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network
Temple of Understanding (ToU)
Programs
The purpose of the Temple of Understanding is the worldwide promotion
of interfaith dialogue and education to achieve understanding and harmony
among the people of the world’s spiritual community.
The Temple of Understanding maintains a strong commitment to the integrity of each religion, faith tradition or spiritual practice and believes that each can better remain true to itself by honoring the truths inherent in all traditions.
Education
The Temple of Understanding is working with various educational institutions
to develop programs and materials that promote greater understanding
of religious diversity and a culture of peace.
Since 1998 the Temple of Understanding has co-hosted an on-going course, A Spiritual Journey: Interfaith Perspectives, with Auburn Theological Seminary, the Psychotherapy and Spirituality Institute, and the Long Island Multifaith Forum. This year-long course explores how the spiritual quest is fundamental to human beings and the quality of life. Participants experience spiritual, meditative, and healing practices of eight different religious traditions and engage in dialogue with people of those faiths. This year we are starting a parallel program for youth. In January 2002, the TOU offered a similar course in the form of the two-week pilot Institute for Ministry in a Multifaith World for seminary students from theological schools throughout the United States. In 2002, in collaboration with the School for International Training and World Learning, the Temple of Understanding, launched a pilot project to develop an interfaith council for the SIT students. The council works to create an inclusive and supportive multifaith environment for the SIT campus.
In 2002 the Temple of Understanding USA and
India held parallel conferences to explore the field of Interfaith Education.
The India group published a book, Education for a Global Society and
the US group began to plan a second Consultation to continue to define
this new field. In March 2003, 135 participants convened in New York
for two days to discuss mapping the field, addressing challenges and
learning about excellent ongoing programs and curriculum. At present
the planning committee for the Consultations is working towards a three-year
plan to launch an Association for Interfaith Education (AIE). The next
steps include a program meeting at the American Academy of Religion
Conference
in November, an Advisory Council meeting in January, a three day Symposium
at the Parliament Gathering in 2004, a planned National meeting and
possible International and Regional meetings in 2005. A National and
Regional meeting in 2006 during which process the Association for Interfaith
Education (AIE) will be fully launched as an independent organization.
Alison Van Dyk, Temple of Understanding, with Peter Brinkman, Peace Council, at Oxford network meeting Oxford 2003
United Nations
The Temple of Understanding has been a Non-Governmental Organization
(NGO) for the past twenty years and in consultative status with the
UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for the past seven years. At
the UN in New York and Geneva, the TOU advocates for recognition of
spiritual values in UN documents and at conferences. Each year, the
TOU sponsors a workshop at the DPI/NGO conferences at the UN. This year
we had two workshops; Women’s Stories of Inclusion & Exclusion
from the Abrahamic Traditions Sacred Texts: Their Application to Contemporary
Issues and the launch of the Spiritual Dimensions in Global Public Policy
series, The Spirit of Human Security with the United Nations NGO Committee
on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns, the Spiritual Caucus and
the Values. Since 1997, together with the Interfaith Center of New York,
the TOU has hosted an annual interfaith service for the opening of the
UN General Assembly. Starting in 1998, these two organizations organized
at the UN A Season for Nonviolence Project. In November 2003, the Temple
of Understanding will be launching the Spiritual United Nations (S.U.N.)
Rising project in honor of our founder Juliet Hollister’s vision
to achieve “A Spiritual United Nations”.
The Juliet Hollister Awards
Since 1997 the Juliet Hollister Award has been presented to outstanding
individuals who have promoted greater understanding of religious diversity
and spiritual values. To date the awardees have included Her Majesty
Queen Noor of Jordan; His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama, and President
Nelson Mandela. On November 11, 2003 we will be presenting the 2003
Juliet Hollister Award to Coleman Barks for his translations of Rumi,
Professor Bushrui from the University of Maryland for his work on peace
and interfaith understanding and Journalists, Cokie and Steven Roberts
for sharing insights of their 33 year interfaith marriage.
Temple of Understanding, 720 Fifth Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10019, USA.
Tel: 001 212 246 2746 Fax: 246 2340 www.templeofunderstanding.org
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 |