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WORLD FELLOWSHIP OF INTER-RELIGIOUS COUNCILS (WFIRC)

1. Ahead of Us:

From 13th to the 17th of December, 2003 WFIRC is organizing an Interfaith Meet on Harmony and Noviolence, in Kochi, Kerala, India.We are expecting over two hundred dialogue partners, belonging to different interfaith groups, and movements to converge in Kochi,for an interfaith live-in and celebration experience. Accomodation and hospitality is free for our guests from abroad.

WFRIC organized similar interfaith family-gatherings in 1981,1991, 1993,1996,1998, 2000, and in 2002.

2. Beginnings:

After ten years of formation of interfaith communities in India,the first meet of dialogue-families was organized in 1981, in Kochi,in the background of communal tension, around a few issues, "conversion" being one of them. From that meet followed the formation of WFIRC, with office in Kochi. Mr.M.K.K.Nair-Hindu, Justice P.K.Shamsuddin-Muslim and Fr.Albert Nambiaparambil cmi-Christian,as the three member team that worked for this Meet.

P K Shamsuddin at Oxford network meeting 2003

3. Key-Note:

Experiential sharing is our key-note. .in all out gatherings interfaith prayer-sharing sessions take important place-Our major interfaith events end with an interfaith procession with stops for different religious traditions,and prayers around a camp-fire with lighted candles.

4. Our Paths:

(i) WFIRC offers different projects to diffuse communal tension forming "Shanti Samiti" -Peace Units in different Townships.
(ii) Another area wherein WFIRC was involved in from the very beginnings..is that of Value Education bringing in the prayer-meditation dimension into it.
(iii) WFIRC marks the major festivals of different relitious traditions , organizing interfaith "sandhya"-prayer-meditation-song(bhajan)sessions.

5. Publications:

All our major interfaith events are marked by a volume with contributions from our fellow Pilgrims. Two Books were published: Religion and Man and Religion and Life. A Bullettin with the title Sangam (Confluence) is brought out occasionally.

Fr Albert at Oxford network meeting 2003

Fr.Albert Nambiaparambil cmi, Secy.General-WFIRC ,Upasana, Thodupuzha-685584, Kerala, India. E-mail Fr Albert

President:Justice P.K.Shamsuddin

Treasurer:Prof.N.R.Menon

Narayan Menon at Oxford Network meeting 2003

 

 

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