Parliament of Worlds Religion 2004 Barcelona

Author(s): Parliament of the World’s Religions
Publisher: USA Parliament of the Worlds Religions

Page 12

Welcome from the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions
Page 3
a Parliament of the World's Religions, and the local partners for the event - the UNESCO Centre of Catalonia and the Universal Forum of Culture: Barcelona 2004 - have eagerly worked with local communities to make this truly a Barcelona event, with the spirit of the city reflected in all aspects of the gathering. The resulting enhanced relations between these communities will be a lasting legacy for the city. A city where religious and spiritual communities know each other and work together in deeper and fuller ways. Where the voices of religious and spiritual communities are more frequently heard and respected in the broader social and civic discourse. Where the values cherished by religious and spiritual communities are more widely heard and respected in the broader social and civic discourse; where the values cherished by religious and spiritual communities are more widely explored, embraced, and lived out.
Finally, we could not undertake this 2004 Parliament without acknowledging and reflecting upon the terrorist bombing at the Atocha and Charmartin train stations in Madrid on March 11th of this year, claiming 192 victims. Yet perhaps it is in the face of this frightening and horrific tragedy that Spain has the most to teach us. For in the aftermath of the bombing there has been no backlash against newly arrived immigrants or minority religious communities. Spaniards distinguish between terrorists and the religious traditions terrorists seek to hijack as the basis for their justification of such acts. There is a broadly shared sense across the country that the reasons for terrorism are complex and longstanding, that the solutions will take more than simply waging war. That forging peace in the world at this moment in history will be a matter of engaging hearts and minds.
So we gather at the 2004 Parliament of the World's Religions in the midst of this noble and invigorating example of what it means to pursue peace. May we leave as hopeful and committed travelers on many, varied and clear pathways to peace.
Rev. Dr. William Lesher Chair, Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions
Parliament of the World's Religions 2004
11