Parliament of Worlds Religion 2004 Barcelona

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

Page 161

Program Descriptions Saturday, July 10, 2004
INTERRELIGIOUS SESSION 11:30 AM 1:00 PM
distilled, transforming respectful exchange into effective interfaith dialogue that can be used by all of faith, from all religious communities.
Brian Walker is a Diocesan and Deanery Synod member of the Church of England, Winchester, England, and a member of Southampton Inter Faith Link. He is an Executive member of World Council on Religions for Peace (UK Chapter) and of the World Congress of Faiths.
Abu Bakr Conteh is Imam in Freetown, Sierra Leone. He is a member of the Advisory Board Committee, Anti-Corruption Commission, and Campaign for Good Governance. Abu is also First Vice President of the Inter Religious Council of Sierra Leone.
Imam Dr. Abdul Jalil Sajid is Hon. International Secretary of the World Congress of Faiths, an interfaith activist and chair of the Muslim Council for Religious and Racial Harmony. Dr. Sajid is also a Member of the British Commission on the "Islamophobia Report".
Rt Rev. Dr. Joseph C. Humper, from Bonthe, Sherbo, is Bishop of the United Methodist Church, Freetown. He helped negotiate peace during the Rebel War and is today President of the inter Religious Council of Sierra Leone and Religions for Peace (Sierra Leone). Bishop Humper is also Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which recently reported its findings and is now in the implementation stage of the quest for restorative justice and sustainable peace.
Megumi Hirota has an MA on Interreligious Relations and has been a representative of Rissho Kosei-kai of the UK, and a staff of the International Association for Religious Freedom since 1998. She has been involved in interfaith organizations such as World Congress of Faiths, and Week of Prayer for World Peace.
Grassroots Community Outreach: Healthcare and Education Initiatives in India
Mathioli Saraswathy Muthuswamy Srinivasan
R. Saraswathi Srinivasan
Anu Sundaresan
Kris Yogam
Sri Nirbhayanand Saraswati
Room 130, English/Spanish Interactive Workshop
In order to build a world that is nurturing and safe for our children, we must establish community service programs at the local level that are focused on helping and uplifting the poor, needy and underprivileged. We will discuss how such grassroots programs, when sustained over time, can improve the welfare of communities and promote peace. Leaders and representatives from Nandalala Seva Samithi and Ramakrishna Vivekanand Ashram will discuss innovative approahes for developing healthcare and educational initiatives in India.
Founder and spiritual leader of Nandalala Seva Samithi, Mathioli R. Sarawathy has devoted her whole life to helping others - especially the less fortunate. She is a prolific writer, of poems,
160 Parliament of the World's Religions 2004
songs, prayers, and stories for children and adults, as well as philosophical commentaries in Tamil, her native language. In 1998 and 1999, she was awarded the the national NCERT award by the Indian Government for her children's books.
Long-time member of Nandalala Seva Samithi, Srinivasan is active in organizing and coordinating all aspects of Samithi's activities in India and an invaluable local leader of community oriented programs.
Long-time member of Nandalala Seva Samithi, Srinivasan is active in organizing and coordinating all aspects of Samithi's activities in India and an invaluable local leader of community oriented programs.
Founding member of the Nandalala Mission US chapter, Anu Sundaresan is especially active in programs covered under the Organization's Educational Wing. Her efforts have succeeded in giving schools the resources and amenities they need. Ms. Sundaresan holds an MBA from Stanford University.
An active board member of the Nandalala Medical Foundation, Kris Yogam is a driving force behind several heath care outreach initiatives including: eye camps and blood donation camps for the needy; seminars on osteoperosis and other diseases targeted at women; and organizing ongoing visits to remote villages to provide. free medical checkups. She's currently leading a major fundraising campaign to build a new low cost dialysis center. Sri Nirbhayanand Saraswati is currently the president of Ramakrishna Vivekanand Ashram Gadag and Bijapur. He runs a Free Residential School for the blind at Shimoga and a residential school for rural children at a village called Managuli, Karnataka. He also teaches and lectures on many topics.
Building Peace in the Midst of Conflict Munetsi Ruzivo
Vjekoslav Saje Emmanuel Kolini Merlinda Hussein
Room 131, English Partner Cities
This program is part of the Goldin Institute sponsored series highlighting the work of the Partner Cities around the world. In a diverse society, people of faith and religious institutions are often uniquely positioned to either foment conflict or cultivate a culture of peace. This program will feature stories from interreligious activists who have been able to foster peace through collaborative relationships between and among religious communities in the midst of conflict. Presenters will analyze the nature and dynamics of the conflicts in which they have worked to create cultures of peace.
Munetsi Ruzivo is Professor of Religions at the University of Zimbabwe, and Coordinator of the Zimbabwe National Forum for Inter-religious Dialogue. He is a Member of the International and African Oral History Associations, and the International Association of Mission Studies.
Vjekoslav Saje is Director of the Center for Religious Dialogue in Sarajevo, which facilitates joint projects of religious communities