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CONFLICT RESOLUTION THROUGH NON-VIOLENCE IN ACTION -
THE JAIN APPROACH
CONFLION: VIESSENCE ON ACRONG
[Major Presentation at the Millennium Peace Summit of Religions and Spiritual Leaders, at United Nations, New York (USA) - August 28-31, 2000]
World's religious and spiritual leaders coming together at the Millennium Peace Summit at the United Nations signals a welcome opportunity for initiating a collective politico-spiritual endeavour to move towards world peace, inter-faith harmony, healthier ecology and more compassionate interdependence among humanity and other living beings.
The task of implementing a global agenda for peace through Non-violence is, indeed, formidable given egocentric attitudes of nation states, play of power politics, unbridled arms race and continuing conflicts at global, regional, national and ethnic levels. Religions functioning largely within the narrow confines of orthodoxy and self-centred focus are being misused by fanatics to fuel religious and communal conflicts.
Exploitative violence and competitive struggle for control by humans has eroded, polluted and depleted nature's resource base in land, water, forests and minerals. Global network of antidevelopment lobbies continue to block, delay or derail the process of growth developing countries thereby creating an environment of frustration and tension in the midst of poverty and backwardness.
The challenge before the Summit is not merely to adopt a unanimous Declaration on Tolerance and Non-violence, but even
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