The World's Parliament of World Religions, established in 1893, was set up with the purpose of encouraging dialogue between different faiths. The establishment of a 100th anniversary conference marked its centenary celebrations in 1993. The efforts of the past century are still being acknowledged today, even though the conference has ended.
Interreligious dialogue
The Council of World Religions (CoWR) is an interreligious group. Its primary goal is to promote peace and understanding through dialogue between all people. Recent years have seen challenges in funding and participation for the Council. In 2004, $276,000.00 was refunded to the council for expenses incurred in the Barcelona Parliament of World Religions. This dispute was precipitated by the bombing of a train in Madrid a few months before the parliament.
The Parliament of World Religions, an interreligious event that takes place every five years is organized by the organization. The most recent event, held in Melbourne, Australia in 2009, featured over 650 programs and over 1,300 speakers. Many prominent speakers addressed the meeting, including the Dalai Lama and theologian Hans Kung.
Peaceful coexistence
The Parliament of World Religions, which has been meeting seven days a year for 25 years, has gathered religious and world leaders from over 80 countries. Its mission is to promote peace and harmony by peaceful coexistence of all religions. This event will include more than 500 programs as well as related events.
Educating religious leaders
To educate religious leaders in multicultural societies, it is not enough to have a good understanding of religion. They should also be able to understand the interfaith movement in modern times and receive training in interfaith relations. This project aims to address these issues. This project aims to tap into the existing initiatives at participating schools and create a framework for multi-faith leadership education.
The project team conducted research about the educational experience of students in participating schools to establish the program. To document the experiences of students, a focus group interview was conducted. Digital video recordings of five seminar sessions were also collected, and a post-Parliament survey was conducted with students. Professors were interviewed informally as well as personally. The course syllabus was also reviewed by several coordinators.
Ambassador's Program
The Parliament of World Religions' Ambassador's Program is an opportunity for faith-based people to get to know one another and build mutual understanding. The program is organized by the Council for a Parliament of World Religions. The Council's goal, is to foster dialogues among people of diverse religions and cultures. Each month, the AAC announces a new Ambassador.
The Parliament of World Religions has been a catalyst for dialogue and relationships among people of different faiths, and has helped create a framework for visions of a more just, sustainable future. The program's mission is to encourage global cooperation between world religions, since the well-being of the planet depends on our collective efforts.
Women's Task Force
The inaugural assembly of the Women's Task Force in Parliament of World Religions just concluded. It saw participants develop their interfaith programming and plenary sessions as well as worship. The Women's Task Force will continue to have interfaith discussions and expand its platform in the future.
Dr. Elizabeth Ursic is the spiritual director and professor of religion leading the Women's Task Force. Her duties include co-chairing the Society of Biblical Literature's Women's Caucus. Her academic qualifications include a PhD in Religious Studies from Arizona State University, MDiv from Yale Divinity School, and MBA/MA in International Relations from the Wharton School of Business. Her work was featured in several publications and more that 100 radio shows.