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network
Formation of World Council of Religious
Leaders
One of the stated goals of the Millennium World Peace Summit was the
formation of a World Council of Religious Leaders. This took place at
the UN ESCAP building in Bangkok in June 2002. Several hundred religious
leaders attended and a group of Co-chairs was formed, with representation
from each of the major religious traditions. A description of the World
Council and the co-chairs is on the Summit website. The first activity
of the World Council is the planning of the World Youth Peace Summit
in Africa.
Global Peace Initiative of Women Religious
and Spiritual Leaders
In October, 2002, over 500 women religious and spiritual leaders gathered
at the Palais des Nations in Geneva to create a greater role for women
in peacemaking and peacebuilding. A body of co-chairs, including one
from each of the 5 major religious traditions, was formed to lead forward
this initiative. Rev. Joan Brown Campbell heads the group. A number
of concrete initiatives emerged from this gathering. A Business Council
for Peace was formed where businesswomen could help generate resources
to support the peace work of women religious leaders. Two projects are
already underway: one in Rwanda marketing the goods of the Hutu and
Tutsi women from the Avega Widows Association; the other is setting
up the first business center for women in Afghanistan. These projects
are being organized in conjunction with the United Nations Development
Fund for Women.
Another project to emerge from the Geneva gathering
is the Women’s Partnership for Peace in the Middle East. To launch
this project, The Global Peace Initiative brought together Palest
inian
and Israeli women leaders from religion, business and government in
Oslo, Norway this past June. A followup meeting is taking place in Jerusalem
on September 19th to begin planning for a major Women’s Peace
Summit in Jerusalem in the spring of next year. The goal is to develop
concrete on-the-ground collaborations between Palestinian and Israeli
women leaders, to help build trust and strengthen the leadership of
women in the region. These projects will be implemented under the guidance
and direction of the international body of Global Peace Initiative Co-chairs.
Steve White, Minorities of Europe, Diane Williams, Temple of Understanding, and Pamela Hiley, Global Peace Initiative of Women Religious and Spiritual Leaders at Oxford network meeting 2003
World Youth Peace Summit
The first planning session for the World Youth Peace Summit took place
in Kyoto last April. Planning sessions are also scheduled for Bangkok
in February, 2004 and Sarajevo in May 2004. There will also be a planning
session in the US and possibly Brazil. The World Youth Peace Summit
will bring several thousand young people to Nairobi, Kenya in October,
2004 to engage with the world’s religious leaders, and leaders
from other sectors, on creating a new vision for the future, one that
will lead to the creation of a more peaceful, just and sustainable world
community.
Introduction / Parliament / IARF / IIC / Youth Core / Peace Summit / Minorities / Peace Council / Temple / SpiritualForum / URI / WCRP / WCF / WFDD / WFIRC
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interfaith organisations network 2003 |