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Speeches
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L.M. Curaming: Religion as a Motivating Force in the Pursuit of Peace
- Monday, June 16, 2008
There is a story that the leaders of two nations, one a fundamentalist theocracy the other a military dictatorship, visited God to find out when the turbulence in their countries would end and their peoples would be at peace. To the theocrat’s question, “Almighty, when will the troubles of my people end?” God answered, “Not in your lifetime.” It was the turn, next, of the military dictator to ask the same question. To him God answered: “Not in my lifetime.”
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G.L. Anderson: Religion and International Peace and Prosperity
- Monday, June 16, 2008
Anderson argues that various forms of religious and secular henotheism “are divisive sources of violence” and profiles “three main roles for religion in the world that transcend culture and doctrine.” He describes alternative scenarios for “an ecumenical body or world religious leaders” to interface with the UN.
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S.S. Husain: Spirituality and the United Nations
- Monday, June 16, 2008
In the fall of 2000, the General Assembly, as part of the commemoration of the new millennium, convened the largest ever gathering of the world’s spiritual leaders, who, among other things, made recommendations on issues of human security and the eradication of poverty as a matter of priority for people of all faiths all over the world.
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G. Reyes: Steps Toward the Establishment of an Interreligious Council at the UN
- Monday, June 16, 2008
Reyes offers “a legal opinion and perspective on the establishment in the United Nations organization of an interreligious council.” He reviews the UN Charter provisions, procedures for resolutions and potential obstacles as well as opportunities.
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J. Terasawa: How Can We Address the Root Causes of Conflict?
- Monday, June 16, 2008
Terasawa argues that humanity has “not been able to find a way out of the vicious cycle of escalating violence” because state actors and international organizations, including the UN, “maintain that the way to halt conflict is through military operations.” He states that “Religion should work to change this delusion in which the whole international community is now involved.”
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M. Braybrooke: Religious Cooperation for Peace
- Monday, June 16, 2008
Braybrooke asks whether there is “a distinctive contribution that the faiths have to make to public debate.” He suggests that faith communities have particular responsibility “to hold aloft a vision of the God-given dignity and value of each person,” challenge injustice, offer forgiveness, provide for reconciliation, and foster compassion.
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J. de Venecia: The Philippine Proposal for an Interreligious Council at the UN
- Monday, June 16, 2008
De Venecia reports on the background and progress of the Philippine proposal. He highlights the support of Philippine President Arroyo, U.S. President George Bush, and others.
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Z. Rizvi: An Interreligious Council Should Be Well-Defined
- Monday, June 16, 2008
I feel that it is of very great importance that an interreligious council is perceived as and proves to be a counterbalancing force of extremism. Today in many parts of the world religion is being used as an excuse for violence and intolerance.
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N. Grabus: Existing Institutions Have Not Done Enough
- Monday, June 16, 2008
Grabus notes, “Interreligious meetings are being held in many places around the world” but contends current efforts “have not been enough.” He calls for support for an interreligious council at the UN.
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S.M. Musawi: Marshaling Public Opinion for an Interreligious Council
- Monday, June 16, 2008
One current concern is the proposal of an interreligious council in the United Nations. However, there must be clarity in the main aims of the proposal. This will help in convincing those concerned to support the proposal. Why has the United Nations, after more than fifty years, failed to achieve the main aims behind its establishment? Mainly, as I understand it, because the United Nations relates to governments, not to the real masses who form the nations. If the United Nations wants to implement this proposal, it should go to the grass roots of the masses and deal with them and make them participants in achieving their aims.
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Z. Rizvi: Peace Depends on More Than Governments
- Monday, June 16, 2008
There is an intrinsic complementarily between the efforts of people and the efforts of the governments. Within the intergovernmental structure which is the United Nations, we should introduce a dimension that is missing—the spiritual and human dimension.
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N. Brown: How Do We Add New Structures to the UN?
- Monday, June 16, 2008
As the world turns, so do world organizations and more so the United Nations. At this point there are ominous signs that the very future of the United Nations is at stake. There is no guarantee that it will survive or make it safely through this transition, since nowhere is it written that the United Nations, as we know it, is destined to succeed. It was, after all, only the second such experiment in recent history and need not be the last. That is why the challenge facing us today is so urgent and why we the people must summon every resolve and mobilize the will necessary to make this turn a turn for the better.