Pillar - Interfaith

Young Europeans traveled to the Holy Land in April to learn from the experiences of Israelis and Palestinians.

Clergy and peace activists from Europe, North America, and Asia will assemble in Jerusalem May 16-22 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the "Jerusalem Declaration" for Interfaith Cooperation, launched by the Rev. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon as a Track II effort to bring religious perspectives into the center of the search for peace.

Daliat El-Carmel, Israel - The fifth interreligious forum organized by UPF-Israel  brought together 21 academic and religious leaders, as well as social activists on March 21. Host Sheik Ali Birani invited the forum members to enjoy the warm hospitality at his home, situated at the largest Druze town in Israel, Daliat El Carmel near Haifa. The theme chosen for deliberation was: "The principle of living for the sake of others."

The election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio from the 115 eligible cardinals made an impact on the world from the minute the "habemus Papa" was announced by the white smoke from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel. The new spiritual leader who emerged to the world from a nation "at the end of the world" in a time of crisis ignites the hope of returning to the legacy of St. Francis.

Lima, Peru - The Christian Ministers Alliance and the Islamic Association of Peru joined together on March 9 under the banner "the uniqueness of God" to share the vision of each faith. The Ambassador for Palestine in Peru and Ecuador also spoke as well as a priest from the Greek Orthodox church.

UN World Interfaith Harmony Week was observed in 16 nations with interfaith prayers, forums, reports, essay contests, debates, and sports tournaments.

Novosibirsk, Russia - A roundtable on "Promotion of intercultural understanding for creating a peaceful and inclusive society in Novosibirsk" took place on February 7, during World Interfaith Harmony Week. The event was attended by religious and public figures.

Ufa, Russa - During World Interfaith Harmony Week, a RYS program took place February 1-5 in Ufa, capital of Russia's Bashkirian. The object of the event, according to organizers, was to bring together young people of different faiths to promote a tradition of tolerance in relations between different religious traditions and encourage fruitful cooperation for peace in Ufa.

Stuttgart and Munich, Germany - UPF joined the "House of Religion in Stuttgart" for an observance of World Interfaith Harmony Week on February 2. A theologian, Dr. Karlheinz Bartel, spoke about his experience with Buddhism in light of the Interfaith Harmony Week, which is the first week of February. Dr. Bartel lived for some time in Japan, studied Buddhism, and came to learn how to practice meditation, which he undertook with the attendees. In Munich, representatives of various Christian churches and religious communities met to recite prayers for peace and offer musical presentations.

New York, USA - For billions of people around the world, faith is an essential foundation of life. It provides strength in times of difficulty and an important sense of community. The vast majority of people of faith live in harmony with their neighbours, whatever their creed, but each religion also harbours a strident minority prepared to assert fundamentalist doctrines through bigotry and extreme violence.

For reports of World Interfaith Harmony Week observances organized by UPF, click here.

Russia - A World Interfaith Harmony Week program at UPF's Peace Embassy in Moscow on February l focused on interreligious cooperation as an instrument for building a culture of peace in Eurasia. Programs also took place in Kamensk, Novosibirsk, Perm, St. Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg. In Ufa, a Religious Youth Service project and interfaith pilgrimage was organized to commemorate World Interfaith Harmony Week.

Acre, Israel - A group of 25 academic and religious leaders as well as social activists gathered in the second largest mosque in Israel (after Al-Aqsa), the Aljazar Mosque in Acre, for an interfaith dialogue on January 28. The ancient port city was built on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in the northern part of Israel. Thirty percent of Acre's inhabitants are Muslims, living peacefully side by side with the Jewish population. This successful model is largely attributed to the warm personal relationships between the two prominent religious leaders of both communities, the chief imam and the chief rabbi of the city.

Dialogue & Alliance - A Journal of the Universal Peace Federation
Vol. 26, No. 2, Fall 2012

Dialogue & Alliance promotes conversation and understanding among people of faith for the sake of peace.

Amman, Jordan - The Al-Etihad Al-Watani Party and the Universal Peace Federation organized an international conference [December 20-22] to explain the significance of the Amman Interfaith Message and its role in perpetuating the noble values of religions and coexistence between them.

Amman, Jordan -It was no coincidence that UPF chose to hold a conference in Amman on "The Significance of the Amman Interfaith Message." At a time when radical changes are sweeping the Arab world and efforts for peace are more needed than ever, UPF wanted to hold a conference that focused on the positive role of religion in bringing people together in peace. As the nation that produced both a major Islamic call for interfaith cooperation and the proposal that launched the United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week, Jordan seemed the obvious choice for the December 20-22 gathering.