform the traditional Konko-kyo ritual together with traditionally attired, ceremonial assistants and musicians using instruments dating back a millennium and a half. Those assembled will pray in Japanese, the Shinto language, with a brief explanation to follow in English. At the end of the performance, in the resonant aftermath of the observance, Rev Miyake will explain in English both the Konko-kyo theology of salvation, and how the relationship it implies is collaborative in the work between Kami and human beings. Rt Rev Yoshinobu Miyake, Superior General of the Konko Church of Izuo in Osaka, Japan, was born in 1958 in a well-known Miyake family of Shinto priests. He studied at Doshisha University in Kyoto and Harvard University. Having been active worldwide in the field of interfaith dialogue for the past thirty years, he established Reinet Corporation in 1997 and served as General Secretary of the recent G8 Religious Leaders Summit. Gathering of the Spirit of Peace in All John Morton Leigh Taylor-Young Room 111 Interactive Workshop This workshop will present a series of meditations aimed at cultivating peace in the world, in our hearts, and in all of our activities. The meditation 'Gathering of Peacemakers' is designed to evoke the spirit of peace, leading to a beautiful visualisation where love is the catalyst for creating a healthy, balanced and peaceful planet. This meditation creates an opportunity to let go of the restrictions of the past and move to a nurturing and healing environment that cleanses, purifies, and promotes peace. In the meditation entitled 'Forgiveness: The Key to the Kingdom. participants experience the value of forgiveness as a daily practice which creates both love and peace in their lives. In the final meditation, 'The Spiritual Principles of Abundance and Prosperity. participants learn the deeper spiritual meaning of wealth, abundance, prosperity, and riches. The spiritual principles of seeding and tithing are presented as ways to bring a greater awareness of how God can be our partner in life. As they explore their own perceptions of all of these concepts, participants are given the opportunity to bring Spirit into these areas of their lives. John Morton, Doctor of Spiritual Science (DSS), is the current Spiritual Director of the non-denominational Church of the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness. As part of his ministry he has travelled extensively around the world facilitating programs in support of spiritual awareness, peace, and charitable causes. He regularly travels throughout the United States and the world to promote peace and to support people in finding the good in everything Leigh Taylor-Young is an award-winning actress and an international personality. With fifteen feature films and numerous television series to her credit, Leigh has also become a major spokesperson for many distinguished organisations. She has represented the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) as the keynote speaker in Nairobi, Kenya for the 20th Anniversary ceremonies of the Better World Society and the Institute for Individual and World Peace. Sri Sri Yoga: A Celebration of the Diversity in Yoga Bernice Bailey Room 110 Religious or Spiritual Observance Yoga transcends religion and culture. Its application is universal. Sri Sri Yoga, which was designed by His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, is a simple and joyful celebration of the diversity in yoga. It combines the essentials of yoga: breathing techniques, stretching and postures, meditation, relaxation and yogic knowledge. By incorpo rating all of these beautiful facets of yoga we are able to look beyond the level of the physical body and sharpen our sensitivity and awareness of subtler levels of existence. Sri Sri Yoga gives us a holistic approach to allend to the body, the mind and the spirit. transcends religion and culture-its application is universal. Bernice Bailey has 10 years experience as a yoga teacher and is as enthusiastic today as the day she started! With The Art of Living, Bernice has gained experience in the subtle aspects of yoga practices. Her yoga teaching style is energetic and light hearted with an emphasis on strengthening the body and mind. Bernice teaches Sri Sri Yoga at the Art of Living Centre at Abbotsford Convent. Mother of Compassion: Ancient Secrets to Inner Peace: Healing Our Earth, Our Faith, and Ourselves Sri Karunamayi Vijayeswari Devi Room 203 Religious or Spiritual Observance In this inspiring lecture, Sri Karunamayi will share the secrets of India's ancient philosophy of Vasudeva Kutumbam, which from time immemorial has emphasised universal togetherness: the oneness of all that ever is, all that ever was, and all that ever will be. Brief periods of meditation will provide tools through which participants of all faiths may realise such truths deeply within and unlock knowledge that can lead to increased compassion, understanding, and tolerance. Through the cultivation of such inner knowledge, our world can be transformed into the peaceful home for which we all yearn. 178 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGRAM D Saturday, December 5, 2009 Revered worldwide as an embodiment of unconditional motherly love, Sri Karunamayi has dedicated her life to the causes of world peace and universal welfare. She often says that her only work in this world is to remove the suffering from the hearts of all people. She does this through her kind, loving words of spiritual guidance and encouragement, her healing touch, her divine insight and her charitable work on behalf of India's poor. Respect for the Earth: A Morning Observance Marcus Braybrooke Sr Maureen Goodman Rev Johanna (Jopie) Boeke Rev Dr Richard Boeke Mary Braybrooke Room 204 Religious or Spiritual Observance Nothing less than a spiritual revolution is needed to do justice to our responsibilities for the environment. Respect for the earth is essential for social justice. Reducing our carbon footprint is not enough. We need a truly spiritual relationship to Nature, recognising our interdependence with all life. As Fr Thomas Berry said, 'we are earthlings. The Earth is our origin, our nourishment, our support, our guide. Our spirituality itself is Earth-derived. Astronauts tell us of the magical beauty of Earth as seen from space. Sacrifice, which in Nature is involuntary, is for humans a matter of choice. During this session, readings from different traditions will deepen awareness of Oneness with all life and the Source of Being, inspiring us to seek peace, to alleviate poverty and to protect the Natural world. To share in this spiritual revolution is today's exciting challenge to all people of faith. As Jane Goodall said, 'we are moving toward the ultimate destiny of our species-a state of compassion and love. The observance is arranged by members of the World Congress of Faiths, which has been a pioneer of interfaith celebration and prayer. Rev Dr Marcus Braybrooke, President of the World Congress of Faiths and Patron of the international Interfaith Centre, Oxford, is an Anglican priest who has been active in interfaith work for over forty years. He is author of many books, including 'A Heart for the World". Maureen Goodman has worked in interreligious dialogue for over 30 years. She currently serves on the Executive Committee of the World Congress of Faiths and was an advisory committee member of Respect -It's About Time, an initiative launched by HRH the Prince of Wales to bring together young people in Britain's faith communities. Rev Johanna Boeke is a native of the Netherlands and a Unitarian Universalist Minister. She is a past President of the International Association of Liberal Religious Women, The Rev Dr Richard Boeke was founding President of the US Chapter of the International Association for Religious Freedom and is a Vice President of the World Congress of Faiths. He is the author of 'God is No-Thing. His latest essay is Evolve or Explode? A Lesson From Darwin For Our Time. Mary Braybrooke is a Vice-President of the World Congress of Faiths and has worked for fifty years as a social worker in child care, in the community, and in hospitals. She has also published a research paper on the attitude of members of different faiths to organ transplants and presented a program on this subject at the Cape Town Parliament. At present she is working with people suffering from renal failure. 8:00-9:00am MORNING OBSERVANCES Global Meditation: Experiencing a Powerful Key To Healing, Transformation, and Empowerment Audrey Kitagawa James J Hurtak, PhD Ashok Gangadean Room 207 Religious or Spiritual Observance When we meditate, we connect to our spiritual nature. We become aware of that quality in ourselves that transcends the mind and when we become aware of it we can harness its constructive, creative power. Now is the time to meditate and pray for healing, transformation, and empowerment on a global basis. Regardless of individual belief, we each have a responsibility to the collective to make positive changes in ourselves and our world. During this meditation session, we will broadcast our collective energies to those parts of the planet that are most in need of healing. We will explore our planet as a multifaceted jewel. We will experience our connection to Mother Earth, who embraces all of us within her cosmic womb. We will acknowledge the human spirit as the one force that can travel around the earth and bring the light of love and the presence of peace to those who dwell in darkness and fear. Together, we can continue to inform and transform our world and our place within it as instruments of Divine expression. The meditation will use visualisations, sacred expressions and prayers from East and West. Participants from all faith traditions are welcome. Audrey Kitagawa is Co-Vice Chair of the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions, president of the Light of Awareness International Spiritual Family, adviser to the World Federation of United Nations Association and chair of the NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns, New York. A member of the advisory council for the Toda Institute for Peace and Global Policy Research, she also co-facilitates the United Religions Initiative United Nations Cooperation Circle. James J Hurtak, PhD, is the founder and president of the Academy for Future Science. He has worked in the fields of education, science and spiritual philosophy, applying each to the task of cross-cultural understanding. He is the author of more than 12 books in 15 languages, including his most recent work, End of Suffering, and his films include 'The Voice of Africa: A Study of a Zulu Shaman' and 'The Light Body'. Ashok Gangadean is Chair of the Department of Philosophy at Haverford College, Pennsylvania. He is Founder and Director of the Global Dialogue Institute, Co-Convener of the World Commission on Global. Consciousness and Spirituality, and a member of the World Wisdom Council. He coordinates the Annual Global Philosophy Forum, which brings together visionary and cutting edge thinkers from around the world. His latest book, Awakening the Global Mind, has been recorded for CD by Sounds True. www.parliamentofreligions.org 179.
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________________ PROGRAM DE Saturday, December 5, 2009 8:00-9:00am MORNING OBSERVANCES Laurence Freeman is a Benedictine monk of the Congregation of Monte Oliveto and Director of The World Community for Christian Meditation Born in England, he was educated by the Benedictines and studied English Literature at Oxford University. Before entering monastic life he had experience with the United Nations, banking and journalism. In the monastery he studied with his spiritual teacher John Main, who he helped to establish the first Christian Meditation Centre in London Invoking Inner Tranquility: Buddhist Chanting and Meditation Venerable Jian Wei Venerable Jian Hu Venerable Jian Tan Venerable Jian Zong Venerable Jian Ying Room 209 Religious or Spiritual Observance The graceful and subtle melody in Buddhist chanting resonates with our pure mind and permeates space with harmony and compassion. Using hand-bell, gong, and the wooden instrument muyu, Dharma Masters from Chung Tai Chan Monastery of Taiwan will offer a Chan (Chinese Zen) style Buddhist morning service. It will begin with chanting, followed by guided Chan meditation, and conclude with a dedication and blessing: May all sentient beings attain wisdom and be liberated from suffering. Venerable Jian Wei is the Vice Abbot of Chung Tai Chan Monastery and the Dean of the Chung Tai Buddhist Institute Iboth founded by the Grand Master Wei Chueh, a Zen Buddhism spiritual leader in Taiwan.) A Ph.D. in Material Science from National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan, he has taught Buddhism extensively to the monastic in Chung Tai and lay people at meditation centers and college campuses across Taiwan for over ten years. Venerable Jian Hu is a senior monk from the Chung Tai Chan Monastery in Taiwan. He is now the Abbot of the Chung Tai Zen Center in Sunnyvale as well as Buddha Jewel Monastery in Seattle Chung Tai's mission is to teach the truths of Buddhism and promote the practice of Chan Chinese Zen meditation. Venerable Jian Hu has conducted Zen meditation retreats and given lectures at meditation centres and universities throughout Taiwan and the US Venerable Jian Tan is the Vice Abbot of Chung Tai Chan Monastery (founded by the Grand Master Wei Chueh, a Zen Buddhist spiritual leader in Taiwan). He earned a PhD in Electrical Engineering from National Taiwan University and a Master's degree in English Education in the US in 2009. He has served as the Vice Abbot of Chung Tai Zen Center of Sunnyvale and has given teachings in San Francisco and Las Vegas Ven Jian Zong is the Abbot of the Houston branch of Chung Tai Chan Monastery, founded by the Grand Master Wei Chueh, a spiritual leader instrumental in revitalising Chan (Zen Buddhism in Taiwan. Since joining monastic orders in 1998 and prior to his current position, Master Jian Zong served as Vice Abbot of Chung Tai Chan Monastery: Abbot of Great Enlightened Monastery in Keelung, Taiwan, and administrator and instructor at the Chung Tai Buddhist Institute. The Art of Qur'an Recitation: Sharing Wisdom in the Search for Inner Peace Hajjah Maria Ulfah Room 212 Religious or Spiritual Observance In this session, world-renowned Qur'an reciter Hajjah Maria Ulfah will offer the art of Qur'an recitation as a medium through which wisdom can be shared in the search for inner peace. This session is one of six in a series of Muslim observances on the Qur'an scheduled across the six days of the Parliament. Each session will include beautiful Qur'anic recitations, clear translation, and illuminating exegesis around a different Parliament subtheme each day. This series will show how the subthemes of the Melbourne Parliament are all issues of shared concern to Muslims, as they are at the heart of Islam's social conscience. Hajjah Maria Ulfah is a lecturer and Vice Rector of the Institute for Qur'anic Studies in Jakarta, Indonesia. In 1980, she won both the national Qur'an recitation competition in Jakarta and the international Qur'an recitation competition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. As a professional Qur'an reciter, she has appeared all over Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe, North America, Australia and Japan. Observance Session with Father Freeman Laurence Freeman Room 210 Religious or Spiritual Observance In this session, Fr Laurence Freeman, OSB, Director of The World Community for Christian Meditation, will speak about the essential Christian meaning of meditation as well as its potential for spiritualising a new global consciousness. He will describe the methodology of this ancient practice and participants will then enjoy a period of meditation. The session will conclude with questions and discussion. Solstice Sites and Celebrations Patrick McCollum Room 214 Religious or Spiritual Observance A variety of ancient and contemporary sacred sites with Solstice alignments are in use today for celebrations that help humans deepen their connections with each other, the Earth, and the greater Circle of Nature of which we are all a part. This presentation begins with an international look at sacred sites used for celebrating the Summer and Winter Solstices and some examples of the ways the Solstices are celebrated today by practitioners of a variety of Nature religion traditions. This program will include discussion and some ritual, including a Solstice meditation and chant for world peace. Patrick McCollum is the Director and Chair of the National Correctional Chaplaincy Directors Association, and statewide Wiccan chaplain for the California Department of Corrections. McCollum has taught Pagan Chaplaincy Training at the Leadership Institute, part of Circle Sanctuary's annual Pagan Spirit Gathering. He is the National Coordinator of the Lady Liberty League Prison Ministries Program and a member of the National Advisory Council of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. 180 PWR Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGRAM DE Saturday, December 5, 2009 Awakening Meditation Ken Mellor Room 215 Religious or Spiritual Observance The aim of this observance is to integrate seven simple steps that promote awakening. The first step is Noticing: cultivating awareness of the inside and the outside. The next step is Accepting: accepting the presence of what we are aware of. The following step is Experiencing: opening to the impact of awareness, so we live our responses fully. Next follows Grounding: acknowledging and sensing the physical with every experience, giving our primary attention to physical sensations inside and physical things and events outside. The next step is Centring: aligning with the observer/witness in our systems. Combined with grounding, we are in the 1-Am-here-and-now. Then comes Cherishing: responding with tenderness, love, caring and gratitude to all experiences. The final step is Divining: repeating a mantra or sacred word of our own choice, for example, Om, Love, God, Freedom, Life or Liberation. The observance will involve a brief presentation, followed by a guided meditation. At the end of the meditation there will be ample opportunity for questions, clarification and discussion. Written material on this practice will be handed out at the end of the session. Ken Mellor is a spiritual mentor and master and a trained psychotherapist. With his wife Elizabeth, he trained for 27 years with three Indian Masters. In 1984, he co-founded Biame Network, a spiritually oriented, non-profit, educational organisation with members and associates in more than 30 countries. He has introduced thousands of people to meditation and bases what he teaches on what he has learned from his own practice. He lives with his wife in Australia. Meditation as a Therapy: How Traditional Techniques Translate into Modern Healing lan Gawler Room 216 Interactive Workshop Traditionally, meditation has been focused primarily on spiritual realisation. Only in the last few decades have great pioneers like Dr Ainslie Meares, Dr Herbert Benson and Jon Kabat-Zinn given new emphasis to meditation as a therapy. In recent years, strong, research-based evidence has emerged demonstrating the value of meditation for both physical and psychological healing. Meditation is widely accepted by Australian GPs as a complementary therapy; it has been taught to medical students at Monash Medical School in Melbourne for nearly ten years. While in Western culture meditation is often presented in a secular context, the great spiritual traditions offer the benefit of vast experience and extraordinary lineages in this field. It is on their shoulders that a whole new sphere of healing has opened up in the West. This workshop will present the latest research findings as well as instruction based upon years of experience with teaching meditation. Questions and discussion are encouraged. The session will also include the practice of group meditation. 8:00-9:00am MORNING OBSERVANCES Dr lan Gawler, OAM, Founder of The Gawler Foundation, is a pioneer in the therapeutic application of mind/body medicine and meditation. A long-term cancer survivor, lan established Australia's first lifestyle-based cancer self-help group over 25 years ago. He works intensively with cancer and MS patients and conducts meditation retreats and wellness programs. He is an author and a student of Sogyal Rinpoche. Initially trained in Veterinary Science, Dr Gawler holds a Master's in Counselling. Zoroastrian Daily Morning Prayers and Worship: Day 1 Ervad Kaivan Antia Ervad Armin Dumasia Room 218 Religious or Spiritual Observance Following a brief introductory narrative on Zoroastrianism, the Zarathushtis will perform the daily morning 'Kusti Padyab ritual. First, they will tie and untie the Kusti (hollow woollen cord) worn around their waists, while reciting the farajayat (requisite) prayers. Then they will recite Atash Nyaish (Hymn to the Light Divine) and demonstrate the Jashan ceremony (a commemoration for the Parliament). The worship will end with the group singing a Monajat [devotional song) and offering a short explanation of the worship service. Chasni (fruits and malido, a sweet dish made with flour, sugar and butter displayed during the Jashan to symbolise Ahura Mazda's creation) will be served to all participants, subject to receiving permission from the authorities. Ervad Kaivan Antia is a Zoroastrian priest. He completed his studies and rituals at Athorvan Madressa in Mumbai. Ervad Armin Dumasia is a Zoroastrian priest. He completed his studies and rituals at Vatcha Gandhi Fire Temple In Mumbai. Observance in the Haudenosaunee Prophecy and Spirituality Jake Swamp, USA: Mohawk Room 219 Lecture The Haudenosaunee are also known as the 'People of the Longhouse'. Six nations make up this confederacy: the Mohawk, Oneida, Seneca, Onondaga, Cayuga and Tuscarora. They are the oldest living participatory democracy on earth. The Prophecy speaks of a peacemaker who will come and will help to bring the People to a time of peace and sustainability. This is following the wretched times of war, hatred, rape of the environment and attempts to destroy the People. Planting trees of Peace has been a part of rituals to work on returning the earth to a state of living sustainability. There is much to learn from the People who helped to form the laws of a young United States. Jake Swamp is employed with the Men for Change Program, part of the lethini'sten:ha Family Violence Shelter. He is a former leader of the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation and was directly involved in the creation of the Akwesasne Freedom School, an acclaimed Mohawk language immersion school that has been an inspiration to many First Nation peoples in the United States and Canada. www.parliamentofreligions.org 181
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________________ PROGRA Saturday, December 5, 2009 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION INTRARELIGIOUS 9:30-11:00am Climate Change as a Concern for Justice Dr Martin Kaplan Dr Benjamin Burber Plenary Hall Panel Discussion Mary Robinson, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, explains the seven key points on climate justice that serve as the centerpiece of the Report on Guidelines for Climate Justice, recently released by the Global Humanitarian Forum. To cast the current debate on climate change in terms of justice is to identify both those most responsible for the current crisis and those who bear the brunt of its impact. The relevance and practicality of these key points have become the basis of a call for a global alliance of leading public figures and organizations of civil society advocating for a just response to climate change. The key role that religious and spiritual communities can play in supporting justice as a fundamental rubric for advocacy on climate change, and the practical ways in which these communities can connect international discussions with grassroots realities, will be explored. Neeti Aryal Khanal is a Lecturer of Sociology at Tribhuvan University in Nepal. The Australian Leadership Awards Scholarship 2008 enabled her to study at Monash University. Her Master's thesis explores the motherhood experiences of women involved in armed conflict in Nepal. Apart from her research, Neeti is also passionate about issues of sustainability and religion, women and spirituality, women's development, and youth leadership. Pandit Gowrishankar Subramanian is a Vedic scholar with Master's degrees in Sanskrit, astrology, and bharata shastra with special research focus in the area of akasha tarka shastra (sound vibration energy). Pandit is the author of many research works relating to Vedas and Shastras. He has participated in many international conferences including the World Religious Congress for World Peace at Kazakhstan. He has addressed many international academic institutions including Oxford University and Cambridge University Dadhiram Khanal is principal of Hindu Vidyapeeth Nepal-Thali, a charity-based school in Nepal, which is working to promote values based education. He is a yoga teacher and practitioner who has shared yoga teaching with people of different nationalities and age groups. He is interested in issues of spiritual education for children, and in working for sustainable religious and cultural practices for the benefit of future generations. Hindu Meditations for the Earth Swarnalata Rangarajan Neeti Aryal Khanal Pandit Gowrishankar Subramanian Dadhiram Khanal Room 101 Panel Discussion Hindu traditions contain powerful methods of meditation that can help us acquire a deeper and wider vision of our place in the cosmos and membership in the community of life. In this program, expert presenters will deal in detail with three different contemplative and ritual approaches that aim to heal our relationship with nature. These are: (1) Use of the Shri Chakra Yantra and other mandalas (diagrams which symbolise both the wholeness of the cosmos and of the human psychel; a 'mandalic consciousness' overcomes the illusion of ego-separateness and leads towards reintegration. (2) Receptivity to Cosmic Energy, which, as described in the Vedas and Shastras, is the force of the universe and of our lives; this force grows in us through self-control and right action. (3) Chanting and 'biocentric' ritual practices of multireligious Nepal, which carry a message of the sacramental value of nature and through worship of plants and animals demonstrate that humans are not superior to nature but a part of it. Challenge of Shinto: An Approach to Living Together in Diversity Rev Munemichi Kurozumi Room 104 Shinto is the indigenous religious tradition of Japan, and thus the original form has no founder, no doctrine, and no sacred scripture, yet its tradition remains deeply rooted in Japanese society today. Rituals and ceremonies are regarded as important, centering around a deep sense of gratitude towards all kinds of blessings from the nature that sustains our existence. This lecture explains one of the main and essential aspects of Shinto and interprets the universality and openness of Shinto, which may possibly contribute to peace in the world. In the latter part of the lecture Rev Kurozumi introduces his concrete efforts of interreligious dialogue and cooperation for world peace that reflect Shinto's openness and broad-mindedness. Rev Munemichi Kurozumi was born as the first son of the present 6th Chief Patriarch of Kurozumikyo Shinta in 1962. In his capacity as the Vice Chief Patriarch, he has devoted himself to providing spiritual guidance to people within and outside his group, and has been energetically involved with various local, national and international initiatives. He has taken part in many interreligious gatherings and interfaith dialogues. The Divine Feminine Mary-Faeth Chenery, Moderator Sr Joan Chittister Mother Maya Ven Karma Lekshe Tsomo Phyllis Curott Room 105 Panel Discussion Female divinity, or feminine aspects to the divine, can be found in many religious traditions. This interfaith panel, with speakers from the Buddhist, Christian, Hindu and Pagan religious traditions, will offer thoughts and experiences from these traditions, as well as consider theological and social issues of gendering the divine. For Swarnalatha Rangarajan is Assistant Professor at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Madras, India. She is deeply interested in Ecosophy, Buddhism and Hinduism. She is editor of the Indian Journal of Ecocriticism and is currently working towards a novel with an econoetic focus. 182 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ PROGRAM Saturday, December 5, 2009 some women and men, the Divine Feminine is a source of strength and balance. For some, the feminine aspects of the divine are foundational to their religious practice. For some, redressing the current imbalances of the world-of excessive greed, polarisation, isolation and environmental destruction-requires a new or renewed connection to the feminine energies of the divine. Divinity may be seen as essentially transcending gender, but is often interpreted through gendered social constructions. What reflections and resources does the Divine Feminine offer those who seek relationship with divinity envisioned as female? Mary-Faeth Chenery holds a Master's degree in Management and a PhD in Psychology. Following a university teaching career of around three decades, where she taught in the fields of outdoor education and qualitative research methods, she moved to the area of spiritual education, where she now does editing, teaching and community development for the cause of global peace. She is the Australian coordinator for the work of the Global Peace Initiative of Women. Joan Chittister, OSB, is a noted national and international lecturer who focuses on women in church and society, human rights, peace and justice, and contemporary religious life and spirituality. In addition to being the executive director of Benetvision, a centre for contemporary spirituality located in Erie, Pennsylvania, she is author of 22 books, including Illuminated Life: Monastic Wisdom for Seekers of Light' and 'The Story of Ruth: Twelve Moments in Every Woman's Life". Mother Maya is the spiritual head of the Wise Earth School of Ayurveda. As one of only a small circle of women to become Vedic monks (Swamil she brings her healing and wisdom to such projects as the Mother Om Mission (MOM), a charitable organisation in Guyana that teaches Wise Earth's unique inner-medicine healing to at-risk communities. Under the name Maya Tiwari she has written several books, including her latest, Women's Power to Heal through Inner Medicine". Karma Lekshe Tsomo is Associate Professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of San Diego, where she teaches Buddhism, World Religions, and Comparative Religious Ethics. She studied Buddhism in Dharamsala, India for fifteen years and received a doctorate in Philosophy from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She is president of Sakyadhita: The International Association of Buddhist Women and director of Jamyang Foundation, an initiative providing educational opportunities for women in developing countries. Phyllis Curott is a Wiccan Priestess and pioneering spiritual teacher of Women's Mysteries and the Divine Feminine. An attorney and author, New York Magazine described Curott as among the culture's most intellectual, cutting-edge thinkers, and Jane Magazine honored her as 'One of the Ten Gutsiest Women of the Year. Curott is the founder of the Temple of Ara, president emerita of the Covenant of the Goddess, and a Trustee of the Council for the Parliament of the World's Religions. Religious Unity and Nonviolence. HH Amrender Muniji Room 106 Forum This lecture will offer strategies for the adoption of nonviolence in daily living. The speaker, a Jain monk with extensive study in Hatha Yoga and Kundalini Yoga, will highlight practices that foster the nonviolent way of life. Topics will include: mantra recitation for the purification of daily conduct and spiritual elevation; the importance of yoga for healthy mind and body, the application of Lord Mahavir's teachings for enlightenment, and the need for awareness of our daily acts of karma. The concepts of Apararigraha (non-possessiveness) and Anckaantvaad (multiple reality of truth) will receive attention, as will the idea of living in harmony with the environment and respecting nature. His Holiness Amrender Muniji is one of the few Jain monks who travel outside of India to preach nonviolence. He was initiated at the age of fourteen. He holds a Master's degree in Philosophy and Sanskrit, and is a scholar of Hindu, Jain and Buddhist Scriptures. He has undertaken intensive study, practice and teaching of Hatha Yoga and Kundalini Yoga. His dedicated service to mankind has been recognised by several organisations. 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION History of the Inupiat: Nipaa Ilitqusipta/ The Voice of Our Spirit (Premier Film Series Selection) Room 107 Film The Voice of Our Spirit follows individuals, young and old, who struggle with the loss of language in their own personal way. For a long time now I have been wondering why I don't speak my language, says Dora 'Aluniq Brower of Barrow, Alaska, in the film's opening minutes. 'I would always hear it around me because my parents and my grandparents were speaking, but when it came to us children they would speak to us in English. It wasn't expected of me to speak back in Inupiaq'. The film chronicles Inupiat history that spans 150 years, starting with the epidemics, followed by the missionaries and what happened to the Inupiat children with the establishment of a boarding school. The film was directed by Rachel Naninaaq Edwardson. Q & A to follow. Reviving Indigenous Spirituality: Reclaiming Strength and Identity (Session 2) Francois Paulette, Canada: Dene, Moderator Tsugio Kuzuno, Japan: Ainu elder Nana Osei Boakyewa Yiadom II, Ghana: Akuapem Room 108 Panel Discussion For most Indigenous communities, spirituality cannot be separated from culture. However, Indigenous spiritual beliefs and practices have been a special subject of persecution over the centuries. These pressures have caused some sacred rites and ceremonial activities to move from the public into the private sphere. Policies of assimilation and cultural pressures have separated Indigenous peoples from their spiritual practices. In this session, panel members will explore the ways in which their respective Indigenous communities are maintaining or reviving their unique spiritual beliefs and practices. Francois Paulette is a Dene Suline and member of the Smith's Landing Treaty 8 First Nation. He became the youngest chief in the Northwest Territories Indian Brotherhood. In 1972, along with other chiefs, he challenged the crown to recognise treaty and Aboriginal rights. He served on the National Indian Brotherhood Treaty Implementation Committee, the Assembly of First Nations Renewal Commission, and the Parks Canada Aboriginal Consultative Committee and has spoken internationally on Dene history and Aboriginal rights. Tsugio Kuzuno is an Ainu elder and spiritual speaker from Shizunai, Hokkaido, Japan. Mr Kuzuno is noted for winning first prize in the 2nd Ainu Oratorical Contest in November of 1998. This is an event that brings www.parliamentofreligions.org 183
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________________ PROGRAM Saturday, December 5, 2009 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION participants, students, elders and the community together to get in touch with the Ainu language and culture. Nana Osei Boakyewa Yiadom II. a noted African leader, is one of Ghana's queen mothers. Among the first African women to be elected vil lage chief, she is a fellow with the UN Institute for Training and Research, working on a project on refugee women. Since 1986, she has served as a consultant on the UN Decade for Women, an advisor to the Committee on African Women's Affairs, and president of the Pan African Human Rights Association Poverty in Wealthy Countries: Challenges Ahead Jim Wallis Tim Costello Katherine Marshall Setri Nyomi Room 109 Panel Discussion The economic crisis and catastrophes such as Hurricane Katrina, unrest in suburban Paris, and Australia's fires highlight that poverty is alive and real in the world's wealthiest societies. For millions of people in societies of great wealth, hunger is a daily reality, and hope is in short supply. This session will focus on why inequality cndures and increases and will take stock of where and how religious leaders and institutions can best serve as advocates and leaders of social change. Additionally. it will consider the request of the Uppsalla Interfaith Climate Manifesto 2008 for 'binding cuts for the rich world on top of their domestic obligations; according to the principles of responsibility and capability countries should pay for international cuts in addition to their own domestic initiatives'. How can climate change be addressed without further impacting the poor? Jim Wallis is a best selling author, public theologian, speaker and international commentator on faith and public life. He is the author of 'The Great Awakening: Reviving Faith & Politics in a Post-Religious Right America' and 'God's Politics: Why the Right Gets it Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It'. Wallis speaks around the United States, and his columns appear in major newspapers, including The New York Times and Washington Post Tim Costello is a leading Australian voice on social justice issues, having spearheaded public debates on gambling, urban poverty, homelessness, reconciliation and substance abuse. As CEO of World Vision Australia, Tim has insisted that the issues surrounding global poverty be on the national agenda, World Vision serves nearly 100 million people worldwide. Tim's awards include Victorian of the Year, Officer of the Order of Australia, Victorian Australian of the Year, and the Australian Peace Prize. Katherine Marshall is a Senior Fellow at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and Visiting Professor in the Government Department and the School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University. She leads the Berkley Center's work on faith-inspired institu tions working in development, involving a series of regional background papers and consultations with academics and practitioners, and a series of reviews of development topics. Rev Dr Setri Nyomi is the General Secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC)--the first non-European to serve in this position. He comes from Ghana, and has studied in the University of Ghana and Trinity Seminary in Ghana as well as Yale University and Princeton Theological Seminary in the USA. WARC is the global umbrella body of Presbyterian, Reformed, Congregational, Waldensian and some United and Uniting Churches Asian Conference of Religions for Peace (Religions for Peace Asia) Dr Din Syamsuddin, Moderator Dr Lilian Sison Sunggon Kim Theophilus Bela Azril Mohd Amin Des Cahill Room 110 Seminar The Asian Conference of Religions for Peace, also known as Religions for Peace Asia, is the world's largest regional body of religiously inspired people working for peace, harmony and the well-being of people in their own countries, in the Asian-Pacific region and across the world. The Asian Conference of Religions for Peace, in tandem with its partner and parent, Religions for Peace International, works to coordinate the various Asian religious heritages in pursuing peace and interreligious harmony based on the tenets of truth, justice, compassion and the transcendent dignity of the human person. This seminar will discuss the work of ACRP, building on the statement and recommendations for action from the October 2008 assembly in Manila. It will also focus on selected countries and their interfaith contexts. The session will be led by the ACRP moderator, Prof Din Syamsuddin (Indonesia) and the ACRP deputy moderator, Prof Des Cahill (Australia) Dr Din Syamsuddin is an author and president of Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's largest modernist Muslim social and educational organisation. He is vice general chair of the Indonesian Ulama Council, professor of Islamic political thought at the National Islamic University in Jakarta, and moderator and a president of the Asian Conference on Religion for Peace, based in Seoul Dr Lilian Sison is chair of the Asia Pacific Women of Faith Network, Religions for Peace; a member of the IWCC Global Women of Faith Network, and dean of the Graduate School of the University of San Tomas, Philippines. Dr Sunggon Kim, a member of the South Korean Parliament, 15 Secretary General of the Asian Conference of Religions for Peace Theophilus Bela is secretary general of the Indonesian Committee on Religion and Peace IICom RPI and founding chairperson of the Jakarta Christian Communication Forum (JCCF). He also cofounded Catholic Solidarity for Democracy in Indonesia, an NGO. Azril Mohd Amin, a lawyer by profession, is currently the Chairman of Islamic Outreach ABIM, an agency under the patronage of the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia. He has extensive involvement in interfaithbased initiatives, in particular through the World Council of Muslim for Interfaith Relations (WCMIR) and the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia - ABIM - where he was vice president for international affairs (2003-2009). He is currently vice moderator of the Asian Coordinating Team, World Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP) and has presented views at several of its events, including at the recent International Summit of Religious Youth Leaders on Disarmament for Shared Security held in Kathmandu in July 2009. He lives in Malaysia with his wife and three children Desmond Cahill, Professor of Intercultural Studies at RMIT University in Melbourne, is chair of Religions for Peace Australia and deputy moderator of Religions for Peace Asia. He is the Melbourne program director for the current Parliament. 184 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGRAM DE Saturday, December 5, 2009 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION Krishna Consciousness and the Environment Dr Yadunandana Swami Taraka Sticha Bhakata Dasa Room 111 Panel Discussion Since its founding in 1966 by His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), also known as the Hare Krishna Movement, has developed both an environmental ethic and effective environmental programs. In this panel, senior international leaders of ISKCON will discuss the principles of sustainability and the ecological worldview of the Hare Krishna movement, based on the Vedas, Bhagavad Gita and Vaishnava tradition. Hungarian ISKCON members will describe the practical application of these principles of sustainability in their sixteen-yearold 'eco-village' where they live as a religious community seeking to establish self-sufficiency. The session will also discuss other rural communities and environmental programs of ISKCON, including those in Krishna's birthplace in India. It will also highlight the importance of vegetarianism and its benefits for the environment. Dr Yadunandana Swami is a Brahminical Priest and renunciate in the Vaisnava Hindu tradition. He is also a senior leader in ISKCON and a Minister of Educational Development. He is principal of Bhaktivedanta College in Belgium and has dedicated much of his teaching efforts to environmental issues including global warming Her Grace Taraka devi dasi has a BA in Education and the Visual Arts and is also a Brahminical Priest within the movement. She is ISKCON Australia's main presenter on environmental issues. Bhakata Dasa, or Albert Lange, is a meditation teacher and Brahminical Priest within the Hare Krishna Movement with 30 years of experience. He is a director of the Hare Krishna Food for Life program in Australia, which on a weekly basis provides thousands of free or low cost nutritious vegetarian meals to those in need. He also established Gopals Vegetarian restaurant in Melbourne. He is an enthusiastic advocate for vegetarianism and animal rights. never before into a contemporary musical style and idiom. Sheikh Kabir was able to draw upon his many years of experience translating and interpreting Rumi, conveying Rumi's voice, images, and metaphors into English lyrics. Erika's virtuoso guitar, and the melodic skills of Lisa and Erika together create a soulful resonance culminating in a sonic experience that stretches across cultures and time, singing to our universal heart. Erika Luckett is an internationally acclaimed artist who has collaborated with environmental organisations as well as those striving to expand human consciousness and open the heart. From her performance at the 20th Anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize Forum, to being honoured as One of the 100 Most Outstanding Women of the Year' by both The Jewish Post and Modern Woman Today Magazine, Erika Luckett shows the power of music to transform and unite people across the planet. Lisa Ferraro's voice has graced diverse venues from jazz con and festivals, to conferences on spirituality and sacred houses of worship A prolific recording artist and performer, she has released seven albums to date and continues to deepen and expand her artistic expression, Dynamic in her performances and gifted in her ability to touch hearts and move audiences, Lisa Ferraro delivers her music with authenticity. passion and a generosity of spirit, Om Shanthi Om Shobha Sekhar Kalakruthi Senior Students Room 201 Artistic Performance This devotional music performance is arranged and presented by Mrs Shobha Sekhar who is an Indian Classical Vocal and Veena artist of international repute. The Veena is one of the world's most ancient stringed instruments and is mentioned in the Vedas. Om Shanthi Om is the musical offering at the Parliament of the World's Religions by Shobha. OM reverberates with the first sound that emanated from the Earth. Shanthi means Peace in Sanskrit. The program content is steeped in Yoga techniques and includes spiritual and meditative elements drawn from Hindu chants and also inspired by other faiths such as Buddhism, Jainism and Zoroastrianism. Shobha will be accompanied by her students, both Vocal and Veena, as well as the Indian Drums that will embellish the soulful music with rhythmic structures. Although Classical Indian Karnatic Music has its roots in Hinduism, it has branched out to neighbouring countries and beyond. Harmony and social cohesiveness through music is this presentation's theme. Shobha Sekhar is a journalist and the Artistic Director of Kalakruthi School of Music, Melbourne She is the recipient of the 'Award of Excellence in Multicultural Affairs from the Victorian Multicultural Commission. She has been honoured with several grants from the Commonwealth Government of Australia and Monash Council for her re search into innovative methods of teaching and mentoring young talents in Australia. She is also a session lecturer teaching undergraduate music students at NMIT, Melbourne. The Kalakruthi students have been mentored by Mrs Shobha Sekhar for several years. Their performances during Kalakruthi Annual Events have received accolades from discerning audiences. They have also won prizes in music competitions held in Australia in almost all categories. On the Way of Love: Ruby Performs Music Inspired by Rumi Erika Luckett Lisa Ferraro Room 201 Artistic Performance The qualities that have made Rumi the best-selling poet in the world during recent decades, the earthy intimacy combined with a sublime heart are now finding their consummate musical expression through Ruby, an ensemble comprised of Sheikh Kabir Helminski lauthor, translator, musician and representative of the Mevlevi order of Sufism), Erika Luckett (vocalist/guitarist) and Lisa Ferraro (vocalist). Perhaps the greatest spiritual poet of all time, a troubadour of universal love, Rumi has been brought as www.parliamentofreligions org 185 For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGRAM Saturday, December 5, 2009 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION Professor Burhanettin Tatar is the official representative of the Presidency of Religious Affairs of Turkey at the 2009 Parliament. He is a professor at Ondokuz Mayis University, in the faculty of Theology and the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies. He is also a member of the Higher Committee of Religious Affairs. Burhanettin Tatar received his PhD degree from the Catholic University of America in 1997 Islam and Politics: Faith, Governance and Society Anwar Ibrahim Dr Tariq Ramadan Dr Siti Musdah Mulia Dr Fahad A Alhomoudi Dr Mahdi Mostafavi Dr Burhanettin Tatar Room 202 Panel Discussion A Buddhism for Today: Introduction to Rissho Kosei-kai Rev Yasutomo Sawahata Gene Reeves Room 203 Interactive Workshop What is the role of faith and governance in majority Muslim societies like Malaysia? How does this affect how politics take shape? What happens if the society is also secular or multi-religious, or if it highly values religion as having a primary role in nation building? In this session, Mr Anwar Ibrahim, an internationally respected Muslim leader and politician, will address these issues. Respondents will include voices from Saudi Arabia (Prof Fahad Alhomoudi), Turkey (Prof Burhanettin Tatarl, Indonesia (Dr Siti Musdah Mulia), France (Tariq Ramadan) and Iran (Ambassador Dr Mahdi Mostafavi)-all countries that are challenged with the question of the role of faith and governance in society. Anwar Ibrahim was Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia from 1993 to 1998. Highly respected for his principled stance against corruption and his skilful management of the Malaysian economy as finance minister during the Asian financial meltdown, Anwar spearheaded the Asian Renaissance movement and remains a leading advocate of civilised dia logue aimed at bridging the gap between East and West. He is currently Leader of the Opposition in the Malaysian Parliament and is a member of the advisory board of the International Crisis Group. Dr Tariq Ramadan is Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies at Oxford University, in the Oriental Institute of St Antony's College. He is also a member of the Oxford Faculty of Theology and a Senior Research Fellow at Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan. He has contributed substantially to the debate on the issues of Muslims in the West and Islamic revival in the Muslim world. He is currently President of the European think tank, European Muslim Network (EMN), in Brussels. Active at both the academic and grassroots levels, he lectures throughout the world Dr Siti Musdah Mulia has been a research professor at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences ILIPI) since 2003. She also lectures at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta. Since 2007, Dr Mulia has been the chairperson of the Indonesian Conference on Religion for Peace, an NGO actively promoting interfaith dialogues, pluralism and democracy She is the author of many books and an activist for democracy, human rights and gender issues. Dr Fahad A Alhomoudi obtained his PhD in Islamic Law from McGill University (2006). He was appointed a Vice-Dean for academic research at Imam University in Saudi Arabia (2007) and was awarded a Fulbright scholar award (2008). In addition to his native Arabic, Athomoudi speaks English and French and can read Persian. Alhamoudi has published two books and several articles. His research covers Islamic Law. Environmental Law, Prophetic Tradition, and Interfaith Dialogue. Dr Mahdi Mostafavi is the advisor to the Iranian President and the President of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization, the organisation responsible for Iran's cultural relations with the rest of the world. Dr Mostafavi holds a PhD in Strategic Management. He has been the Iranian Ambassador to Austria, Permanent Representative of Iran in the UN Office in Vienna and UNIDO in Germany, Deputy Foreign Minister and the President of the Department of International Affairs of the Office of the Supremne of Iran. He has many books to his credit. Rissho Kosei-kai is a Buddhist organisation composed of ordinary men and women who have faith in the Buddha and strive to enrich their spirituality by applying his teachings in their daily lives. At both the local and international levels, they are very active in promoting peace and well-being through altruistic activities and cooperation with other organisations. With its headquarters in Tokyo, Rissho Kosei-kai now has some 2 million member households in 245 churches throughout Japan and other countries. In this workshop, Dr Gene Reeves and Rev Yasutomo Sawahata will discuss Rissho Kosei-kai in talks as well as a slide presentation. Discussion is planned and questions will be welcomed. Rev Yasutomo Sawahata is a third generation member of Rissho Kosei-kai (RK). He graduated from RK Seminary in 1993 as a Dharma Teacher Since 1994 he has promoted interreligious dialogue and cooperation through multiple interfaith organisations and events. He served as RK's representative at the Geneva Office from 2004 to 2008. He holds a Master's degree in Peace and Justice in Religion from the Eartham School of Religions. Gene Reeves is a Buddhist scholar, philosopher, teacher and writer living in Tokyo. His most recent book is a translation of the Lotus Sutra. He has taught at universities in China, Japan and the US, and currently serves Rissho Kosei- kai as international advisor and special minister. He is a founder of the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions and has been active in international interfaith organisations. Ecological Wisdom: Towards a Sustainable and Peaceful Ecology Harbans Lal Dharma Master Hsin Tao Awori Moody Devinder Singh Chahal Pal Ahluwalia Tatiana Anderosov Room 204 In the recent concern about the environment and climate change, scientific discourse has dominated the debate. Incontrovertible scientific evidence has demonstrated the devastating effects that have wreaked havoc upon the earth resulting in calamitous natural disasters such as tsunamis, hurricanes and earthquakes. In this session, panellists will discuss why the sacred and the secular have been so starkly separated in this debate. Panellists will explore issues of ecological wisdom that are embed 186 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions Jain Education Intemational
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________________ PROGRAM Saturday, December 5, 2009 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION ded within diverse faith traditions. A central concern is to explore the ethical responsibilities that imply a duty of care for the earth. The relationship between science and religion will also be explored. Zoroastrianism: Its Stewardship for All Creation, The Animate and Inanimate Rohinton Rivetna, Moderator Rashna Ghadialy Dr Homi Dhalla Homi Gandhi Pervin J Mistry Room 208 Respect for creation and service is the framework of the Zarathushti faith. The practitioner is enjoined to be a Hamkar (co-worker) of Ahura Mazda to move creation to a blissful stage called Frasho Kereti. This makes Zarathushtis uniquely conscious of the environment. The presentation will explore this aspect of the faith and how this Zarathushti imperative may be utilised to promote stewardship of the environment in other faiths. Every faith has scriptural injunctions that need to be researched and explored. Actual examples will be offered of the types of programs that can be implemented within faith communities to promote respect for the environment. Rohinton Rivetna is the founding president of the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America and a founding trustee of the Council for a Parliament of World's religions. He spearheaded the found ing of the Zoroastrian Association of Chicago and also helped establish the World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce. Professionally, Mr Rivetna retired in 1997 as Director of Environmental Engineering at American National Can Corp, where he established a successful environmental engineering department. Rashna Ghadialy is an American Zarathushti of Pakistani descent. She is a demographer, environmentalist and Reiki practitioner. Her current environmental focus is in permaculture and community and corporate level sustainability reporting and planning in the United States. Rashna was the chair of the 2002 North American Zoroastrian Congress in Chicago and has served as the Board Member of the Zoroastrian Association of Metropolitan Chicago. She is an active member of Faith in Place, an interfaith environmental group that helps religious communities become sustainable Homi Dhalla holds an MA from Harvard and a PhD from Mumbai University. He has represented the Parsi community at various international conferences, focusing on issues of peace, ecology, human rights, and interreligious dialogue. He was awarded the Mother Teresa National Award for Interfaith Harmony in 2007. As the Founder-President of the World Zarathushti Cultural Foundation, Homi has initiated various cultural projects for the Parsi community Homi D Gandhi is the co-chair of the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA) Interfaith Activities Committee and is FEZANA's main representative to the United Nations. Pervin J Mistry graduated from the University of Bombay with honors in philosophy. She participated in the Second Parliament of the World's Religions held in Chicago in 1993. A student of comparative religions. Mistry has written articles for religious magazines and participates in Zoroastrian congresses and interfaith discourses Yoruba Worship of the Earth and Veneration of the Environment Wande Abimbola Ifaboyede Michelle McElwaine Ogunin hun Abimbola Room 209 Panel Discussion Indigenous African religions such as Yoruba, Vodun, and Akan are well known for their abiding interest in the sanctity and preservation of the environment. As far as these religions are concerned, the earth and the forces of nature are greater than humans and therefore it is our sacred obligation to honour them. This is why animals, trees. mountains, earthquakes, and rainbows are the focus of everyday worship and veneration. In the Yoruba religion, the earth, whose name is Ifa, is an important Orisa (divinityl. Ifa is a female divinity worshipped by many people. When people swear oaths in Yorubaland, they either swear in the name of Ogun, the divinity of iron and justice, or they swear in the name of Ifa. This panel will discuss various aspects of the environmental consciousness of Yoruba religion, as practiced in West Africa and in the African Diaspora. It will also examine the all-important issue of respect, with particular reference to qender issues. It will demonstrate how living in harmony with nature and our fellow humans, despite differences of race and religion, can lead to sustainable development and peace in the world. Professor Wande Abimbola is the current Awise Agbaye, or spokesperson of Yoruba Religion in the World. He was formerly Vice-Chancellor of University of Ife Inow Obafemi Awolowo University. Ile-Ife from 1982-1989. Senate Majority Leader for the Federal Republic of Nigeria from 1992-1993, and Special Adviser to the President of Nigeria from 2003-2005. Professor Abimbola has taught at Harvard University and Boston University. He is currently President of the UNESCO-sponsored Ifa Heritage Institute, Nigeria. Ifaboyede Michelle McElwaine Oguninhun Abimbola is a Lecturer at the Ifa Heritage Institute in Oyo, Nigeria where she doubles as an assistant to the president. She holds degrees in Religious and Women's Studies and a Master's Degree in Applied Linguistics. In Oyo, Nigeria, Ifaboyede was initiated as an Iyanifa, priestess of Ifa, and she is actively involved in the practice and propagation of Ifa. She also has an extensive background as an anti-racism/cultural competency trainer. The Warfare is Over: Science and Spirituality as Allies for the sake of the Planet (Session 1] Philip Clayton Peter Doherty Praveen Chaudhari F Leron Shults Denis Edwards Pauline Rudd Room 210 Panel Discussion The religious traditions will not be able to heal the earth by themselves. Among the various allies we will need, scientists are perhaps the most important. The knowledge of science, combined with the wisdom and motivating power www.parliamento religions.org 187
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________________ PROGRAM DES Saturday, December 5, 2009 of religion, form a partnership that alone will enable us to overcome the challenges that our planet faces today. This is the first of three coordinated sessions on the topic of science and spirituality. A grant from the International Society for Science and Religion enables us to bring leading figures in this field to present and to discuss with the audience. These scientists and religious practitioners will describe how science and spirituality are similar, how they are different, and how they can work in harmony. The later two sessions, Science, Spirituality, and Overcoming Religious Conflict' and 'Science, Spirituality, and Environmental Activism', will then focus on how the partnership can have a positive effect on concrete issues in the world. After an opening presentation on the global dialogue between science and religion today, Peter Doherty, winner of the Nobel Prize for Medicine, will present on the global environmental crisis. Following his talk, a panel will engage in a time of open dialogue with the audience. Philip Clayton is Ingraham Professor at Claremont School of Theology and Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Claremont Graduate University. He specialises in conflicts and connections between the sciences and religion, with particular focus on the biological sciences and the environmental crisis. He is the author or editor of seventeen books and over 100 articles, including the recent 'Oxford Handbook of Religion and Science' and 'In Quest of Freedom: The Emergence of Spirit in the Natural World'. Peter Doherty is one of the world's leading medical researchers. Among many other honours, Doherty received the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1996 for his work on the immune system, and he was named Australian of the Year in 1997. In recent years, he has lectured widely on the global environmental crisis. Dr Chaudhari received his PhD in physical metallurgy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He joined IBM in 1996. In addition to carrying out his personal research, he has held various management responsibilities in science and technologies. He retired from IBM in 2003 and became the Director of Brookhaven National Laboratory until 2006, when he returned to science. Dr Chaudhari has published over 160 technical papers and holds over three dozen patents. F LeRon Shults is professor of theology and philosophy at the University of Agder in Kristiansand, Norway. A leading authority on science and theology, he has published some ten books and dozens of articles in the field. Shults is the editor of the Brill book series 'Philosophical Studies in Science and Religion and scientific director of the Transforming Compassion project at Stiftelsen Arkivet, a peace-building institute in Norway. His other current research interests include ethics, desire, differentiation and religious symbolism. Denis Edwards is professor of theology at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia. An ecological theologian, he has published widely on the interactions among ecology, environmental science and religion. Among his best-known books are 'Breath of Life: A Theology of the Creator Spirit'. The God of Evolution: A Trinitarian Theology, and Jesus and the Cosmos. He will soon publish 'The Holy Spirit and Ecological Theology". Prof Pauline Rudd, BSc, LRIC, MA (Oxon), PhD, one of the world's leading molecular biologists, is head of the Dublin-Oxford Glycobiology Lab in Dublin, Ireland. She is Honorary Professor at St George's Hospital, London; is affiliated with the SAB Rega Institute for Medical Research, University of Leuven; and is Founding Scientist at Wessex Biochemicals (Sigma London). Rudd is a lay member of the Community of St Mary the Virgin in Oxfordshire and an internationally sought-after speaker on the world's mystical traditions. 188 PWR- Parliament of the World's Religions 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION Working with Self, Benefiting Others Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche Kelvin Koay Stanley Chun-Wei Lee Room 211 Panel Discussion Local religious practitioners will share and discuss how we can balance working with ourselves and benefiting others. Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche, President and Spiritual Director of Kagyu E-Vam Buddhist Institute in Melbourne and the E-Vam Institute in upstate New York, will discuss the importance and impact of interfaith dialogue and the benefits such dialogue brings to all spiritual practitioners. In the second part of this program the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation will moderate discussion focused on how the Tzu Chi way is to walk into the community to help those in need to make the world a better place to live. The aim is to start influencing people around you and your community into engaging work that can help other people, and the earth, such as environmental protection and charity within the community. Through the act of helping others and the earth, we learn from it, and uplift our spirituality. Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche is President and Spiritual Director of Kagyu E-Vam Buddhist Institute in Melbourne and E-Vam Institute in upstate New York. He was recognised as the ninth incarnation of the Traleg line by His Holiness the XVI Gyalwa Karmapa and was accorded the title Kyabgon, a significant distinction retained by only a few lineage holders of the Tibetan tradition. Rinpoche has been a leader in Australia in interfaith and Buddhist intrafaith dialogue for over twenty-five years. Kelvin Koay is a Medical Science student in Melbourne University. Kelvin, who is Malaysian Chinese, was inspired by the teachings of Master Cheng Yen to come to Melbourne to study medicine in 2006. At the age of 8, he became actively involved in volunteer work of Tzu Chi Foundation in Malaysia. Kelvin is currently the president of Tzu Chi Collegiate Youth Association in Melbourne. Stanley Chun-Wei Lee comes from a family of Chinese descent. Born in Taipei, Taiwan in 1983, his family migrated to New Zealand in 1995. He has a BS with honours and MS in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Auckland, and is working toward a PhD in Melbourne. Stanley joined Tzu Chi Collegiate Youth Association in 2002, inspired by the wisdom of Master Cheng Yen. He considers being a Tzu Chi volunteer a lifetime mission. Thomas Berry and the Great Work of Our Time Mary Evelyn Tucker John Grim Christopher Key Chapple Anne Marie Dalton Room 212 Panel Discussion The renowned cultural historian and geologian, Thomas Berry, passed away in June of this year at age 94. For decades, he brought a vision of hope and inspiration to so many around the world through his articulation of a new story for our time. He viewed the evolution of the universe, of Earth, and of humans as an immense journey through time. From this unifying journey story he urged us to
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________________ PROGRAM DE Saturday, December 5, 2009 take up the Great Work of creating a sustaining ecological civilisation for future generations. Each person and each religion can contribute to this great transforming work. The panellists will explore Thomas Berry's legacy and show a brief video of his reflections on our critical moment. Mary Evelyn Tucker is a Senior Lecturer and Senior Scholar at Yale University, where she has appointments in the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, the Divinity School, and the Department of Religious Studies. Specialising in Asian religions and ecology, she has been a committee member of the Interfaith Partnership for the Environment at the United Nations Environment Program since 1986 and is a member of the Earth Charter International Council. John Grim is currently a Senior Lecturer and Scholar at Yale University. He is Coordinator of the Forum on Religion and Ecology with Mary Evelyn Tucker, and series editor of World Religions and Ecology, from Harvard Divinity School's Center for the Study of World Religions. He has taught at Bucknell University and Sarah Lawrence College and is widely published on the subjects of religion and ecology. Christopher Key Chapple is Doshi Professor of Indic and Comparative Theology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. He received his PhD in the History of Religions from Fordham University. A founding member of the Forum on Religion and Ecology (Yale University), Chris has published more than a dozen books on the religions of India, many with a focus on Hinduism and Ecology. He edits the journal 'Worldviews: Global Religions, Culture, and Ecology' (Brill). Anne Marie Dalton is a professor of religion and culture at Saint Mary's University, Halifax, Canada. She teaches and researches in the areas of religion and ecology, science and religion, and religion and development. She completed her doctoral thesis on the work of Thomas Berry. Anne Marie has participated in environmental, community-based projects in China, Vietnam and Mongolia. Her latest work deals with ecology and the practice of hope. She is also a member of the Canadian Forum on Religion and Ecology. Neighbourhoods of Difference: The Uniting Church in Australia and Interfaith Relations Rev Glenda Blakefield Rev Seforosa Carroll Rev Tony Floyd Rev Elenie Poulos Rev Kerry Enright Ms Isabel Thomas Dobson Room 213 Panel Discussion Migration to Australia has brought together people of different cultures and religions. For the Uniting Church, this has raised new challenges of how to live and express faith in both a multicultural and multireligious context. One challenge comes from the fact that church membership includes a range of people with different life experiences, cultural backgrounds, and perspectives. Our theme, 'neighbourhoods of difference', expresses the simple but integral message that 'loving the neighbour who is different is part of the Uniting Church's identity and mission. In extending its welcome and hospitality both within and beyond its church boundaries, the Uniting Church holds together and values 'neighbourhoods of difference in the Australian context and in our international relationships. A multimedia presentation and a panel of key Uniting Church leaders will explore this theme, demonstrating how the Uniting Church learns, struggles, embraces and lives with diversity and difference. 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION Reverend Glenda Blakefield is the Associate General Secretary of the Uniting Church Australia's National Assembly. Among her responsibilities, she has oversight of the National Assembly Working Group on Relations with Other Faiths. She has been the Uniting Church representative on the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and has participated in the Asia-Pacific Regional Interfaith Dialogue in Cambodia as well as various other interfaith activities. Reverend Seforosa Carroll, a Fiji-born Rotuman, is the Convener of the Relations with Other Faiths Working Group. She represents the UCA on the National Dialogue of Christians, Muslims and Jews; is part of the Women's Interfaith Network; and has been involved in various interfaith consultations and projects. She has published a number of articles and was formerly a member of the Assembly Working Group on Doctrine. Sef has been a visiting lecturer at the United Theological College since 2000. Reverend Tony Floyd is the National Director of the Multicultural and Cross-cultural Ministry. Reverend Tony Floyd is the National Director of the Multicultural and Cross-cultural Ministry. Reverend Elenie Poulos is the National Director of Uniting Justice. Reverend Kerry Enright is the National Director of Uniting World. Rev Dr Kerry Enright is National Director of international relationships, including aid and development, for the Uniting Church in Australia. He is from New Zealand and is of Maori and settler descent. He originally trained in law and practised as a barrister and solicitor in Auckland. Kerry then studied theology in New Zealand and USA and became a parish minister in the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand. Until taking up his present appointment he was for ten years Assembly Executive Secretary Iceolof that Church. With his family he came to Australia last year to take up his present role. Ms Isabel Thomas Dobson is the Moderator of the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania of the Uniting Church in Australia, Australia's third largest Christian denomination formed in 1977 when the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational Churches united. Isabel is a lay person with wide experience in the church at local, regional, state and national levels. She has been a teacher, political researcher, religious educator and presbytery minister. She is married with three young adult children. How a Profound Spiritual Theology Can Overthrow Poverty Shirley Paulson Room 214 Lecture Poverty affects every human being on earth, as well as the health of the earth itself. A spiritual solution to the persistent problem of poverty would lift the burden of insufficient resources that are only available to the privileged. Self-made, material resources are made on the premise of lack or insufficiency of resources, and competition for limited resources is unavoidable. Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, describes how a shift in focus from the human and the self-made to the God-made image and likeness dissolves the psychological necessity to steal from others. The law of pecking orders ('never enough for everyone'] makes way for the spiritual law of equality ('abundance for everyone'). This program explores this spiritual reality in order to break through the limitations imposed by patriarchal consciousness. It will explore further the spiritual law of equity, and how it provides the means to break down habitual identifications of being either privileged or deprived, either superior or inferior, and either authoritarian or submissive. www.parliamentofreligions.org 189
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________________ PROGRAMS Saturday, December 5, 2009 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION Shirley Paulson's religious practice is a healing ministry open to anyone. As a Christian Science practitioner, she relies on the Bible for spiritual guidance. She is a member of the Board of Governors for the Religion Communicators Council (United States and a classroom speaker for the worldwide Board of Lectureship for the Christian Science Church. She holds an MTS degree. Mamaa: The Untouchable Ones Heather Winter Paddy Neowarra Pansy Nulgit Matthew Martin Room 215 Religious or Spiritual Observance The spiritual beliefs of the sacred Wanjina are the found ing commandments that govern the Ngarinyin Aboriginal Corporation's model of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Together. Ngarinyin custodians, Paddy Neowarra and Pansy Nulgit, with human rights advocate Heather Winter, mentor Ngarinyin youth to preserve the spiritual beliefs of the Wanjina and Gwion through visual expression. The Ngarinyin elders translate their spiritual laws-depicted in painted images in caves-from their memories onto canvas using the earth pigment, ochre. Removed by the government in the 1950s from their traditional country, where the cave paintings are located, it is difficult for the elders to transmit knowledge to their youth today. Painting is a medium in which elders can focus their spiritual teaching, the 'Mamaa'taboo, which guards this sacred imagery from use by outsiders. As a religious initiative, the projects associated with Mamaa enable the community to advocate their human rights outside their remote communities. In 2005, Julian Burnside QC and AO awarded a national Humanitarian Award to the organisation. Traditionally, the Wanjina were not shown to those outside the family. Today we want to share our history and tell that the Wanjina is our God who created the law in Australia, Heather Winter is a human rights advocate. Paddy Neowarra is the co-founder of the spiritual Ngarinyin initiative at Bush University and chairman for the Ngarinyin Aboriginal Corporation He is a performer at Ngarinyin Jumba and Judmee performances. Mr Neowarra has presented his work internationally at the Museum National Historie Naturelle, Paris. He has been a keynote speaker on Ngarinyin spiritual perspectives at Australian National University, Canberra, from 1995 to 2007 Pansy Nulgit is senior executive Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture. Western Australia and Senior Advisor to the Ngarinyin Aboriginal Corporation on Mamaa. With expertise on women's spiritual law and Jumbaa Ceremonial Dance, she directs as song leader at the Mowanjum Community Festival. She has presented at the Australische Kunstlerinnen in Engiadina, Switzerland, the Australian Embassy in Paris and the Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne. Matthew Martin is a Ngarinyin lawman and singer who assists Ngarinyin elders training to be co presenters. He presented at BBC London on the spiritual importance of the Wanjina/Gwion, performing the official cultural Bedgagun smoking singer performance. Matthews second language is English: Heather Winter will co-present and assist with translations, Interfaith and Multinational Reflections on Aging and the Human Spirit Ronald Nakasone Larry M Taylor Chao-Ti Wu Heng Sure Janet Bregar Pinit Ratanakul Room 216 Interactive Workshop This program is an interactive workshop on elderhood and aging. Aging is a common human experience. Increased longevity offers individuals and communities unparalleled opportunities to cultivate and transform the human spirit, expand their collective moral imaginations, and mentor future elders so as to realign our public and religious institutions to their global responsibilities. In addition to sharing their respective reflections on aging, the multinational, interfaith panel will briefly instruct the audience in exercises such as meditation, tai chi, and journaling that promote spiritual cultivation and transformation. The pilgrimage of self-cultivation and self-transformation in becoming an elder mentors future generations of elders. Elders and their experiences embody the collective wisdom of humanity, which can inspire individuals (the young, middle aged, and old) and communities to forge a better world. Strengthening the rhythm of generations and strengthening their mutual responsibilities is the first step in sustaining communities. Healthy communities in turn are the basis for justice, sustainable living and healing the earth. This is a grave responsibility for present day and future elders. Ronald Nakasone is a Buddhist cleric IJodo, Shinshu, Pure Land). ethicist, calligrapher, and professor at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, Professor Nakasone is also a member of the faculty at the Stanford University Geriatric Education Center. He is an expert in Okinawan Shamanism, his ancestral tradition. Larry M Taylor is currently a doctoral student of art and religion at the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley. His areas of specialisation include American art, minimalism, Native North American art and spirituality in modern art. His most recent publication was an interview with TurkishAmerican artist Fatih Benzer. Mr Taylor has delivered talks on such topics as The Apocalypse through Art and the role of photography in the 1890 Lakota Ghost Dance. He is interested in Native American spirituality Chao-Ti Wu (Dharma name: Hsin Chien) is the founder of the Enlightenment Institute of Buddhist Studies in Taipei, Taiwan. She taught at Dharma Drum Mountain from 1996 to 2001 and currently teaches Buddhist thought and practice at Shih Hsin University and Chin Min Institute of Technology in Miao-Li in Taipei. She practices Chan (Zen and Pure Land traditions. A leading student of Ner-Tien, she actively engages in social welfare in her community Rev Heng Sure is the Director of the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery and a former Global Councilor of the United Religions Initiative. He has been a Buddhist monk for 33 years, and holds a PhD from the Graduate Theological Union, in Berkeley, California USA) and an MA from the University of California, Berkeley. An author and musician, Rev Sure recently released the CD 'Paramita. American Buddhist Folk Songs Rev Dr Janet Bregar is the Pastor of Village Church in Los Angeles and an instructor in Comparative Religions at California State University Fullerton. Dr Bregar is the past executive director of the Santa Monica Bay Interfaith Council and a current Board Member. She has been active in interfaith work both in the United States and internationally for over 190 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ PROGRAM Saturday, December 5, 2009 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION thirty years and is interested in the practical issues of interfaith marriages and caring for elders in a religiously plural society. Pinit Ratanakul is the director of the College of Religious Studies at Mahidol University. Thailand. He is a leading voice in Theravada Buddhist ethics and has written extensively on Thai Buddhist approaches to bioethics Mrinali Clarke, a student of Sri Chinmoy for 23 years, and teacher of meditation at the Sri Chinmoy Centre, Melbourne, for over 15 years, has also written a minor thesis on the poetry of Sri Chinmoy and published articles in the Asia Pacific Dialogue magazine on the new path of meditation taught by Sri Chinmoy. Sri Chinmoy: A Spirituality of Transformation Kusumita Pedersen, Moderator Kazem Abhary Vidagdha Bennett Utsahi Neree St-Amand Mrinali Clarke Room 217 Panel with Audiovisual Segments This panel will present the life and work of Sri Chinmoy (1931-2007), the world-renowned advocate of a transformative spirituality in which music, poetry, art, athletics, community service, intercultural dialogue and other vocations are spiritual practices. Sri Chinmoy's philosophy is based on love, self-transcendence and dedication to the ultimate goal of world-oneness and universal fulfilment. This session will offer a vivid and inspiring presentation that includes narrative, poetry, music and audiovisuals. We will describe the tireless work for peace and extraordinary creativity of Sri Chinmoy during his life, and also highlight some programs he founded: The World Harmony Run la torch relay reaching 3.5 million people in over 100 countries), the annual Self-Transcendence 3,100 Mile Race, the Songs of the Soul concerts, Jharna-Kala or FountainArt, and the international all-volunteer Oneness-Heart Tears and Smiles humanitarian aid initiative. Throughout our presentation we will seek to show how the inner life of meditation and prayer empowers and guides all these diverse activities of service and manifestation. Our panel will be composed of a group of Sri Chinmoy's long-time students, hailing from the US, Canada, Australia and Iran. Kusumita P Pedersen is a professor of religious studies at St Francis College, New York, and has been active in the global interfaith movement for twenty-five years. She is a scholar of comparative religious ethics with interests in the environment and human rights. The author of several articles on the philosophy of Sri Chinmoy. She has edited a book of his poetry. Here is the Place Kazem Abhary, originally from Iran, is a professor of engineering at University of South Australia and an authority on mechanical design. In his profession, he is committed to the awareness of the social and environmental impact of engineering and the need for engineers to be exposed to spirituality. Also a speaker and author on social and literary topics, Abhary has translated Sri Chinmoy's poetry into Persian Vidagdha Bennett received her PhD from the University of Melbourne. Her dissertation was titled 'Simplicity and Power: The Poetry of Sri Chinmoy. She is currently working on Sri Chinmoy's literary biography and is also an expert on his painting. She has wide-ranging interests in spiritual writing in English and Indian literature. Utsahi Neree St-Amand is a professor of social work at the University of Ottawa, Canada. St-Amand is interested in complementary and alternative approaches to social work, including native, ecological and spiritual approaches. He is the owner of The Garden of Light gift shop in Ottawa and is active with the Sri Chinmoy World Harmony Foundation of Canada. Religious Dimensions of the Reconciliation Process in Timor-Leste Constantino Pinto Inge Lempp Patrick Walsh Room 218 Seminar After centuries of colonial rule and brutal military occupation, how can an Indigenous people heal from these traumas and wounds? Under years of occupation, East Timor faced the destruction of traditional beliefs and customs. Yet, in their struggle for independence, the Timorese found protection in traditional ways and beliefs. Since the 1999 United Nations referendum on independence, there has been a revival of the traditional beliefs in East Timor. The Uma Lulik, a traditional Timorese sacred house, is the legal seat that regulates the lia moris (regulations for the living and the lia mate (regulations for the world of the dead). These two worlds are believed to be intricately connected and they interact with one another. The Uma Lulik regulates law, sacred rituals, and the social and economic activities of a clan. Both the construction and use of the Uma Lulik are a part of communal healing from the violence and trauma of the past. The return and recovery of ancient spiritual roots is a critical part of East Timor's healing process and can serve as a model for other nations. Constantino Pinto is co-founder and current director of Fundacao Lafaek Diak (FLD - The Good Crocodile Foundation), an Indigenous Timorese nonprofit, non-government community development organisa tion. He and his family lived through the Indonesian military invasion and occupation of East Timor Inge Lempp is the translator for Constantino Pinto's presentation. She has lived in East Timor since 1999 and currently works in the Civil Peace Service at Centro Treino Integral e Desenvolvimento, a holistic skills training centre for rural Timorese women, at the Canossian College. Baucau, East Timor. Pat Walsh is Senior Adviser to the Post-CAVR Technical Secretariat. CAVR is Timor-Leste Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation It was an independent truth commission established in East Timor in 2001 under the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAETI and charged to inquire into human rights violations committed on all sides, between April 1974 and October 1999, and facilitate community reconciliation with justice for those who committed less serious offenses. Following the dissolution of CAVR in December 2005. President Xanana Gusmao inaugurated a Post-CAVR Technical Secretariat to complete unfinished CAVR projects. www.parliamentofreligions.org 191
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________________ PROGRAM DERO Saturday, December 5, 2009 Substance and Soul: An Exploration of Drug and Alcohol Abuse in the World's Non-Dual Religious Traditions Trent Leighton Room 219 Lecture Substance abuse affects virtually every culture and community. The addict's drugging and drinking-from the Wall Street stock broker abusing cocaine to manage stress, to the Chinese labourer's dependence on opiates to block pain-is a spiritual problem, a metaphysical cry for help that local mosques, synagogues, churches and temples are uniquely qualified to address. While the proliferation of drug abuse is commonly considered a modern phenomenon, many of the world's religious traditions have been addressing the impulses underlying addiction since time immemorial. This interactive lecture will focus on the relationship between the compulsion to consume mind-altering chemicals and the desire for transcendence and self-awareness found in such non-dual spiritual practices and teachings as Advaita Vedanta, Chan and Zen Buddhism, Christian mysticism and Taoism. Central to this dialogue will be an in-depth exploration of the correlation between duality and suffering (emphasised by many religious lineages) and the mental health of the addict and their drug use. Trent Leighton holds a Master's degree in Counselling Psychology and a Doctorate in Depth (or Analytical) Psychology. A lifelong student of many of the world's religious and spiritual traditions, Trent's primary focus is to develop a non-dual model of mental health utilising Jungian psychological principles coupled with the realisations of his Buddhist practice. A seasoned clinician specialising in substance abuse and chronic mental illness, Trent has shifted his focus to lecturing and teaching. Landscape of Faith: Sharing Wisdom for a New Vision of Community - Part I: Living in Community Janice Marie Johnson Room 220 Seminar This one-day, interfaith educational seminar seeks to provide a context for community building by addressing the challenges of prejudice, injustice and alienation from the earth, while weaving the theme of the possibility of transformation through the arts throughout the day. Participants are asked to attend all four sessions. This introduction to the day will give educators an experiential skill building exercise for exploring the core issues of belonging to culture, community and religion. Using this interactive exercise, educators can involve high school to adult age groups in the sometimes challenging process of community building. Participants will discover and consider some of their basic reactions to cross-cultural differences within a safe and neutral space. 192 PWR Parliament of the World's Religions INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION Janice Marie Johnson serves as the Director of Lifespan Religious Education at the Community Church of New York. She is also a consultant, working primarily in the areas of interpersonal communication and conflict resolution within an interfaith, anti-racist, cross-cultural, and collaborative context. INTERRELIGIOUS 11:30am-1:00pm 11:30am-1:00pm Halting the Spread of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria: Challenges for Faith Gideon Byamugisha Jean Duff Cardinal Theodore McCarrick Thomas Bohnett Plenary Hall Panel Discussion The role of religion in fighting disease has many dimensions, some inspirational and some obstructive. We will explore examples of work on the ground and moral advocacy for HIV/AIDS as examples of both. Canon Gideon Byamugisha points to the complexity of moral challenges around HIV/AIDS but above all to the powerful potential that religion has within this battle. Interfaith initiatives have great potential to make major contributions. Jean Duff, Executive Director of the Center for Interfaith Action on Global Poverty, and Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, long time Board Member of Catholic Relief Services, will describe ongoing efforts, especially in Nigeria, and action steps necessary for forward movement. Thomas Bohnett will describe emerging ideas on engaging faith in relation to the scourge of tuberculosis. Canon Gideon Byamugisha is an ordained priest in the Church of Uganda. In 1992, he became the first African religious leader to openly declare his HIV-positive status. He has since devoted his life to an AIDS ministry, which has taken him to over forty countries in sub-Saharan Africa and many other parts of the world. Jean Duff is Executive Director of the Center for Interfaith Action on Global Poverty (CIFA), whose mission is to increase the collective impact of the religious sector on global poverty. From 2005-2008, as Deputy Director of the Center for Global Justice and Reconciliation, she led Washington National Cathedral's global poverty program focusing on Malaria and Gender Justice. She holds graduate degrees in clinical psychology and in epidemiology, as well as certificates of continuing education from Harvard and Wharton Business schools. Cardinal Theodore E McCarrick, PhD, DD, Archbishop Emeritus of Washington, has visited many nations as a human rights advocate and to survey humanitarian needs. He has travelled to areas affected by major natural disasters, such as Central America, Sri Lanka and Louisiana and Mississippi post-Hurricane Katrina, to ensure people in need would receive assistance, and to bring prayer and financial support. He has been a member of the United States Commission for International Religious Freedom. Thomas Bohnett graduated from Princeton University in 2007, majoring in the Woodrow Wilson School for Public and International Affairs. He spent 2007-2008 working for the International Rescue Committee in Uganda. He joined WFDD in November 2008 as Program Coordinator.
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________________ PROGRAM DES Saturday, December 5, 2009 Religion, Spirituality and Wellbeing: Implications for Living and Learning Marian de Souza Dr James O'Higgins-Norman Dr Jane Bone Jacqueline Hodder Philip Hughes Dr John W Fisher Room 101 Panel Discussion This program will focus on religion and spirituality as an integral part of human experience. Participants will identify the different elements of religion and spirituality which relate to personal and communal identity; foster resilience, empathy and compassion; and promote meaning-making and connectedness. Ultimately, these are elements that contribute to the well-being of individuals and, therefore, their communities. It is hoped that the ensuing discussions will promote further understanding and appreciation of the dual roles of religion and spirituality in the lives of contemporary multifaith and multicultural societies. By the end of this session, participants will be inspired to seek ways to extend this understanding through various educational and community programs. Dr Marian de Souza is Senior Lecturer at Australian Catholic University. Editor of the Journal of Religious Education and a co-founder of the Spirituality and Wellbeing in Education Research Group. Marian has published extensively on the subject of spirituality as pertaining to the relational dimension of the human person, and the role of non-conscious learning in promoting or impeding connectedness and integration. Dr James O'Higgins-Norman is a lecturer and researcher at the School of Education Studies in Dublin City University where he is also Chair of Graduate Teacher Education. His research has been concerned with aspects of equality and well-being in schools and his work on homophobic bullying is considered to be seminal in the field of Irish education. He is co-founder of the Spirituality and Wellbeing in Education Research Group at Dublin City University. Dr Jane Bone specialises in spiritual well-being in early childhood from a New Zealand perspective, with reference to Maori culture. Jacqueline Hodder has been researching the area of contemporary youth spirituality for the past six years. Her PhD examined youth spirituality within the context of post-secularism and with particular emphasis on the role spirituality can play with regard to young people's well-being. Her research has found that for those for whom spirituality plays a significant role in their lives, there are richer resources from which to draw when making important life decisions. Philip Hughes is the senior research officer of the Christian Research Association, Australia and has spent his life exploring the relationship between religious faith and cultures. The focus of his research has been on youth culture in Australia and Thailand. Dr John Fisher is a researcher at Ballarat University. George Hunsinger Room 102 Lecture Violence Finds Refuge in Falsehood: Religion and the Future of Torture 11:30am-1:00pm INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION This lecture will begin by establishing, through remarks by Solzhenitsyn and Orwell, the theme that violence finds refuge in falsehood. It will then demonstrate that this theme finds broad representation in the Bible, as well. The lecture will argue that the history of US involvement in torture is largely the history of exemptions for the CIA. The program will present an overview of these exemptions from 1975 to the present. In the next portion of the program, the prospects for a Truth Commission in the US will be discussed. It will suggest that, unless the utmost vigilance is exercised, CIA exemptions are likely to continue due to the CIA's power. This lecture, which is addressed primarily to religious communities throughout, will end by addressing the politics of hope and prayer. In conclusion, this program will set forth the examples of Bonhoeffer, as well as Wilberforce who in the 18th century opposed not only slavery but also torture. George Hunsinger is the Hazel Thompson McCord Professor of Systematic Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary. In January 2006 he founded the National Religious Campaign Against Torture. Married with two children and two grandchildren, he is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church, USA and president of the Karl Barth Society of North America. Among his recent books is 'Torture Is a Moral Issue: Christians, Jews, Muslims and People of Conscience Speak Out'. Interfaith in Australia: The Co-ordinating Work of the Australian Partnership of Religious Organisations Abd Malak Josie Lacey OAM Gary Bouma Therese Sussmilch Brian Ashen Room 103 Panel Discussion Interfaith activity has mushroomed in Australia, especially in the aftermath of September 11, 2001 and the 2002 bombings in Bali, where 89 Australians were killed. The Australian Partnership of Religious Organisations (APRO) was established in 2003, partly in response to these tragedies, in order to help build interfaith harmony. In this session, participants will learn about the religious profile in Australia, the history of interfaith activity in Australia, and the work of APRO and other interfaith organisations in Australia, particularly in Tasmania. Participants will hear from representatives of various faith perspectives, including Buddhist and Jewish. The session will end with an interactive discussion on the topic 'What are the challenges and the future directions for interfaith activity in Australia?" www.parliamentofreligions.org 193
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________________ | PROGRAM Saturday, December 5, 2009 11:30am-1:00pm INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION Abd Malak, AM, has worked in the fields of health and social welfare for the past thirty years. He is the Director of the Diversity Health Institute, Honorary President of the Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia, and the Convenor of the Australian Partnership of Religious Organisations. In 2002, he was included in the Australian Honours List as a Member in the Order Of Australia for his service to migrant communities. Malak is the Executive Director of Workforce and Organisational Development for Sydney West Area Health Service and an Associate Professor at the University of Western Sydney School of Medicine. Josie Lacey was the Foundation Convenor of the Women's Interfaith Network. She is a lifetime member of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry and an executive member of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies. Mrs Lacey is the Interfaith Adviser to the Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia and to the Australian Partnership of Religious Organisations. She is also an NSW Executive member of the World Conference of Religions for Peace. Gary Bouma is the Emeritus Professor of Sociology at Monash University and an Associate Priest at St John's East Malvern. His research has primarily focused on the interaction between religion and society in Western societies including Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. He has been named the UNESCO Chair in Interreligious and Intercultural Relations. Professor Bouma is one of the leading academic and community leaders of interfaith activity in Australia. He is chair of the Board of Management of the Melbourne Parliament of the World's Religions Therese Sussmilch is a teacher and community worker, living in Hobart, Tasmania. She has been involved in the organisation Religions for Peace since 2001 and currently convenes the Tasmanian Group. Ms Sussmilch has learned firsthand the difficulties and discrimination faced by minority groups in our communities. She has been studying Raja Yoga meditation with the Brahma Kumaris for over twenty years and has experienced its power to heal at both an individual and group level. Brian Ashen was born in Melbourne and became interested in Buddhism at age sixteen. He is the co-convener of both the Buddhist Council of Victoria and the Federation of Australian Buddhist Councils the interreligious community and provides inspiration for engaged action on social, environmental and interfaith issues. Rev Ellen Grace O'Brian is the Founding Minister and Spiritual Director of the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment, a ministry rooted in the spiritual tradition of Kriya Yoga. She was ordained in 1981 by Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda. She serves on the board oltrustees of the Parliament and is the President of Meru Seminary as well as leading a thriving congregation and maintaining an international teaching outreach Girish Shah is a member of the Silicon Valley Partner City Committee for the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions. He is currently on the Board of Directors of the Interfaith Committee of the Jain Center of Northern California and a co-founder of the Federation of Jain Associations In North America IJAINAI. He co-chaired the National JAINA convention in 1991 and in 2005. Joy-Ellen Lipsky holds a Master of Divinity degree and is a Ministry Intern. She is a member of the First Unitarian Church of San Jose. California, the Silicon Valley Partner City Committee, South Bay Interfaith, the Interfaith Council, and is the Marketing Committee manager for the Pacific Central District of the Unitarian Universalist Association's Lay Leadership School. She works in the high tech industry and has coauthored books and articles on time and life management Rev D Andrew Kille is founder and director of the Interfaith Space in the South San Francisco Bay Area. A participant in interfaith dialogues for over 30 years, he is currently the editor of the Bay Area Interfaith Connect and served as Coordinator of Interfaith Relations for the local National Conference of Christians and Jews. He is ordained in the American Baptist tradition and holds a PhD from the Graduate Theological Union Dave Cortese is the Supervisor for Santa Clara County, California, a former San Jose, City Council member and 2008 Vice Mayor of San Jose. He is a leader in promoting interfaith activities. His core values include spirituality, family and individual empowerment. For the past five years his office has been instrumental in offering a community-wide interfaith nonviolence conference that brings all sectors of the community together for a common purpose: to build a culture of peace and nonviolence. Philip Boo Riley is an Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Santa Clara University. where he has been active since 1978. His teaching and research interests focus on the Silicon Valley faith communities and how such organisations are shaped by regional dynamics. He lives in Santa Clara with his wife Mary Beth. Rev Bruce Bramlett is Staff Coordinator for Interfaith Relations for Silicon Valley FACES, an agency with a long history of promoting regional interfaith relationships. Fr Bramlett is an ordained Episcopal priest and a scholar in religious studies. He is a facilitator for intergroup relations and facilitates several Silicon Valley dialogue groups, promoting interfaith community cooperation and conversation. He provides workshops, facilitations and classes on issues of diversity and appreciative community building Developing an Interreligious Community: How Silicon Valley Used the Partner City Process Rev Ellen O'Brian Girish Shah Joy-Ellen Lipsky Rev Andrew Kille Dave Cortese Dr Philip Riley Rev Bruce Bramlett Room 104 Panel Discussion The demographics of Silicon Valley, shaped by rapid expansion in the technology industry and exponential growth in cultural and religious diversity, have necessitated greater interreligious understanding and cooperation. The interreligious core team from the Silicon Valley Partner City project will discuss the process they followed to build a community engaged around hope and action. This program will share stories about the history of interreligious challenges and breakthroughs in Silicon Valley, including the participation of religious and spiritual communities with other guiding institutions (education, government, nonprofits and business) to facilitate social cohesion. Learn about the philosophy, structure and tools used to create and manage the process of becoming a Partner City and how the process itself enhances and strengthens Men Who Love the Goddess Drake Spaeth Patrick McCollum Michael York River Higginbotham Don Lewis Room 105 Panel Discussion Notable among contemporary Pagan traditions is the reawakening and re-emergence of the Goddess as a feminine manifestation of the divine. While Pagan women have undeniably been instrumental in bringing the Goddess back into common awareness and spiritual practice within contemporary western cultures, Pagan men have a unique perspective on the divine feminine, as well as a 194 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ PROGRAM D Saturday, December 5, 2009 11:30am-1:00pm INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION variety of ways of connecting with Her as She manifests to them. The panellists, all Pagan men of different traditions, will discuss their experiences, ideas, perspectives, and practices with regard to the Goddess and will respond to questions and facilitate discussion among audience attendees. This panel presentation welcomes audience members of all faith traditions. Drake Spaeth, PsyD is program faculty in the MA Clinical Psychology Department, Counseling Specialization at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. He is also an ordained minister of Circle Sanctuary and is affiliated with Gaia's Womb and Earth Traditions. His interests encompass contemporary Paganism, shamanism, mysticism, Western esotericism, Jungian psychology, Humanistic-Existential psychology and Transpersonal psychology. He is intrigued by the places where psychology, religion and spirituality converge. Patrick McCollum is the Director and Chair of the National Correctional Chaplaincy Directors Association and statewide Wiccan chaplain for the California Department of Corrections. McCollum has taught Pagan Chaplaincy Training at the Leadership Institute, part of Circle Sanctuary's annual Pagan Spirit Gathering. He is the National Coordinator of the Lady Liberty League Prison Ministries Program and a member of the National Advisory Council of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. Michael York is a Professor of Cultural Astronomy and Astrology the Bath Spa University's Sophia Centre. He directs the New Age and Pagan Studies Programme for the College's Department for the Study of Religions. He co ordinates the Bath Archive for Contemporary Religious Affairs, directs the Amsterdam Center for Eurindic Studies, and codirects the London-based Academy for Cultural and Educational Studies He has authored several books. River Higginbotham is active in teaching, networking, and promot ing Paganism and other earth-centred religions, on a local and national level. He is a founding member of the Council for Alternative Spiritual Traditions. River is an Eclectic Pagan and has been involved in spiritual exploration and earth-centred religions for the past fifteen years. He is a mechanical engineer with a dual degree in solar engineering. His interests include travel, history, aviation and community building Rev Donald Lewis-Highcorrell is First Priest and Paramount High Priest of the Correllian Tradition Don received his training from Rev Krystel High-Correll, Chief Priestess of the Correll Mother Temple. Don also received training from the blv Lady Laveda, the blv Lady Gloria, and Lady Bitterwind, Elders of the Correllian Tradition. In addition Don has studied both formally and informally with a variety of teachers from many Traditions, minority societies and highlight lessons learned from successful and less than accomplished models. Dr Siti Musdah Mulia has been a research professor at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) since 2003. She also lectures at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta. Since 2007, Dr Mulia has been the chairperson of the Indonesian Conference on Religion for Peace, an NGO actively promoting interfaith dialogues, pluralism and democracy She is the author of many books and an activist for democracy, human rights and gender issues. Imam Afroz Ali is the Founder and President of the Sydney-based Al-Ghazzali Centre for Islamic Sciences & Human Development. He has received licences to teach in various Islamic Sciences, having learned from the most esteemed Islamic scholars of our time. He has initiated philanthropic as well as sustainable environmental projects in Australia and abroad and continues to advocate peace, acceptance, justice and interpersonal rights. Ali received the International Ambassador for Peace award Ikebal Patel is the President of The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, the peak body articulating the interests of Australian Muslims. The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils manages 5even Islamic schools, including one of the largest Australian schools, of which Ikebal is the Board Chairman. Ikebal is the Chair of the Australian Capital Territory Muslim Advisor Council and an Advisory Committee Member to the National Centre for Excellence in Islamic Education. He is a cochairman of the National Dialogue between Australian Christians, Jews and Muslims Tariq Ramadan (www.tarigramadan.com) is Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies at Oxford University. He is currently Senior Research Fellow at Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan. He is active both at the academic and grassroots levels and lectures extensively throughout the world on theology, ethics, social justice, ecology and interfaith as well as intercultural dialogue Through his writings and lectures, he has con tributed substantially to the debate on the issues of Muslims in the West and Islamic revival in the Muslim world. Professor Ramadan is currently president of the European think tank, European Muslim Network (EMN). in Brussels. Fuad Effendi was born in Menturo, East Java, Indonesia in 1947. He is a lecturer in Arabic Literature at the State University of Malang. In 1996, he was cofounder of the Padang Bulan religious studies class that promotes plurality and social harmony. As an Ustadz, he has travelled alt over Indonesia and visited Australia, Brunei and Egypt Dr Ali Reza Arafi is the President of the Al-Mustafa International University. Qum. He holds a degree in Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh and Usul). He has many research projects to his credit in different fields of Islamic sciences and has been teaching in different universities and seminaries for the past several years. Dr Arati has presented numerous papers at different seminars of world repute and is the author of three books in the field of education, Divided We Fall Valarie Kaur, Writer and Co-Producer Room 107 Film Islamic Education: Vehicle for Social Cohesion Dr Siti Musdah Mulia Imam Afroz Ali Ikebal Patel Dr Tariq Ramadan Fuad Effendi Dr Ali Reza Arafi Room 106 Panel Discussion This panel will explore the ways in which Islamic educa tion has historically been a vehicle for both enlightenment and social cohesion while addressing the contemporary challenges Muslims face when the Islamic educational process is used as a tool for extremism, violence and gender-based oppression. This illustrious group from France, Australia, Indonesia and Iran will also examine debates on this issue within Muslim majority and Muslim Valarie Kaur, a 20-year-old college student, travelled throughout the United States in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks, documenting the reaction against Sikh, Muslim and Arab American communities. In 2005, director Sharat Raju and his crew joined Valarie as she retraced her steps across the country, revisiting her original interviewees and speaking with many others about race and religion in 21st century America www.parliamentofreligions.org 195
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________________ PRONA PROGRAM DES Saturday, December 5, 2009 11:30am-1:00pm INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION share their personal experiences as members of distinct communities who seek to further interfaith compassion and understanding. Elwyn Neri is the Relationship Building Specialist and Davao PAR-Team Organizer for Peacebuilders Community in the Philippines. He is the primary networker in the field and has significant experience in organising and training Peace and Reconciliation Teams Fr Gerald M Musa is a Catholic Priest from the Diocese of Sokoto, Nigeria. He comes from a predominantly Muslim family. In his ministry as priest, he has worked in communities where Muslims and Christians live together. He has worked with the Nigeria Inter Religious Council (NIREC), as well as the Muslim-Christian Forum in Nigeria. He is currently pursuing a PhD at the School of Journalism and Communication, University of Queensland, Australia Dr Natalie Mobini-Kesheh has been a member of the Australian Bahai community for almost 20 years. She is an active participant in interfaith dialogue on its behalf and convenes a Women's Interfaith Network group in western Sydney. Dr Mobini-Kesheh received her doctorate from Monash University. Her research focused on the Arab minority in Indonesia. She is the author of one book and several papers in this field. Christian Action and Witness For the Environment: What You Can Do When You Go Home Beth Blissman Philip Wollen Steve Harms Margareta Dahlin Johansson Room 108 Panel Discussion This panel presents three approaches to applying the Christian lessons of social justice, stewardship of the environment, and bearing witness on behalf of the oppressed, to environmental issues. Stories include community-based and individual responses to the environment and describe successful approaches for building community to support the earth. Raised near the Allegheny Mountains in the eastern US, Beth Blissman is a scholar and activist who currently directs the Oberlin College Bonner Center for Service & Learning. Beth enjoys creatively linking people of faith with opportunities for eco-social transformation. Her academic background is interdisciplinary: she holds both an undergraduate degree in architectural engineering and a doctorate in religion and social change. Beth's research interests include emerging ethical frameworks that simultaneously address racial and environmental justice. Philip Wollen is a former Vice President of Citibank and General Manager of Citicorp who left his job at age 40 to dedicated the rest of his life to helping animals, the environment, and poor and impoverished people throughout the world. He is vegan and runs the Winsome Constance Kindness Trust, which supports 400 projects in more than 40 countries. He will represent the Christian Vegetarian Association at the Parliament of the World Religions. Reverend Steve Harms is the former president of the Interfaith Council for San Francisco Bay Area County. He is the Senior Pastor of Peace Lutheran Church in Danville, California Reverend Margareta Dahlin Johansson, ordained in 1981, is a former chapiain at the Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm. Her ministry has to cused on ethics and women's and children's issues. Reverend Johansson serves as a pastor at Peace Lutheran Church in Danville, California Interreligious Dialogue in Conflict Resolution Panel Elwyn Neri Fr Gerald Musa Natalie Mobini-Kesheh Room 109 Panel Discussion Too often, misunderstandings result from a lack of communication. Whether it is language barriers, mistranslations, or insufficient contact, the absence of dialogue only furthers discrimination, a lack of empathy, and the potential escalation to violence. On this panel, speakers from a range of traditions and from different parts of the world will discuss active engagement to increase dialogue between faiths, by creating opportunities for communities to interact and providing translation services. They will Global Ethics and Religion Forum: Religion and Post War Reconciliation in a Sustainable and Just World of Human Rights Joseph Runzo David Little Judith A Mayotte Nathan Tierney Brian Orend Gerrie Ter Haar Shin Chiba Frank Brennan SJ Room 110 Panel Discussion Series of symposia/panel discussions The human reality of war, its origins and its consequences have long been a matter of concern to the world's religions. Arrayed against deep human aspirations to live in harmony and peace, the persistence of war poses a daunting challenge to justice and sustainable living. One response to that challenge has been the centuries-long development of just war' thinking that has taken place in the context of a number of humanity's religious traditions. While just war thinking has taken a variety of forms in different religious contexts, it has not yet been fully articulated in terms that explicitly place it within the framework of the larger questions of sustainability. This panel will explore the ways in which the traditions of just war thinking intersect with the question of human and planetary sustainability. The panel will make a strong case for the positive, global contribution of the world's religions to a better world of sustainable peace and justice, Dr Joseph Runzo is Executive Director and President of the Board of Directors of the Global Ethics and Religion Forum, an educational nonprofit dedicated to global ethical responsibility. He has written and lectured extensively around the world on comparative religion, religious ethics, human rights and the ethics of war and peace. He is Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Chapman University, USA, and a Life Fellow of Clare Hall, Cambridge University, UK. 196 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ PROGRAM Saturday, December 5, 2009 David Little is Professor of the Practice in Religion, Ethnicity, and International Conflict, Harvard Divinity School, USA. Judith A Mayotte is a Member of the Board of Directors of the Desmond Tutu Peace Foundation in Cape Town and Professor of Theology at Marquette University, USA and South Africa. Nathan Tierney is Professor of Ethics at California Lutheran University. USA. Brian Orend is the Director of International Studies at the University of Waterloo, Canada. Gerrie Ter Haar is a Professor of Human Rights in The Hague, Netherlands. Shin Chiba is a Professor of Political Thought at the Institute for Peace Research, International Christian University, Japan. Frank Brennan SJ is an Order of Australia [AO] Fellow, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies at ANU, and Professor of Law in the Institute of Legal Studies at the Australian Catholic University. He is also the chair of the National Community Consultation on Human Rights in Australia. Multifaith Insights on Deep Ecology Vidya Sarveswaran Kiyokazu Okita Dr Dorji Wangchuk Raymond Ogunade Manjulika Ghosh Room 111 Panel Discussion Deep Ecology' is a term coined in the early 1970s by the Norwegian environmental philosopher Arne Naess. Deep Ecology calls for a paradigm shift in our consciousness of the natural world, in which we overcome our humancentred attitudes and look upon nature as an end in itself, independent of human needs. The vision of Deep Ecology has had a far-reaching impact on the environmental movement throughout the world. In this panel, participants will make the connections between the core principles of Deep Ecology and their own traditions and perspectives, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Catholicism, Gestalt Ontology and the Yoruba tradition of West Africa. This program provides an opportunity to reflect on how the insights of Deep Ecology can help us to heal the earth and ourselves in a time of crisis. Vidya Sarveswaran is a research scholar from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India. She was a Fulbright Fellow for the year 2008-2009 and specialises in the field of Literature and Environment. Her other interests include deep ecology, creative writing and film studies. Kiyokazu Okita is a doctoral candidate at the Faculty of Theology. University of Oxford. His doctoral research focuses on Baladeva Vidyabhusana's philosophy and its relation to other Vedantic schools. He holds a BA in Religious Studies from International Christian University (Tokyo) and a Master's degree in the Study of Religion from Oxford. Dorji Wangchuk was born in 1967 in East Bhutan. After the completion of his ten-year training in the Tibetan monastic seminary of Ngagyur Nyingma Institute at Bylakuppe, Mysore, South India, he studied Buddhism at the University of Hamburg, where he received his MA [2002] and PhD (2005) degrees. Currently he is on the faculty of the Department. of Indian and Tibetan Studies, Asia-Africa Institute, University of Hamburg. Raymond Ogunade holds a PhD from the University of Ilorin specialising in Yoruba Religion, Science and Religious Dialogue. He is a recipient of the Science and Religion Course Program, by the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences, and John Templeton Foundation, USA. He is also a member of various academic bodies including the Inter-religious and International Federation for World Peace, and an awardee of the Metanexus Institute on Religion and Science. 11:30am-1:00pm INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION Dr Manjulika Ghosh is Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of North Bengal, Darjeeling, West Bengal. Her specialisation includes Philosophy of Language, Ethics and Phenomenology. Her papers have been published in professional journals in India and abroad. She has coedited the anthology on Meaning and Reference under the SA program of her department. Talkin' 'Bout My Generation - Daily Youth Session Simran Jeet Singh Gurvinder Pal Singh Shakila Wijenayake Mala Wijenayake Heba Ibrahim Manny Waks Room 201 Panel Discussion The parents of many of today's youth grew up in a world very different from the one in which we now live. With the progress of society comes change, and with that change comes challenges. Add religion, culture and migration into the mix and the challenges become even more complex. This session will explore the religious and cultural challenges that arise between the generations. Young people and their parents from Buddhist, Muslim, Sikh and Jewish backgrounds will share their experiences, challenges, and successes with respect to navigating crossgenerational issues. Simran Jeet Singh is the executive director of the Sikh Spirit Foundation. He is also a PhD candidate in the Department of Religion at Columbia University with a specialisation in Sikh and Punjab studies. In 2009, he received an MA from the Department of Middle East and Asian Languages and Cultures from Columbia University, where he focused on devotional traditions of pre-modern South Asia. Dr Gurvinder Pal Singh is a board member for the Sikh Research Institute and the Sikh Spirit Foundation. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics from Drexel University in the United States. He has published over 50 technical papers and reports in this field, has been awarded six US patents for his innovations and in 1986, founded Karta Technologies. Shakila Wijenayake is a member of the Youth Committee of the 2009 Parliament of the World's Religions. Mala Wijenayake is the founder of the Northern Suburbs Buddhist Temple in Victoria, Australia. She has gained distinction for her outstanding voluntary services to the Sri Lankan and Buddhist community in North West Victoria Heba Ibrahim is a board member of the Islamic Council of Victoria where her portfolios include interfaith and government, policy and advocacy as well as many other areas affecting the Muslim community. She also recently became a board member of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils taking on the area of youth where she aims to create a network of Muslim youth activists, representatives and workers nationwide. Manny Waks is a Jewish community activist with a history of religious immersion. He has served in the Israel Defence Forces and subsequently worked in the Israeli security establishment. In Australia, he has com pleted a degree in International Relations (La Trobel and worked with the Lowy Institute for International Policy in Sydney. In 2006, he was appointed as Executive Officer of the B'nai B'rith Anti-Defamation Commission. www.parliamentofreligions.org 197
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________________ PROGRA Saturday, December 5, 2009 11:30am-1:00pm INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION on concrete experiences in conflict resolution. In addition to helping to resolve violent conflicts, Dr Vendley will also suggest that religious cooperation can help to forge a new political paradigm of shared security that echoes distinctly religious notions of peace. Dr Vendley is the Secretary General of Religions for Peace, the world's largest coalition of national, regional and global multireligious councils, and women of faith and youth networks. Dr William F Vendley has served as Secretary General of Religions for Peace since 1994. He has mobilised and equipped religious communities in war-torn regions worldwide. He was a participant in His Majesty King Abdullah's historic interreligious meeting in Madrid, Spain in 2008 and has been requested by the Muslim World League to serve on its Followup Committee. Dr Vendley is also an advisor to US President Barack Obama Interfaith and the Future of Africa Ishmael Noko Lally Lucretia Warren Prabhudas Pattni Margaret Lokawua, Uganda: Karimjong Setri Nyomi Room 202 Panel Discussion Historically, Africa has always been a home of multi-religiosity. The past and the present are characterised by this reality, and all those working for a New Africa are better advised to take this fact on board. Many good initiatives intended for a better Africa have not succeeded, partly because the religious communities and institutions were either working in isolation or in competition with each other. A New Africa is not possible until there is coordination and unity of purpose with regard to shared values among religious communities and other stakeholders. Ishmael Noko has been the General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation since 1994. He is responsible for international affairs in contact with governments and political leaders and has worked with refugee services for various churches. He obtained his MA at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon, Canada and his PhD from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Lally Lucretia Warren is a nurse and midwife and the chairperson of the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'i in Botswana. She has led a wide variety of interreligious initiatives and has served as Chairperson of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'i in Botswana. She chaired a prominent session at the 2004 Parliament of the World's Religions entitled Strategies for Mainstreaming Gender into Peace Building and Inter-Faith Programs Prabhudas Pattni is the General Secretary for the Hindu Council of Africa Margaret Lokawua is a member of the United Nations Forum on Indigenous Issues. She is also the Chairperson for Civil Society for Indigenous Organizations in Karamonja as well as the Director of the Indigenous Women Environmental Conservation Project Rev Dr Setri Nyomi is the General Secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches iWARCI -- the first non-European to serve in this position. He comes from Ghana, and has studied in the University of Ghana and Trinity Seminary in Ghana as well as Yale University and Princeton Theological Seminary in the USA. WARC is the global umbrella body of Presbyterian, Reformed, Congregational, Waldensian and some United and Uniting Churches Cambodia in the Aftermath of Genocide: Where Does Faith Come in? Kim Hourn Kao Prince Sirivudh David Chandler Thomas Bohnett Room 208 Panel Discussion Cambodia's society and economy were shattered by prolonged war and a genocide that took the lives of 1.5 million people. Its religious leadership and institutions were special targets. As Cambodia recovers and rebuilds, religion and religious institutions engage in countless ways. The World Faiths Development Dialogue and Asian Faiths Development Dialogue are exploring the many dimensions of faith in contemporary Cambodia. key areas include Buddhist roles in peace building and forging regional links, reconciliation initiatives, work in health and education, action and advocacy to end abuse and trafficking, and care for the environment. The central question is how faith and faith communities are contributing to the development of a new Cambodia, linking the material needs of its people with their spiritual heritage and the values that make Cambodia unique. Dr Kaos President of the University of Cambodia and Secretary of State of Cambodia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, among other official positions. He holds a PhD in Political Science and heads the Asian Faiths Development Dialogue. His special interest is in regional affairs, and he has attended many national, regional and international meetings. As a scholar and diplomat, he has contributed to both Cambodia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations His Royal Highness Prince Norodom Sirivudh is Chairman of the Board at the Cambodian Institute for Cooperation and Peace, a think tank focused on promoting understanding of national and regional development issues. He is Supreme Privy Counselor to His Majesty the King of Cambodia. Prince Sirivudh has been a firm proponent of political reform in Cambodia, and his extensive career in Cambodian politics includes positions in the Senate and Parliament as well as the positions of Co-Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs David P Chandler is regarded as one of the foremost western scholars of Cambodia's modern history. He has accompanied Amnesty International and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees on Cambodian reSearch and fact-finding missions and has been a researcher in Cambodia archives for the US Department of Defense Office of POW/MIA Affairs. Chandler is a professor emeritus at Monash University Thomas Bohnett graduated from Princeton University in 2007, majoring in the Woodrow Wilson School for Public and International Affairs. He spent 2007 to 2008 working for the International Rescue Committee in Religions and the Resolution of Violent Conflict Dr William Vendley Room 203 While religious communities remain perpetually vulnerable to being hijacked by violent extremists, unscrupulous politicians and the sensationalist media, they have extraordinary assets for building peace and transforming violent conflict. During this session, Dr William Vendley, a pioneering leader in advancing multireligious cooperation for conflict transformation around the world, will set forth the key strengths that religious communities can bring to conflict transformation starting with religious visions of peace. Dr Vendley will present his arguments based 198 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ PROGRAM Saturday, December 5, 2009 Uganda. He joined the World Faiths Development Dialogue in November 2008 as Program Coordinator. Science, Spirituality, and Overcoming Religious Conflict (Session 2) Philip Clayton Praveen Chaudhari F LeRon Shults Dr Sangeetha Menon Denis Edwards Pauline Rudd Room 210 Seminar This second major session on science and spirituality focuses on overcoming religious conflict. Shared spiritual practices help build bridges between religious traditions, even traditions that are deeply at odds due to differences of belief. This session explores the ways that partnerships between science and religion can also help us to 'hear each other' across cultural and religious divides. The speakers represent many different religious and spiritual traditions and a variety of scientific fields. Each is an expert on science, religion, and their relationship. Each has spoken around the world on the power of new partnerships between these two great forces of the human spirit. Each talk will include an honest statement of the difficulties of partnerships between science and religion as well as suggestions for how these difficulties might be overcome. The panel will emphasise the implications for the issues of our day, especially the crisis of global climate change. After the opening presentations, the session will assume a workshop format. Questions and comments from the audience on science and spirituality will conclude the program. Philip Clayton is Ingraham Professor at Claremont School of Theology and Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Claremont Graduate University. He specialises in conflicts and connections between the sciences and religion, with particular focus on the biological sciences and the environmental crisis. He is the author or editor of seventeen books and over 100 articles, including the recent Oxford Handbook of Religion. and Science' and 'In Quest of Freedom: The Emergence of Spirit in the Natural World'. Dr Praveen Chaudhari received his PhD in physical metallurgy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He joined IBM in 1996. In addition to carrying out his personal research, he has held various management responsibilities in science and technologies. He retired from IBM in 2003 and became the Director of Brookhaven National Laboratory until 2006, when he returned to science. Dr Chaudhari has published over 160 technical papers and holds over three dozen patents. F LeRon Shults is professor of theology and philosophy at the University of Agder in Kristiansand, Norway. A leading authority on science and theology, he has published some ten books and dozens of articles in the field. Shults is the editor of the Brill book series 'Philosophical Studies in Science and Religion' and scientific director of the Transforming Compassion project at Stiftelsen Arkivet, a peace-building institute in Norway. His other current research interests include ethics, desire, differentiation and religious symbolism. Dr Sangeetha Menon earned her doctorate degree in philosophy from University of Kerala. She is a Professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore. Her core research interests are Indian ways of thinking in classical philosophical schools, Indian psychology and Indian dramaturgy and current discussions on consciousness. 11:30am-1:00pm Denis Edwards is professor of theology at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia. An ecological theologian, he has published widely on the interactions among ecology, environmental science, and religion. Among his best-known books are 'Breath of Life: A Theology of the Creator Spirit. The God of Evolution: A Trinitarian Theology', and 'Jesus and the Cosmos. He will soon publish The Holy Spirit and Ecological Theology'. INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION Prof Pauline Rudd, BSc, LRIC, MA (Oxon), PhD, one of the world's leading molecular biologists, is head of the Dublin-Oxford Glycobiology Lab in Dublin, Ireland. She is Honorary Professor at St George's Hospital, London; is affiliated with the SAB Rega Institute for Medical Research, University of Leuven; and is Founding Scientist at Wessex Biochemicals (Sigma London!. Rudd is a lay member of the Community of St Mary the Virgin in Oxfordshire and an internationally sought-after speaker on the world's mystical traditions. Zain Bhikha Room 211 The Art of Creative Expression: Youth Workshop Words can change hearts, and changing hearts can change the world. In this workshop, Zain Bhikha will teach youth about the practical and emotional challenges involved with thinking and writing well. Zain will use guided poetry exercises, life experiences, drama, art, visual and audio guides and instructive examples in order to invite inspiration. The main focus of the workshop will be on self-expression, building confidence, and learning the importance of taking responsibility to help others who are less fortunate. The workshop is geared toward teens and young adults. Born in Pretoria, South Africa, Zain Bhikha is a singer-songwriter who has achieved fame as a performer of Nasheed songs. Bhikha has collaborated on albums with other artists, released several solo albums and performed around the world. He is a pioneer in the Nasheed genre and, as one of the first Islamic singers in the English language, he has opened the door for many other Muslim artists. Interfaith Dialogue and Education for a Culture of Peace: A Workshop for Empowerment and Transformation Swee-Hin Toh Room 212 Interactive Workshop Social and political injustices abound throughout the world, but so do the opportunities for different faith traditions to come together to promote a culture of peace. This creative, hands-on workshop will discuss the importance of personal spiritual transformation and commitment to social action in the interfaith community. Participants will be challenged to develop a deeper sense of compassion for marginalised peoples and their daily struggles to create a better world for themselves. This program will draw insight from the field of peace education in order to empower interfaith leaders to more wholly embrace the principles of compassion, love, justice, kindness, reconciliation, respect and sustainability. Workshop participants will explore how diverse faiths and spirituality traditions www.parliamentofreligions.org 199
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________________ PROGRAR Saturday, December 5, 2009 11:30am-1:00pm INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION can fulfill their ethical responsibility to build a culture of peace at the local, national and international levels. Examples of major issues facing humanity and the earth including violence, local/global injustices, human rights violations, intercultural conflicts, environmental destruction and inner peacelessness will be touched upon during the interactive portion of the workshop. Toh Swee-Hin (S H Toh) is Professor and Director, Griffith University Multi-Faith Centre in Australia, which seeks to promote interfaith dialogue for a culture of peace. He is active in peace education and interfaith dialogue movements including a Parliament of the World's Religions, Religions for Peace, and the Asia-Pacific Interfaith Meetings for peace and cooperation, as a member of the Australian delegation. Swee-Hin was awarded the UNESCO prize for Peace Education in 2009. Selections from the New Film Journey of the Universe' Mary Evelyn Tucker, Executive Producer John Grim Room 213 Film and Discussion the Indigenous people of the Philippines, the Aetas. The Interfaith Spiritual Church has had a particularly successful relationship with the Aetas, devoting resources to build schools and provide much-needed poverty relief. Danilo Robles Valerio, a leader of the Aetas will join Rev Cazar to talk about his community, belief systems, and relationship with the Interfaith Spiritual Church. By hearing and responding to the needs and wisdom of the Aetas, a community that is closely tied to the land, the church honours the land and the earth itself. Honouring and supporting those who still move with the rhythms of the earth provides healing for the earth and all peoples. There will be a question and answer period at the conclusion of the discussion, as well as a brief demonstration of magnetic aura healing using a blessing of hot oil. Danilo Robles Valerio, representative of the ancestral domain claims of the Aetas, was born on April 5, 1957 in Mariveles, Bataan Philippines. He became Vice President of the Provincial Association of Aetas in Bataan (Panalalawigang Asosasyon ng mga Aetasas sa Pilipinas PASAMAB). He was chosen as tribal advisor of the Aetas in Mariveles, Bataan and is a very active member in this non-governmental organisation. He practises one of the traditional spiritual practices of the Aetas called Kagun Rev Ruel Cazar was born into a long lineage of Filipino healers. Recognising his natural abilities and enthusiasm at an early age, his grandparents and elders of the church began teaching him healing techniques. He began his formal theology training in 1986 at the Interfaith Spiritual Church, where he studied with Monsignor Marcos L Orbito, a noted faith healer in the Philippines Monsignor Marcos L Orbito was born in Balungao, Pangasinan, Philippines in 1925. He served in World War II and witnessed the carnage of war. In 1955 he attended the congregation of the spiritualists where his parents were involved in a healing ministry. He later became a preacher under the banner of the Spiritual Church. Since that time he has been committed to supporting interfaith efforts throughout the Philippines The current environmental crisis has its roots in humanity's divisions and lack of planetary consciousness. This new film reconnects us with our shared roots by providing the longest possible view of our common heritage. Beginning with the Big Bang, through the formation of stars, galaxies and planets, and the emergence of life on Planet Earth, this film provides a scientific context for the critical nature of the present moment in human history, The film was directed by David Kennard. Mary Evelyn Tucker is a Senior Lecturer and Senior Scholar at Yale University, where she has appointments in the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, the Divinity School, and the Department of Religious Studies. Specialising in Asian religions and ecology, she has been a committee member of the Interfaith Partnership for the Environment at the United Nations Environment Program since 1986 and is a member of the Earth Charter International Council. John Grim is currently a Senior Lecturer and Scholar at Yale University He is Coordinator of the Forum on Religion and Ecology with Mary Evelyn Tucker, and series editor of World Religions and Ecology. from Harvard Divinity School's Center for the Study of World Religions. He has taught at Bucknell University and Sarah Lawrence College and is widely published on the subjects of religion and ecology. Outreach to Indigenous Aetas in the Philippines Rev Ruel Cazar Monsignor Marcos L Orbito Danilo Robles Valerio Room 214 Seminar Since 1980, the Interfaith Spiritual Church has led a successful outreach program in the Philippines, which is home to approximately 2,000 religions. Rev Cazar of the Interfaith Spiritual Church will lead a discussion with slide presentation depicting his church's work with Ending Legalised Violence Against Children - A Religious Imperative Christine Dodd Rev Cecilia Wikstrom Mali Nilsson Room 215 Interactive Workshop Violence blights the lives of children and has serious, long-term effects. Children who experience violence often become violent in their own relationships and as adults. As religious communities we cannot promote peace and justice unless we address the problem of violence against children, including corporal punishment. Corporal punishment violates the physical, emotional, and spiritual integrity of the child. It breaches fundamental rights to respect and human dignity, and its legality breaches children's right to equal protection under the law. There is growing faith-based support for halting violent relationships with children. This workshop will discuss the religious imperative to end all corporal punishment of children. It will address the role of religious leaders and communities as advocates for children. Participants will receive resources including information on nonviolent discipline, law reform, and a pack for taking action at 200 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ PROGRA Saturday, December 5, 2009 community, regional and national levels. It will include an overview and update on the global situation, including the results of the United Nations Secretary General's Global Study on Violence Against Children and the report recommendations for 2009. Discussion will include examples of action taken by religious leaders and communities to end this violence. Christine Dodd is a coordinator of the Churches' Network for NonViolence and Inter-Faith Liaison, a charity which works in partnership with others to end all forms of violence against children, including corporal punishment. Christine also has a background in public health and community development and has been involved in projects designed to prevent violence against women and children. Rev Cecilia Wikstrom has been a member of the European Parliament since 2009 and part of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDEI. She currently sits in the Committee of Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. Cecilia Wikstrom gained her Master's of theology at Uppsala University in 1993 and has published several books. She is Parish Pastor, Student Pastor, Pastor for Prisoners and Cathedral Canon of Uppsala Cathedral in the Church of Sweden. Ms Mali Nilsson is the Global Advocacy & Technical Advisor on Child Protection with Save the Children Sweden based in Stockholm. She is also the International Save the Children Alliance Global Focal Point on all forms of corporal punishment. She is responsible for supporting operational programs worldwide: developing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating strategies for ending violence against children via legislative change, with a specific focus on all forms of corporal punishment. Youth Spirituality: Join the Evolution! Youth, Spiritual Development and Activism Nina Meyerhof Yuka Saionji Jimmy Lama Karoline Venator Buys Amorntip Cherry Henderson Vaibhav Parulkar Ping Ping Worakate Thangsurbkul Colin Lee Room 216 Interactive Workshop The World Spirit Youth Council is an international youth movement that brings youth, spirituality and activism together. This project is sponsored by Children of the Earth, an 18-year-old, nonprofit organisation recognised as a UN-NGO. Children of the Earth teaches youth from around the world to become conscious leaders in order to bring about a peaceful global society. The youth on this panel are from diverse backgrounds and religious traditions, yet are unified under the Principles and Code of Ethics of Children of the Earth. The youth participants will share stories about their traditional backgrounds, as well as offer suggestions for encouraging unity and examples of how they have put their values into practice. They will demonstrate and involve audience participants in some of the processes that they use to engage other youth. In addition, they will identify local and international projects that further the spiritual youth movement for living ethics. 11:30am-1:00pm Dr Nina Meyerhof, President of Children of the Earth will facilitate this program. INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION Nina Meyerhof is Founder and President of Children of the Earth. Yuka Saionji is a deputy chairperson of a religious organisation Byakko Yuka Saionji is a deputy chairperson of a religious organisation Byakko Shinko Kai, which is dedicated to world peace and raising the consciousness of humanity. Byakko believes in the divinity of all humanity and hosts. interfaith events such as Symphony of Peace Prayers, where a diverse group of religious leaders lead more than 10,000 participants in harmonious prayer. She is also a member of the World Spirit Youth Council. Shinko Kai, which is dedicated to world peace and raising the consciousness of humanity. Byakko believes in the divinity of all humanity and hosts interfaith events such as Symphony of Peace Prayers, where a diverse group of religious leaders lead more than 10,000 participants in harmonious prayer. She is also a member of the World Spirit Youth Council. Jimmy Lama is an advisor to Youth Society for Peace. Born to a Buddhist family in Nepal, he is a member of World Spirit Youth Council, and coordinates the Nepalese chapter of the UN-NGO Children of the Earth. He works with over 700 children across 10 different local community-run schools, promoting peace and values-based education. Originally from Colombia, Karoline Venator Buys now lives in Munich, Germany with her South African husband. She has a passion for languages and speaks Spanish, English, German and some Japanese. She is a translator for the Academy for Future Science in various parts of the world. Ms Buys is currently working as Chapter Coordinator for Children of the Earth and is a member of World Spirit Youth Council. Amorntip Cherry Henderson was born in Chiang Mai, Thailand, to a Thai mother and Australian father. She attended Chiang Mai primary school for four years before moving to Australia in 2000. Ever since her mother introduced her to the Dhammakaya temple, she has been practicing her religion. She is enthusiastic about promoting the practice of meditation to achieve inner peace. An engineer by training, Vaibhav Parulkar later chose a spiritual path that was influenced by dreams, paranormal phenomena, intuitive messages, and out-of-body experiences as a child. Vaibhav Parulkar's mission in life is to serve humanity, spread spiritual awareness, raise consciousness and promote world peace. Ping Ping Worakate Thangsurbkul is a Project Coordinator of Peace Revolution initiated by World Peace Initiative Foundation and supported by Dhammakaya Foundation. This program encourages young adults aged 18 to 30 years old to participate in an online, self-development program. Presently, there are about 700 participants from 115 countries joining the program under the concept of 'World Peace through Inner Peace. She has been a member of the World Spirit Youth Council since its inception. Colin Lee is the founder of Shift International from Australia and is one of the founding members of the World Spirit Youth Council. Born to a Catholic Christian family migrated from Malaysia, Colin engages deeply with other religious groups and promotes interfaith dialogue and the art of spirituality. Colin trains and empowers the next generation of youth in his locality and does the same as he travels around the world with Children of the Earth. Wendi Momen Dr Moojan Momen Room 217 Panel Discussion Building Peace in the Pursuit of Justice: A Baha'i Approach Is it possible to build peace without establishing justice? Is it possible to establish justice without securing peace? How do we achieve both? How can we structure society to create social cohesion in the pursuit of peace? The teachings of the Baha'i faith provide insights into the attitudes, values, practices and structures that are needed at every www.parliamentofreligions.org 201
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________________ PROGRAND Saturday, December 5, 2009 11:30am-1:00pm INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION level of society, from the individual to the global, to establish peace, social cohesion and justice. Wendi Momen holds a BSc in Economics and a PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics. She is a freelance book editor. She was a member of the national governing council of the Baha'is of the UK from 1982 to 2005. She is Chair of Bedford Council of Faiths. Trustee of the Multi-Faith Centre at the University of Derby, secretary of the UK National Committee for UNIFEM and the author of twelve books. Dr Moojan Momen was born in Iran but raised and educated in England, attending the University of Cambridge. He has a special interest in the study of the Baha'i laith and Shi i Islam. His principal publications include: Introduction to Shi ilsiam (Yale University Press, 1985) and The Phenomenon of Religion (OneWorld. Oxford, 1999, republished as Understanding Religion, 2008). He has contributed articles to encyclopaedias and academic journals. Colonisation: Indigenous Peoples Striving for Self-Determination Linda Hogan, USA: Chickasaw, Moderator Marcos Terena, Brazil: Terena Mandaza Augustine Kandemwa, Zimbabwe: Shona/ Ndebele Room 219 Panel Discussion The devastation wrought by Western colonisation continues to run deep in the lives of many Indigenous peoples worldwide. The recovery and self-determination efforts undertaken by Indigenous communities takes many forms, from the simple power of the spoken and written word to inspire a nationalist sense of pride, to formal legislative processes. The panellists in this session will speak to some of the most pressing issues facing their respective Indigenous communities. Linda Hogan is a member of the Chickasaw Nation. She is the author of four novels, as well as a poet, environmental writer, and longtime par ticipant in Native Science Dialogues. She works for the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma as Writerin Residence, and is Professor Emerita at the University of Colorado, Ms Hogan has produced documentaries on Native Religion and has studied ceremonial literature. Her main interest is in the connection between the natural world and spirituality. Marcos Terena is a professor of Traditional and Spiritual Knowledge of the Indigenous People and Coordinator of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity. He founded the United Indigenous Nations, the first Indigenous movement in Brazil and he was a leader in gaining recog. nition for Indigenous rights in the Brazilian Constitution. He is a spokesman for Indigenous rights for the UN and President of the Intertribal Committee and VIATAN, an Indigenous information centre. Mandaza Augustine Kandemwa was born a Svikiro lin Shona, his native tonguel-a carrier of many earth and water spirits, and a Mhondoro-one who is in constant prayer on behalf of others. As a vessel of the Spirits. Mandaza receives visions and dreams, makes offerings, performs healing rituals, and serves as messenger for the Ancient Ones. Mandaza teaches us to become living prayers in service of the One Spirit. Voices of Challenge and Wisdom: Gay and Lesbian Perspectives on Faith, Spirituality and Embodied Grace Michael Kelly Chaplain Pamela Yetunde Donald Chalmers Rev Rowland Macaulay Madelaimber Ben Colburn Room 218 Panel Discussion Throughout the history of religion, no group has been more excluded, silenced, condemned and demonised than gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. In order to heal the world's spiritual rifts, we must embrace the unique perspectives on spirituality offered by this community. This panel discussion will explore the spiritual insights, questions and wisdom of gay, lesbian and queer people both in relation to mainstream religious traditions and in the shaping of their own spiritualities. Speakers from a variety of faith traditions will share the experience of coming out as gay in the face of widespread religious condemnation. They will also reflect on new ways to embrace the sacredness of the body and sexuality and the prophetic challenges they offer to institutional religion. The session will include discussion of the situation facing gay and transgender minorities in Africa, with a special focus on Nigeria, Michael Bernard Kelly is an educator, retreat leader, activist and spiritual writer who has worked in Australia, the USA and the UK He is the author of the book 'Seduced by Grace: Contemporary Spirituality, Gay Experience and Christian Faith and creator of the video series "The Erotic Contemplative' He holds professional qualifications in theology. Spirituality, education and creative media and is a doctoral candidate at Monash University Chaplain Pamela Yetunde is a member of Insight Atlanta and is a hos pice and hospital chaplain in the United States. Donald Chalmers is a campaigner for equal rights within religion in Australia. Rev Rowland Macaulay is a campaigner for equal rights within religion. Madelaine Imber is a youth and sexuality educator in Melbourne, Australia. Ben Colburn is a queer student, activist, poet and spiritual researcher in Providence, RI, USA. Landscape of Faith: Sharing Wisdom for a New Vision of Community - Part 11: Living in Community in the Shadow of Injustice Ibrahim Abdil-Mu'id Ramey Room 220 Seminar This one-day, interfaith educational seminar seeks to provide a context for community building by addressing the challenges of prejudice, injustice and alienation from the earth while weaving the possibility of transformation through the arts throughout the day. Participants are asked to attend all four sessions. This segment will cxplore the theme of building mutual justice and promoting reconciliation among communities who have suffered from human and civil rights abuses and historical injustices, sometimes leaving them with a sense of alienation and hostility directed against those whom they 202 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGRAM DE Saturday, December 5, 2009 2:30-4:00pm ENGAGEMENT SESSION ENGAGEMENT 2:30-4:00pm consider to be enemies' or oppressors. We will explore different notions of community, the divergent histories and social narratives that separate peoples, and creative methods for promoting transformational dialogue and building trust between historically antagonistic groups. This workshop will emphasize the central tenet of active nonviolence, as well as the recognition of the danger of globalization and new opportunities for promoting global justice that transcends divisions based on race, ethnicity. and religion. Ibrahim Abdil-Mu'id Ramey is a member of the Board of Directors of the Temple of Understanding and the Director of the Human and Civil Rights Division of the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation. He is actively involved in numerous media, interfaith, and social justice projects at the national and international level. LUNCHTIME PROGRAMMING 1:00-2:30pm Rivers of the Heart: Indigenous Knowledge and Literature Linda Hogan, USA: Chickasaw Room 102 Literary Reading & Seminar in recognising the humanity of the other, we enlarge our community to the world around us. Ceremony and dance gatherings serve this purpose, but words also have the power to create change. Linda Hogan, an award-winning Indigenous poet, storyteller, academic, playwright, novelist, environmentalist and writer of short stories, will perform a reading from her work and lead a conversation and Q&A, making connections among science, astronomy and ceremonial literatures. Hogan works for the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma as Writer in Residence, reading and speaking internationally at environmental and literary gatherings and conferences. She focuses on Indigenous knowledge systems, ceremonial literatures, and how these contain knowledge of ecosystems in their regions. Linda Hogan, Chickasaw, is the author of four novels. 'Mean Spirit' (Pulitzer finalist), 'Solar Storms' and 'Power' (both International Impact Finalists and award winners), and "People of the Whale', read internationally. She has participated for fifteen years in Native Science Dialogues Indigenous Knowledge systems and environment). She is Professor Emerita of the University of Colorado and has done documentaries on Native Religion. She has studied ceremonial literature, and her main interest is in the connection between the natural world and spirituality Global Ethics and Religion Forum - The Role of Religion in Post War Treaties, Constitutions and International Law Hans Corell Philip Towle Masaki Ina Temario River Helen James Frank G Madsen Gerhard Beestermuler Gregor Noll Room 110 Symposium This is Panel #2 in the 'War and the Role of Religion in a Just and Sustainable World' Symposium. Hans Corel is the former Under Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and the Legal Counsel of the United Nations, as well as the Chairman of the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Lund University, Sweden Philip Towle is a Lecturer in International Studies, Cambridge University. England. Masaki Ina is Director at the Center for Rotary Peace Fellows, International Christian University, Japan Temario River is Associate Director at the Center for Rotary Peace Fellows, Japan, Helen James is Adjunct Associate Professor at the Social Research Institute, Australian National University, Australia Frank Madsen is the former Head of Criminal Investigation, Interpol, a Queens College Fellow, and a member of the Program in Religion and Ethics in War and Peace-Making at St. Edmund's College, Cambridge University, England. Gerhard Beestermuler is Associate Director at the Institute for Theology and Peace, Germany. Gregor Noll is Chair in International Law and Refugees at the University of Lund, Sweden. www.parliamentofreligions.org 203
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________________ PROGRAM Saturday, December 5, 2009 Reconciliation with Land - Reconnecting Spirituality, Ecology and Human Creativity, and Reverence for Earth Catherine van Wilgenburg Dr Colin Hocking Helen Rzesniowiecki Robert Jackson Mary Tinney Mary Long Room 103 Interactive Workshop This program includes two parts, namely: Reconciliation with Land-reconnecting spirituality, ecology and human creativity, and Reverence for Earth. The first part of the program will provide an opportunity for participants to share their experiences of the connection between spirituality and the environment and what it means to take local action to protect biodiversity. They will also compare their conceptions of traditional and contemporary faith perspectives on human and spiritual relationships to land. The second part involves activities and a presentation about how reconciliation with the land means experiencing the reconnection of human creativity with spirituality and the environment. The presenter explores spirituality that envisions the Sacred as intimately embodied in the earth and the cosmos, which brings into force powerful emotions of reverence for all life and commitment to justice for the earth. A deep bonding with nature, and recognition that humankind is only one element in the interdependent web of life, underpins this spirituality. Catherine van Wilgenburg is a practising visual artist grounded in her local community at Iramoo Sustainable Community Centre at St Albans, Victoria, Australia. She is working to develop arts programs that emerge from a reconnection with the land at Iramoo and within a community of multi-disciplined Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists, environmentalists and local multifaith communities living in the western region of Melbourne. Dr Colin Hocking, Senior Research Fellow, Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science, Victoria University, has made an outstanding contribution to the university through his critical role in establishing the Iramoo Sustainable Community Centre and Wildlife Park, St Albans; his research on threatened species; and his efforts to negotiate with local community groups and agencies to establish wildlife open spaces. His engagement with the community on behalf of the university includes a range of community education programs. Helen Rzesniowiecki is Community Engagement Officer at framoo Sustainable Community Centre, Iramoo. Robert Jackson is a composer, performer, improviser, painter, street performer, saxophonist and guitarist. In 2006, he was Artist-inResidence at The Hunt Club Community Arts Centre for Brimbank City Council. Since 2000, he has played the part of Weasel in the Australian Shakespeare Company's production of 'Wind in the Willows'. In 2005, he toured Northern Australia with the ASC production Much Ado About Nothing' 204 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions Jain Education Intemational Mary Tinney is the coordinator of Earth Link, a community environment centre at Ocean View, about an hour north-west of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Mary Long is a member of the Earth Link Core group and a co-presenter in its programs which facilitate deep bonding with Earth. She believes that this bonding is vital if we are to have a world where there is 'respect, reverence and care for earth. She brings her experience as an educator and as a searcher for the sacred in earth. 2:30-4:00pm ENGAGEMENT SESSION Innovative Approaches to Multicultural and Interfaith Education in Schools Walter Rapoport Simon Oats Richard Mallaby Room 104 Interactive Workshop This workshop will explore different approaches to multicultural and interfaith education in schools through a presentation of innovative pedagogies. These educational approaches will focus on encouraging respect for the 'other' through a process of storytelling and respectful listening and the use of gardens and nature in children's education. Walter Rapoport is the Chairman of the Council of Christians & Jews in Victoria, Australia. He is on the editorial committees of two interfaith journals, Gesher and Dialogue Asia Pacific. Simon Oats is a qualified teacher, gifted storyteller, songwriter and actor. Richard Mallaby directs a program on 'Children and Gardening, at Church of Christ in Victoria, Australia. Richard is a Church of Christ minister working in a Baptist church in Victoria. He has a degree in Agricultural Science, postgraduate degree in Divinity. Master's degree in Environmental Science and is currently working toward the Doctor of Ministry Studies at the Melbourne College of Divinity. Richard has worked in Community development in Indonesia for seven years. Vegetarianism Ethics, Environmental Concerns, and Complex Realities Rabbi David Rosen Naresh Jain Room 105 Panel Discussion Vegetarianism is widely understood to be an environmentally appropriate and humane way of eating, but it is not necessarily widely embraced. Some religious traditions advocate vegetarianism as part of the teaching and practice of non-violence, and for many this lifestyle has deeply religious aspects. This session will present some of the moral religious, scientific and environmental aspects of this diet, and the implcations of this choice for the community, including the larger Earth community. Rabbi David Rosen is Director of the American Jewish Committee's Department for Interreligious Affairs and the Heilbrunn institute for International Interreligious Understanding. He serves on several international interreligious organisations. Formerly Chief Rabbi of Ireland, he is the immediate past Chair of the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations, a broad-based coalition of Jewish organisations representing world Jewry to other religions.
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________________ | PROGRAZ Saturday, December 5, 2009 2:30-4:00pm ENGAGEMENT SESSION Naresh Jain represents the Jain community at the national and international levels. He actively works with the religious and spiritual communities in New York and New Jersey to organize interreligious programs. He served as an advisor to the 2004 Barcelona Parliament Program Task Force, 2006 Montreal Global Congress of World's Religions, and 2009 New Delhi Global Congress of World's Religions, and as a member of the 2009 Parliament Site Selection Task Force. Sacred Sites, Sacred Solidarity: Stories from the Frontlines Sharon Rosen Additional Speakers to be Announced Room 106 Some of the most perilous and inspiring accounts on the 'frontlines' of the interreligious movement involve facing the threats to sacred sites of the world's religious and spiritual communities. When ethnic, cultural or religious tensions flare, places of Worship and practise are often the first targets for anger and violence. Such attacks can lan flames of rage within and among spiritual communities. But when religious neighbours and others from abroad stand in solidarity with the aggrieved community, cycles of hatred and destruction can be reversed, and the fires may be stopped before they spread beyond control. This session of the Sacred Sites, Sacred Solidarity Symposium will feature the real life encounters that involve sacred sites around the world, the efforts to protect them and the ways in which diverse communities have come together in solidarity Religious Freedom and Interreligious Dialogue: IARF and Its Work in India Dr Homi Dhalla Dr Thomas Mathew Dr John Taylor Jasbir Singh Rev Johanna Boeke Rev Richard Boeke Orlanda Brugnola Room 108 Panel Discussion The International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF), founded in 1900 and with chapters in North America, Britain and Europe, now works mostly in Asia. Every four years, it holds an international congress, which in 2010 will be held in Cochin, India. This session will highlight the work of IARF in southern India in fostering friendship and community between Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, Jains and Christians. Thomas Mathew is Council President of IARF. Dr John Taylor is a representative of the International Association for Religious Freedom in Geneva and Vice-Chair of the Steering Committee of the Coalition. He holds a PhD from McGill University and for many years worked for the World Council of Churches. Jasbir Singh is chairman of the Rajasthan State Minorities Commission Rev Johanna Boeke is a former International Association for Religious Freedom representative to the UN, Geneva. The Rev Dr Richard Boeke was founding President of the US Chapter of the International Association for Religious Freedom and is a Vice President of the World Congress of Faiths. He is the author of "God is No-Thing. His latest essay is "Evolve or Explode? A Lesson From Darwin For Our Time, The Last Yoik in Saami Forests? Room 107 Film Over the last half-century. population growth and logging damage have taken their toll on the forests of Finnish Lapland. These forests are essential to the Indigenous Saami people's reindeer herding and traditional ways of life. This film discusses alternatives to logging as well as more efficient uses for Lappish timber, but the issue of Indigenous land rights is at the root of this story of economic pressure and cultural survival. The film was directed by Hannu Hyvonen. The Gulen Movement's Global Peace and Social Reconciliation Vision and Projects: Lessons Learned from Germany, the US and Medina Ercan Karakoyun Ibrahim Sayar Ali Riza Candir Room 109 Panel Discussion The life and works of distinguished Turkish-Muslim scholar, Fethullah Gulen, are best described by his deep respect for and connection to all creation. 'Living to let others live is the core principle of his understanding of the service to humanity. In this program, we will hear from three social activists inspired by Gulen, and through their voices we will gain insight into the Gulen Movement's global peace and social reconciliation vision and projects. We will see this first in a presentation about the Gulen Movement's social responsibility and solidarity vision and projects in the US; second, in a presentation about the contribution of the Gulen Movement for the integration of Muslims in Western societies with emphasis on the Gulen Movement www.parliamentofreligions.org 205 For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGRE Saturday, December 5, 2009 2:30-4:00pm ENGAGEMENT SESSION in Germany, and third, in a presentation about the model society the Prophet Muhammad established in Medina based on universally-recognized moral principles represented at the core of the Gulen Movement works today. Ercan Karakoyun was born in 1980 in Schwerte (Germanyl and studied spatial planning at the University of Dortmund with a focus on urban sociology. Since 2007, he has been working on his PhD on Transnationality among Turkish entrepreneurs in Germany at the Goethe University of Frankfurt/Main. He is a correspondent for the magazine Zukunft and has numerous published writings. His research interests include regional and urban research, residential sociology, integration issues, migration and other subjects. Ibrahim Sayar was born and received his education in Turkey. After graduating with a Theology degree from Harran University, Turkey, he traveled to the USA to received his MA in Psychology at Concordia University, Chicago. In 2003 he started working for TACA as the religious leader of the Turkish community in Chicago. Since 2005 he has been working for the Boston Dialogue Foundation as an Imam and Director, Mr Sayar has been active in interfaith dialogue since 1999. Mr Ali Riza Candir has a BS degree in Electronics Engineering in Turkey and has been working with the Rain Drop Foundation as Executive Director since 2007. He is also President of the Culen Institute, a nonprofit organization that promotes academic research in global peace, social harmony and social justice. He has actively organized intercultural and interfaith dialogue activities in cities such as Houston, Mexico City and Washington, DC Indigenous Perspective on Education: Building Academic Skills with a Strong Cultural Grounding Darlene St Clair, USA: Dakota, Moderator Margaret Lokawua, Uganda: Karimjong Constantino Pinto, East Timor: Timorese Room 111 Panel Discussion It is widely acknowledged that most Indigenous peoples have suffered the impact of colonisation. Today, many Indigenous people continue to struggle to access an education that is respectful and supportive of their rights. Indigenous peoples also wish to learn and to speak the language of their people and to maintain their cultural and spiritual identities while also enjoying the benefits of education. Panellists in this session will discuss these themes within the broader framework of self-determination. lyekiyapiwin (Darlene St Clair) is an assistant professor of American Indian Studies at St Cloud State University, where she is also the director of the Multicultural Resource Center. Her work examines the integration of Native cultures' histories and languages into curricula, the arts, cultural expressions and education of Native peoples. She is dewakantunwan Dakota and a member of the Lower Sioux Indian Community in Minnesota, USA. Margaret Lokawua is a member of the United Nations Forum on Indigenous Issues. She is also the Chairperson for Civil Society for Indigenous Organizations in Karamonja, as well as the Director of the Indigenous Women Environmental Conservation Project. Constantino Pinto is co-founder and current director of Fundacao Lafaek Diak (FLD: The Good Crocodile Foundation, an Indigenous Timorese non-profit, non-government community development organisation. He and his family lived through the Indonesian military invasion and occupation of East Timor. Interreligious Regional Concerns: Africa Ishmael Noko, Moderator Lally Lucretia Warren Prabhudas Pattni Setri Nyomi Room 110 How does spirituality-and the interreligious movement in particular-express itself through the prism of geography? In this series of regional conversations, panellists hailing from varying religious traditions but similar areas of the globe engage and investigate. Topics include how water-related issues are reshaping and reconfiguring Africa and the uses of African rituals related to the healing of memories. Rev Dr Ishmael Noko has been the General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation since 1994. He is responsible for international affairs in contact with governments and political leaders and has worked with refu gee services for various churches. He obtained his MA at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon, Canada and his PhD from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Lally Lucretia Warren is a nurse and midwife and the chairperson of the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'i in Botswana, She has led a wide variety of interreligious initiatives and has served as Chairperson of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'i in Botswana. She chaired a prominent session at the 2004 Parliament of the World's Religions entitled Strategies for Mainstreaming Gender into Peace Building and Inter-Faith Programs Prabhudas Pattni is the General Secretary for the Hindu Council of Africa, Rev Dr Setri Nyomi is the General Secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARCI-the first non-European to serve in this position. He comes from Ghana, and has studied in the University of Ghana and Trinity Seminary in Ghana as well as Yale University and Princeton Theological Seminary in the USA, WARC is the global umbrella body of Presbyterian, Reformed, Congregational, Waldensian and some United and Uniting Churches. Le Carnaval Spirituel Indradyumna Swami Room 201 Artistic Performance Le Carnaval Spirituel is a joyful, colourful tapestry of theatre, dance, music, song, yoga, martial arts and meditation, bringing forth the timeless spiritual wisdom of ancient India's Vedic culture. Le Carnaval performs 'Bharat Natyam,' an ancient form of divine dance from South India, in its traditional style and in a contemporary East-meets-West fusion dance. "Katak, a dance native to North India, is divinely graceful, each movement imbued with deep spiritual significance designed to elevate our consciousnesses and put us in touch with our inner selves. Classically trained ballerinas from Russia add a magical touch. Le Carnaval also enacts an ancient tale of Divine romance, intrigue, love and war from a time when pious kings ruled the earth and their evil counterparts fought them with mystic powers and supernatural weapons. In 'The dance of the warrior, the audience travels back through centuries to a time when warriors developed 206 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGRA Saturday, December 5, 2009 2:30-4:00pm ENGAGEMENT SESSION martial arts to protect lands from marauding invaders. Though lethal, these martial arts were amazingly artistic and graceful in their style. "Yoga Moves' showcases beautiful, stylised yogic movements set to a musical score. In "The Art of Happiness', the audience is guided through a deeply relaxing, illuminating group meditation, putting us in touch with our spirituality. Indradyumna Swami is a disciple of AC Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada, founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. He is a sannyasi or celibate monk, travelling preacher and guru, or spiritual teacher, in the Chaitanya Vaisnava tradition. Each year, he circles the globe, teaching the message of the Bhagavad Gita and introducing thou sands to kirtan and chanting. He and his group of spiritual entertainers present concerts. He also assists in various welfare campaigns globally. such as Hare Krishna Food For Life. The Responsibility of the Mainstream for Reconciliation (Part 1) Panel to be Determined Room 202 While the words of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of 'Sorry Day on June 11. 2007 moved Australia a step further on its journey of meaningful co-existence, the troubled legacy of the past it addressed still holds a powerful grip on Australian society. "Reconciliation is often the term used to point to efforts to come to terms with the shared history of Aboriginal peoples with the once-immigrant and now majority populations which now make up mainstream Australian society. It is also the term used to describe the efforts to redress the debilitating conditions hindering Aboriginal communities. What is the ethical responsibility and potentially unique role of mainstream religious communities in Australia in furthering a process of reconciliation? How can it support the struggle of Aboriginal peoples for self-determination in non-paternalistic ways? How can it present new frameworks of mutual respect and collaboration? Hear from representatives of organisations and communities committed to reconciliation about what is happening, and more importantly, what is possible, as Australia strives to make the vision of 'Sorry Day' an everyday reality. Religion, Conflict, and Peacebuilding: The Case of Papua New Guinea Esther Nokolu Win Ali Bena Seta Room 203 Panel Discussion For decades, there has been significant tension between landowners and the government in Papua New Guinea. In addition, with more than 700 languages spoken in Papua New Guinea, there is a great deal of conflict rooted in differences between tribal cultures. In these situations, mediation is problematic without a deep understanding of cultural traditions. Esther Nokolu, from the Southern Highlands Province, is the CPP coordinator for Baptist Union of Papua New Guinea. She has worked closely with women's groups by teaching self-reliance in village development activities, small income generation projects, and promoting awareness and community participation in improving quality of life in the villages. She has also assisted in assessing the health needs of rural communities. Mr Win Ali has worked with communities in building trust and encouraging them to support and work together for the betterment of the whole He has worked to implement literacy programs in the various regions of the country, it is his belief that learning how to read and write can improve daily life significantly and address social, health and economic issues, Bena Seta is a Civil Servant working in the Public service of Papua New Guinea as a Provincial Culture and Environment Officer. For a number of years Bena was involved in Distribution and Restorative Justice for resources owners and affected Tribal people. She worked with the United Church of Papua New Guinea as a National Program Coordinator of Young Ambassadors for Peace, designed for the Restoration of Southern Highlands and Bougainville Talkin' 'Bout My Generation - Daily Youth Workshop Anna Hutchens Alice Chew Room 204 Interactive Workshop This program will feature the stories of young people and their parents from Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh backgrounds as they share how they were able to navigate the challenges between the generations. With the progress of society comes change and with that change comes challenges. Add religion, culture and a move to foreign lands into the mix and the challenges become even more complex. The Centre for Multicultural Youth will facilitate this workshop. Anna Hutchens is Project Manager for the Centre for Multicultural Youth, based in Victoria, Alice Chew is a participant in the Multicultural Youth Mentoring Project at the Centre for Multicultural Youth, based in Victoria www.parliamentofreligions.org 207
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________________ PROGRAM O Saturday, December 5, 2009 Engaging Faith-Based Organisations for the Millenium Development Goals: Comparative UN Experiences Dr Azza Karam Ali Moussa lye Stephen Hanmer Sally Smith Dr Thomas Uthup Tim M Rwabuhemba Quentin Wodon Room 207 Panel Discussion In 2001, recognising the need to spur development by improving social and economic conditions in the world's poorest countries, 192 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organisations agreed to achieve eight Millennium Development Goals. These international development goals, to be achieved by 2015, range from reducing extreme hunger to promoting gender equality and environmental sustainability. While not all UN bodies have a policy for engagement with faith-based communities on all issues, several have established different means of doing so with diverse groups. To showcase the range of partnerships and issues with which some UN bodies work. with faith-based communities, this interactive panel will bring together six members of the UN family (UNESCO, UNICEF, UNAIDS, UNFPA, the Alliance of Civilizations, the World Bank) to introduce their respective areas of work and, specifically, the successes, challenges and ways forward for their faith-based organisation outreach. Dr Azza Karam serves the Culture mandate at the United Nations Population Fund. A political scientist and economist by training, she has managed international development programs; served as a gender and culture Trainer and Specialist for various international intergovernmental entities; and is a Lecturer on politics and religion in several academic arenas. She has several books and publications to her name. She has worked in the Middle East, western Europe and the United States. Ali Moussa lye is the Chief of the Intercultural Dialogue Section of UNESCO in Paris, where he coordinates the slave routes projects and UNESCO's History of Africa. Stephen Hanmer, a UNICEF Partnerships Advisor, supports UNICEF's faith-based partnerships. Sally Smith is a UNAIDS Partnership Adviser. As research manager, Dr Thomas Uthup coordinates all research and education activities for the UN Alliance of Civilizations project. His major responsibilities include the development of clearinghouses and appropriate networks of clearinghouse partners, the development of a Research Network, and the building of bridges between organisations to understand the 'other. Currently, his major focus is on developing a network of partners for the Education about Religions and Beliefs clearinghouse. Tim M Rwabuhemba is the UNAIDS Country Coordinator in Papua New Guinea. Prior to this, he was the UNAIDS Country Coordinator in Lesotho. He has also worked for UNICEF as Programme Officer. Rwabuhemba has broad experience and knowledge on public health, HIV programming and policy development issues gained over thirteen years in the UN system and five years working with nongovernmental organisations, including faith-based organisations. He holds a degree in Education and post-graduate qualifications in Health. 208 PWR Parliament of the World's Religions 2:30-4:00pm ENGAGEMENT SESSION Quentin Wodon worked in business after studying engineering and business. In 1988 joined for five years the ATD Fourth World, a interdenominational grassroots and advocacy NGO working with the extreme poor. He later completed a PhD in Economics, taught at the University of Namur, and finally joined the World Bank in 1998. Since November 2008, he heads the Development Dialogue on Values and Ethics, the unit at the World Bank working on faith, ethics and development. Protecting Religious Freedom & Sacred Sites: Examples from Indigenous Communities (Session 2) Amos Tripp, USA: Karuk Alejandro Argumedo, Peru: Quechua Aqqaluk Lynge Room 208 Panel Discussion In this second session, members of the panel will discuss why sacred sites are a necessary part of the spiritual life of their respective Indigenous communities. The spiritual beliefs and practices of most Indigenous peoples are land based. As such, sacred places are an essential part of the culture. There are many different types of sacred sites and while some bear the mark of the ancestors, another place might be the place of emergence or the home of an important deity. Sacred sites, therefore, can be a community's creation story. Various religious or sacred ceremonies are conducted at these sites and are blessed with songs, prayers, and other offerings. Amos Tripp is a Karuk-wuh-uttah-uttah from the middle section of the Klamath River in northwestern California. He studied law at the University of California-Davis and currently works for United Indian Health Services in Arcata, California. His local tribes are 'Fix the World tribes, who believe in living in balance with their surroundings. Mr Tripp is very proud to be part of the healing after the land grab in California devastated these tribes. Mr Alejandro Argumedo, a Quechua from Peru, is Executive Director of the autonomous international NGO, Cultural Survival Canada, focusing on the connection between cultural and biological diversity and on Indigenous peoples' traditional resource rights. Mr Argumedo is coordinator for the Indigenous Peoples' Biodiversity Network (IPBN) and is a member of the steering committee and advisory group for IPBN's Indigenous Knowledge Programme. He holds a degree in agriculture from McGill University. Aqqaluk Lynge is President of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC) Greenland and ICC Vice-Chair for Greenland. He has represented the Inuit of Alaska, Canada, Greenland and the Far East of Russia as President of the ICC from 1997 to 2006. Mr. Lynge was first elected to the Greenland Parliament in 1983 and also served as a Minister with various portfolios. He has demonstrated a deep commitment to pan-Inuit unity since the early 1970s.
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________________ PROGRAMER Saturday, December 5, 2009 Striving to Live in a Livable World (Session 1) Dr Joseph Henry Suina, USA: Cochiti Pueblo, Moderator Anna Pinto, India: Meitei Chief Megaron Txukarramae Room 209 Panel Discussion Environmental safety and sustainability of a healthy environment is a global problem for many Indigenous communities. Maintaining a healthy environment is an increasingly difficult challenge as Indigenous communities struggle to protect their land and all those who live around it. The land not only serves as source of sustenance, but also provides materials for homes, feed for livestock and herbal medicine for health. This land also contains special or sacred places. Panellists representing the Cochiti Pueblo tribe of the American Southwest, the Meitei of India, and the Kayapo of Brazil will discuss the challenges and the spiritual significance of their environments. Dr Joseph H Suina is a Professor Emeritus in the College of Education at the University of New Mexico and has numerous publications on culture and education. He directed the Institute for American Indian Education at UNM for tribes throughout the Southwest. He is a former governor and a current tribal council member, who continues to advocate for Native American tribes in the areas of health, museums, language retention, sacred sites, economic development and housing. Anna Pinto is Executive Director of the Centre for Organisation, Research and Education (CORE), an Indigenous peoples' policy research and advocacy organisation based in the North East of India. An active member of the Indian Women's Movement for over two decades, she is also a prolific writer whose work addresses and critiques such issues as policy initiatives by the government of India and international agencies such as the World Bank. Megaron Txucarramae is grand chief of the Kayapo people from the Amazonian Basin of Brazil, the head administrator of the National Indigenous Foundation (FUNAI) in his region, and a board member of Conservation International. The traditional lands of the Kayapo represent the single largest tract of protected tropical forest in the world. Chief Megaron works toward the preservation of his people's lands, culture and identity, and to promote their economic and political autonomy. Religion, Science, and Environmental Activism (Session 3) Philip Clayton Praveen Chaudhari F LeRon Shults Denis Edwards Pauline Rudd Room 210 Panel Discussion Healing the Earth will require partnerships not only among all the world's faith traditions but also with the scientific experts who best understand the problems and potential solutions. The first two sessions on science and spirituality, also sponsored by the International Society for Science and Religion, have focused on ways to 2:30-4:00pm ENGAGEMENT SESSION form constructive partnerships between these two great social forces. In this final, hands-on session, we turn to specific examples of environmental activism, exploring concrete examples of religion-science partnerships that can help heal the Earth. Environmental activists and heads of organisations will be present both on stage and in the audience. After the opening presentations on how to foster constructive partnerships between scientists and religious leaders, we will move into workshop format. Leading activists and other audience members will describe their experiences with these sorts of collaborations. The invited experts will present models for successful alliances. Together we will then explore ways to implement such alliances both at the local level and in high-visibility international projects that address the global environmental crisis. Philip Clayton is Ingraham Professor at Claremont School of Theology and Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Claremont Graduate University. He specialises in conflicts and connections between the sciences and religion, with particular focus on the biological sciences and the environmental crisis. He is the author or editor of seventeen books and over 100 articles, including the recent 'Oxford Handbook of Religion and Science and In Quest of Freedom: The Emergence of Spirit in the Natural World, Dr Praveen Chaudhari received his PhD in physical metallurgy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He joined IBM in 1996. In addition to carrying out his personal research, he has held various management responsibilities in science and technologies. He retired from IBM in 2003 and became the Director of Brookhaven National Laboratory until 2006, when he returned to science. Dr Chaudhari has published over 160 technical papers and holds over three dozen patents. F LeRon Shults is professor of theology and philosophy at the University of Agder in Kristiansand, Norway. A leading authority on science and theology, he has published some ten books and dozens of articles in the field. Shults is the editor of the Brill book series 'Philosophical Studies in Science and Religion and scientific director of the Transforming Compassion project at Stiftelsen Arkivet, a peace-building institute in Norway. His other current research interests include ethics, desire, differentiation and religious symbolism. Denis Edwards is professor of theology at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia. An ecological theologian, he has published widely on the interactions among ecology, environmental science, and religion. Among his best-known books are 'Breath of Life: A Theology of the Creator Spirit'. 'The God of Evolution: A Trinitarian Theology, and Jesus and the Cosmos'. He will soon publish The Holy Spirit and Ecological Theology". Prof Pauline Rudd, BSc, LRIC, MA (Oxon), PhD, one of the world's leading molecular biologists, is head of the Dublin-Oxford Glycobiology Lab in Dublin, Ireland. She is Honorary Professor at St George's Hospital, London; is affiliated with the SAB Rega Institute for Medical Research, University of Leuven, and is Founding Scientist at Wessex Biochemicals (Sigma London). Rudd is a lay member of the Community of St Mary the Virgin in Oxfordshire and an internationally sought-after speaker on the world's mystical traditions. www.parliamentofreligions.org 209
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________________ PROG Saturday, December 5, 2009 2:30-4:00pm ENGAGEMENT SESSION Pastoral Responses to HIV/AIDS from the Global to the Local Perspective Antje Jackelen Margaret Hayes Adam Breasley Room 211 Seminar Zabrina Santiago is Deputy Executive Director and Partner Cities Director for the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions. She brings over 15 years of experience in executive leadership, strategic planning, and relationship management to the Council. She is recognized for her work in over 25 international cities in developing the Partner Cites Network of the Council. The Partner Cities Network serves to connect organizations, guiding institutions, and religious and spiritual communi ties in cities around the globe who are working toward creating more just cohesive, and sustainable communities. Zabrina, an active leader in the Presbyterian Church (USA), holds a Masters in Theology from McCormick Theological Seminary. Alisa Roadcup is Outreach Director and Development Associate for the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions. She brings seven years of non-profit experience in strategic communications, programming and development to the Council Alisa holds a BA in Humanities, an MA in Religious Studies and wrote her thesis on Thomas Merton's Theology of the Self as Influenced by Christian Mysticism and Zen Buddhism. She went on to study contemplative Social Action at Naropa University This program features pastoral responses to HIV/ AIDS from the Bishops Conference of Sweden and the Melbourne Church of Australia. The Bishops' Conference of the Church of Sweden published a pastoral letter on HIV in the Global Perspective. This letter offers suggesLions for the religious communities to work with politicians, international organisations, health care providers and pharmaceutical providers around the world. The Melbourne Church has taken pastoral care initiatives with people suffering with HIV/AIDS and will look at programs that the Catholic HIV/AIDS Ministry offers to address the practical issues that people living with HIV/AIDS face. Together, these prominent institutions will discuss an issue that must be addressed and brought to the attention of people from all faiths. Rev Dr Antje Jackelen is Bishop of Lund in the Lutheran Church of Sweden, the first woman bishop to be popularly elected the Church of Sweden, She was previously a professor of systematic theology/religion and science at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago and director of the Zygon Center for Religion and Science. She is the author of 'Time and Eternity (2005) and numerous articles in a variety of languages Currently, she serves as president of the European Society for the Study of Science and Theology Marg Hayes coordinates Catholic HIV/AIDS Ministry in Melbourne. She is a trained social worker and holds a degree in theology. Marg has been privileged to work at Catholic HIV/AIDS Ministry for eight years and is often challenged and humbled by the situations many people living with HIV/AIDS confront on a daily basis. Adam Breasley is a graduate student in Human Rights at Australian Catholic University The Street Theology of Anger and the Logic of Dying to Win Abdul Malik Mujahid Dr Muhammad Shafiq Room 213 Panel Discussion This panel will look into the discourse of anger in the world and the strategic logic of suicide terrorism. It will examine how traditional Islamic concepts and terminology are being used in new meanings to justify the fight against real or perceived injustice, as well as the internal and external enemies of Islam and Muslims. It will also compare Indian Naxalites with the Pakistani Taliban to see how poverty and socioeconomic injustice are contributing to armed insurgencies against governments in South Asia. The panel will interweave sociological and empirical evidence to increase our understanding of social movements, rebellion and theology. Abdul Malik Mujahid is the founder of Sound Vision Foundation and executive producer of the daily Radio Islam show. He served two terms as the Chairman of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago and is currently Vice Chair of the Council for a Parliament of World Religions. As national coordinator of Bosnia Task Force, USA, he successfully led efforts in collaboration with the National Organization of Women INOW) to declare rape a war crime. Dr Muhammad Shafiq is executive director of the Center for Interfaith Studies and Dialogue ICISDI, professor of Islamic and religious studies at Nazareth College and Imam of the Islamic Center of Rochester Dr Shafiq has written several books, including Interfaith Dialogue: A Guide for Muslims. His latest article is Abrahamic Faiths: Models of Interfaith Dialogue in the United States IA Case Study of Rochester, New York'. published in Peace-Building By, Between, and Beyond Muslims and Evangelical Christians International Partner Cities and 2009 Ambassadors Reception Zabrina Santiago Alisa Roadcup Room 212 Networking Event This special networking reception will honour Legacy Partner Cities, 2009 Parliament Ambassadors and Pre-Parliament Event hosts from over 70 cities around the world. This unique event provides an opportunity for the Council to recognize those who have made unique contributions in support of the 2009 Parliament, and to set in motion the expansion of Partner Cities Network over the course of the next five years.. 210 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGRAM Saturday, December 5, 2009 A String and A Prayer: Creating Universal Peace Beads Eleanor Wiley Room 214 Interactive Workshop This experiential, non-denominational workshop brings together people of all ages and spiritual traditions to create a personal prayer strand. Participants will receive a Sacred Wheel of Peace (a mandala based on a talk by Jim Kenny at the Chicago Parliament in 1993) and will choose beads from a common bowl to create their prayer strand. The act of creation gives each person the experience of present moment practice while working in community with people of many faiths. Participants will also share their traditional use of prayer beads, revealing interfaith connections. Participants may then take home a physical tool to support their personal prayer practice and deepen their spirituality. It will also serve as a reminder of the gifts of understanding and global community. The personal prayer strand will be a tangible sign of the creator's commitment to generate justice, sustainable living, and a better world. Creating a personal prayer strand is an opportunity to learn to listen and hear in a new way, to see our similarities and the ways we can unite to make a difference. All materials are free and the workshop requires no artistic background. Eleanor Wiley has been creating interfaith prayer beads since 1994. She has presented workshops in such countries as the US, Turkey, Ireland, UK, Spain, and South Africa. She is the author of A String and A Prayer' and 'There Are No Mistakes. Wiley's interfaith beading workshops allow participants to find a new way of understanding diverse spiritual paths. learn about commonalities and create community. Arctic Peoples: Environment and Traditional Ways Norma Kassi, Canada: Vuntut Gwitch'in First Nation, Moderator Minnie Lucy Naylor, USA: Inupiaq Eskimo Room 215 Special Panel The cultures, languages and spiritualities of Indigenous peoples of the Arctic reflect the Arctic environment. Traditional values provide instruction on how we should live on this planet. The ability of Indigenous peoples to practise traditional ways and subsist in the face of climate change will be the focus of this panel. Norma Kassi, raised in Old Crow, Yukon, is Vuntut Gwich'in [People of the Lakes). From 1985 until 1992 she was a member of the Yukon Legislative Assembly. She has been a spokesperson in the effort to preserve the Porcupine Caribou Herd and serves on the International Gwich'in Steering Committee for the Preservation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. She is Co-director of the Arctic Health Research Network: Yukon, engaged in health research. Minnie Naylor, an Inupiaq Eskimo raised in Kotzebue, Alaska, works with the Sivuliq Youth Media Group, which is finishing its current production, The Lost Dances, a film about Eskimo dances exchanged between Alaska and Russia. She has been an academic advisor at the local university branch campus and has been involved in local government. She is a recent graduate of the Rural Development Program at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Maori Custom Law and Listening to the Land - Australian Aboriginal Meditation Merekaraka Caesar Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann Room 216 Interactive Workshop Merekaraka Caesar, Wahine Maori of Queensland, will explain Tikanga, or Maori Custom Law, a practical, vibrant, living part of the Maori Culture that has been handed down from our Tipuna, or Ancestors. Tikanga is from our God and our Ancestors and gives spiritual guidelines for our daily lives and interaction. From the very beginning of time, when once we stood as eternal brothers and sisters, it has helped to remind us of our sacred cultural and spiritual values. Next, Miriam-Rose UngunmarrBaumann, Aboriginal artist, will present Dadirri, a form of Australian Aboriginal meditation that is based on listening deeply to the land and reconnecting to the Earth, our mother. A unique gift of the Aboriginal people, Dadirri is inner deep listening and quiet still awareness. Dadirri recognises the deep spring that is inside us. The contemplative way of Dadirri spreads over our whole life. It renews us and brings us peace. It makes us feel whole again. In our Aboriginal way, we learned to listen from our earliest times. Our Aboriginal way has taught us to be still and wait. We do not try to hurry things up. We let them follow their natural course-like the seasons. 2:30-4:00pm ENGAGEMENT SESSION Merekaraka Caesar is Founder and President of a nonprofit cultural humanitarian organisation, Wahine Maori of Queensland Inc, based on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It has a humanitarian arm and plans to build orphanages in third world countries, commencing with Thailand. Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann, a member of the Ngangiwumirri language group, was born in the bush near Daly River in 1951. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Deakin University, a Bachelor of Education, and a Master of Education, with High Distinction. In acknowledgment of her leadership and example in the fields of Aboriginal education and the visual arts, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from Northern Territory University. Indigenous Land Rights: Struggles and Survival (Session 1] Tonya Gonnella Frichner, USA: Onondaga, Moderator Marcos Terena, Brazil: Terena Room 217 Panel Discussion In the first of two session, the participants on this panel will give examples of their struggles for land rights. The survival and livelihood of most Indigenous communities depend on their land rights and ownership of their land base. Dispossession of these ancestral homelands is a major problem confronting Indigenous peoples worldwide. Economic development and various forms of governmental policies pose the threat of weakening or dispossessing Indigenous peoples of their rights to their homelands. Tonya Gonnella Frichner, Esq is the North American representative to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and a professor of Native American law and human rights. She is president and founder of the American Indian Law Alliance, an NGO in consultative www.parliamentofreligions.org 211
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________________ PROGRAM D Saturday, December 5, 2009 status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. An expert on the legal aspects of Indigenous peoples' rights, she is a veteran activist and advocate with long experience of the United Nations and its systems. Marcos Terena is a professor of Traditional and Spiritual Knowledge of the Indigenous People and Coordinator of the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity. He founded the United Indigenous Nations, the first Indigenous movement in Brazil and he was a leader in gaining recognition for Indigenous rights in the Brazilian Constitution. He is a spokesman for Indigenous rights for the UN and President of the Intertribal Committee and VIATAN, an Indigenous information centre. African American Muslims: Mirrors for Global Justice Imam Khalid Griggs Amir Al-Islam Ndidi Amatullah Okakpu Dawud Walid Room 218 Panel Discussion In this session, African-American Muslims from diverse backgrounds and generations will trace the quest for justice by African Muslims in America. The panel will focus first on the history of African-Americans as slaves, then as souls disconnected from the religion of Islam, before proceeding to the movement of millions returning to the faith, and concluding with a look at African-American Muslims as advocates for justice, nationally and globally. Imam Khalid Fattah Griggs has been the imam of The Community Mosque of Winston-Salem in North Carolina since 1984. He is cochairman of the North Carolina-based Black Leadership Roundtable of Winston-Salem-Forsyth County, Griggs holds a degree in political science and English from Howard University in Washington, DC. He was part of the anti-Vietnam war movement in the late 1960s and was involved with the Islamic Party of North America in the 1970s after his conversion. Amir Al-Islam is a Distinguished Lecturer of African American History, Islam and World Civilization at Medgar Evers College (CUNY) in Brooklyn. He is the former Secretary General of the World Council of Muslims for Interfaith Relations, USA. He is chairman of the Board of the Inner-City Muslim Action Network in Chicago, and Vice-Chair of the Malcolm X and Dr Betty Shabazz Memorial Education Center, and the Muslim Women's Institute for Research and Development. Ndidi Amatullah Okakpu is currently an assistant at the 'Muslim Journal'. She worked directly for world leader Imam W Deen Mohammed as Coordinator of his Islamic training program and joined the first delegation from his community to study at Abu Nour University in Damascus, Syria under late Sheikh Ahmad Kuftaro. Ndidi works closely in interfaith efforts with the Catholic organisation Focolare Movement and was a Muslim American delegate at their conference in Castelgandolfo, Italy. Dawud Walid is currently the Executive Director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a chapter of America's largest advocacy and civil liberties organisation for Muslims. Walid also serves as assistant Imam at Masjid Wali Muhammad in Detroit, MI and board trustee for the Metropolitan Detroit Interfaith Worker's Rights Committee. Walid also served in the United States Navy under honourable conditions earning two United States Navy and Marine Corp Achievement medals. 212 PWR Parliament of the World's Religions Healing the Earth with Care and Concern: Religious Responses to the Earth Charter Michael C Slaby Dr Rick Clugston Bhakti Johnson Joan Anderson Dr A T Ariyaratne (TBC) Room 219 Panel Discussion 2:30-4:00pm ENGAGEMENT SESSION The Earth Charter is a declaration of fundamental ethical principles for building a just, sustainable and peaceful global society in the 21st century. It seeks to inspire in all people a new sense of global interdependence and shared responsibility for the well-being of the whole human family, the greater community of life, and future generations. It is a vision of hope and a call to action. Since its launch in the year 2000, hundreds of religious organizations use the Earth Charter in their efforts of conducting environmental education and teaching the vision and values of eco-justice ethics; raising awareness of the meaningful linkages between the environment, justice and faith; enacting environmentally inspired liturgy and forming interreligious alliances to safeguard our planet. The panel will discuss best practice examples of how religious institutions are using the Earth Charter in their engagement to heal the Earth with care and concern. A special focus will be on available Earth Charter materials and resources specifically designed for religious institutions, such as the Earth Charter Guide to Religion and Climate Change - Generating the Renewable Energy of Hope'. Michael C Slaby works for the Jacob Soetendorp Institute for Human Values and assists Earth Charter International in its outreach to religious institutions and leaders. He holds a Master in Comparative Religion, Political Science and International Law from Heidelberg University, Germany, and has written his thesis on the history of the Parliament of the World's Religions. Michael lives in Heidelberg with his wife and 6-months old daughter Maili Richard M Clugston serves on the Steering Committee of the Earth Charter Initiative. He is Executive Director of the Center for Respect of Life and Environment (CRLE), and publisher and editor of Earth Ethics. Rick has taught and published on human development, strategic planning, educational reform, and most recently on environmental ethics, spirituality, and sustainability Bhakti Johnson works as National Coordinator for the Australian Association of Yoga in Daily Life. Yoga in Daily Life is based on original yoga tradition and specially directed to the situation and needs of modern civilization. The system can be lived and practiced independently of age, social status, nationality and denomination. Swamiji has inspired the creation of thousands Yoga in Daily Life Centres world-wide, where Yoga and Meditation is taught on a voluntary basis by professionally trained teachers. Classes and courses are conducted for the general public and specific groups such as community organisations, hospitals, schools, retirement homes, drug rehabilitation centres and companies. Joan Anderson is based in Tokyo, where she is the focal point for Earth Charter activities within the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) Buddhist association. Following a career in international development with Save the Children Fund, including several years spent in Cambodia, she joined SGI in 1997. She first became involved with the Earth Charter in 1999, and in 2000 visited eight Asian countries as part of an 'Earth Charter Asia Tour' to increase awareness and activities in Asia. She is involved with producing the SGI Quarterly magazine and with creating SGI's educational materials on themes related to sustainability and peace.
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________________ PROGRAM Saturday, December 5, 2009 4:30-6:00pm OPEN SPACE OPENSPACE 4:30-6:00pm Dr Ahangamage Tudor Ariyaratne is the founder and president of the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement. He was the recipient of the 1996 Gandhi Peace Prize, the Niwano Peace Prize, the King Beaudoin Award and many other international honours for his work in peacemaking and village development in Sri Lanka, Movement Mudra of Traditional Solonese Dance Eko Kadarsih Room 102 Interactive Workshop Landscape of Faith: Sharing Wisdom for a New Vision of Community - Part III: Addressing Alienation within the Human Family and with the Natural World Oren Lyons Jake Swamp Room 220 Seminar This one-day, interfaith educational seminar seeks to provide a context for community building by addressing the challenges of prejudice, injustice and alienation from the earth while weaving the theme of the possibility of transformation through the arts throughout the day. Participants are asked to attend all four sessions. Chief Lyons will give the history of colonialism in the United States during which time the First Peoples were stripped of their rights as stewards of the land they had been living on for generations. In 1493 the Doctrine of Discovery was the legal document that set the precedence for disenfranchising Indigenous peoples. The loss of stewardship by the First Peoples created a number of problems, resulting in an alienation that has had serious ecological consequences. Jake Swamp will describe his environmental nonprofit organisation, 'The Tree of Peace Society, and his work to inspire the planting of over 200 million trees. He will also explain the work that he and Chief Lyons began at the Grand Council meeting in July of 2009 of the Haudenosaunee Six Nations. During this session they will call for action from the religious community to address these legal and ecological issues. Chief Oren Lyons, Faithkeeper of the Onondaga Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy, is a powerful and passionate spokesperson for Indigenous human rights and spiritual perspectives. An environmental champion, he speaks around the world, is active at the United Nations, and is widely known through his writings. He is a Professor Emeritus, in American Studies, SUNY Buffalo and the co-author of 'Exiled in the Land of the Free: Democracy, Indian Nations and the U.S. Constitution'. Jake Swamp is employed with the Men for Change Program, part of the lethini'sten ha Family Violence Shelter. He is a former leader of the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation and was involved directly in the creation of the Akwesasne Freedom School - an acclaimed Mohawk language immersion school that has been an inspiration to many First Nation peoples in the United States and Canada. Yayasan Dharma Samuan Tiga is a nonprofit public foundation in Bedulu, Bali, Indonesia dedicated to maintaining and supporting the spirit of conciliation that arose in the interfaith meeting at Samuan Tiga Temple in the year 1011. The foundation strives to promote intercultural collaboration through sharing in the arts and religiosity among cultures in Indonesia and among nations throughout the world. In this program, Eko Kadarsih will guide participants through a sequence of movement mudras from the traditional Solonese dance of Central Java. Meditative silence transforming in posture and gesture cultivates fluid equanimity, awareness, dignity and inner and outer harmony. Eko Kadarsih, of Solo, Central Java, Indonesia, is a leading performer of classical palace dances of the Karaton Surakarta. Since 1986, Eko has performed with the karaton artist's delegation and as an independent artist in several Indonesian provinces, and in Jakarta, Asia, Europe and the USA. She holds a degree in literature. The Practicalities of Getting from 'Is' to 'Ought': Religion, Science and Ethics James Doty Antje Jackelen Soloman Katz Nomanul Haq Room 105 As social, political and ecological crises mount round the world, the collaboration between religion and science is urgently needed to address these challenges. Sadly much of the current public debate about the relationship between religion and science deals with outmoded categories, paradigms and trains of thought from two hundred years ago or more. The proper and practical roles that religion and science each needs to play in today's world are still linked by the discipline of ethics, and the perennial underlying philosophical question of the relationship of 'is' to 'ought. While this question may be ultimately philosophical in nature, now implications of how we answer it could not be more practical. What do science and religion each bring to contemporary ethical deliberations? Using case studies examples, this program will highlight the relevance of a proper understanding of the relationship of religion to science, and its practical application, in matters of public discourse, societal values, and humane progress. James Doty is the director and founder of Project Compassion and a Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery at Stanford University. In addition to being a neurosurgeon, he is also an inventor, entrepreneur and philanthropist. As founder of Project Compassion, Dr Doty works with both the www.parliamentofreligions.org 213 For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGRAM Saturday, December 5, 2009 4:30-6:00pm OPEN SPACE Stanford Institute for Neuro-Innovation and Translational Neuroscience and a variety of scientists from a number of disciplines examining the neural bases for compassion and altruism. Rev Dr Antje Jackelen is Bishop of Lund in the Lutheran Church of Sweden, the first woman bishop to be popularly elected the Church of Sweden. She was previously a professor of systematic theology/religion and science at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago and director of the Zygon Center for Religion and Science. She is the author of Time and Eternity' (2005) and numerous articles in a variety of languages. Currently, she serves as president of the European Society for the Study of Science and Theology 'The Imam and the Pastor' and 'Australia's Muslim Women' Shazia Fiaz, Director Tasneem Chopra Paul A Wee Room 107 Film Two films will be shown in this session. The first will be 'The Imam and the Pastor', directed by Alan Channer. This stirring documentary tells the story of Pentecostal Pastor James Wuye and Muslim Imam Mohammed Ashafa, former ringleaders of militias involved in the Christian/ Muslim strife in Nigeria. Pastor James loses a hand in the fighting, while Imam Ashafa's two cousins and his spiritual leader fall victim to the unrest. Realising that forgiveness is a principle held in common by both Islam and Christianity, the two men lay down their weapons and establish a Christian-Muslim Interfaith Mediation Centre in the northern state of Kaduna. A separate follow-up discussion of the issues the film addresses, 'The Imam and the Pastor: An Exploration of Muslim-Christian Dialogue and Collaborative Power in Nigeria', will take place later in the Parliament. Learn Arabic Letters in 90 Minutes - An Interfaith Cultural Presentation You Can Use John Myers Room 108 Interactive Workshop Humans fear that which they do not understand. Fear of the Islamic and Arabic cultures is a top problem being pushed by demagogues in Western nations. The inability to even perceive Arabic script, let alone read it, promotes learned helplessness. The language is seen as an incomprehensible cloud of scribbles, projecting a poor image on those who use the language. This seminar aims to cut this Gordian Knot by making Arabic script comprehensible and familiar. In one whirlwind 90-minute tour, 41 letters and diacritics will be presented using kooky, fun and memorable cartoons and poems. The workshop is suitable for children, teens and adults who don't mind having lots of fun while they learn simple lessons. The session is based on the program Actually Learn Arabic Letters: A Fun Course That Works-In Three Weeks', which aims to enforce the principle that everyone is human by showing that what was once incomprehensible can be easily understood and mastered. John Myers is the Director of Real World Peace, a grassroots organisation dedicated to making a difference in the world by promoting effective communication. He lived in Japan for almost five years and learned how to respect and understand the culture and writing systems of a completely different traditionJohn leads workshops and presents at speaking engagements URI - Global Community Gathering Charles Gibbs Room 110 Join the United Religions Initiative for the global community gathering of all their members and friends. The second film shown will be Australia's Muslim Women'. For many Australians, the Muslim women in their midst remain a mystery. This short film demystifies Australian Muslim women and allows their individual voices to be heard. It features a group of vibrant women who describe what it is like to be a participant in two different cultures. A discussion with director Shazia Fiaz and Tasneem Chopra will follow the screening. Shazia Fiaz works as an independent filmmaker and writer. She produces and directs documentaries about multicultural issues Tasneem Chopra is Chair of the Islamic Women's Welfare Council of Victoria and an independent Cross Cultural Consultant specialising in diversity training. She was recently acknowledged in the Weekend Australian Magazine's listing of Emerging 100 Young Leaders 2009. Paul Wee is presently adjunct professor at the Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University, Washington, DC He served as program officer for the United Sates Institute of Peace where he worked primarily on interfaith conflict resolution in Nigeria and Colombia. He received his BA from Harvard University, a Masters of Divinity degree from Luther Seminary and a PhD, magna cum laude, in Philosophy and Social Science from the University of Berlin. Agape Choir Rickie Byars, Music Director Room 201 Artistic Performance The Agape Choir is a multiethnic group with an average roster of 200 members. It began with a thirty-voice holiday season presentation in December of 1988. Rickie Byars is the Music and Arts Director of the Agape International Spiritual Center in Culver City, California, where she directs the Agape International Choir. Together with her 214 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGRAM Saturday, December 5, 2009 4:30-6:00pm OPEN SPACE Vedantic Wisdom and Middle Eastern Affirmations Dr Thillayvel Naidoo Room 209 Panel Discussion husband, Rev Dr Michael Bernard Beckwith, founder of the Agape International Spiritual Center, their powerful partnership has resulted in a dynamic catalogue of songs that enable transformational healing through the power of music. With the combined writing and composing talents of Byars and Beckwith, the choir early on began performing original Beckwith/Byars compositions. As the choir has developed and grown in membership, so has the com- plexity of Byars' vocal and instrumental arrangements. Over the past six and a half years, Agape Choir music has become known for its signature sectional harmonies, counterpoint, tempo-patterns, devotional power, and energetic enthusiasm. One of the focal points in the study of religions is the mul tiplicity of claims about their origins. Religions with their origins in India are referred to as Wisdom Religions and those that originated in the Middle East as Religions of Revelation. These religions differ not only in their origins. but also in the basis of their content. This discussion will take a look at some of these differences and others that divide religions. Presenter Thillayvel Naidoo will specifically explore the claims and contentions surrounding the idea that God is responsible for their origins through revelation Dr Naidoo was a lecturer specialising in Eastern Religions in the Department of Science of Religion at the University of Durban Westville in South Africa for many years before his retirement. He participated in the Parliament of World Religions in Chicago, Cape Town and Barcelona and is very familiar with the first Parliament in Chicago 1893 because of his interest in Swami Vivekananda, who played a prominent role in making that Parliament a success. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Samoan Choir David Cray, Music Director Room 201 Artistic Performance Established in 2002, this 80-voice choir has inspired love and harmony between people of many faiths and cultures. Sometimes accompanied by Polynesian dancers, the choir has performed at the Commonwealth Games Victorian Premier's Award Concert, and were featured artists at the City of Greater Dandenong First Annual Gathering, and at Australia Day celebrations and flag raising ceremonies. The Samoan choir is comprised of 80 Polynesian singers from the Melbourne area from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It presents spiritually uplifting programs of songs that cross a range of faiths and cultures. The choir uses its music to promote feelings of peace and harmony. Cultivating Universal Intelligence Sheila Keene-Lund Room 210 Interactive Workshop Our efforts to hear each other, heal the earth, and procure world peace are destined to fall short if we don't progresSively cultivate the cosmic awareness and capacity to love that is vital for a moral and spiritual culture. To make a world of difference that is far reaching and long lasting requires that we discover higher spiritual meanings in what we know and increasingly embody higher values in our daily living. This workshop will provide an experiential roadmap for living that is a prototype for progressively developing the character and the cosmic perspective essential to living the golden rule from its highest level of interpretation. Conversation with Sr Joan Chittister Sr Joan Chittister Room 207 In this Open Space program, Parliament attendees are invited to enter into informal conversation with Sister Joan Chittister, the well-known Benedictine nun, and author who has recently published The Breath of the Soul. She is the founder and executive director of Benetvision, a resource and research centre for contemporary spirituality. She also co-chairs the Global peace Initiative, a UN-sponsored organization of women faith leaders. The conversation could cover the power of faith and spirituality from global and feminist perspectives, the monastic way and the nature of community life, the imperative and difficulty of loving one's neighbour in a world interconnected and disconnected and the issues that the Church must face. The focus will be on dialogue and exchange of ideas in a complex and globalizing world. Joan Chittister, OSB, is a noted national and international lecturer who focuses on women in church and society, human rights, peace and justice, and contemporary religious life and spirituality. In addition to being the executive director of Benetvision, a centre for contemporary spirituality located in Erie, Pennsylvania, she is author of 22 books, including "Illuminated Life: Monastic Wisdom for Seckers of Light' and 'The Story of Ruth: Twelve Moments in Every Woman's Lite Two childhood near-death experiences propelled Sheila Keene-Lund onto an exploratory path that included teaching Transcendental Meditation for 15 years and led her, in 1992, to 'The Urantia Book'. Her discovery of its astonishing capacity to integrate personal spiritual evolution into the vastly enlarged perspective of universe citizenship is recorded in her book 'Heaven Is Not the Last Stop. A lively speaker and Teacher, she leads classes and workshops focused on spiritual principles For Private & Personal use only www.parliamentofreligions.org 215
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________________ PROGRAM Saturday, December 5, 2009 Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai (Premier Film Series Selection) Room 211 Film When rural Kenyan women lacked firewood and clean drinking water, Wangari Maathai suggested they plant trees. Discover how this simple act led to a Nobel Peace Prize and the overthrow of a dictator. The film was directed by Alan Dater and Lisa Merton. Q & A to follow. Religion, Conflict, and Peacebuilding: the Case of the Philippines Elwyn Infante Neri Lilybeth Sulutan, Phillipines: Bagobo Tagabawa Abdulkadir M Abubakar Room 212 Panel Discussion In the Mindanao regions of the Philippines, the primary conflicts are highly political, often including territorial arguments, anti-Moro discrimination, and conflict between Indigenous peoples, lowlanders, and Christians regarding tribal customs. The Peace and Reconciliation Teams of the Peacebuilders Community (PAR-T) are based in Mindanao, the Philippines, where they act as third-party mediators mainly in various regions. PAR-Ts include members of all groups involved: Bangsamoro Muslims, Indigenous peoples, and Christians. The organisation trains teams and local volunteers in armed conflict survival training, conflict transformation, and peace education. Elwyn Infante Neri is the primary networker in the field and PAR-T team leader. He has significant experience in organising and training the PAR-T. He is an Evangelical Christian, one of the three primary groups involved in recent conflicts. Lilybeth Sulutan is a member of the Bagobo Tagabawa tribe of Mindanao and represents Indigenous peoples, a major party involved in local conflicts. She is an expert in post-training PAR-T activities as wet! as the problems that arise in the field. Abdulkadir M Abubakar is a Peace and Development Motivator and Instructor for Arabic, Islamic Studies and Peace Education at Southern Christian College, Midsayap, Cotabato, the Philippines. He is also Strategic Adviser for Bangsamoro right to self-determination of the Peacebuilders Community, Inc; Secretary General and Head of the Bangsamoro Secretariat of the Mindanao Peoples Peace Movement; and Executive Director of the Bangsamoro Development and Resource Center. Grassroots Community Organizers Networking for Interreligious Solidarity Rev Dr Shanta D Premawardhana Dr A T Ariyaratne Swami Agnivesh Room 214 In our interconnected world, where conflicts originating in one part of the world have repercussions in another, effective community organising requires not only building powerful local and national organisations, but also creating strong alliances across regional and international 216 PWR-Parliament of the World's Religions Jain Education Intemational boundaries. Leaders of several interreligious grassroots community organising movements, particularly from South Asian countries, will convene for a strategic conversation about creating a network to further strengthen their work. If you are engaged in grassroots community organising and would like to participate in this conversation, please contact Rev Dr Shanta Premawardhana at shantal@wcc-coe.org. 4:30-6:00pm OPEN SPACE Rev Dr Shanta D Premawardhana is the Director of Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation for the World Council of Churches, Switzerland Dr Ahangamage Tudor Ariyaratne is founder and President of Sri Lanka's Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement, a non-profit organization that involves millions of people in 15,000 villages in development projects. In 2007, he was recognized as Srilankabhimanya (pride of Sri Lanka), Sri Lanka's highest civilian honor. He has also won international recognition for his work in peacemaking and village development including the Gandhi and Niwano peace prizes and the Sushil Kumar International Peace Award. Swami Agnivesh is the president of the World Council of Arya Samaj. A prominent social activist, he is best known for his work against bonded labour. His campaigns have also led him to fight against alcoholism, female foeticide, child labour, and for the emancipation of women. His current 'mission' includes fighting the consumer culture and the Western model of development in India, opposing Western cultural imperialism, and battling casteism. Swami Agnivesh is the 2004 recipient of the Right Livelihood award, which is also known as the alternative Nobel Prize. Appreciative Inquiry and Healing the Earth: Extending Faith Beyond the Realms of Religion Kunal Turakhia Reena Ginwala Room 215 Training Session This workshop will explain the concepts of Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence and present a set of tools that can be used individually or in groups. These tools will be applied to understand the emotions that are within each human being and to learn to appreciate on humanitarian grounds what we see in the other. The basis for the training and interactive workshop will be the four D's: Discover, Dream, Design and Destiny. The workshop will also focus on understanding the self, managing the self, understanding the other and managing social relationships. Kunal Turakhia has an MBA with focus in Organisational Behaviour from Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, USA. He is also a certified practitioner of Appreciative Inquiry, working in Mumbai. He is currently undergoing rigorous training to be a certified Life/Executive Coach from Results Coaching Systems. He works with individuals to develop a community of people who are equipped and willing to make this world a better place to live in. Reena Ginwala is a corporate trainer and social worker. She teaches youth at grassroots levels, MBA students, and young executives in programs on Leadership, Group Dynamics and Personal Growth. She and Kunal share a dream of teaching the tools of Appreciative Inquiry and Emotional Intelligence to youth in India. Reena is from Ahmedabad and can relate to the pain of communal disharmony and the day-to-day dilemmas of lay people trying to live in peaceful co-existence.
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________________ PROGRAM Saturday, December 5, 2009 Sri Chinmoy International Music Group Open Space Concert Sri Chinmoy International Music Group Room 216 This Open Space concert will be based on the music of Sri Chinmoy, which includes the quotations of the Lord Jesus Christ, set to music, as well as other songs written about the Lord Christ and songs composed for the Lord Buddha by Sri Chinmoy, as well as spiritual songs and mantras written in English and Bengali. The group is composed of musicians and singers with expertise in the presentation and arrangement of Sri Chinmoy's music spanning over 30 years. The group has recorded and performed concerts in New York, Europe and Asia. Mr Prachar Stegemann, conductor and arranger of Sri Chinmoy International Singing Group for over 18 years, will lead the group. The group will also include: Ms Sushmitam Rouse, cellist; Mr Christopher Willis, acoustic guitar and voice; Mrs Marion Gray, harmonium, singer, and musical arranger; Mr Pushpendra Uppal, oboe; Ms Phoolanjaya, piano and flute; Mr Marichi Clarke, electric guitar and voice; Mr Veeraja Uppal, singer; Ms Ankhi Elliott, singer: Ms Hariratna Monro, singer. Multifaith Perspectives on Interreligious Holidays and Celebrations Georg Ziselsberger Norman Habel Jorge Veiga e Castro Deirdre Pulgram Arthen Room 217 Interactive Workshop Whether celebrating Earth Day, the Season of Creation, or any number of local holidays, developing an interreligious celebration that includes a wide range of traditions can be challenging. We will use this time to discuss ways to create a ceremony that celebrates both the occasion and our diversity-one that attempts to include as many groups as possible by paying special attention to language, symbolism, history and style. We will then design a peacemaking ritual together, which we will share as a morning observance later in the week. Participants are invited to bring liturgy or songs they feel might be relevant to either the conversation or the celebration. Georg Ziselsberger SVD is professor of Theology at Ateneo de Manila University and President of the GeoChris Foundation, which advocates biological, cultural and spiritual diversity by working with Indigenous peoples for a living planet. He is co-leader of the ECEN Working Group Creation Time' and organised the Teilhard Asia 2006 International Conference and Teilhard Asia Annual Lectures. Norman Habel is currently professorial fellow at Flinders University. He initiated and edited the five-volume Earth Bible' series and the more recent work 'Exploring Ecological Hermeneutics'. He has been active in a range of social justice and eco-justice areas, including a school for Dalits Untouchables) and Tribals in Tamil Nadu. He has initiated and promoted the Season of Creation in Australia, a new season of the church year that is now spreading to other countries. Jorge Veiga e Castro is founder and President of the Portuguese Yoga Confederation. In 2001, he proposed to UN and UNESCO the creation of the first worldwide holiday, to be celebrated on the Solstice of June 21st. 4:30-6:00pm OPEN SPACE Rev Deirdre Pulgram Arthen is the Director of the EarthSpirit Community, a religious and educational organisation dedicated to the preservation of earth-centred spirituality, particularly the Indigenous European traditions. She has been a leader in the Pagan community in the United States for thirty years and is known as a ritualist, musician, teacher and spiritual counsellor. She has offered presentations at the 1993, 1999 and 2004 Parliaments. A Listening Place Each Day Kristen Hobby Lynette Dungan Bernie Miles Kava Schafer Jill Manton Nola Vanderfeen Room 218 Interactive Workshop We welcome you to a safe place where you can simply be. This is a quiet place where you can sit and meditate or reflect on what has touched or challenged you throughout the day of the Parliament of the World's Religions. Spiritual directors will be available in this room; you may talk to them if there is anything you would like to share. Spiritual directors are trained to listen in a non-judgmental and respectful way and are available for people of all faith traditions. Educating Religious Leaders for a Multi-Religious World: Practical Initiatives and Examples of Multi-Religious Education North American Theological School Students Room 219 Panel Discussion In this session, we want to look carefully at concrete examples in which learning about or engaging with religious others have been successful. We also want to learn from efforts that have not been so successful and ask why. We will gather practical initiatives of interreligious engagement from different categories and contexts of encounter: 1) Examples of everyday living together: the experience of living together as members of different religions in the same neighbourhood, village or school. How do people 'naturally or spontaneously deal with their differences? How do they create communities that still honour diversities? 2) Examples of interreligious study: methods of enabling people to grasp and learn from the texts and teachings of other traditions. How can this be done in a way that opens strange new worlds in an engaging manner but also in an assuring, non-threatening manner? What are the 'pedagogies of interreligious education? 3) Examples of sharing in each other's religious practices and spiritualities. What are the possibilities and limits, the hopes and the fears, of actually sharing each other's spiritual practices of prayer, meditation and celebration? 4) Examples of interreligious action: How have reli www.parliamentofreligions.org 217
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________________ PROGRAM DE Saturday, December 5, 2009 gions found themselves challenged and then enabled to work together in confronting common problems in their neighbourhoods, nation and world? How does 'dia-praxis' enable 'dia-logue'? This is part of a symposium entitled 'Educating Religious Leaders for a Multi-Religious World'. The Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions, with the support of The Henry Luce Foundation, has coordinated with fifteen theological institutions to explore ways to increase education for interfaith leadership in North American theological schools. Institutions strongly acknowledged the urgency of interfaith engagement and the preparation of a religious leadership equipped with knowledge and understanding of the plurality of faith traditions in the contemporary world. Landscape of Faith: Sharing Wisdom for a New Vision of Community - Part IV: The Arts as Transformation Orlanda Brugnola Jindi Woraback Room 220 Artistic Performance and Interactive Workshop This one-day, interfaith educational seminar seeks to provide antext for community building by addressing the challenges of prejudice, injustice and alienation from the earth while weaving the possibility of transformation through the arts throughout the day. Participants are asked to attend all four sessions. The arts have the potential to bring diverse peoples into new understandings, co-operative peace-making and shared re-visioning of relationships. The key to the power of the arts is their capacity to evoke memory and enact or make visible the sacred. When people make art together, it is a manifestation of their highest selves and as such is a transformational experience. During the Open Space, a presentation on this theme will be followed by Aboriginal dances by the Group Jindi Woraback. Also during the Open Space, there will be opportunity to create an artwork that suggests the sacred landscape of peoples' interactions during the Parliament. Patterns will be made by the placement of 10,000 squares of colored paper, each representing a participant in the Parliament. As many people as possible will be invited to help in creating this work. The process will be accessible for persons in wheelchairs. Out of respect for the environment, only 200 sheets of paper will be used in creating the 1x6 meter work, which will be recycled at the close of the Parliament. Orlanda Brugnola is an interdisciplinary scholar teaching philosophy and religious studies at John Jay College. She has an MFA in painting and curates art exhibitions for college galleries. She is an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister who has worked over the years for the International Association for Religious Freedom. Jindi Woraback is an Aboriginal Dance Group that comprises Wurundjeri youth and an elder from the North West of Australia 218 PWR- Parliament of the World's Religions 9:00-10:30pm EVENING PROGRAMMING EVENING PROGRAMMING 9:00-10:30pm The Sacred Planet Dr Joseph Runzo, Director Room 107 Film Filmed on location in Japan, the Yukon and Southern California, 'The Sacred Planet' promotes ethical responsibility toward the environment. It addresses and proposes a solution to the global environmental crisis with science, government, business, NGOs, individuals and the world's religious traditions working together for sustainable living. This film shows that the world's religions have an essential role in changing attitudes and fostering a sense of sacred connection and proper stewardship of the earth. The film was directed by Joseph Runzo and Neil Mclean. Dr Joseph Runzo is Executive Director and President of the Board of Directors of the Global Ethics and Religion Forum, an educational nonprofit dedicated to global ethical responsibility. He has written and lectured extensively around the world on comparative religion, religious ethics, human rights and the ethics of war and peace. He is Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Chapman University, USA, and a Life Fellow of Clare Hall, Cambridge University, UK.
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________________ PROGRAM Sunday, December 6, 2009 8:00-9:00am MORNING OBSERVANCES Sukyo Mahikari: Light and Principles for Peace and Harmony Whatever the Faith Andris Tebecis Terrence Quinn Sukyo Mahikari members Room 102 Sukyo Mahikari is an international spiritual organisation dedicated to improving the quality of life and promoting happiness for all people and creatures, irrespective of their beliefs or background. This is done by applying certain laws or principles that are universal (Sukyol and by radiating a purifying energy from the hand, a True Light' (Mahikari). People become purified spiritually, mentally and physically and develop positive attitudes, experience a growing health, harmony and material well-being and become motivated to use their personal development for the betterment of society. Sukyo Mahikari is overcoming the barriers of race, nationality and religion. Sukyo Mahikari has been concerned with reconciling with the Indigenous peoples, interfaith activities, nurturing the youth for the future, healing the earth with care and concern, and promoting good spiritual values in the everyday life of people and families, as well as in professional fields. During this program. Sukyo Mahikari members will present their experiences with True Light and also demonstrate the practicalities of giving and receiving the Light. Audience participation is encouraged. There will be time for questions and answers at the end. Dr Andris K Tebecis is an Adviser with the Sukyo Mahikari Australia Oceania Regional Headquarters. Canberra, and Deputy Director at the Yoko Civilisation Research Institute in Tokyo. Terrence Quinn is a schoolteacher in Canberra. Anglican Sunday Morning Liturgy Archbishop Philip Freier Bishop John Harrower OAM Room 105 Religious or Spiritual Observance This Sunday morning liturgy will be celebrated by the Melbourne Anglican Archbishop Philip Freier together with the Bishop of the Anglican Church in Tasmania, Bishop John Harrower OAM. Dr Philip Freier became the Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne owing seven and a half years as Bishop of the Northern Territory, Dr Freier has been working towards engaging the Church with the wider community, particularly through his 'Prayer 4 Melbourne' quest, in which he has visited a range of public spaces, welfare centres and shopping malls He is deeply involved in social justice issues affecting Indigenous peoples. Bishop John Harrower OAM is currently the 11th Bishop of the Anglican Church in Tasmania. Hindu Meditation: Spirituality in Everyday Life Prabha Duneja Room 108 Religious or Spiritual Observance The Hindu practice of yoga and meditation originated with the ancient religious traditions of Vedic dharma as an effort to seek alignment with the source of life. It enables its practitioners to cultivate peace and harmony within the inner person, as well as with others and nature. The word yoga' is derived from the Sanskrit root word 'yui meaning to combine or join together. This refers to the union and communication with the indwelling-soul, the harmonious joining of the mind, body and spirit. Through daily practice of Hindu meditation, one will experience unity with God and live with selfless love for others. This observance will feature a brief talk on the tradition of Hindu meditation followed by a guided practice making use of sacred sound. Prabha Duneja is a writer, speaker and lecturer on Hindu religion. She is a missionary of the Geeta Society. Chairwoman of Women's Interfaith Circle of Service URI/CC, and an active leader of the interfaith inovement in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has written numerous articles as well as the books Mantra and the Modern: 'The Legacy of Yoga in Bhagawad Geeta, An Introduction to Bhagawed Geeta', and 'The Gateway to Freedom: Bhagawad Geeta. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Morning Observance Elder Hoare Room 103 Religious or Spiritual Observance This observance of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints will consist of many aspects of a typical Sunday worship service excluding partaking of the sacrament (communion). It will include prayers, music and a number of speakers talking about how the gospel of Jesus Christ has affected their lives and what it means to them. Elder Hoare is a member of the Seventy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Seventy are the body of senior Church leaders who supervise the worldwide Church under the governing leadership of the First Presidency (the prophet and his two counsellors and the Twelve Apostles. The Seventy generally are located in their home countries rather than at the Church Headquarters, USA and function on a lay or unpaid basis. Shum, A Language of Meditation HH Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami Room 110 Religious or Spiritual Observance Shum is a language that can allow the meditator to move through the inner mind deftly without being distracted by externalising concepts. During this session a Shum meditation will be led by Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami, disciple of and successor to Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, the modern Hindu renaissance leader who mystically brought forth the unique language www.parliamentofreligions.org 219 For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGR Sunday, December 6, 2009 8:00-9:00am MORNING OBSERVANCES of meditation called Shum in 1968. Fundamental to Shum are the concepts that there is only onc mind and that man is an awareness with the ability to control his movement through the mind. There are names in Shum for all aspects of the mind, from objects in the outer reality of everyday life to emotional slales, inner sights and sounds, and the deepest levels of superconsciousness. Meditators can use a Shum map to focus their awareness and guide them with precision from one profound experience to the next. Ultimately, they will reach a state of pure awareness-that moment when awareness is aware only of itself, an invigorating experience that can lead to samadhi. the ultimate goal of yoga meditation. HH Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami is the designated successor to Sivaya Subramuniyaswami of blessed memory. He was a Co-President of the 1993 Centenary Parliament of the World's Religions H H Veylanswami is Guru Mahasiddhanam and 163rd preceptor of the 2,200-year-old Kailasa Parampara of the Nadinatha Sampradaya in the Saivile Hindu tradition. He is also the publisher of the international quarterly journal "Hinduism Today Remembrance of Allah and His Prophet Through Song Zain Bhikha Room 204 Religious or Spiritual Observance In this observance, renowned Islamic Music singersongwriter Zain Bhikha will share with participants how his Islamic Music serves as a means to remember Allah and His Prophet Muhammad through song. In the process, he will examine the power of song. its contribution to bringing about social change, its history in the South African struggle, and his own history and experiences. He will conclude with a song, giving everyone an opportunity to participate and experience how remembrance of God and His Prophet is inclusive of action-oriented engagement with society for a more just, peaceful and sustainable world. Born in Pretoria, South Africa, Zain Bhikha is a singer-songwriter who has achieved fame as a performer of Nasheed songs, Bhikha has collaborated on albums with other artists, released several solo albums and performed around the world. He is a pioneer in the Nasheed genre and, as one of the first Islamic singers in the English language, he has opened the door for many other Muslim artists. Guided Metta (Loving-Kindness) Meditation Bhante Sujato Room 111 Religious or Spiritual Observance The term ' metta' refers to an unconditional lovingkindness that reaches out to encompass all beings. In metta meditation, we learn to free ourselves from the shackles of that selfishness which binds and constricts our innate emotional capacities. This practical, step-bystep approach to metta meditation leads beyond words to a direct experience of boundless, universal love, which is the foundation for all profound religious experience. By learning to cultivate love in our hearts not only f dear ones, but also for those we feel neutral towards, and those we dislike, we learn to move beyond our personal preferences and prejudices to embrace all human beings equally. Bhante Sujato learned metta meditation from his Thai meditation teacher, Ajahn Maha Chatchai, and has practised it for fifteen years. Bhante Sujato, an Australian Buddhist monk, was ordained in Thailand and spent many years meditating in forest monasteries and remote hermitages before becoming abbot of Santi Forest Monastery near Sydney. Bhante Sujato is an experienced meditation teacher who leads retreats in Australia and overseas. He has a special interest in the history of Buddhism and other world religions. He is deeply committed to develop ing a platform for the full ordination of women in Buddhism. The Prayer of Women for Giving Peace on Earth Il Gusti Koes Murtiyah Nurlia Ruddin Room 207 Morning Observance Yayasan Dharma Samuan Tiga is a nonprofit public foundation in Bedulu, Bali, Indonesia dedicated to maintaining and supporting the spirit of conciliation that arose in the interfaith meeting at Samuan Tiga Temple in the year 1011. The foundation strives to promote intercultural collaboration through sharing in the arts and religiosity among cultures in Indonesia and among nations throughout the world. In this program, Gusti Koes Murtiyah from Karaton Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia will sing Tembang Macapat - Doa Keselamatan prayer of safety Nurlia Ruddin of Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia will sing the Royong prayer of the Bugis-Makassar. Gusti Koes Murtiyah, of Solo, Central Java, Indonesia, is the daughter of the late Sri Susuhunan Pakubuwono XII, the king of Karaton Surakarta Hadiningrat. She holds a degree in Javanese Literature and is Director of Yayasan Pawiyatan Budaya Karaton Surakarta, which develops and preserves palace arts and culture. She has performed traditional Javanese court dances in Jakarta, Asia, Europe and the United States Nurlia Ruddin, of Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, is the daughter of a leading teacher of the ritual dance Pakarena. She is a dance teacher at the National High School for the Arts in Somba Opu. Nurlia regularly performs in Indonesia, and her students have received national recognition. 220 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGRAME Sunday, December 6, 2009 By the Fig and the Olive Tree: A Qur'anic Perspective on Healing the Earth with Care and Concern Speaker to be Announced Room 208 Religious or Spiritual Observance In this session, a speaker will share a Qur'anic foundation for healing the earth with care and concern. This session is one of six in a series of Muslim observances on the Qur'an scheduled across the six days of the Parliament. Each session will include inspirational recitations of the Qur'an, clear translation and illuminating exegesis around a different Parliament subtheme each day. This series will show how the subthemes of the Melbourne Parliament are all issues of shared concern to Muslims, as they are at the heart of Islam's social conscience. Baha'i Devotional Gathering: 'The Earth is but One Country' Victorian Office of the Australian Baha'i Community Room 209 Religious or Spiritual Observance The Baha'i devotional gathering will address the Parliament theme 'Healing the Earth by recognising that this goal requires us to acknowledge our global interconnectedness. We are a single human family with one planetary home, regardless of our backgrounds and circumstances. Through this recognition, we can transcend the identities and loyalties that divide us. The gathering will offer a tranquil environment for participants to reflect on these themes through inspiring selections from the Holy Writings of the Baha'i Faith and other Sacred Texts. Audio-visual presentations and music will complement the readings. In accordance with usual practice at Baha'i devotional gatherings, people of any faith or no faith are welcome to attend. Presenters will be a team of readers and artists brought together under the auspices of the Victorian Office of the Australian Baha'i Community. Presenters will be a team of readers and artists brought together under the auspices of the Victorian Office of the Australian Baha'i Community. 8:00-9:00am MORNING OBSERVANCES Meditation and Sacred Music Yogini Sri Chandra Kali Prasada Mataji Room 212 Religious or Spiritual Observance The ultimate goal of meditation is to realise one's own self. Self-realisation is experiencing that Supreme Power within one's own self. Meditation done with faith in God helps in this process. A self-realised person is compassionate and is committed to working towards peace and justice for all. He realises that he shares divinity with his fellow human beings. He will thus create a communal feeling and universal brotherhood, and will then be able to do selfless service to the community. To reach this ultimate goal, one must have a thought-free mind. Sacred music is an important means to attain a stable and focused mind. It has a calming effect on the wandering mind. Any divine music is a direct interview with God. One can express one's feelings or confess one's mind to God freely through divine music. Similarly, chanting the holy name of God [Mantra) has a very profound effect on the mind. A pure heart is absolutely essential to reap the kind of benefit you would like to have from divine music. One can lose body consciousness when singing or listening to divine music with absolute concentration. Such is the power of sacred music and meditation. Yogini Sri Chandra Kali Prasada Mataji is the spiritual leader of the Sri Kali Gardens Ashram and successor to Sri Babuji Maharaj of blessed memory who founded the Ashram. She is also head of numerous humanitarian and development programs, and an exponent of interreligious harmony. The Master Key - Unlocking the Inner Treasures Paramahamsa Prajnanananda Room 213 Interactive Workshop In this enlightening observance, Paramahamsa Prajnanananda, a world-revered master of Kriya Yoga. will reveal inspiring teachings for unlocking our greatest treasures within. Ancient, scientific methods will help enable participants of all faiths and backgrounds to realise such knowledge intrinsically through their own spiritual practices. Paramahamsa Prajnanananda is the current spiritual leader of the Kriya Yoga international organisations. These organisations were founded by his master, Paramahamsa Hariharananda, who spread the teachings of Kriya Yoga all over the world. Paramahamsa Hariharanandaji was Swami Shriyukteshwar and Paramahamsa Yogananda's most outstanding direct disciple, one of the greatest realised Kriya Yoga masters in the lineage of Mahavatar Babaji Maharaj and Lahiri Mahasaya. www.parliamentofreligions.org 221
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________________ PROC Sunday, December 6, 2009 8:00-9:00am MORNING OBSERVANCES Self-Inquiry: The Yoga of Thought and Feeling Swami Ma Devi Room 214 Interactive Workshop Self-inquiry, a classical Hindu practice of meditation on the Inner Sell, transcends doctrine. It is an investigation into the personal and divine aspects of Consciousness. By using simple and direct questions, we will inquire into the inner world of thought and feeling and explore four energy centres within the body. These centres touch directly upon inner and outer world issues. We will investigate them with the purpose of clearing away any tension or stresses that block the experience of peace. Swami Ma Devi is the co-director of the Shiva School of Meditation and Yoga in Melbourne. An accomplished Hatha Yogi. Ma Devi established the Hatha Yoga courses and teacher training program at the Shiva School, and has taught hundreds of people to meditate. With a background in Gestalt Therapy, she helped Swami Shankarananda develop and refine the Shiva Process method of Selt-inquiry, a practical yogic technique for working with thought and feeling. Middle Way Meditation Phrapalad Sudhammo Bhikkhu Room 217 Religious or Spiritual Observance Through meditation, we can achieve an inner peace and wisdom that enables us to have harmonious relationships with others across the world. This inner peace breaks down barriers among people of different nationalities and cultures so we become one family. Phrapalad Sudhammo Bhikkhu will conduct a one-hour guided meditation to demonstrate Middle Way Buddhist meditation techniques. At the end of the session, there will be a short question and answer session for participants relating to their meditation experience. Phrapalad Sudhammo Bhikkhu is the president of the Buddhist Federation of Australia, the general secretary of the Dhammachai Education Foundation of Australia and the president of Middle Way Meditation Centres in Oceania. He has been practising meditation for over thirty years and is an expert in his field Phrapalad Sudhammo Bhikkhu has established nine meditation centres in Australia, New Zealand and the Solomon Islands. Guided Gathering of Mind through Seven Steps HH Swami Amarananda Room 216 Religious or Spiritual Observance During this session, Swami Amarananda will guide participants through a Seven Step meditative process. Beginning with the chanting of hymns and reflections on their meanings, he will continue with the observation of the mind as a witness; controlled breathing: prayer to various spiritual teachers of humanity: the imagination of oneself as emanating good wishes to all human beings, especially the marginalised, diseased, and handicapped: and repetition of a mystic syllable. He will then proceed to a series of visualisations based on the following fourteen images: a mountain peak, a placid lake, a waterfall, a candle flame, a flower, a sun, a cumulus cloud pouring forth rain, a forest, sand dunes, snow-clad terrain, star-studded sky in a village, a beam of light from in between one's eyebrows, a flying and singing skylark and vertebrate fish swimming in water. Participants will end the session with a prayer to their own beloved spiritual teacher. HH Swami Amarananda is the senior monk of the Ramakrishna Order and president of the Centre Vedantique in Geneva. He is a former residential school headmaster and expert on disaster management. He has participated in numerous multireligious programs, including the World Faiths Development Dialogue, meetings of the Community of Santo Egidio, the Interreligious Platform in Geneva and the World Council of Churches. Zoroastrian Daily Morning Prayers and Worship: Day 2 Ervad kaivan Antia Ervad Armin Dumasia Room 218 Religious or Spiritual Observance Following a brief introductory narrative on Zoroastrianism, the Zarathushtis will perform the daily morning 'Kusti Padyab' ritual. First, they will tie and untie the Kusti (hollow woolen cord) worn around their waists, while reciting the farajayat Irequisitel prayers. Then they will recite Atash Nyaish (Hymn to the Light Divine) and demonstrate the Jashan ceremony la commemoration for the Parliament). The worship will end with the group singing a Monajat (devotional song and offering a short explanation of the worship service. Chasni (fruits and malido, a sweet dish made with flour, sugar and butter displayed during the Jashan to symbolise Ahura Mazda's creation will be served to all participants, subject to receiving permission from the authorities. Ervad Kaivan Antia is a Zoroastrian priest He completed his studies and rituals at Athorvan Madressa in Mumbai. Ervad Armin Dumasia is a Zoroastrian priest. He completed his studies and rituals at Vatcha Gandhi Fire Temple In Mumbai. 222 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGRAM Sunday, December 6, 2009 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION INTRARELIGIOUS 9:30-11:00am actions. While the good actions bring prosperity and well being, the evil actions cause suffering. Jain's basic tenets of five great vows include nonviolence, truth, non-stealing. non-possession and celibacy. By following these vows completely, a soul can break through the cycle of karma. get rid of the cycle of births and deaths, and pave the way for his or her nirvana. These five virtues lead household ers to the conduct of nonviolence, friendliness, tolerance, forgiveness, self-control and respect for all living beings. Through good thoughts and actions, we can make a better world. His Holiness Swami Devendra Keerti Ji is a Jain Bhattarak Swami. An authority on lain philosophy and scriptures, he has attended various national and international conferences. He is very knowledgeable of ancient languages including Sanskril, Prakrit and Kannada, and he specialises in new temple inaugural ceremonies and consecration of Jain deities. Born in Udaipur, Dr Narayan Lal Kachhara received his PhD from the University of Salford. He has taught at the University of Jodhpur, Malviya Regional Engineering College, the University of Salford UK, and the University of Aden. Since retiring in 1997, Dr Kachhara has been working for religious and social causes and exploring the scientific nature of Jain philosophy. on which he has authored half a dozen books. He has lectured on Jain philosophy at many national and international conferences. Indigenous peoples and the United Nations: the Struggle for Recognition Nana Osei Boakyewa Yiadom II, Akan/Ghana: Apeadu, Moderator Tonya Gonnella Frichner, USA: Onondaga Anna Pinto, India: Meiti Margaret Lokawua, Uganda: Karimjong Plenary Hall Panel Discussion The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues examines and addresses among others such critical issues as Indigenous peoples' human rights, intellectual property and land rights, and the protection of cultural heritages. The panellists are active members of this forum and will discuss the challenges of bringing the issues of Indigenous communities to the United Nations and report on the progress made thus far. Nana Osei Boakyewa Yiadom II, a noted African leader, is one of Ghana's queen mothers. Among the first African women to be elected village chief, she is a fellow with the UN Institute for Training and Research, working on a project on refugee women. Since 1986, she has served as a consultant on the UN Decade for Women, an advisor to the Committee on African Women's Affairs, and president of the Pan African Human Rights Association Tonya Gonnella Frichner, Esq is the North American representative to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and a professor of Native American law and human rights. She is president and founder of the American Indian Law Alliance, an NGO in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. An expert on the legal aspects of Indigenous peoples' rights, she is a veteran activist and advocate with long experience of the United Nations and its systems Anna Pinto is executive director of the Centre for Organisation, Research and Education ICORE), an Indigenous peoples policy research and advocacy organisation based in northeast India. An active member of the Indian Women's Movement for over two decades, she is also a prolific writer whose work addresses and critiques such issues as policy initiatives by the government of India and international agencies such as the World Bank Margaret Lokawua is the chairperson for the Civil Society for Indigenous Organizations in Karamonja, and director of the Indigenous Women Environmental Conservation Project Spirituality and Healing in Melbourne's North Pastor Esme Atkinson Uncle Reg Blow Elizabeth Pike Room 102 This panel highlights the ways that Aboriginal and Indigenous communities and individuals have adjusted to the challenges of living within the larger social and cultural contexts. Aboriginal Pastor Esme Atkinson will provide insight about Barak Christian Ministries, the only Indigenous Church in Melbourne, highlighting its uniqueness among Melbourne's diverse faith communities. Aboriginal Community Elder, Uncle Reg Blow will present his belief that Aboriginal people have been disconnected from the source of their power by their legacy of intergenerational trauma caused through dispossession, loss of culture, identity and independence. The understanding of self is required by Aboriginal people to heal and connect us back to spirit. The Aboriginal community needs to strengthen the connections of Aboriginal families and community to the land and the culture, to revive our spirituality, so that inner peace and the resilience to live healthy and productive lives can be achieved. Elizabeth Pike describes the experiences of the offspring of the Stolen Generations through the eyes of an Aboriginal myth that mirrors her own life story. Esme Atkinson is Pastor of Barak Christian Ministries. Uncle Reg Blow is a senior Aboriginal Elder from Melbourne. Elizabeth (Betty) Pike is writer in residence at Aboriginal Catholic Ministry Melbourne. She is a Nyoongah woman whose ancestors are the people of southwestern Australia and an Irish convict. Elizabeth is the author of numerous articles with an Aboriginal focus. Her work has appeared in Developing an Australian Theology and 'Bread for the Table as well as journals such as Madonna, Outlook, Summit, Nelen Yubu, Kairos and Earth Song Basic Tenets and Karma in Jainism Davendra Keertiji Dr Narayan Kachhara Room 101 Panel Discussion This panel will explain the doctrine of Karma that is central to the Jain philosophy. The doctrine holds that our actions determine the quality and quantity of future rewards and advocates a culture and practice of nonviolence. The karma body constitutes a system whereby a soul maintains a record of actions that becomes a guiding factor in the future. Thus every individual has an opportunity to shape the future by controlling his or her present www.parliamento religions.org 223
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________________ PROORAT Sunday, December 6, 2009 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION Creators of Peace Pari Sanyu Jean Brown Jane Mills Trish McDonald-Harrison Room 103 Interactive Workshop Creators of Peace (COP) is an international network of women committed to the pursuit of a radical peace in which personal honesty and integrity form the basis of reconciliation. Launched in 1991 at the Initiatives of Change centre in Switzerland, CoP operates globally through conferences, workshops, personal encounters. community building activities and COP Circles. CoP specifically challenges women of all faiths, cultures and backgrounds to discover their unique capacity in creating a culture of peace in their homes and communities. This interactive workshop will provide a transformative space for interpersonal, interreligious and interethnic dialogue. Participants will work together through material and exercises that explore the personal challenges and cost of creating peace; allow deep reflection and inner listening to the voice of truth, or God, as a source of inspiration; promote a change of heart, starting with oneself as a primary tool of peace creation; and aid women to act on their particular concerns through effective social action. Participants will have the opportunity to share life stories in an atmosphere of trust and respect through active, compassionate listening and engagement. Pari Sanyu is a social worker by profession Coming from a situa personal and political conflict in Nagaland, she is committed to building the capacity of individuals as peace creators. She engages in the programs of Initiatives of Change and is a skilled facilitator of their training programs. She is also a member of the Whitehorse Interfaith Network and International President of Creators of Peace. Jean Brown is the International Coordinator of Creators of Peace. She is responsible for designing and developing the Creators of Pea program and manual and is an Elder with the Initiatives of Change program and Faculty with the Tools for Change program. Jane Mills is a trainer for Creators of Peace and International Conference Coordinator for Initiatives of Change. Trish McDonald-Harrison is Regional Coordinator and Trainer for Creators of Peace. of the immigrants. This will lead to a discussion of the formation of Orthodox communities from the late 19th century to the present. A discussion of Orthodox identity in Australia will provide the basis for examining some futures for Orthodoxy in Australia. The second presentation will illustrate some of the above elements through a case study of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Australia. The third presentation will focus on a specific aspect of Orthodox Christian tradition: that of theosis or divinisation. Some of the socio-ecological consequences of this teaching will be articulated, namely, the praxis of social justice and environmental concerns. The Orthodox tradition also provides rituals and meditation techniques to facilitate the realist purpose of religion. Following the three presentations there will be a panel discussion and participant questions. Trevor Batrouney is an Antiochian Orthodox by faith and a historian and sociologist by profession. He has written extensively on the migration and settlement of Lebanese and other immigrant groups in Australia. He has also written and lectured on Orthodoxy in Australia in both national and international forums. Dr Batrouney is currently an Adjunct Professor at RMIT University. Melbourne. Zvjezdana Peuraca was born in Croatia. In the 1990s she moved to Serbia where she studied at Belgrade University. In 2000, Zvjezdana migrated to Australia. She completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in International Studies at RMIT University, Melbourne, Currently, Zvjezdana is undertaking a Master of Arts degree in International Studies at RMIT University with a particular focus on the Serbian Orthodox Church. Reverend Dr Keith Morrison is the superior of the St Isaac House of Prayer and director of the Sustainable Community Development Research Institute. Keith has been an academic human ecologist at the University of the South Pacific, Lincoin University and the University of Canterbury. and now directs an independent research institute grounded in interdisciplinary and intercultural collaborative research. Keith is also a deacon of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Australasian archdiocese, providing spiritual retreats Orthodoxy in Australia: Current and Future Perspectives Trevor Batrouney Zvjezdana Peuraca Keith Morrison Room 104 Seminar This program will include three presentations. The first will explore the origins and current situation of Orthodox Christian churches in Australia. In particular, it will examine the immigration and settlement of Orthodox Christians in Australia including waves of migration and the birthplace, ethnic origin and geographic distribution Changing the World from the Inside Out: Making a Difference through Evolutionary Enlightenment Andrew Cohen Room 106 Lecture Nowadays, with the advent of global warming and the palpable fear of conflict and upheaval, we have become focused on the question of survival. But there is a significant difference between being concerned with how we are going to survive and thinking seriously about how we are actually going to evolve at the deepest level. It's far more common to experience concern about our survival, but to experience the urgent necessity for higher development in the deepest part of ourselves in the soul, is another matter altogether. That soul-level transformation is essential if the future that we seek is to become a reality. In this lecture, spiritual teacher Andrew Cohen offers a dramatically new spiritual solution to the problems we collectively face. Placing the human predicament within the context of the vast, unfolding Kosmos, Cohen awakens us to the evo 224 PWR - Partiament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGRAM Sunday, December 6, 2009 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION Robert Dixon is the Director of the Pastoral Projects Office of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and a member of the Board of the Christian Research Association Bob has degrees in science, theology and education and is nearing completion of a PhD in sociology at Monash University. lutionary impulse--the creative source that springs from the depth of our being. This ecstatic and dynamic source of spiritual liberation gives new meaning to the profound truth that the inner and outer are one, empowering us to transform the world as we know it from the inside out. Andrew Cohen is a spiritual teacher and founder of Enlighten Next magazine (formerly What Is Enlightenment?). A visionary thinker, Cohen is widely recognised for his original contribution to the emerging field of evolutionary spirituality. Through his talks, retreats, publications and ongoing dialogues with leading philosophers, mystics and activists, he is becoming a defining voice in an international alliance of individuals and organisations that are committed to the transformation of human consciousness and culture. With One Voice Room 107 Film This documentary brings together mystics from fourteen different spiritual traditions to share their perspectives on the unifying truth that transcends all religions. These teachers address profound questions about life and love, the existence of God, the path to spiritual awakening and the way to true peace in the world. They ask us to look within our own hearts and listen deeply. so that we too can join the conversation and speak With One Voice. The film was directed by Matthew Flickstein. Integration of Immigrants and Refugees into Australia: Interfaith and Cross-cultural Understanding Philip Hughes Ruth Powell Robert Dixon Room 108 Seminar Migration is at the core of the Australian experience, and the country's cultural and religious diversity continues to increase. The churches of Australia have developed a variety of ways of welcoming these immigrants, building socially cohesive communities and developing ways in which people can serve each other. This seminar brings together Australia's three top Christian research agencies to look at Australia's religious profile, its multicultural churches and their pastoral strategies. The session will be of particular interest to those who are working with young people, both through schools and religious organisations. It will be of importance to all those who are interested in contemporary social change and how cur rent changes may have an impact on the paths to creating better interfaith and cross-cultural understanding and working for peace. justice and sustainability. Dr Philip Hughes is a Senior Research Officer at the Christian Research Association of Australia. Dr Ruth Powell is the Director of the National Christian Life Survey Transforming Compassion in Science and Religion (Session 1) Leron Shults Solomon Katz Michael T H Wong Manuka Henare Imam Afroz Ali Room 109 Panel and Interactive Workshop Compassion is a value that is central to many of the world's religions and a phenomenon that can be studied from a variety of scientific perspectives. This first session of a mini-symposium sponsored by the International Society for Science and Religion contributes to the growing interest in integrating interreligious with interdisciplinary dialogue. It will provide a context within which different voices can come together around the shared concern to understand and facilitate empathy and altruism across religious and other significant boundaries. This symposium focuses on transforming the way we think about compassion through listening to one another and on facilitating compassion that has a meaningful impact on the human condition. It will also discuss facilitating a level of compassion that transforms the human condition. The first session will begin with a panel including a biologist, a psychologist and an economist, who will address the question. 'How does your discipline help us understand and foster compassion?' The panel will be followed by group exercises in which audience members discuss initial reactions and implications. F LeRon Shults is professor of theology and philosophy at the University of Agder in Kristiansand, Norway. A leading authority on science and theology, he has published some ten books and dozens of articles in the field Shults is the editor of the Brill book series 'Philosophical Studies in Science and Religion' and scientific director of the Transforming Compassion project at Stiftelsen Arkivel, a peace-building institute in Norway. His other current research interests include ethics, desire, differentiation and religious symbolism Dr Solomon Katz is director of the Krogman Center for Childhood Growth and Development at the University of Pennsylvania and is a professor of anthropology and a senior fellow at the Wharton School Leonard Davis Institute for Health Economics. He was founder and Chairman (1984 to 1986) of the Task Force on the African Famine for the American Anthropological Association (AAA) and is currently Chair of the AAA Task Force on World Food Problems. Michael T H Wong is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Monash University. Australia Manuka Henare is the Associate Dean at the University of Auckland Business School, New Zealand. Imam Afroz Ali is the Founder and President of the Sydney-based Al-Ghazzali Centre for Islamic Sciences & Human Development. He has received licences to teach in various Islamic Sciences, having learned from the most esteemed Islamic scholars of our time. He has initiated philanthropic as well as sustainable environmental projects in Australia and abroad and continues to advocate peace, acceptance, justice and interpersonal rights. Ali received the International Ambassador for Peace award. www.parliamentofreligions.org 225
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________________ PROGRAM BE Sunday, December 6, 2009 Socially Engaged Buddhism: a Pathway to Peace Sulak Sivaraksa Tony Le-Nguyen Jill Jameson Karma Lekshe Tsomo Room 110 Panel Discussion This panel discussion will focus on the incredible success that socially engaged Buddhist leaders have had in combating modern problems such as war, poverty and AIDS, as well as the diversity of the responses. These stories attest to the limitless well of compassion within the Buddhist tradition, as applied via the skilful means of social activism. In sharing these storics of success, presenters will also discuss the obstacles to peace and the social, political and cultural causes of suffering that still remain and must be addressed. Sulak Sivaraksa, of the Santi Pracha Dhamma Institute, is a Nobel Prize nominee and prominent Buddhist social and environmental activist in Thailand. He has founded numerous organisations and has been involved in Buddhist-Christian dialogue for decades. His books include 'Seeds of Peace: A Buddhist Vision for Renewing Society' and 'Loyalty Demands Dissent'. Tony Le-Nguyen is currently the Executive Producer for Australian Vietnamese Youth Media. Last year he assisted the Vietnamese Community in Victoria to co-ordinate 'Children of the Dragon, a community arts project to celebrate 30 years of Vietnamese settlement in Australia. Mr. Le-Nguyen was the first Vietnamese-Australian to be appointed as an Official Prison Visitor to Port Phillip and Fulham Prison by the Minister for Corrections, the Honourable Andre Haermeyer in 2003 to act as an independent voice for the Prison system in Victoria. In 2000, He was awarded the Community Cultural Development Fellowship by the Australia Council for the Arts, a two year professional development program to research different Community Cultural Development practices in the United States, Canada, France and Vietnam. Jill Jameson, is a human rights activist and trainer from Melbourne's Buddhist Peace Fellowship chapter in Australia. Jill has been engaged in the work of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists, offering training in conflict transformation and peace-building in Burma, as well as being part of a small delegation of Buddhists to Burma following the Saffron Revolution. Karma Lekshe Tsomo is Associate Professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of San Diego, where she teaches Buddhism, World Religions, and Comparative Religious Ethics. She studied Buddhism in Dharamsala, India for fifteen years and received a doctorate in Philosophy from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She is president of Sakyadhita: The International Association of Buddhist Women and director of Jamyang Foundation, an initiative providing educational opportunities for women in developing countries. 226 PWR Parliament of the World's Religions. Zoroastrians: Their Imperative to be Bridge Builders 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION Arnavaz Chubb, Moderator Dr Dolly Dastoor Dr Sam Kerr Perviz Dubash Kayzad Namdarian Room 111 Panel Discussion Zarathushtis are unique in the interfaith world. Small in number, they have great respect for all other faiths, and, in turn, they command the respect of others. This presentation will explore the Zarathushti imperative to be Bridge Builders, Nithashnametheshim and Hamazor, the kinds of schism causes, what it means to be a Bridge Builder and how Zarathushtis may offer their services to be Bridge Builders between and among the faiths. Arnavaz Chubb holds a Master's degree in Avesta and Pahlavi (the ancient scriptural languages of the Zoroastrians) and a Bachelor's degree in English Literature and Ancient Indian Culture, both from the University of Bombay, India. She has served in various capacities on the managing committee of the Zoroastrian Association of Victoria. She conducts the religious education classes organised by the Association for children and adults. Dolly Dastoor is the past president of the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America and the Zoroastrian Association of Quebec as well as editor-in-chief at Fezana Journal. She is currently Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at McGill University, Canada. Sam Kerr was born in Bombay, India. He is an emeritus surgeon to the University of New South Wales and its College Hospitals, Sydney. Australia. Dr Kerr was initiated into the Australian Zoroastrian Association of New South Wales in 1969 as a founding member. In addition to his professional writings, he has published and lectured on the social, cultural, historical and scriptural aspects of the religion of Zarathushtra. Perviz Dubash is the former president of the Zoroastrian Association of Victoria. He is currently the honorable trustee for the Zoroastrian Association of Victoria and the Current Coordinator of the Zoroastrian Group for the Parliament of the World's Religions. Kayzad Namdarian was brought up and studied in Melbourne, Australia. He is completing a Master of Diplomacy and Trade. He works in the Kingdom of Tonga on assignment. He has been involved in various Zoroastrian community activities in Australia and abroad, such as preparing for a religious presentation on the importance of gender equality at the UN Women's Rights Conference in 2005. Tari Sesaji Tri Yoni Saraswati Yayasan Dharma Samuan Tiga Ni Ketut Arini Gusti Koes Murtiyah Nurlia Ruddin Suprapto Suryodarmo Diane Butler Eddy Supriono Wirabhumi Ida Pedanda GK Sebali Tianyar Arimbawa Eko Kadarsih Room 201 Artistic Performance Tari Sesaji Tri Yoni Saraswati is a new ritual dance offering to Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge, the arts and wisdom. In South Sulawesi, she is known as 'Colliq
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________________ PROGRAM Sunday, December 6, 2009 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION socio-religious knowledge and practices in national/global environmental forums. Pedanda Arimbawa has joined interreligious art, player, and dialogues throughout Indonesia and internationally. Eko Kadarsih, of Solo, Central Java, Indonesia, is a leading performer of classical palace dances of the Karaton Surakarta. Since 1986, Eko has performed with the karaton artist's delegation and as an independent artist in several Indonesian provinces, and in Jakarta, Asia, Europe and the USA. She holds a degree in literature, Walking With Wisdom by Jeremy 'Yongurra Yerin' Donovan Jeremy 'Yongurra Yerin' Donovan Room 201 Artistic Performance Jeremy's music is evocative and heartfelt. His stories and music stirs emotions in his audience as he transports them back to the Dreamtime. Pujie Arung Pancana Toa', author of the world heritage literature, La Galigo. This dance depicts a woman's search for enlightenment through three phases. The first two consist of an Agni Hotra purification ceremony and Kalaruci innertime, in which the oneness of earth, moon and sun meets the small holy one in ourselves. Then, it depicts three sacred feminine ethnic sources from Bali, Central Java, and Makassar, South Sulawesi, manifesting as Saraswati with the Barong Pa-Hayu Buwana/World Peace Barong. From the radiation of Dewi Saraswati's compassion and breathing of religiosity in art, we pray within bhinneka tunggal ika', unity in diversity, to Nature, Ancestors and the Great Oneness of God. Barong Pa-Hayu Buwana/World Peace Barong was conceived in March 2003 during the Sharing Art and Religiosity program in Bedulu, Bali. This barong is a new creation made from coral, stones, bark, roots, feathers, fabric, bells and materials gifted every year by people across the earth. In 2011, it will be dedicated to the 1000-year anniversary of Pasamuan Tiga Yayasan Dharma Samuan Tiga is a nonprofit public foundation in Bedulu, Bali, Indonesia dedicated to maintaining and supporting the spirit of conciliation that arose in the interfaith meeting at Samuan Tiga Temple in the year 1011. The foundation strives to promote intercultural collaboration through sharing in the arts and religiosity among cultures in Indonesia and among nations throughout the world. Ni Ketut Arini, of Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, is a distinguished performer, choreographer and teacher of classical and modern Balinese dance. She was a faculty member at the Indonesian Conservatory of Performing Arts |KOKAR) and then a supervisor for national high schools throughout Bali. In 1973, she founded Sanggar Warini, a traditional studio in her birth-village Lebah, where she continues to guide hundreds of young artists. She has toured extensively throughout the world, Gusti Koes Murtiyah, of Solo, Central Java, Indonesia, is the daughter of the late Sri Susuhunan Pakubuwono XII, the king of Karaton Surakarta Hadiningrat. She holds a degree in Javanese Literature and is Director of Yayasan Pawiyatan Budaya Karaton Surakarta, which develops and preserves palace arts and culture. She has performed traditional Javanese court dances in Jakarta, Asia, Europe and the United States. Nurlia Ruddin, of Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, is the daughter of a leading teacher of the ritual dance Pakarena. She is a dance teacher at the National High School for the Arts in Somba Opu. Nurlia regularly performs in Indonesia, and her students have received national recognition Suprapto Suryodarmo founded his Padepokan Lemah Putih school in Mojosongo, Solo, Java in 1986. Since 1970, he has studied free movement, Vipassana and Javanese Sumarah meditation. He uses these practices in the nature, temple and human fields. For twenty years, Suprapto Suryodarmo has taught his Joged Amerta method and created ritual art in Indonesia, Europe, the US, Mexico, Australia, the Philippines, Japan and India. He is a founding member of Dharma Nature Time and Yayasan Dharma Samuan Tiga. Diane Butler was born in the United States and has resided in Bedulu and Tejakula, Bali since 2001. She is a movement artist, teacher and cultural/education program director who has worked in contemplative intercultural arts in the US, Europe, Mexico and Asia. Diane holds a BFA in Dance from Juilliard and an MALS in Dance & Culture from Wesleyan. She is completing her PhD in Cultural Studies at Universitas Udayana in Bali. She is a founder and president of Dharma Nature Time. Eddy Supriono Wirabhumi, of Solo, Central Java, Indonesia, holds an MA in Economics and a PhD in Law from Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang. As a Board Member of the foundation Yayasan Pawiyatan Budaya Karaton Surakarta, he is Costume director for the artists of Karaton Surakarta and an advisor for the renovation and revitalisation of the palace architecture. Sacred Earth: Music for Inner Peace. Ida Pedanda Gede Ketut Sebali Tianyar Arimbawa, of Amlapura, Bali, Indonesia, was confirmed as a Bali Hindu Priest in 1985 and is currently Dharma Adhyaksa of the High Priests Assembly of Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia (Indonesian Hindu Councill. He is active in AIDS education and care for youth and fosters the presence of traditional eco Religious Leaders for a Sustainable Future Bishop Geoffrey Davies James Buchanan Room 202 Interactive Workshop This session is framed to consider first the complex issues of a globalizing world and then outstanding regional solutions. We need to develop new forms of global civil society, networks of dialogue, engagement and action which work as a check and balance to the powerful global institutions which often do not represent common values. The presentation will explore the special role that Interfaith communities need to play in the creation of these global civil social networks and of the demand that these networks offer real workable alternatives to the bad practices of many of the global actors and institutions. Bishop Geoffrey Davies of the Southern African Faith Communities' Environment Institute (SAFCEI), will discuss how his organisation works to mobilise religious communities and people of faith to care for the whole creation. Believing that climate change, biodiversity loss, economic injustice and poverty are moral issues, SAFCEI seeks to qalvanise all varieties of faith communities to use their moral authority and extensive networks to seek environmental justice and equity for future generations. The work of the Institute serves as a model that can be replicated, showing that diverse religious people have much in common and can indeed live in peace and harmony with one another while seeking a sustainable, peaceful future. Bishop Geoffrey Davies is Coordinator and founder member of the Southern African Faith Communities' Environmental Institute, which works to raise awareness of environmental issues, such as climate change, among different faith communities. He participated in Christian Aid's Cut the Carbon march around the UK, which aimed to draw attention to global warming and the urgent issue of reducing our carbon footprint. James Buchanan is director of the Brueggeman Center for Dialogue at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Center works on globaliza tion and global issues though conferences, publications and a variety of www.parliamento religions.org 227
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________________ PROGRAM Sunday, December 6, 2009 projects around the world. Interfaith dialogue, engagement and action are central to the work of the Center. Dr Buchanan has his PhD from the University of Chicago in Comparative Religion and Value Systems. He has published widely and lecture throughout the world. Who Do We Want To Be: Exploring the Mission of the Jewish People in the 21st Century Rabbi David Rosen Rachael Kohn, Moderator Rabbi Jeremy Lawrence Rabbi Brad Hirschfield Rabbi David Saperstein Room 203 Panel Discussion Contemporary Judaism, whether as expressed in Israel itself or in the Jewish Diaspora, faces many challenges as it moves further away in time from the Holocaust and from the foundation of Israel. This panel, consisting of several leading Jewish leaders and thinkers, will discuss these challenges and the evolving nature of Judaism in the 21st century. The session will be facilitated by Rachael Kohn, one of Australia's leading religious affairs commentators. Director of the American Jewish Committee's Department for Interreligious Affairs and the Heilbrunn Institute for International Interreligious Understanding, Rabbi David Rosen serves on several international interreligious organisations. Formerly Chief Rabbi of Ireland, he is the immediate past Chair of the International Jewish Committee on Interreligious Consultations, a broad-based coalition of Jewish organisations representing world Jewry to other religions. Rachael Kohn is producer and presenter of The Spirit of Things on ABC Radio National. Rabbi Jeremy Lawrence is Senior Rabbi at The Great Synagogue, Sydney. Ile serves as registrar and a judge on the Sydney Beth Din and is Orthodox rabbinic advisor to the New South Wales Board of Jewish Deputies and the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. He is a founder member of the NSW Jewish Arbitrators and Mediators Service. He was formerly Rabbi in Auckland and a founder member of the Auckland Interfaith Council. He holds a degree in Jurisprudence from Oxford University and has been associated with interfaith dialogue and the CCJ since student days. Rabbi Lawrence is a keen technophile, broadcaster and lecturer. Other interests include the environment, magic, Gilbert & Sullivan and skydiving. Rabbi Lawrence is married to Mandy and has four children ranging from two to sixteen years old. Rabbi Brad Hirschfield is an acclaimed interfaith activist described by Newsweek as 'one of America's most influential rabbis'. He is the creator of 'Building Bridges' and 'American Pilgrimage on Bridges TV, the author of "You Don't Have To Be Wrong For Me To Be Right: Finding Faith Without Fanaticism', and a columnist for Beliefnet.com and Newsweek/ Washington Post.com. Hirschfield is the President of CLAL-The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, America's leading Jewish institution for religious pluralism. Designated in Newsweek's 2009 list as the most influential rabbi in the United States and described in a Washington Post profile as the quintessential religious lobbyist on Capitol Hill, Rabbi David Saperstein represents the national Reform Jewish Movement to Congress and the Administration as the Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. 228 PWR Parliament of the World's Religions The February 2009 Bushfires in Victoria: Religious Response in the Role of Recovery and Renewal 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION Chi Kwang Sunim Christine Nixon Brother Trevor Parton Pastor Russell Wright Room 204 Panel Discussion In February 2009, Australia experienced the most devastating bushfire in the country's history. Nearly 200 people were killed, and more than 400 more were injured, as fires spread rapidly across the land. In the aftermath of the disaster, relief workers from many religious communities came together to help the survivors. Reverend Chi Kwang Sunim, a Buddhist nun and survivor of the Kinglake fires. will lead a dialogue with Christine Nixon, Chair of the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority, and several religious leaders, about working with emergency relief, dealing with the suffering and grief of survivors and victims, and rebuilding community. The presenters will also share stories of outstanding acts of kindness experienced during the Kinglake Ranges' recovery and renewal, as well as look into deeper questions of ecological sustainability. Chi Kwang Sunim has been a Zen Buddhist nun for 30 years. Burn in Korea, she now resides in Kinglake, Victoria. She is a founding member of the Buddhist Library in Sydney, Wat Buddha Dharma, and The Seon Centre, and is a seasoned meditation and Buddhist teacher. She is currently Chair of the Australian Sangha Association and recognised in Buddhist and Interfaith circles in Australia and abroad. Christine Nixon is the Chair of the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority (VBRRAJ. Prior to this, Christine was the Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police, having served New South Wales Police from 1972 and Victoria Police from 2001. Christine is an Advisory Board member of the Alannah & Madeline Foundation, and a patron of the Blue Ribbon Foundation. Brother Trevor Parton is resident at the Christian Brothers Centre for Ecology and Spirituality in Glenburn, Victoria, within the area devastated by the bushfires. Trevor is a lecturer and presenter at Glenburn, as well as in Hobart, Brisbane and Perth. His work concentrates on eco-literacy and on creating a more functional and spiritual relationship between the human and the natural world. Pastor Russell Wright is the Christian Outreach Centre's mission and operations manager. He has managed disaster relief projects in both Australia and overseas, including the Asian tsunami and Kinglake bushfires. For eight years, he has led more than 300 youth in mission training in Asia, in hopes of creating a new generation of community outreach leaders. Jain principles for Corporate Social Responsibility Dipak Jain Room 207 Lecture Dr Dipak Jain, former dean of the Kellogg School of Management, will address business ethics from a Jain perspective. Over the past year, the economic tsunami that swept through the world's financial markets has highlighted weaknesses in the global banking system. The
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________________ PROGRAMER Sunday, December 6, 2009 crisis then spread quickly because of the very quality that otherwise lends strength to this network: the interconnectedness of these financial institutions. From a Jainist perspective, some spiritual tenets could help prevent these market excesses. The market, it seems, should regard the accumulation of material wealth as spiritually helpful so long as this wealth is deployed in ways that create widespread social benefit. In his humorous style, Dr Jain will present several examples from daily life and the current business environment. Dr Dipak C Jain has been dean of the Kellogg School of Management since 2001. His career in education began as a student in Tezpur, northeast India. He earned his Master's Degree in Mathematical Statistics from Gauhati University in India and his PhD in Marketing from the University of Texas. Since 1989, Dean Jain has also been a visiting professor of marketing at the Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. The Calling to Interfaith Ministry and Interfaith Practice Roger Ross Robert Sellers Robert Hrasna Tim Miner Beth Katz Room 208 Panel Discussion This panel describes organisations that have formed to support the growing number of interfaith ministers who have answered the call of this expanding and dynamic movement. It will take a look at the powerful application of interfaith cooperation and mutual learning in Christian leadership, scholarship and among its adherents, as well as the environmental challenges people of all faiths face together. Rabbi Roger Ross is the Executive Director of the New Seminary for Interfaith Studies, the Executive Director of the Rabbinical Seminary International, and the Treasurer of the NGO Committee on Spirituality. Values and Global Concerns, New York. He received his Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Philosophy from New York University, and his ordination as Interfaith Minister from The New Seminary. Rabbi Ross received Rabbinical Ordination from the Rabbinical Seminary International. Robert P Sellers is Connally Professor of Missions and Theology at Logsdon School of Theology. Hardin-Simmons University, in Abilene, Texas. He draws on experience working in Indonesia and travelling through 36 countries to teach cross-cultural studies, liberation theology and interreligious dialogue. A brief account of his personal faith pilgrimage and interreligious perspective is found in The Cave: Teaching Religion Students to Rethink Exclusivism and Embrace Tolerance', in The World's Religions After September 11, Vol. 4. Reverend Robert Hrasna is an ordained Interfaith Minister and a graduate of The New Seminary in New York. He continues to serve there as Director of Music. Reverend Hrasna lives in Ocean Grove, New Jersey, where he formed a ministry in the field of Holistic/Spiritual health and counselling. He currently serves as the chairman of the board for A World Alliance of Interfaith Clergy. Reverend Timothy Miner, OUn!, is the founding secretary of the Order of Universal Interfaith and the organiser of both the Council of Interfaith Congregations of the United States and the World Council of Interfaith Congregations. He is a graduate of interfaith and traditional seminaries in the United States. He is also a board member of A World Alliance of Interfaith Clergy working to recognise the training and work of interfaith ministers. 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION Beth Katz is the founder and executive director of Project Interfaith (www.projectinterfaithusa.org), an innovative organisation based in Omaha, Nebraska that serves as a leader and resource on interfaith and religious diversity issues. She also teaches courses on international conflict resolution and religious diversity in the schools at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The Sacred Journey Marjorie Tidman Peter Tidman Dr John Davidson Natasha Tidman Raymond Tidman Kyle Lister Room 209 Interactive Workshop Spiritual development is conceptualised within the broad framework of increasing our individual and collective capacity to love God and also to love humanity, to alleviate human suffering and to contribute our share to the advancement of civilisation. The major part of this program will focus on the sacred journey in search of the Beloved throughout this world and beyond. The workshop is based on Baha'u'llah's most important mystical work, 'The Seven Valleys', revealed in the late 1850s in response to the questions of a judge who was also a prominent Sufi. The presentation will use various art forms, especially music, to engage the audience. The events of each individual journey are unique, but the golden threads of love, courage, insight and submission are common to all who progress along the spiritual path. The second part of the program highlights the newly constructed Baha'i Centre of Learning, located at the gateway to Hobart, Tasmania, which has attracted widespread public interest because of the beauty of its architecture and its many environmental features. The presentation will briefly survey the architecture, functions and aspirations of the Centre to serve the spiritual and social needs of the community, and tell some of its stories of tragedy and triumph. Dr Marjorie Rose Tidman is an educational consultant and psychologist, and a former member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Australia. She is currently the Critical Incident (Traumal Co-ordinator for Western Australia, for PPC Worldwide, co-ordinator of 'Sacred Steps Spiritual Retreat and a member of the Board of Baha'i Studies for the Yerrinbool Baha'i Centre of Learning, Australia. Peter Charles Tidman is an optometrist and a musician, playing classical, jazz, rock, folk, and Spanish guitar; he also performs on vocals and pipes. Dr John Davidson is a member of the Baha'i Council for Tasmania and has been engaged with the Baha'i Centre Project since its inception. He is retired from teaching psychology at the University of Tasmania and spends most of his time at the Baha'i Centre of Learning. He has a long interest in the development of educational programs within the Australian Baha'i community. Natasha Anna Tidman is a year 12 school student who performs vocals. Raymond Maxwell Tidman is a year 9 school student who plays the guitar and drums. www.parliamentofreligions.org 229
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________________ PROGRAM D Sunday, December 6, 2009 Sikh Youth Perspectives Jagjit Singh, Moderator Jessi (Jasjit) Kaur Kulmeet Singh Gurpal Singh Room 210 Panel Discussion Every faith sustains itself by nurturing its next generation with care and dedication. This session, which includes several young Sikhs along with Sikh youth camp organisers, addresses the needs of Sikh young adults. It will speak to their specific issues in the context of a modern, globalised world. It will also address the future of Sikh youth. This session will present and highlight intergenerational perspectives relating to Sikh youth development. Jagjit Singh is an auditor who is member of the Sikh community of Melbourne and practices the Sikh way of life. He actively participates in community activities and practices Seva [volunteering selfless service'] in various aspects of life, including participation in activities of Langar (preparing, serving, washing dishes, etc). One of his interests includes meeting people of varied backgrounds to share the values of Sikhism and to encourage harmony between the different cultures of Australia. Jessi Kaur is a frequent speaker at interfaith conferences and has travelled extensively sharing spiritual values taught by the Sikh Gurus. Co-founder of the International Institute of Gurmat Studies and author of 'Dear Takuya, a children's book that promotes acceptance of diversity among young children, Jessi is also Fine Arts Commissioner for Cupertino, CA, USA. She believes that harmony is possible in a diverse world when barriers of ignorance are brought down. Kulmeet Singh is the Executive Director of the group FATEH, a Sikh youth service organisation that offers Sikh young adults the opportunity to work in Punjab, India for the betterment of the Sikh community. Gurpal Singh is a software engineer by profession. Religion, faith and belief have stimulated his thinking since childhood. Living in a multicuttural world prompts him to reflect on diversity and to ponder his values. He is a firm believer of 'Unity in Diversity and values the uniqueness of each culture. The Parliament of the World's Religions will surely be a platform for new horizons to share, care and learn from different sections of society. Our Interreligious Future Rev Dirk Ficca Charles Gibbs Yoland Trevino Dr William Vendley Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid Room 211 Panel Discussion The interreligious movement is barely a century old, yet it is clear that it will play an increasingly important role in the years ahead. Where is it all going? Will the religions play a larger role in the issues challenging the human community? Is there a potential for greater common action among the world's religious and spiritual communities? What are the next steps in the journey, what is motivating the movement and what are the obstacles to realising its visions? These and other topics will be addressed by directors of leading interreligious organisations, their colleagues and the audience. 230 PWR Parliament of the World's Religions 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION Rev Dirk Ficca serves as Executive Director of the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions. Dirk worked closely with the religious and spiritual communities of the Chicago metropolitan area to plan and organise the 1993 Parliament in that city. After the 1993 event, Dirk continued to lead the Council's efforts to build a vibrant interreligious movement in Chicago and around the world. Dirk is also an ordained Presbyterian minister. The Rev Canon Charles Gibbs serves as Executive Director of the United Religions Initiative, a global interfaith network for peace active in 72 countries. Yoland Trevino is a globally respected Indigenous leader of Mayan ancestry and the Global Council Chair of the United Religions Initiative. Dr William F Vendley has served as Secretary General of Religions for Peace since 1994 and has mobilised and equipped religious communities in war-torn regions worldwide. He was a participant in His Majesty King. Abdullah's historic interreligious meeting in Madrid, Spain in 2008 and has been requested by the Muslim World League to serve on its Follow up Committee. Dr Vendley is also an advisor to US President Barack Obama. Abdul Malik Mujahid is the founder of Sound Vision Foundation and executive producer of the daily Radio Islam show. He served two terms as the Chairman of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago and is currently Vice Chair of the Council for a Parliament of World Religions. As national coordinator of Bosnia Task Force, USA, he successfully led efforts in collaboration with the National Organization of Women [NOW] to declare rape a war crime. What Religious Insights Can Bring to Secular Education Venerable Jian Tan Bernard Korbman Annette Subhani Dr Philip Riley Sri Paramahamsa Prajnanananda Room 212 Panel Discussion Religion has always inspired and influenced human thought in significant ways. We believe that some ideas and practices from religion can be used to help us understand current deficiencies in secular education and make us rethink what is truly important in school education: teaching us how to be human beings. In this program, speakers from Chung Tai Chan Monastery, the Jewish Holocaust Centre in Melbourne, the grassroots character development program Sharing Circles, and Santa Clara University discuss 'What Religious Insights Can Bring to Secular Education'. Venerable Jian Tan is the Vice Abbot of Chung Tai Chan Monastery [founded by the Grand Master Wei Chueh, a Zen Buddhist spiritual leader in Taiwan). He earned a PhD in Electrical Engineering from National Taiwan University and a Master's degree in English Education in the US in 2009. He has served as the Vice Abbot of Chung Tai Zen Center of Sunnyvale and has given teachings in San Francisco and Las Vegas. Bernard Korbman is the Executive Director of the Jewish Holocaust Centre in Melbourne. He lectures extensively in Holocaust education, both nationally and internationally, as well as in issues dealing with human rights and effective teaching methods. Before working at the Jewish Holocaust Centre, Bernard was employed in the Government State School system for a 25 year period. Annette Subhani is the Secretary of the Baha'i Council for Victoria. She is a parent, has a Diploma in Primary Education, holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education, and has participated in numerous professional development programs for various industries. She founded
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________________ PROGRAM DES Sunday, December 6, 2009 the grassroots character development program Sharing Circles, which contributes to the character and spiritual development of children aged two and beyond. Philip Boo Riley is an Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Santa Clara University, where he has been active since 1978. His teaching and research interests focus on the Silicon Valley faith communities and how such organisations are shaped by regional dynamics. He lives in Santa Clara with his wife Mary Beth. Paramahamsa Prajnanananda is the current spiritual leader of the Kriya Yoga international organizations. These organizations were founded by his master, Paramahamsa Hariharananda, who spread the teachings of Kriya Yoga all over the world. Paramahamsa Hariharanandaji was Swami Shriyukteshwar and Paramahamsa Yogananda's most outstanding direct disciple, one of the greatest realized Kriya Yoga masters in the lineage of Mahavatar Babaji Maharaj and Lahiri Mahasaya. Taking Our Place in the Interreligious Movement: Women in Society, Peacemaking, and Interfaith Dialogue Trish Madigan Rev Denise Yarbrough Sussy Gumo Shehara Viswanathan Natalie Lindner Lhuillier Room 213 Panel Discussion This program contains four sessions. [1] World Peace: Myth or Reality. A growing body of UN research shows that capitalising on the activities of women peacebuilders not only advances women's rights, but also leads to more effective programs. This presentation is by Pushpa Wood, a Hindu woman from New Zealand, and Trish Madigan, a Christian woman from Australia, both participants in the intergovernmental International Dialogues on Interfaith Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. (2) Make a World of Difference: Gender, Religion and Human Rights-A Kenyan Perspective. Gender equality and the empowerment of women is one of the prioritised agendas of the Millennium Development Goals. The aim of this paper is to examine how women are marginalised politically, economically, socially and spiritually in Kenya. (3) Women and a Model for Interfaith Dialogue. The central topic of this theme will be the roles and representation of women in each faith tradition. [4] Too Political?! The Story of Believing Women for a Culture of Peace. Members of this women's interfaith group will share stories of challenges and opportunities, and reflect on the experience of women and the goal of the interfaith movement to 'hear each other and heal the earth'. Trish Madigan is a Catholic Dominican sister, a member of the Women's Interfaith Network and a Christian representative on the Australian National Dialogue of Christians, Jews and Muslims. In 2002 Trish participated in a Consultation of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue for the Asian region held in Seoul, South Korea. She has been an Australian delegate at four regional intergovernmental conferences of the International Dialogue on Interfaith Cooperation for Peace and Harmony. Rev Denise Yarbrough is the Canon for Christian Formation and Theological Education at the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester, New York, and acts as the Interreligious and Ecumenical Officer for the Diocese. She teaches interfaith studies and world religions at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School and serves on various interfaith bodies. She has authored a curriculum for interfaith education in Christian congregations and is working on a book on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION Dr Sussy Nyakan Gumo teaches theology and philosophy in the Department of Religion at Maseno. She received her BA in education in 1991 and MA in 1995 from the University of Nairobi, and her PhD in religion in 2005 from Maseno University. She lectures on research methods, gender issues, religion and community development, religion and culture, and comparative religion. Shehara Viswanathan is a member of the Uniting Church in Australia and the Convenor of the Young Women's Interfaith Network. From 19992003 Shehara was the Australian representative on the Women's Advisory Committee of the World Council of Churches in Switzerland. During this time she helped organise an International Young Women's Leadership Conference in Kenya. In 2002 she was one of a team of four who represented the Australian churches on a solidarity visit to Sudan. Natalie Lindner L'Huillier has a professional background in pastoral ministry. Natalie received her undergraduate degree in Christian Theology from the Brisbane College of Theology. With the support of the National Council of Churches Ecumenical Leadership Fund, she travelled to Ireland to complete a Masters of Philosophy at the Irish School of Ecumenics, Trinity College, Dublin. Natalie has recently taken up a position as Indigenous Research Support Officer within Australian Catholic University's Indigenous Research Office. Decolonising our Hearts and Minds, Healing the Earth and Ourselves: North American Indigenous Perspectives Nancy Martin Ines Talamantez Javier Davila Room 214 Lecture This panel of papers explores the need to decolonise our ways of thinking, to face honestly and directly the plight of North American Indigenous peoples, and to move beyond it. This is necessary in order to recover the wisdom and traditions that are endangered or forgotten and to move toward healing and reconciliation both between peoples and with the earth. The session will include the following papers: 'Decolonising our Hearts and Minds' by Ines Talamantez, professor of Native American Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara; 'Genocide in the Guise of a Helping Hand' by Javier Davila, professor of Infectious Diseases, University of California, Irvine and founder of the Native American Healing Center in Southern California; and 'Remembering Who We Are, Recovering the Sacred: First Nations Voices from the Yukon', a presentation by Nancy M Martin, professor of Religious Studies, Chapman University and co-founder of the Global Ethics and Religion Forum. Nancy M Martin is associate professor of Religion and Griset Lecturer in Ethics at Chapman University, California, USA. Dr Martin has published widely and lectured internationally on religion in South Asia and comparative religious ethics. She is co-editor of a series of volumes on comparative religious ethics including The Meaning of Life in the World Religions and Human Rights and Responsibilities in the World Religions'. A member of the Mescalero Apache tribe, Ines M Talamantez is a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Professor Talamantez is the author of 'Teaching Religion and Healing and has contributed articles to 'Native Religions and Cultures of North America: Anthropology of the Sacred', and 'Unspoken Worlds: Women's Religious Lives'. The past president of the Indigenous Studies Group at the American Academy of Religion, she is a pioneering figure among American Indian scholars. www.parliamentofreligions.org 231
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________________ PROGRAM DESCRIE Sunday, December 6, 2009 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION Javier Davila is the founding director of the American Indian Healing Center and senior partner of South Coast Infectious Disease Medical Center. Having received his medical degree from the University of California, Irvine, he went into private practice in 1984 and taught about infectious diseases at the UCI Medical School from 1986 to 2005. Dr Davila founded the non-profit American Indian Healing Center in Whittier, California in 2000 to address the health needs of urban Native Americans. and various locations in New Jersey. She has most recently given workshops and talks in India and Dubai Arthur Stein teaches Peace Studies and Comparative Religion in the honours program at the University of Rhode Island (URII, USA. Cofounder of the Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies at URI, he has been engaged in educational and conflict resolution/reconciliation service on every continent. Author of several books and other publications, he has been a participant and scholar in working towards mutual understanding and peacebuilding among ethnic national communities. Meditation: the Ultimate Transformative Experience Dr Andrew Vidich, Moderator Dr Margarete Czerny Jim Rose Sue Rose Dr Art Stein Room 215 Interactive Workshop In this interactive experiential symposium, participants will learn how meditation can transform all aspects of their life. Learn how a simple but profound technique of meditation can help heal our bodies, open our hearts, liberate our minds and lead directly to the deepest levels of peace and joy within. Each of us already contains within us everything we need to be completely healthy, happy and spiritually fulfilled. We are, in fact, hard-wired for happiness and peace. This experience is accessible to each one of us right now. In fact, it is our birthright. All we need is the inner technology of transcendence, known in many traditions as meditation, to access this vast inner wealth. Daily contact with this inner fountainhead of Life and light will result in personal healing, spiritual fulfilment and global transformation. As Gandhi once said, 'If we want to change the world, we should first be the change we seek'. Experience for yourself how meditation can change your life forever and how you can be a catalyst for healing the world by becoming a living Ambassador of Light. Andrew Vidich has taught as an adjunct assistant professor of religion at Manhattan College and lona College. He is currently a literacy coach and mentor for the New York City Department of Education. He is the author of 'Light Upon Light: Five Master Paths to Awakening the Mindful Self which won the 2008 National Book Award for best book in Eastern Religions. Dr Vidich is an international speaker in the field of meditation and spirituality Margarete Czerny is a scientist and economic advisor to the govern ment of Austria and the European Union. She was recently honoured with the Golden Order of Merit of the Republic of Austria, Dr Czerny was head of the Department of East-West Relations, Infrastructure, Housing Policy, and International Economics at the University of Vienna. Her expertise is in developing plans for transitioning nations. Her interests include methods of fostering world peace and interreligious dialogue. Jim Rose recently retired from Johnson & Johnson with 35 years of experience in human resources management and leadership development. In 1984, he began the spiritual path of Sant Mat, where he practices a vegetarian diet, meditates daily and studies under the guidance of a spiritual teacher, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj. Jim provides workshops and training to groups throughout the world where he connects meditation and spiritual development to other aspects of our lives. Susan Rose has been a vegetarian and has meditated for over 35 years She cooks and studies nutrition with an emphasis on finding healthy vegetarian alternatives for her family and friends. Since retiring from a career in sales and marketing. Susan has taught classes in vegetarian cooking and vegetarian diet in New York, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia Politics and Governance: An Islamic Perspective on Religious Democracy in Iran Dr Mahdi Mostafavi Room 216 Academic Paper Islam has been considered a religion that does not separate religious beliefs and political practice. However, the proper system of governance in an Islamic society has sparked debates among a number of Muslim thinkers and scholars. The model of state established by the Noble Prophet of Islam in the city of Medina emphasised the principles of justice and equality, which allowed political participation of sorts for all the citizens including Muslims, Christians and Jews. In the contemporary world and after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the late Imam Khomeini put this doctrine into practice and devised a new political system in Iran based upon his unique concept of Vilayat-e Faqih (Rule of Jurisprudencel, which is popularly referred to as Religious Democracy. This paper seeks to explore the ways, means and mechanisms through which divine teachings and religious values can be reconciled with contemporary issues related to governance and the participation of people in political, social and cultural affairs. The author believes that the doctrine of 'Religious Democracy is the result of such reconciliation and that it has been implemented in the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Dr Mahdi Mostafavi is the advisor to the Iranian president and is the President of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation, which shapes Iran's cultural relations with the rest of the world. Dr Mostafavi holds a PhD degree in Strategic Management and has held different positions in government, including Deputy Foreign Minister and the President of the Department of International Affairs of the Office of the Supreme of Iran. He has many books to his credit Preservation of Sikh Heritage Jasbir Singh, Moderator Devinder Pal Singh Dr Balvinder Singh Sarbpreet Singh Room 217 Panel Discussion The Sikh faith is now over 500 years old. Preservation of that faith's religious heritage has become a central and critical issue for the global Sikh community. This session provides an overview of the efforts being undertaken to preserve the written, architectural and musical heritage of the Sikhs throughout South Asia and the rest of the 232 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGRAM DESC Sunday, December 6, 2009 9:30-11:00am INTRARELIGIOUS SESSION world. Discussion will focus on the challenges of preservation and methods to address these challenges. Mr Jasbir Singh has been the Chairman of the Rajasthan State Minorities Commission, an Indian government agency working for the welfare of five religious minorities (Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Zoroastrians and Buddhists. As the Vice President of the State Sikh Samaj, he has encouraged propagation of secular ideals propounded by Sikh Gurus. As Secretary General of the Indian chapter of GCS International, a UN-affiliated NGO, he has led initiatives for global peace. Devinder Pal Singh is the Operations Director of the Nanakshahi Trust based in Chandigarh, India. The mission of the Nanakshahi Trust, established in 2001, is to develop the Sikh aesthetics and to assist the destitute and downtrodden. The Trust is a research and action organisation dedicated to creating awareness of Sikh culture. Projects undertaken include creating audio-visual aides, printing text, sponsoring education and recognising outstanding contributors. Balvinder Singh is Reader and former Head of the Guru Ramdas School of Planning at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, and is an INTACH Scholar He has presented at 17 international conferences and is a well-respected Sikh conservationist. His recent research projects have included documentation of artwork in Siri Harimandir Sahib, with special emphasis on floral designs, and documentation of Sikh Shrines in Pakistan. Sarbpreet Singh is the founding director of the Gurmat Sangeel Project The Gurmat Sangeet Project is an organisation dedicated to the preservation and propagation of Gurmat Sangeet Sikh Sacred Music). It disseminates high quality recordings from its website and organises events that focus on young practitioners of this tradition. He has written short stories. poetry and plays on Sikh-related themes and writes a regular blog on Gurmat Sangeet The Headscarf Debates: Religious Dress and Secular Fundamentalism Janaan Hashim Dr Siti Musdah Mulia Room 219 Panel Discussion At the 2004 Parliament of the World's Religions in Barcelona, three Muslim women from three very different, yet democratic, societies (the United States, France and Turkey) shared their experiences of creating a proper space to wear the hijab in the public sphere. In this session, the American from the original group is now joined by Muslim women from yet two other very different democratic countries: England and Indonesia. Continuing the conversation from 2004, they will discuss the societal and governmental challenges that have arisen over the past five years with regard to this issue and how they have navigated such challenges. They will describe how their fellow citizens and governments have changed in understanding the hijab, the dynamics behind such change, the direction in which they are going, and what the interfaith community can do to shape that direction. More so, these three dynamic speakers will address how Muslim women in democratic societies contribute to the building and promotion of humanitarian and modern values, despite obstacles such as laws prohibiting the hijab or enforcing it. Janaan Hashim is a criminal defense and civil rights attorney practicing in Illinois with Amal Law Group, LLC. She co-founded this firm, the first of its kind in the US, with five other Muslim women. Ms Hashim writes a legal column for Arab Horizon newspaper in Chicago. She is also an adjunct professor at McCormick Theological Seminary. From 2004 to 2008 she was the spokesperson for the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago. Dr Siti Musdah Mulia has been a research professor at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) since 2003. She also lectures at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta. Since 2007, Dr Mulia has been the chairperson of the Indonesian Conference on Religion for Peace, an NGO actively promoting interfaith dialogues, pluralism and democracy She is the author of many books and an activist for democracy, human rights and gender issues The Spiritual Tradition of Scientology Emmanuel Foundas Robert Adams Room 218 Panel Discussion Scientology is a new religion which emerged late in the 20th century and continues to be one of the most talked about religions as it continues to grow. This presentation is designed to let people know what Scientology actually is, what we do in the community, and how we relate to other religions and religious beliefs in our attempt to heal the earth. Emmanuel Foundas is the President of the Church of Scientology in Melbourne. Rev Robert Adams was born in San Francisco, California In 1946. He holds a Masters degree in Physical Education and a Bachelors degree in Biology from University of the Pacific in Stockton, California and holds a lifetime teaching credential from the State. As a Scientologist and Scientology Minister since 1984, he has assisted hundreds of p achieve greater awareness and spiritual freedom. He holds the position of Vice President of the Church of Scientology International working with officials in government and private industry to better understand the aims of Scientology and the importance and workability of the array of social betterment activities to help make a better world. Charter of Compassion Karen Armstrong (by video) Sr Joan Chittister Dr Chandra Muzaffar Tariq Ramadan Room 220 Karen Armstrong, the highly acclaimed British author of A History of God and numerous other works on comparative religion, has called upon Jews, Christians and Muslims to draw up a 'Charter of Compassion which would apply shared moral priorities to foster greater global understanding. The result of months of consultation, the final manifesto was publicly unveiled on November 9th of this year, and includes such signatories as His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former UN Human Rights High Commissioner Mary Robinson. In conjunction with issuing the Charter, Armstrong is calling for the establishment of an alliance of individuals, orga www.parliamentofreligions.org 233
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________________ PROGRAM Sunday, December 6, 2009 11:30am-1:00pm INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION nizations and communities to advocate for global change. Learn of the deep connection that compassion has to the world's major religious and spiritual connections, its embrace by youth movements for service worldwide, and its relevance in addressing the critical issues facing the global community. the priesthood in the Celtic Christian Church lan independent Catholic church in 2006, in which he now ministers to a small contemplative community. He has a number of publications and his primary theological interests lie in New Testament theology and Christian mysticism. Dr Padmasiri de Silva is a Buddhist philosopher in the Theravada tradition and has written a number of books about Buddhism in the modern context. He has held teaching positions in Sri Lanka, Singapore, the US and New Zealand, and is at present a research associate with the School of Historical Studies at Monash University INTERRELIGIOUS 11:30am-1:00pm Buddhist-Christian Dialogue Lindsay Falvey Paul Sanders John May Vincent Pizzuto Padmasiri de Silva Room 101 Interactive Workshop This program includes four parts. Firstly, panel members will discuss ways in which Christianity and Zen Buddhism have been able to learn from each other. The workshop fosters a spirit of enquiry and openness, which leads to a softening of prejudice and fear. Participants will be of fered examples from the Canonical gospels, the Gospel of Thomas, as well as writings from Meister Eckhart, Thomas Merton, and the Japanese Zen master Dogen. This workshop will present approaches to objectless meditation, and explore its vital place in uncovering wisdom. Secondly, presenters will aim to show how issues raised by dialogue in contexts of pluralism could be explored collaboratively by Buddhists and Christians by retrieving strands of tradition such as compassion, empathy, care and forgiveness. Thirdly there will be a presentation of the recently released book, 'Dharma as Man', which is an ancient story read each evening by an old man to his young son in rural India. It is a universal tale condensed to combine the world's stories, which renders Jesus life into Buddhist concepts in an ancient Indian setting. Fourthly. there will be a discussion of how traditions might better understand their shared vocation to alleviate suffering through interreligious dialogue and shared interspiritual contemplative silence. Lindsay Falvey is a professor of the University of Melbourne, where he was previously Chair of Agriculture, Dean of Land and Food Resources. and Dean of Agriculture, Forestry and Horticulture. He is also a lite member of Clare Hall, Cambridge, at the University of Cambridge. He has written extensively on religion, agriculture and issues of sustainability from multireligious perspectives. Paul Sanders is director of the Augustine Centre and has trained inten Sively in contemplative spirituality in the US and in Australia. He leads retreats and programs in contemplative spirituality and is a senior Zen student John May has a doctorate in Ecumenical Theology. Muenster and a doctorate in History of Religions, Frankfurt. He was Ecumenical Research Officer in Papua New Guinea from 1983-1987 and Associate Professor of Interfaith Dialogue at the Irish School of Ecumenics, Trinity College Dublin from 1987-2007. He is from Melbourne originally. Vincent Pizzuto is Associate Professor in the Department of Theology and Religion at the University of San Francisco. He has a PhD in New Testament theology from Leuven, Belgium. Vincent was ordained to Panentheism: God and World in an Ecological Age Joseph Prabhu Max Charlesworth Philip Clayton Purushottama Bilimoria Freya Mathews Room 103 Panel Discussion Panentheism means that all things are in God. It is distinct as a theological doctrine from pantheism, which says that all things are divine, and from theism, which distinguishes and separates God from the world. Panentheism. by contrast, distinguishes but does not separate God from the world. Many developments, sacred and secular, have led to panentheism, among them religious experience, feminist perceptions of the Divine and current ecological trends. This panel incorporates theological, philosophical, ecological and political insights stemming from this doctrine and furthermore seeks to make contact with and foster East-West dialogue on the topic. The monotheistic faiths have generally been considered dualistic and the Eastern faiths non-dualistic. The panellists, drawn from different religious, cultural and gender perspectives, will situate panentheism on this spectrum and attempt to expound the wisdom of panentheism and its significance for contemporary spiritual and social life. Joseph Prabhu, PhD. is a Professor of Philosophy at California State University, Los Angeles and the President of the Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy. He has taught at universities around the world and is the author of Human Rights in Cross-Cultural Perspective and "Liberating Gandhi: Community. Empire and a Culture of Peace (forthcoming). He is a Program Task Force Chair and Trustee of the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions. Max Charlesworth is an emeritus professor of philosophy associated with La Trobe University in Melbourne. He was formerly Professor of Philosophy at Deakin University and its Founding Dean of Humanities Charlesworth is also the Founder and first editor of Sophia, the Inowl international journal in metaphysical theology and philosophy of religion. He has written on a wide range of topics from the best in philosophical theology to the Aboriginal land rights to issues within the Catholic Church Philip Clayton is Ingraham Professor at Claremont School of Theology and Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Claremont Graduate University. He specialises in conflicts and connections between the sciences and religion, with particular focus on the biological sciences and the environmental crisis. He is the author or editor of seventeen books and over 100 articles, including the recent Oxford Handbook of Religion and Science' and 'In Quest of Freedom: The Emergence of Spirit in the Natural World Purushottama Bilimoria is a Professor of Philosophy and Comparative Studies at Deakin University in Australia and Senior Research Fellow, University of Melbourne. He is a regular Visiting Professor at State University of New York (Stony Brook). Columbia University and the 234 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ PROGRAM DESC Sunday, December 6, 2009 University of California, Berkeley. His areas of specialist research and publications cover classical Indian philosophy and comparative ethics; Continental thought; cross-cultural philosophy of religion; diaspora studies: bioethics; and personal law in India. He is an Editor-in-Chief of the Sophia Journal of Philosophy of Religion. Freya Mathews has published widely in the field of ecological philosophy. Her books include The Ecological Self', 'For Love of Matter: A Contemporary Panpsychism' and 'Reinhabiting Reality: Towards a Recovery of Culture'. Active in disseminating ecophilosophical ideas in the wider community, Freya's work focuses on ecological metaphysics. epistemology and ethics, philosophy of place and reinhabitation, and Indigenous thought, especially in the Indigenous traditions of Australia and China. Practising Yoga: Covert Conversion to Hinduism or the Key to Mind-Body Wellness for All? Rev Ellen Grace O'Brian, Moderator Swaminathan Venkataraman Chris Chapple Dr Amir Farid Isahak Room 104 Panel Discussion The science of yoga has grown enormously on the global stage in the last few decades due to widespread recognition of its physical and mental health benefits. Hinduism teaches that yoga is comprised of eight steps of which the popularly practised postures are an integral part. Although yoga's origins are Hindu, its practitioners come from virtually all faiths. The United States alone has about 20 million practitioners, with hundreds of millions worldwide. However, the Hindu roots of yoga and the use of Hindu chants, such as the sacred syllable 'Om', appear to have created apprehensions that the practice of yoga leads to de facto conversion to Hinduism. Yet, as a pluralistic, non-exclusivist and non-proselytising religion, Hinduism teaches that one need not become a Hindu or repudiate one's own faith to practice yoga and reap its benefits. How founded is the fear of conversion? Is the practice of yoga inconsistent with the tenets of other religions? Can interfaith dialogue help individuals, irrespective of faith, reap the immense benefits that follow from the practice of yoga? The aim of this program is to foster understanding among faith traditions and to create a sustainable basis for the practice of yoga by all. Rev Ellen Grace O'Brian is the Spiritual Director of the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment and a minister in the spiritual tradition of Kriya Yoga. She was ordained in 1981 by Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda. She serves on the board of trustees of the Parliament, is the President of Meru Seminary, and leads a thriving congregation. She is the author of several books on meditation and spiritual practice. Swaminathan Venkataraman is a member of the Hindu American Foundation's Board of Directors and coordinates that organisation's interfaith efforts. Mr Venkataraman practises some of South India's ancient Hindu traditions including Vedic chanting. He is an engineer from IIT Madras and has an MBA from the IIM Calcutta, now based in San Francisco. He is currently a Director with Standard & Poor's at their Utilities and Infrastructure group. He also raises money for charitable hospitals. Christopher Key Chapple is Doshi Professor of Indic and Comparative Theology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. He received his PhD in the History of Religions from Fordham University. A founding 11:30am-1:00pm INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION member of the Forum on Religion and Ecology (Yale University), Chris has published more than a dozen books on the religions of India, many with a focus on Hinduism and Ecology. He edits the journal Worldviews: Global Religions, Culture, and Ecology [Brill). Dr Amir Farid Isahak, a medical consultant, is a Trustee of the Global Council of the United Religions Inititiative (URI) and President for the Asia-Pacific Region of the World Council of Muslims for Interfaith Relations [WCMIR). He is also Chairman of the Interfaith Spiritual Fellowship (INSAF) of Malaysia and a committee member of both the Malaysia Interfaith Network and the Research and Information Centre on Islam and an advisor to the Persatuan Darul Fitrah Malaysia, the Muslim Converts Welfare and Propogation of Malaysia. Global Poverty Project Hugh Evans Room 105 Interactive Workshop The Global Poverty Project is a slideshow and presentation that will explore the issues around poverty and what we can do to help. Hugh Evans is the Founder and Director of the Oaktree Foundation, a youth led aid and development organisation, which has now been established in the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, India and East Timor providing educational opportunities to more than 40,000 young people. In 2004 he was awarded the Young Australian of the Year. Towards a Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the World's Religions Dr Arvind Sharma, Moderator Rabbi David Saperstein Dr Joseph Prabhu Dr Chandra Muzaffar Dr Mihir Meghani Dr Chris Chapple Dr Ines Talamantez Brian Lepard Room 106 Panel Discussion The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations on December 10, 1948, represents a landmark in the evolution of the moral imagination of humanity. While the period in which it was proclaimed possessed a decidedly secular orientation, the religious background of its drafters played a role in its formulation. Increasingly, religious traditions come to serve as champions of human rights. In 1998 a new initiative was launched to frame a Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the World's Religions. This is an ongoing process in which the text has been examined, revised and modified at various gatherings, including the Parliament of the World's Religions at Barcelona in 2004. This program carries that process forward by inviting representatives of a number of religious traditions to reflect on the current state of the text. This session will run for three hours. Arvind Sharma is a Birks Professor of Comparative Religion at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He specialises in comparative religion, Indian philosophy and ethics, and Hinduism [both classical and North Indian). www.parliamentofreligions.org 235
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________________ PROGRAM DES Sunday, December 6, 2009 Designated in Newsweek's 2009 list as the most influential rabbi in the United States and described in a Washington Post profile as 'the quintessential religious lobbyist on Capitol Hill, Rabbi David Saperstein represents the national Reform Jewish Movement to Congress and the Administration as the Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. Joseph Prabhu is a Professor of Philosophy at the California State University at Los Angeles and the President of the Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy. He is also the author of 'Human Rights in CrossCultural Perspective' and 'Liberating Gandhi: Community, Empire and a Culture of Peace' [forthcoming). He is a Program Task Force Chair and Trustee of the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions. Dr Chandra Muzaffar is a political scientist and founding president of the Malaysian-based NGO International Movement for a Just World (www. just-international.org), which seeks to raise public consciousness on the moral and intellectual basis of global justice. He also served as the first director of the Centre for Civilisational Dialogue at the University of Malaya. In addition to writings on civilisational dialogue, he has published. extensively on religion, human rights, Malaysian politics and international relations. Mihir Meghani is the co-founder and President of the Hindu American Foundation, an American Hindu human rights group advocating on behalf of the Hindu community in the United States. Christopher Key Chapple is Doshi Professor of Indic and Comparative Theology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angetes. He received his PhD in the History of Religions from Fordham University. A founding member of the Forum on Religion and Ecology (Yale University), Chris has published more than a dozen books on the religions of India, many with a focus on Hinduism and Ecology. He edits the journal 'Worldviews: Global Religions, Culture, and Ecology' (Brill). A member of the Mescalero Apache tribe, Ines M Talamantez is a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Professor Talamantez is the author of 'Teaching Religion and Healing and has contributed articles to Native Religions and Cultures of North America: Anthropology of the Sacred', and 'Unspoken Worlds: Women's Religious Lives. The past president of the Indigenous Studies Group at the American Academy of Religion, she is a pioneering figure among American Indian scholars. Brian D Lepard is Law Alumni Professor of Law at the University of Nebraska College of Law, where he has taught International Human Rights Law, among other courses. A member of the Baha'i Faith, he is the author of numerous books and articles on human rights, ethics, international law, and world religions, including the book "Hope for a Global Ethic: Shared Principles in Religious Scriptures'. The Dhamma Brothers (Premier Film Series Selection) Room 107 Film The Dhamma Brothers' is a moving story of transformation. Men held in an overcrowded maximum security prison in Bessemer, Alabama, are forever changed by a meditation program. 'The Dhamma Brothers' has been described as a film where 'East meets West in the Deep South, an apt portrait of what happens to a number of hardened criminals who volunteer for a ten-day Vipassana retreat. The film was directed by Jenny Phillips, Anne Marie Stein, and Andrew Kukura. Q & A to follow. 236 PWR- Parliament of the World's Religions INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION Who is My Neighbour? Religious Identity and the Limits of Love Michael Fagenblat Ruwan Palapathwala Room 108 Panel Discussion 11:30am-1:00pm During this panel discussion, we will explore how Jews, Christians and others relate to people who are different from them, particularly in terms of religious identity. The Bible commands us to 'love thy neighbour, but as a Jewish lawyer once asked Jesus, who is my neighbour? Is the neighbour someone like us? Or is he or she a stranger to us? How far does our love have to go? The panel, consisting of a Jew and two Christians, will reflect on how we have practised, and still do practise, the commandment to 'love thy neighbour', and on what the idea demands of us in today's world. This will be an interactive program and audience members will be invited to share their perspective on the merits and problems involved in loving our neighbours. Michael Fagenblat is Lecturer in the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation, Monash University, and convener of the Masters in Interreligious Studies, Monash University. His first book, 'A Covenant of Creatures: Levinas' Philosophy of Judaism, is forthcoming from Stanford University Press. He is interested in the interaction between Judaism and other cultures. Dr Ruwan Palapathwala lectures in Asian Religions and Religion and Culture in the United Faculty of Theology, the Melbourne College of Divinity, and at Trinity College, the University of Melbourne. He is also the part-time Parish Priest of St Alban's Anglican Parish, North Melbourne, Australia. He is interested in globalisation, religious traditions of South and Southeast Asia, and religion and culture. Global Ethics and Religion Forum - Religion and the Future of Humanitarian Intervention in a Sustainable and Just World Joseph Runzo Brian Lepard Gerard Powers Dan-Erik Andersson Seamus Miller Antje Jackelen Room 110 Symposium This is Panel #3 in the 'War and the Role of Religion in a Just and Sustainable World' Symposium. Dr Joseph Runzo is Executive Director and President of the Board of Directors of the Global Ethics and Religion Forum, an educational nonprofit dedicated to global ethical responsibility. He has written and lectured extensively around the world on comparative religion, religious ethics, human rights and the ethics of war and peace. He is Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Chapman University, USA, and a Life Fellow of Clare Hall, Cambridge University, UK.
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________________ PROGRAM DESCRIP Sunday, December 6, 2009 Brian D Lepard is Law Alumni Professor of Law at the University of Nebraska College of Law, where he has taught International Human Rights Law, among other courses. A member of the Baha'i Faith, he is the author of numerous books and articles on human rights, ethics, international law, and world religions, including the book "Hope for a Global Ethic: Shared Principles in Religious Scriptures. Gerard Powers works at the Joan Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame, USA. Dan-Erik Andersson is Director of Human Rights Studies, University of Lund, Sweden. Seamus Miller is Director of the Australian National University Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics and is affiliated with Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. Rev Dr Antje Jackelen is Bishop of Lund in the Lutheran Church of Sweden, the first woman bishop to be popularly elected the Church of Sweden. She was previously a professor of systematic theology/religion and science at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago and director of the Zygon Center for Religion and Science. She is the author of 'Time and Eternity (2005) and numerous articles in a variety of languages. Currently, she serves as president of the European Society for the Study of Science and Theology. Families: Family and Kinship in Contemporary Indigenous Communities Margaret Lokawua, Uganda: Karimjong, Moderator Anna Pinto, India: Meitei Rosita Worl, USA: Tlingit Room 111 Panel Discussion One of the traditional strengths found among Indigenous cultures is the inclusion of extended family members in all aspects of family life, including child rearing. Governmental policies, however, intervene and place children outside the family circle, thereby robbing them of their cultural heritage, language, and values. Panellists will present examples of the impact of such policies on Indigenous families. Margaret Lokawua is a member of the United Nations Forum on Indigenous Issues. She is also the Chairperson for the Civil Society for Indigenous Organizations in Karamonja, as well as the Director of the Indigenous Women Environmental Conservation Project. Anna Pinto is Executive Director of the Centre for Organisation, Research and Education (CORE), an Indigenous peoples' policy research and advocacy organisation based in the North East of India. An active member of the Indian Women's Movement for over two decades, she is also a prolific writer whose work addresses and critiques such issues as policy initiatives by the government of India and international agencies such as the World Bank. Rosita Worl, whose Tlingit names are Yeidiklats okw and Kaa.hani, is Tlingit, Ch'aak' (Eagle] moiety of the Shangukeidi Clan from the Kawdliyaayi Hit (House Lowered From the Sun) in Klukwan. She is President of Sealaska Heritage Institute, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to perpetuating the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian cultures. Formerly an Assistant Professor at the University of Alaska Southeast, she has a PhD and MS in Anthropology from Harvard University and a BA from Alaska Methodist University. 11:30am-1:00pm INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION Removal: The Indigenous Reality Daily Youth Session Mathew Luke Crane, Moderator Visopiano Sanyu Darlene St Clair Melissa Brickell Room 201 Unfortunately, one of the common threads that tie together the experiences of Indigenous peoples throughout the world is removal-removal from family, removal from land, removal from culture, and removal from language. This session will look at the impact removal has had on young Indigenous people at the individual, family, community and societal levels. Stories will be shared from Native American, Aboriginal Australian and Naga perspectives. Mathew Crane is Aboriginal man from South Australia; Currently completing a Bachelor of Arts in Literature and Theology at Australian Catholic University; Administrative Assistant to Jim-baa-yer Indigenous Unit, Centre for Indigenous Education and Research, Australian Catholic University; Member of the Anglican Church of Australia and parishioner at St. Peter's Eastern Hill: Verger at St. Paul's Cathedral; Committee Chair of Critical Mass a group that seeks to connect progressive young Anglicans in the Diocese of Melbourne. Visopiano Sanyu is Indigenous to Nagaland. Iyekiyapiwin (Darlene St Clair) is an assistant professor of American Indian Studies at St Cloud State University and the director of the Multicultural Resource Center. Her career has focused on the education of Native peoples from early childhood to college, the integration of Native cultures' histories and languages into curricula, and the arts and cultural expressions of Native peoples. She is Bdewakantunwan Dakota and an enrolled member of the Lower Sioux Indian Community in Minnesota. Melissa Brickell, a descendant of the Yorta Yorta and Wiradjeri people, resides in Melbourne. Her work and active community involvement over the last eighteen years have focused on cross-cultural awareness and reconciliation among Australians. Brickell received a Reconciliation Award from Maribyrnong City Council for advancing the rights and community life of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. She is also actively involved in the Stolen Generations movement in Victoria and nationally. A Tale of Two Women: A Multifaith Reading of the Sarah/Hagar Narrative Rachael Kohn, Moderator Rebecca Forgasz Coralie Ling Rachel Woodlock Room 202 Panel Discussion This discussion by three women of the Abrahamic faiths will seek to address the humanity of the other through an exploration of the Biblical narrative of Sarah/Hagar from the viewpoint of the Jewish, Christian and Islamic faiths. The speakers will present their perspectives on the Sarah/Hagar story, explore the themes from a variety of viewpoints and engage in a moderated dialogue led by www.parliamentofreligions.org 237
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________________ PROGRAM DES Sunday, December 6, 2009 11:30am-1:00pm INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION Rachael Kohn. After the presentation, there will be an opportunity for audience questions and discussion. The program is complementary to the current exhibition Women in the Bible: Tricksters, Victors and Mothers being held by the Jewish Museum of Australia. Rachael Kohn is producer and presenter of The Spirit of Things' on ABC Radio National Rebecca Forgasz is educator and curator of the current exhibition Women in the Bible: Tricksters, Victors and Mothers' at the Jewish Museum of Australia Coralie Ling is a retired minister in the Uniting Church in Australia. Rachel Woodlock is a Researcher in the Centre for Islam and The Modern World at the School of Political and Social Inquiry. Monash University Sacred Envy: Exploring What We Love about Our Own Faith, What We Admire in Others and What Challenges Us in Both Rabbi Brad Hirschfield Sr Joan Chittister Imam Feisal Rauf Room 204 Panel Discussion To be possessed of 'sacred envy' means to be envious of the beauty found in the sacred practices and teachings of faiths not our own. This facilitated conversation among Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders will encourage participants to explore what they enjoy most land least) about their own communities and also what they see as deeply beautiful land deeply challenging) in others. Rabbi Brad Hirschfield is an acclaimed interfaith activist described by Newsweek as 'one of America's most influential rabbis. He is the creator of 'Building Bridges' and 'American Pilgrimage on Bridges TV, the author of "You Don't Have To Be Wrong For Me To Be Right: Finding Faith Without Fanaticism, and a columnist for Beliefnet.com and Newsweek/ Washington Post.com. Hirschfield is the President of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership. America's leading Jewish institution for religious pluralism. Joan Chittister, OSB is a noted national and international lecturer who focuses on women in church and society, human rights, peace and justice, and contemporary religious life and spirituality. In addition to being the executive director of Benetvision, a centre for contemporary spirituality located in Erie, Pennsylvania, she is author of 22 books, including Illuminated Life: Monastic Wisdom for Seekers of Light' and 'The Story of Ruth: Twelve Moments in Every Woman's Life Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf is chairman of the Cordoba Initiative, a multinational, multireligious project that works to improve relations between the Muslim world and the West. Author of 'What's Right With Islam Is What's Right With America: A New Vision for Muslims and the West, he is also founder of the American Society for Muslim Advancement. Imam Feisal is a graduate of Columbia University, New York and holds a Master's degree from Stevens Institute of Technology Aboriginal Reconciliation in Melbourne: Working for Land Justice and Reconciliation Peter Lewis Vicki Clark Melissa Brickell Room 207 Panel Discussion Three community leaders will outline how ordinary Australians are working for Land Justice and Reconciliation in Victoria. Peter Lewis, Co-Chairperson of the Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation in Victoria, will discuss how to initiate and develop campaigns to stimulate awareness and create effective change. He will explain how to bring together non-Indigenous Australians to inform, educate, and shift attitudes so that people can play an active role in reconciliation and recognise Indigenous rights. Vicky Walker will discuss the work of the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry for the Melbourne Archdiocese, which has actively sought to provide ministry that is participatory, experiential, nurturing, and inclusive, growing out of a deep Aboriginal Catholic spirituality and faith. Two such ministries are Binnap Partners Inc and Catholics for Australian Reconciliation. Melissa Brickell, former Chairperson of the Stolen Generations Victoria Sorry Day Committee, will describe the process behind the apology, illustrating the positive roles played by religious groups. Peter Lewis is the Manager of Policy, Research and Communication at the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency and is the former National Director for Reconciliation issues in the Uniting Church. He is one of the founding members of the Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation in Victoria and is currently its Chairperson. Lewis has been a member of Reconciliation Victoria, the National Sorry Day Committee and the Victorian Stolen Generations Sorry Day Committee. Vicki Clark is the coordinator of the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry Melbourne. She was a representative of the affiliated Aboriginal Tribal Groups (Muthi Muthil in the formation of the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Property Plan of Management. Nationally, Walker has been influential in the formation and subsequent operations of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Istander Catholic Council, serving for six years as Secretary, three years as Vice Chair and three years as Chairperson. Melissa Brickell, a descendant of the Yorta Yorta and Wiradjeri people, resides in Melbourne. Her work and active community involvement over the last eighteen years have focused on cross-cultural awareness and reconciliation among Australians. Brickell received a Reconciliation Award from Maribyrnong City Council for advancing the rights and community life of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. She is also actively involved in the Stolen Generations movement in Victoria and nationally. 238 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions
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________________ PROGRAM DESE Sunday, December 6, 2009 Discoveries from 'Mapping' Faith Engagement in the International Development Challenge Katherine Marshall Tom Banchoff Elias Szczytnicki Quentin Woden Room 208 Panel Discussion Knowledge is key to effective action, but there are huge gaps in understanding the multiple roles that faith plays in development. Mapping' the ways in which faith leaders, organisations and communities are currently addressing development challenges is a vital place to start. The Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University brings together different approaches to the question of how religion forms part of the public conversation on human rights, peace and democracy. In collaboration with the World Faiths Development Dialogue, the Berkley Center has explored the work of faith-inspired organisations, transnational, national and local, across different world regions and on major development challenges, including health, governance, agriculture and gender. The session will reflect on underlying questions, on the challenges of using knowledge resources better for social justice action, and on challenges ahead. Katherine Marshall is a Senior Fellow at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and Visiting Professor in the Government Department and the School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University. She leads the Berkley Center's work on faith-inspired institutions working in development, involving a series of regional background papers and consultations with academics and practitioners, and a series of reviews of development topics. Professor Banchoff is director of the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and Associate Professor in the Government Department and the School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University. Professor Banchoff is editor of 'Democracy and the New Religious Pluralism' (Oxford University Press, 2007) and 'Religious Pluralism, Globalization, and World Politics (forthcoming, Uxford University Press). Banchoff was awarded the DAAD Award for Distinguished Scholarship in German studies in 2003. Elias Szczytnicki is Secretary General and Regional Director, Religions for Peace Latin America and the Caribbean. Before, he was Member, National Executive Committee, Consensus-Building Table on Fight against Poverty of Peru, and Member, Committee on Supervision and Transparency, National Program on Direct Support for the More Poor People Together. Mr Szczytnicki holds a Bachelor's degree in history from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, and is a graduate from the Program on Jewish Organization Direction of the Leatid Center. After engineering and business studies, Quentin Wodon worked in business. In 1988, he shifted career and joined for five years the ATD Fourth World, a inter-denominational grassroots and advocacy NGO working with the extreme poor. He later completed a PhD in Economics, taught at the University of Namur, and finally joined the World Bank in 1998. Since November 2008, he heads the Development Dialogue on Values and Ethics, the unit at the World Bank working on faith, ethics and development. 11:30am-1:00pm INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION One Voice, Many Musics: Many Faiths, One Community Andre de Quadros Marcel de Quadros Deepti V Patel Room 209 Lecture, Film Screening, and Discussion In August 2008, six choirs from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Palestine and Sweden met for an historic festival in Petra, Jordan. It was the first time that such a large group of Arab choirs had ever performed together. This session will focus on the unifying power of music and its particular importance to an ethnic community that has for so long been separated by international borders. Documentary filmmakers Deepti V. Patel and Marcel de Quadros will talk about their film, Aswatuna', which tells the story of the creative individuals, women and men of different faiths, who were determined to organise this festival as a process of reconciliation and healing among the Arab community. In Arabic, Aswatuna, means 'unity through the voice'. Singing in a choir that includes Christians and Muslims expressing faith in humankind, faith in the divine and listening to this through the beauty of the music that they create, without understanding the language in which they sing, is truly a way of hearing each other. Audience members should expect a deeply moving, cathartic experience. A discussion will accompany the film screening. Andre de Quadros is a professor of music at Boston University, director of the School of Music, and a faculty member in the university's Institute for the Study of Muslim Societies and Civilizations and its Global Health Initiative. He is a conductor, scholar of non-Western choral traditions, and a music and human rights activist. He co-founded the Arab Choral Festival and is an advisor to the International Federation for Choral Music Marcel de Quadros has a background in high-end IT and marketing consultancy. He is also the co-director of BlueION Studios. With offices in Australia and the United Kingdom, BluelON Studios was founded as a platform for documentary filmmakers to experiment with alternative views, positive human stories and new media projects. Deepti v Patel is a solicitor advocate. She is Arts and Culture Executive at Hindu Council UK, City Hindus Network; Advocacy and Campaigns Lead with South Asia Forum; a trustee for Inter-Faith Youth (Kirsch) Trust; an organiser of the London Week of Peace and the charity Peace Alliance; and a member of St Ethelburgas Centre for Reconciliation and Peace, City of London Inter-Faith Forum. She is a company director of BluelON Studios and producer/writer of Aswatuna www.parliamentofreligions.org 239
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________________ PROGRAM DI Sunday, December 6, 2009 11:30am-1:00pm INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION Religious Dual Belonging: The Future of the Dialogue of Experience? Gwenda Rait, Moderator Dr Stewart Sharlow Vicki Clark Christina Fox Brni Nivedita Chaitanya Charlotte Hain-Sharlow Paul Knitter Room 210 Panel Discussion The concept of religious dual belonging has had a long tradition with varying degrees of acceptance. Since the Second Vatican Council, Christians worldwide have engaged with various Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic and Jewish spiritual practices. In the 20th century, two key examples of dual belonging were Fathers Bede Griffiths and Abishiktananda, both Catholic Benedictine monks who became sannyasi (Indian Holy Men), while retaining their Christian heritage. Spiritual scholars, such as the great Turkish theologian, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, spoke about Christian-Muslims in the future. For many, such dialogues of experience are anathema, while for others, experiencing another faith in all its richness can help them discover anew the depths and riches of their primary faith tradition. Gradually, one recognises and experiences the parallels and the differences between faiths without losing one's primary identity. A panel of speakers will explore the significance of this religious experience and what it offers to people in other faith traditions. The panel will address the following questions: Is dual belonging one of the experiences which will herald a new age in cross-cultural and cross-religious relations? Is this a religious path for only a few or will it become a pattern for interfaith dialogue in the future? Mrs Gwenda Rait is a member of the Melbourne Catholic Ecumenical and Interfaith Commission. Dr Stewart Sharlow is a member of the Janssen Spirituality Centre for Interreligious and Cross-cultural Relations and a follower of a ChristianSufi path. Vicki Clark is an Aboriginal elder of the Mutthi Mutthi people of New South Wales and Co-ordinator of the Melbourne Aboriginal Catholic Ministry in Victoria Christina Fox is a Christian Spiritual Director and follower of a ChristianBuddhist path Brni Nivedita Chaitanya is a Hindu Nun and teacher of Hindu Scriptures at Chinmaya Dhain in Melbourne Charlotte Hain-Sharlow is a member of the Melbourne Catholic Interfaith Committee and follower of a Christian-Sufi path. Paul Knitter is the Paul Tillich Professor of Theology. World Religions, and Culture at Union Theological Seminary, New York. Previously, he taught theology at Xavier University in Cincinnati. His groundbreaking 1985 book 'No Other Name?' addresses interreligious dialogue, as well as human and ecological well-being. Knitter is on the Board of Trustees for the International, Interreligious Peace Council, which was formed after the 1993 Parliament of the World Religions. Role of Religion and Spirituality in the Public Discourse Penny Mulvey, Moderator Archbishop Philip Freier Rabbi David Saperstein Room 211 Panel Discussion The best way to achieve and maintain societal change for the greatest good is through the art of persuasion. When people of deeply-held convictions and widely-divergent values can engage in honest and fruitful dialogue about what matters most, and find ways to co-exist and cooperate for the common good, the benefits are mutual and transformative. How can religious and spiritual communities insure that the public discourse in their respective societies serves these ends? What are the unique contributions that communities can make to the conversation? What boundaries and limits should inform their participation? This program offers the opportunity to hear seasoned leaders explore the meaning of civil discourse, and identify the urgent conversations to which religious and spiritual communities must add their voices. Dr Philip Freier became the Anglican Archbishop of Melbourne in December 2006, following seven and a half years as Bishop of the Northern Territory, Dr Freier has been working towards engag ing the Church with the wider community, particularly through his "Prayer 4 Melbourne quest, in which he has visited a range of public spaces, welfare centres and shopping malls. He is deeply involved in social justice issues affecting Indigenous peoples. Designated in Newsweek's 2009 list as the most influential rabbi in the United States and described in a Washington Post profile as 'the quintessential religious lobbyist on Capitol Hill', Rabbi David Saperstein represents the national Reform Jewish Movement to Congress and the Administration as the Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. Towards the Heart of Humankind: Critical Considerations of Unity, Diversity and a Declaration of Global Spirituality Dr Christoph Quarch Abdulaziz Sachedina Rabbi Michael Lerner Hue Gioi Ines Talamantez Room 212 Open Space Forum Some contend that humanity is entering a new phase in spiritual evolution; some herald a new consciousness of global responsibility and compassion, growing in response to global crises. Is there an underlying spiritual common ground that might bring people together, that might support dialogue? And if so, how do we honor and attend to the particularities of our differences? A Declaration on Global Spirituality has been designed, proposed by a diverse group of representatives of different spiritual 240 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions For Private & Personal use only
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________________ PROGRAM DESC Sunday, December 6, 2009 traditions. A January 2009 publication has been circulated among a group of high-level spiritual teachers from all over the world, as well as in a public, worldwide Internet consultation. The authors will present this declaration at the Parliament of the World's Religions for additional review. In this session, critical concerns about the potential and the pitfalls of moves towards universality will be addressed. Participants in this session will join the discussion about this important document. Dr Christoph Quarch is a philosopher, theologian and journalist. From 2000 to 2006 he was academic director for the German Protestant Kirchentag. From 2006 to 2008, he served as chief-editor of the periodical 'Public Forum. Since 2001, he has operated a philosophy cafe and a seminar-program on issues of spirituality and philosophy. He is initiator of the Spiritual Summer Academy Hombroich, supporter of the World Spirit Forum Arosa, and ambassador of the World Wisdom Council. Abdulaziz Sachedina is a professor of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia. He has been visiting professor at Wilfrid Laurier, Waterloo and McGill Universities, Haverford College and the University of Jordan, Amman. He has lectured around the world and is a core member of the Islamic Roots of Democratic Pluralism Project in the CSIS Preventive Diplomacy program. He is also the author of 'Islamic Roots of Democratic Pluralism. Rabbi Michael Lerner studied at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City and received mentorship from noted scholar Abraham Joshua Heschel. He received a PhD in Philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley in 1972 and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the Wright Institute in 1977. Michael Lerner serves as the rabbi of Beyt Tikkun Synagogue in San Francisco and is the editor of Tikkun Magazine and author of numerous books. A member of the Mescalero Apache tribe, Ines M Talamantez is a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Professor Talamantez is the author of Teaching Religion and Healing' and has contributed articles to 'Native Religions and Cultures of North America: Anthropology of the Sacred', and 'Unspoken Worlds: Women's Religious Lives. The past president of the Indigenous Studies Group at the American Academy of Religion, she is a pioneering figure among American Indian scholars. Many Religions, One Community: The Theory and Practice of Living Together in Muslim Spain and India Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid Imam Khalid Griggs Dr Muhammad Shafiq Room 213 Panel Discussion This panel will present the Constitution of Medina, the city of the Prophet Muhammad. 1,400 years ago, different tribes contractually agreed upon the constitution to establish a harmonious co-existence between adherents of different religions. The constitution offered full autonomy in religious and civil matters to each of the city's religious groups by declaring all signatories as one Ummah, or one people, with agreement to defend the city-state together. Panellists will also elaborate on the Islamic heritage of co-existence by examining the application of these ideals several hundred years later in Spain and India. This program, bound to inspire discussion about the i deals of the past and realities of today, will highlight the essential Islamic teachings about pluralism and the space of the Other. 11:30am-1:00pm INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION Abdul Malik Mujahid is the founder of Sound Vision Foundation and executive producer of the daily Radio Islam show. He served two terms as the Chairman of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago and is currently Vice Chair of the Council for a Parliament of World Religions. As national coordinator of Bosnia Task Force, USA, he successfully led efforts in collaboration with the National Organization of Women (NOW) to declare rape a war crime. Imam Khalid Fattah Griggs has been the imam of The Community Mosque of Winston-Salem in North Carolina since 1984. He is cochairman of the North Carolina-based Black Leadership Roundtable of Winston-Salem-Forsyth County. Griggs holds a degree in political science and English from Howard University in Washington, DC. He was part of the anti-Vietnam war movement in the late 1960s and was involved with the Islamic Party of North America in the 1970s after his conversion. Dr Muhammad Shafiq is executive director of the Center for Interfaith Studies and Dialogue (CISD), professor of Islamic and religious studies at Nazareth