wfn.org | Parliament of World Religions Planning 2014 Parliament

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Archbishop Desmond Tutu to Address Finalist Bid Cities

From May 16 ? 20, representatives from five international cities will gather in 
Chicago to learn more about hosting the 2014 Parliament. The meeting will take 
place at the Palmer House Hilton, site of the centennial 1993 Parliament and 
steps from the site of the inaugural Parliament of 1893 which launched the 
worldwide interreligious movement.

Much to our delight, Archbishop Desmond Tutu will personally address city 
representatives via live-stream video from the Cape Town Interfaith 
Initiative?s 10th Anniversary Celebration held in honor of the decade 
anniversary 1999 Parliament of Religions. Archbishop Tutu will share the 
meaningful legacy of the 1999 Cape Town Parliament as well as the critical 
importance of the Parliament of World Religions.

The Cape Town Interfaith Initiative will also celebrate the launch of the 
Charter for Compassion in South Africa. Karen Armstrong, a featured speaker at 
the 2009 Parliament, Melbourne, will deliver a special pre-recorded address to 
acknowledge the decade anniversary and to officially launch the Charter in Cape 
Town, South Africa.

> The Parliament in the World

Many exciting initiatives continue to develop as a result of the 2009 
Parliament.

> To name a few:

> Women of Faith and Spirit

Join four ?Exploratory Conversations? from May through July 2010 focused on a 
series of questions framed to support the exploration of women?s spiritual 
leadership. This is an easily-accessed conference call program.

> The Listening Project

Launched in November 2008, the Listening Project brought together individuals 
who prepared for the practice of deep listening at the 2009 Parliament. The 
2009 Parliament Listening Project continues to host monthly conference calls on 
the second Sunday of each  month.

> Academic Engagement

Doctoral student Kyeongil Jung recently presented at Union Theological Seminary on the 
"Educating Religious Leaders for a Multi-Religious World" program held at the 
2009 Parliament saying,

"The 2009 Parliament was an interreligious kairos moment which proved that religion 
is not a problem, but a promise of hope for a better world. Leaving Melbourne, we 
promised one another to meet again in 5 years for the Sixth Parliament, then as young 
pastors, rabbis, imams, monks, nuns and scholars of religions."

> Council in the Arts

A short film featuring the Council?s Executive Director, Rev. Dirk Ficca was 
recently awarded a Bronze Remi Award from World Fest-Houston International Film 
Festival. Darfur: Raging Genocide Continues was made in collaboration with 
Interfaith Youth Core, Amnesty International, the UNA, the Council for a 
Parliament of the World?s Religions and director  Fr. Armando Ibanez of 
Flashpoint Media Academy. Congratulations to Fr. Armando!

> Council Updates

* Executive Director Rev. Dirk Ficca recently returned from a European tour 
where he met with religious leaders, community activists, academics, EU and 
city hall officials in Malmo, Berlin, Frankfurt, Zurich, Geneva and Brussels to 
address issues of social cohesion. As minority immigrant religious communities 
grow across the continent, a more intentional approach is needed to welcome and 
integrate these communities into their respective societies. The Council has 
developed a comprehensive methodology for supporting a grassroots effort at 
integration that calls the majority religious communities to serve as the 
bridge to the mainstream. Follow-up conversations are targeted for July.

* Partner Cities Director and Deputy Executive Director Zabrina Santiago will 
travel to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to attend the United Nations Alliance of 
Civilizations conference from May 27 ? 29.

* In April, Executive Associate Amelia Perkins attended the 50th Anniversary 
Symposium at Harvard's Center for the Study of the World's Religions where she 
previously worked on a project for the Museum of World Religions in Taipei.

* Communications Director Alisa Roadcup was awarded a Youth Scholarship to 
attend and present on a youth panel at NAIN, the North American Interfaith 
Network Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah from July 24 ? 28.

* Board Chair Emeritus Rev. Dr. William Lesher provided the keynote address at 
Thanks-Giving Square for the celebration of the National Day of Prayer in 
Dallas, Texas on May 6.