Globalisation for the Common Good Initiative (GCGI) was proud and honoured to have been invited to organise a special programme on 'Faiths and Globalisation' at the Barcelona Parliament (see below)
Photo: parliamentofreligions.org
The 2004 Parliament of the World’s Religions—one of the world’s largest and most inclusive interreligious events—welcomed 9,000 participants from 74 countries to the site of Barcelona’s Universal Forum of Cultures. This unique gathering, held July 7-13, was organized by the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions in partnership with the Universal Forum of Cultures—Barcelona 2004 and in association with the UNESCO Centre of Catalonia. People of faith, spirit and goodwill came together to encounter the rich diversity of the world’s religious and spiritual traditions, listen to each other with open hearts and minds, dialogue for mutual understanding, reflect on the critical issues facing the world and commit to discovering new pathways to peace.
Fourth Parliament of the World’s Religions
Pathways to Peace: the Wisdom of Listening, the Power of Commitment
Programme on
“An Inter-faith Perspective on Globalisation for the Common Good”
11th July, 2004
How can spirituality and social action be connected?
'You must be the change you wish to see in the world.'-Gandhi
‘One response to a world full of suffering people is that we must begin with ourselves, with our own spiritual transformation. If we can change our own hearts and minds, we can change the world. Another response is that we must urgently address suffering through social action. But will social action not grounded in a broader spiritual or ethical framework inevitably substitute one ill or ideology for another? Do we have to start in one place or the other? Is this merely a balancing act, or is there a dynamic way to engage both spirituality and action?’
How can religious and spiritual communities work with other guiding institutions for the common good?
’How can religious and spiritual communities become informed and effective partners in addressing real world problems? How can other guiding institutions become aware and appreciative of the unique role that religious and spiritual communities can play to build a better world in the interest of the common good?’
Session One: 11.30-1.00 pm, Room 117, CCIB
Chair and Introductory Remarks: Dr. Kamran Mofid
Founder Convenor: An Inter-faith Perspective on Globalisation for the Common Good.
(The Session will commence with prayer, read by Jean Lesher from her book, Prayers for the Common Good).
Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh, Chairman, Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha, Birmingham, UK
The Contribution of Inter-faith Work to a Just and Peaceful World
Ms. Audrey Kitagawa, President, Light of Awareness International Spiritual Family, USA
The Centrality of Spirituality and Ethics in Globalised World
Dr. Margarete Czerny, East-West Cooperation, Austrian Institute of Economic Research, Vienna, Austria
A New Dimension for Globalisation- New Challenges for Building Global Peace
Sayyed Nadeem Kazmi, Director, International Development, Al- Khoei Foundation,
London, UK
Global Governance: A Plea for Multilateral Engagement with the Challenges of Global security
Dr. Raymond Hamden, Director, Comprehensive Medical Centre, Dubai, UAE
Inter-faith Communications and Cultural Diversity
Dr. Keyvan Tabari, Attorney-at-Law, San Francisco, USA
Inter-faith Dialogue and the Emerging Global Legal System
Session Two: 3.00-4.30 pm, Room 117, CCIB
Chair and Introductory Remarks: Dr. Kamran Mofid
Founder Convenor: An Inter-faith Perspective on Globalisation for the Common Good.
(The Session will commence with prayer, read by Jean Lesher from her book,
Prayers for the Common Good).
Dr. Josef Boehle, Research Fellow in Globalisation, Religion and Politics,
University of Birmingham, UK
Religions and Cooperation for the Common Good
Rev. Marcus Braybrooke, President, World Congress of Faiths, Oxford, UK
Wealth Creation for the Common Good: An Inter-faith Perspective
Prof. Toh Swee-Hin, Director, Multi- Faith Centre, Griffith University, Australia
Education for an Engaged spirituality: Building a Compassionate World
Ms. Priya Sridharan, Comprehensive Medical Centre, Dubai, UAE
Spirituality VS Religions in Today’s World without Borders
Sr. Beatrice Mariotti, Headmistress, St. Mary’s Catholic High School, Dubai, UAE and Dr. Judith Rahima Jensen, Director, Educational Solutions, USA
St. Teresa of Avila and Rabiya Al Adawiya: Beyond Self and Selfishness
Click here to see the Parliament’s full programme, Barcelona, 2004