The World's Parliament of World Religions was created in 1893 with the goal of creating a dialogue among the various faiths of the world. In 1993, the centenary of its founding was marked with the creation of a conference. Although this conference is no more, it's still being remembered for the achievements of the past century.
Interreligious dialogue
The Council of World Religions (CoWR) is an interreligious group. Its main goal is to promote peace through understanding and dialogue among all people. However, recent years have presented challenges for funding and participation. In 2004, $276,000.00 was refunded to the council for expenses incurred in the Barcelona Parliament of World Religions. This dispute was triggered by the Madrid bombing of a train a few weeks before the parliament.
The organization puts on an event called the Parliament of World Religions every five years, which is the largest regular interreligious gathering. The most recent event, held in Melbourne, Australia in 2009, featured over 650 programs and over 1,300 speakers. The meeting was addressed by many prominent speakers, including Hans Kung, theologian and Dalai Lama.
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. More than 500 programs and events will be part of the event.
Education of religious leaders
It takes more than religious knowledge and skills to educate religious leaders in a multi-cultural world. They also need a deeper understanding of the modern interfaith movement and training in interfaith relations. This project addresses these issues. It seeks to tap into existing school initiatives and create an initial framework for multifaith leadership education.
While establishing the program, the project team conducted research on the educational experience of students from participating schools. A focus group interview was conducted with a sample of students to document their experiences. 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 offers a platform for people of different faiths to exchange information and promote mutual understanding through the Ambassador's Programm. The Council for a Parliament of World Religions organizes and manages the program. The Council aims to encourage dialogue between people of various religions and cultures. Every month, the AAC presents 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 Women's Task Force in Parliament of World Religions recently concluded its inaugural assembly. Here, participants strengthened their interfaith programming as well as plenary sessions and worship. In the coming years, the Women's Task Force plans to broaden its platform to include women of minority faith traditions and to continue interfaith conversations.
Dr. Elizabeth Ursic, PhD is the co-chair of the Women's Task Force and is also a professor in religion and spiritual direction. She is also co-chair of the Society of Biblical Literature's Women's Caucus and a trustee of the Parliament of World Religions. She has a PhD in Religious Studies at Arizona State University, an MDiv degree from Yale Divinity School, and an MBA/MAin International Relations from Wharton School of Business. Her work has been featured by numerous publications and broadcast on over one hundred radio stations.