Parliament of Worlds Religion 2009 Melbourne Australia

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

Page 250

PROGRAM DES Sunday, December 6, 2009
2:30-4:00pm ENGAGEMENT SESSION
Sacred Sites, Sacred Solidarity: Teachings of the Traditions Speakers to be Announced Room 106 When individuals and communities of a faith outside our own are maligned or attacked, when their revered places of worship and practice are threatened or destroyed, it is our sacred responsibility to stand side-by-side with them to express solidarity and support-to refuse to condone violence and desecration through silence and inaction. Nothing heals the wounds of such an injury more quickly than to be comforted and supported by religious and spiritual communities in the neighbourhood and around the world. In this way, the safeguarding of sacred sites is inextricably linked to the need to actively and concretely express spiritual solidarity with other religious communities. This session of the 'Sacred Sites, Sacred Solidarity Symposium will share and discuss the teachings of several spiritual traditions with respect to standing in solidarity with other communities, and how those teachings relate to the mutual care of sacred sites.
Development Program), the country is highly indebted, at the verge of desertification, and facing possible collapse due to violence, the economic crisis, and the lack of attention to healing the wounds of war, and the migration of large numbers of the population who are at economic active age. Yet, el Salvador, right now is experiencing a new beginning, with a president committed publically to the preferential option for the poor. The challenge is to develop a solidarity economy.' with real development and security, focusing on freedom from want, freedom from fear, and freedom from hunger, as enunciated by the UN. This session will cover practical strategies on the local level, as well as the hope and framework of building for the 23rd century. Marta Benavides of El Salvador is one of the surviving activists from the original group of human rights and peace advocates who began their work during the 1970s and the rising climate of repression. A leader of an ecumenical revolution focused on bringing peace to her country, the ordained pastor who chose to live and not die for the revolution has been bringing people at all levels and from all sectors - politics, the arts, law enforcement, agriculture and food security, environment, religion and labor together to defend human rights and develop a culture of peace
American Outrage Room 107 Film On five occasions US federal marshals have confiscated more than a thousand head of livestock owned by Western Shoshone sisters Carrie and Mary Dann charging that the sisters are grazing animals on public land. The Dann sisters claim that this range was recognised as Western Shoshone land by the United States in 1863 and that the real reason for the government's interest is the treasure hidden beneath the range. This documentary traces the elderly sisters' fight from the United States Supreme Court, to the Organization of American States, to the United Nations. The film was directed by George and Beth Gage.
The Digital Revolution and the Age of Religious Pluralism Leo Brunnick Rabbi Brad Hirschfield Rabbi Irwin Kula Room 109 The digital revolution and technological innovation including Google, Wikipedia, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and high speed internet networks have changed the way religions and spiritual traditions are communicated and distributed. Not only are changes continuing, but they are continuing to accelerate. How do we make this work for us and for the world? How do we use the new power at our fingertips to make change that really matters? As these new technologies become accessible, every religion's wisdom and practice become part of a global conversation that crosses boundaries, is independent of central authorities and can be used in any manner by individual spiritual seekers as well as independent groups. What are the implications of this for our personal identities as well as the integrity of our particular religions and religious communities? Most importantly, how can we who are deeply committed to cultivating harmony among the world's religions and spiritual communities use new technology to help usher in a new age of pluralism? Leo Brunnick will offer a four-part model of how we use the new technology to Communicate, Educate, Elevate, and Activate. The session will be interactive, inviting participants to offer wisdom and practice in globally accessible ways. Leo Brunnick is a founder and the CEO of Patheos.com, helping shape the vision, mission, strategy and operating principles of the company. In this role, he brings to bear twenty years of executive leadership and management experience. Leo is an expert in bringing cutting edge web technologies to market. He is the visionary behind the innovative ap proach to the Patheos libraries and lenses and is passionate about the global conversation on religion and spirituality
Building a Culture of Peace - Development on the ground in El Salvador Marta Benavides Room 108 Seminar El Salvador, the smallest country in central America, whose peoples since colonial times in the 1500s, have suffered massacres, oppression and repression of the indigenous population, violence by slavery, civil war. death squads, disappearances, and free trade agreements, all aspects of the road to impoverishment. Today. in the context of the financial and economic crisis, according to UN - CEPAL (the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean) and UNDP (the UN
246 PWR - Parliament of the World's Religions Jain Education International