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Parliament of the World’s Religions

1999 Parliament of the World’s Religions—Summary Report, page 1

1999 Parliament of the World’s ReligionsSummary ReportDecember 1-8, 1999 Cape Town, South Afirca

Introduction

The Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions is pleased to offer this summary report of the 1999 Parliament of the World’s Religions, held in Cape Town, South Africa, December 1-8, 1999. Nestled against Table Mountain and overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, Cape Town is home to many races, religious traditions, and cultural varieties. Religious, spiritual, cultural, and civic lead-ers, groups, and communities there worked enthusiastically in partnership with CPWR to make the 1999 Parliament an unforgettable gift to the world.

At the 1999 Parliament over 7,000 people from around the world –– teachers, scholars, leaders, believers and practitioners –– came together to experience as-tonishing spiritual and cultural variety, to exchange insights, to share wisdom, to celebrate their unique religious identities; in short, to be amazed, delighted, and inspired. At the same time, participants wrestled with the critical issues facing the global community, learning about the world situation, and seeking the moral and ethical convergence that leads to shared commitment and action.

The 1999 Parliament of the World’s Religions was a celebration of hope and a vi-sion of possible futures. It also gave powerful testimony to the good hearts and good will of the many thousands of people––from every part of the world, and from almost every religious and spiritual tradition––who believed that this gather-ing could indeed be the harbinger of a new day dawning.

It was not the intention of those who gathered in Cape Town to create a new religion, or to diminish in any way the precious uniqueness of any path. Instead, they come together to demonstrate that the religious and spiritual traditions and communities of Cape Town, of South Africa, and of the larger world can and should encounter one another in a spirit of respect, and with an openness to new understanding. They joined with one another in a spirit of dialogue and cooperation, seeking to discover new ways to rise to the challenges and the opportunities of life at the threshold of a new century. And they came with the realization that as each of us reaches out to the transcendent in her or his own way, somehow, we are no longer strangers to one another.



Opening Day

In commemoration of International AIDS Day, the Parliament began with the formal unveiling of the International AIDS Quilt in the pictur-esque area known as the Company’s Garden. Each one of hundreds of hand-sewn panels commemorates a victim of the disease, yet the Quilt project itself is a symbol of hope and life’s triumph. The founder of the quilt, Cleve Jones, joined with several religious and spiritual leaders from around the world to engage in dialogue about the role of religious and spiritual communities in fighting the disease that has claimed the lives of so many people. The quilt was an especially poignant reminder of both the epidemic of AIDS in South Africa, and the role that religious and spiritual traditions play in facing the critical issues that face the world at the end of the millennium.

Participants then proceeded down Government Avenue to Darling Street and on to District Six. Costumes religious garb, banners and wonderful cultural variety made for a colorful and moving experi-ence for marchers and spectators alike. With over 10,000 marchers, the procession was a highlight for many Parliament participants. The presence of protesters demonstrating their displeasure with the Par-liament and its commitment to interreligious dialogue and cooperation did not diminish the spirit or the enthusiasm of the marchers.

When the procession arrived in District Six, an area symbolic of both dispossession and of the human spirit, those who had once lived in this lovely spot under Table Mountain welcomed the marchers. Past residents of District Six described to those gathered how their once vibrant community was displaced when the apartheid-era govern-ment designated the area as “white-only,” and removed the residents to distant, under-resourced townships. In the moving ceremony that followed, religious and spiritual leaders from around the world spoke of other tragic examples of dispossession, and blessed the land and those displaced to remind us that it should never happen again.

The fact that the 1999 Parliament began with the opening of the Aids Quilt and the ceremony in District Six focused attention on the fact that every religious and spiritual community faces the same critical issues and challenges at the threshold of the 21st century.

Participants would spend the next week struggling with difficult problems, searching for creative solutions, and making commit-ments—all in the context of this immense and powerful convergence of the World’s great religious and spiritual traditions.

Themes of the 1999 Parliament

Encountering Religion and Spirituality

The 1999 Parliament of the World’s Religions offered countless opportunities for discovery and inquiry—enabling participants to meet their own and others’ traditions at deeper levels.

Making Connections

Participants daily encountered others whose practice, work and commitment could enrich their own. The Parliament created a setting in which it was possible to renew ties with adherents of one’s own traditions, while forming bonds with persons of other faiths and cultures.

Calling For Creative Engagement

At the 1999 Parliament, the Council for a Parlia-ment of the World’s Religions presented a new document, A Call to Our Guiding Institutions, addressed to religion and spirituality as well as to several other of the world’s guiding institutions. This Call explores new modes of creative engage-ment of each institution with every other and with the critical issues which confront the plan-etary community. Distributed to all participants, the Call was the centerpiece for the work of the 1999 Parliament Assembly, a gathering of reli-gious and spiritual leaders, scholars, and activists, joined by representatives of the other guiding institutions. Assembly participants met during the final three days of the Parliament, working to envision hundreds of new projects/gifts of service that might be created around the world.

Offering Gifts of Service

The 1999 Parliament inspired hundreds of indi-viduals, organizations, and religious and spiritual communities to offer gifts of service, which will make long-term differences in the world. Par-ticipants received a copy of the 1999 Parliament Book of Gifts, which featured over four hundred exemplary projects offered on the occasion of the Parliament.

Embracing South Africa

The 1999 Parliament brought the religions of the world together, in a spirit of hope and possibility, at a critical moment in the history of South Africa. Its people, its traditions, and its rich story provided some of the Parliament’s most profound experiences.



From District Six, now the spiritual center of the Parliament, participants moved to the Good Hope Center for the Opening Plenary session. The Parliament experi-ence gathered momentum as a spectacular opening ceremony welcomed thou-sands of adherents of the world’s religious and spiritual traditions. Religious and Spiritual Leaders from a wide array of religious and spiritual traditions welcomed participants, and offered blessings from their traditions. At the end of a rich program with many spiritual, musical, and inspirational elements, the Chairs of the two Parliament Boards of Trustees (US-International and South African) struck the huge Japanese taiko drum at center stage to call the Parliament into session for eight days.

And the day was not yet over. That evening, attendees assembled once again, this time for the first in a series of evening plenary celebrations. On this first night, the theme of the gathering was “Sharing Sacred Practice.” After an ex-hausting day, exuberant participants perused their program books to prepare for the next, when the full Parliament program would be underway.

The Parliament Experience

RegistrationOver 7,000 persons registered for all or part of the 1999 Parliament. Over 75 nations were represented. The country with the largest number of registrants was South Africa, followed in order by the United States, Taiwan, India, United Kingdom, Canada, Korea, Singapore, France, Germany, Australia, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, and Indonesia. Between 4,000 and 5,000 persons were in atten-dance each day.

Registration took place in the Multi-purpose Hall on the campus of the Cape Technikon. The space also housed some of a wide range of Participant Services offered at the event (others were located at the Cape Town Civic Centre and the Good Hope Centre arena). Services included Local Tours, First Aid, Busi-ness Services (copying, faxing, email, etc), Car and Cellphone Rental, Lost and Found, Travel Agency Information, and the Parliament Book Store. The Multi-purpose Hall was also the center for Next Generation activities and headquar-ters for Parliament volunteers. In addition, many participants used the Hall as a place to meet and relax with friends.

Parliament staff and volunteers assisted participants with a wide range of ques-tions, needs, and problems. In addition to the registration process itself, which took less than ten minutes in most cases, staff helped with directions to venues and lecture spaces, advice on the program, shuttle bus information, hotel and housing arrangements, and requests for registration fee waivers and other finan-cial assistance. Members of the program staff assisted presenters and Assembly



members with their schedules and other concerns.

Parliament registration fees were two-tiered. Persons from Africa paid approxi-mately one-half the fee paid by international participants ($350, with significant savings available to those who registered early). This subsidy was made pos-sible by grants from South African donors to enable the participation of as many Africans as possible. Additional fee waivers were provided on a case-by-case basis. The participation of many African delegates was made possible by the granting of full tuition scholarships. Over one-half of Parliament participants received full or partial tuition waivers.

At the Registration Center, each eight-day participant received a badge and shuttle bus pass, the Parliament Programme Book, the Parliament Book of Gifts, a copy of A Call to Our Guiding Institutions, the Participant’s Handbook, the of-ficial Parliament pin, the first Issue of Vukani, the official Parliament newsletter, and other materials, including forms for registering a project as a Gift of Service to the World, a shuttle bus map and schedule, a map of Cape Town and another of the Cape Technikon, Cape Town tourist information, and flyers on the avail-ability of audio tapes of Parliament sessions. Thus happily burdened, partici-pants headed off to enjoy their Parliament week.

Overall, the registration process was successful. Participants were registered quickly, problems were solved with courtesy and attention, and few major delays were encountered. Fine tuning can make the process even better for the 2004 Parliament.

Vukani – The Parliament NewspaperIn Zulu, Vukani means “wake up” –– a fitting name for the Parliament’s daily newsletter. Each day in the Cape Times, one of Cape Town’s leading newspa-pers, a special section was devoted to the Parliament. Each issue contained photos and coverage of the day’s events, including: highlights for upcoming days; interviews with presenters, participants, and religious and spiritual leaders; schedule changes and corrections; and other daily news. Vukani proved to be a wonderful source of information for Parliament participants and for all Capeton-ians.

Morning MeditationsThirty-six different prayer and meditation sessions were offered to Parliament participants each morning, December 2–8, from 9:00–9:30 a.m. Described in the first issue of Vukani—which participants received at Registration—prayer and meditation offerings included:



• Zen Buddhist Meditation

• Centering Prayer

• Yoga and Contemplation

• Buddhist Kido Chanting

• Christian Meditation

• Kriya Yoga

• Jewish Prayer, Music, and Meditation

• Muslim Dhikr and Fikr

• Roman Catholic Prayers (Divine Office and Lectio Divina)

• Zoroastrian Prayers

• Anglican Eucharist

• Zion Christian Church Spiritual and Prophetic Prayers

• African Traditional Prayers

• Brama Kumaris Medition and Raja Yoga

• Hindu Prayer/Meditation

• Taizé Prayers Around the Cross

• Spirit of the Earth Ritual, Song, Dance

• Manifestation Chant for Africa

• Biblical Prayer

• Sikh Prayer/Meditation

• Baha’i Prayers for Peace and World Unity

• Neshimat Hayim—the Breath of Life

• Aumist Meditation

• Brighid Meditation to Welcome the Day

• Jewish Creative Mussar Meditation

Some sessions were offered daily, while others were offered less often, depend-ing on the wishes of the person or group leading the prayer or meditation. In addition, a quiet meditation space was available in the Technikon all day every day. After initial confusion on the first full day about locations and scheduling, this dimension of the program ran relatively smoothly and was richly appreciated by participants.

Other related sessions scheduled at various times included:

• Tai Chi Practice

• Sufi Meditation

• Native American Ritual

• Circle of Hearts

• Women’s Meditation Circle

• Prayer Ceremony for World Peace (on Table Mountain)



Interreligious CelebrationsIn addition to the morning prayer and meditation sessions, each evening a mov-ing half-hour celebration (readings, song, and prayers from various communities) was held in the lovely outdoor setting of the District Six Stage (and on one oc-casion at the Good Hope Centre, prior to the evening plenary session). Religious leaders from many traditions offered prayers and blessings, and a rich variety of musical offerings made these celebrations an unforgettable part of the Parlia-ment experience for many participants.

Daily ProgramsThe Parliament was quite simply one of the richest offerings of religious, spiri-tual, cultural, and critical issues programs ever assembled. Presenters include religious and spiritual leaders, scholars, activists, and experts addressing an ex-traordinary range of vital topics ranging from the history and teachings of most of the world’s religious traditions, to encounter and dialogue between traditions, to explorations of some of the most critical problems facing Africa and the world today. Each day was filled with a tremendous variety of offerings, including prayer and meditation sessions; lectures; seminars, and workshops; symposia (one- to four- day programmes on a single theme); performances; interreligious celebrations; and evening plenaries. At times, as many as fifty separate presen-tations were taking place.

The great majority of the presentations were held in classrooms and lecture halls at the Cape Technikon. Many other venues—the Good Hope Centre, the Civic Centre, the Old City Hall, the Robert Leslie Building (University of Cape Town), and the District Six stage—were also used for presentations.

Throughout the eight days of the Parliament, participants engaged in over 860 programs, lectures, performances, symposia, plenary sessions, and workshops. There is perhaps no other opportunity like a Parliament of the World’s Religions for people to choose from such a great diversity of programs. (For at least some participants, however, there were simply too many programs to choose from. One of the most frequent suggestions offered thus far is that the number of offerings be significantly decreased at future Parliaments.) In general, the programmatic offerings at the 1999 Parliament fell under three broad rubrics: identity, dialogue, and the critical issues confronting the planetary community at the approach of the 21st century. The program emphasized issues of religious, spiritual, and cultural identity, approaches to interreligious dialogue, and the role of religion in response to the critical issues facing the world today. Parliament presentations offered a representative and remarkably inclusive cross-section of the concerns, creative thought, change agency, and programs of action that are shaping religious and spiritual communities at the threshold of a new century.



Indeed, the 1999 Parliament of the World’s Religions offered countless opportu-nities for discovery and inquiry. Participants were able to touch their own tradi-tions at deeper levels. They explored the origins, development, and perspectives of unfamiliar paths. They compared and contrasted beliefs and practices from widely separated places and times. Through lectures, workshops, and plenary sessions, through worship, prayer, or meditation, and through chance meetings with people from around the world, the Parliament offered everything from occa-sions for personal spiritual growth and exposure to transformative approaches to social engagement, to new friendships, and an enduring experience of the sacred.

For a complete listing of 1999 Parliament programs, please visit our website (www.cpwr.org).

SymposiaSome of the most exciting and informative programmes at the Parliament took place in the context of Symposia. Each Symposium was an extended series of presentations, discussions, workshops, etc., focused on a single topic or issue; each extended from 1–7 days. All but one of the Symposia were held in the Rob-ert Leslie Building at the University of Cape Town. The South Africa Forum was convened in the Commerce Auditorium on the Cape Technikon campus. Sym-posium programs were, for the most part, well attended and very well received. Some (including the Science and Religion Symposium) will be publishing pro-ceedings. The Parliament website will have details as soon as they are available. The following is a complete listing of Parliament Symposia.

South Africa Forum: Religion, Liberation, and Transformation 7 days

America’s Shadow Struggle: Native American Religious Freedom 5 days

Business Beyond 2000 2 days

Science and Religion: At Home in the Universe 4 days

Interfaith in Action in a Global Context 3 days

Sustainable Development: Ecology, Economy, and Community 2 days

The Earth Charter 1 day

Microcredit Summit 1 day

World Movement for Non-Violence 1 day

PerformancesOne of the most popular dimensions of the Parliament program was the inclu-sion of a wide variety of performances — exciting and inspiring spiritual and cultural performances including music, dance, and drama from around the world — not only in plenary sessions but also at several venues and times during each



day. City Hall was the principal performance venue, with continuous program-ming daily. In addition, the beautiful outdoor amphitheatre at the Technikon hosted delightful noontime concerts each day, when no other programmes were scheduled. Music from several cultures was featured, but the emphasis was on the sounds of Africa. Finally, on occasional afternoons, additional musical and cultural performances took place on the District Six Stage. Throughout the Parliament week, local performers will share the stage with visitors from many lands; but the music will be universal.

Evening Plenary SessionsEach evening, 1–7 December, a Plenary Session was held in the Good Hope Centre. Since participants had spent each long day attending numerous ses-sions with, the emphasis at the plenaries was on music, dance, video, etc. Each evening focused on a particular way of giving to others and to the world.

1 December Sharing Sacred Practice

2 December Pursuing Universal Human Rights (presented by the Gauteng Parliament group)

3 December Building Bridges of Understanding and Cooperation (presented by the Kwa-Zulu Natal Parliament group)

4 December Celebrating Life and its Possibilities (presented by the Cape Town Parliament group)

5 December Working Together: Fostering Creative Engagement Between Guiding Institutions

6 December Meeting Essential Needs

7 December Nurturing Transformative Community (presented by the Next Generation, the young people of the Parliament)

Parliament Assembly

During the final three days of the 1999 Parliament, a remarkable group came together. Some 450 persons took part in a four-stage process dedicated to imagining and describing concrete action projects to be implemented around the world.

Most participants found the process stimulating and richly productive. Over 200 new project ideas were generated. CPWR staff are now preparing a formal report to Assembly members. When complete, the report will be available on our web site (www.cpwr.org).

CPWR is committed to working with Assembly members and with interested



communities, groups, and individuals to assist in the realization of as many as possible of the ideas generated at the Assembly. Our primary contribution will be in the area of networking. We will endeavor to link groups working on or interest-ed in similar projects. We will seek ways to link project ideas and outlines with individuals, groups, and communities interested in bringing them to life. Finally, we will track operating projects and provide information on their progress to the Parliament community. These projects will be added to the roster of Gifts of Service to the World honored at the 1999 Parliament. A complete listing of Gifts will be available on our web site.

The ProcessThe Parliament Assembly is not a deliberative, legislative, or delegated body. Its sessions did not offer a forum for speeches, formal resolutions, or political action. Instead, it operated as a forum in which participants engaged with each other in a series of four small working groups:

Session One: Religious and Spiritual Perspectives on the CallSession Two: Engaging the Guiding InstitutionsSession Three: Addressing the Critical IssuesSession Four: Projects of Hope and Service

These sessions marked the beginning of a process of creative engagement between religious and spiritual communities and the other Guiding Institutions, a process that will be monitored and assisted over the next several years by the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions.

At the 1999 Assembly, Members—persons representing the variety of the world’s religious and spiritual traditions—were joined by Participating Observ-ers—persons representing other Guiding Institutions (government, business, education, arts and media, science and medicine, international intergovern-mental organizations, and the organizations of civil society). In addition, over 25 young persons representing the Next Generation group at the 1999 Parliament took part. All participants in the Assembly had equal standing in the process.



A Call To Our Guiding Institutions

The document A Call to Our Guiding Institutions served as the centerpiece for the working sessions of the Assembly. The Call—the result of a three-year drafting process—is addressed to eight of the world’s most powerful and most influential institutions, inviting each to reflect on and redefine its role for a new century.

The following institutions are addressed in the document:

• Religion• Government• Agriculture, Labor, Industry, and Commerce• Education• Arts and Communications Media• Science and Medicine• International Intergovernmental Organizations• Organizations of Civil Society

Four draft versions of the document were widely circulated—to an international group of over 500 Assembly members, religious and spiritual leaders, scholars, and representatives of other guiding insti-tutions—for review and comment.

A Call to Our Guiding Institutions draws its principal inspiration from Towards a Global Ethic: An Initial Declaration, the document that provided the essential focus for the 1993 Parliament Assembly in Chicago. Towards a Global Ethic articulated several of the moral and ethical directives held in common by the great religious and spiritual traditions. The Call document brings those directives to bear on the roles and responsibilities of the guiding institutions in the 21st cen-tury. At the heart of the Call is the invitation to a process of ‘creative engagement,’ in which religious and spiritual communities, groups, and individuals find new modes of interaction, dialogue, and col-laboration with the other guiding institutions.

Towards a Global Ethic: An Initial Declaration and A Call to Our Guiding

Institutions will soon be available on the CPWR web site.

Towards a Glocal Ethic (Preamble)We are interdependent. Each of us depends on the well-being of the whole, and so we have respect for the community of living beings, for people, animals, and plants, and for the preser-vation of Earth, the air, water and soil.

We take individual responsibility for all we do. All our decisions, actions, and failures to act have consequences.

We must treat others as we wish others to treat us. We make a commitment to respect life and dignity, individuality and diversity, so that every person is treated humanely, without exception. We must have patience and acceptance. We must be able to forgive, learning from the past but never allowing ourselves to be enslaved by memories of hate. Opening our hearts to one another, we must sink our narrow differences for the cause of the world community, practicing a cultureof solidarity and relatedness.

We consider humankind our family. We must strive to be kind and generous. We must not live for ourselves alone, but should also serve others, never forgetting the children, the aged, the poor, the suffering, the disabled, the refugees, and the lonely. No person should ever be considered or treated as a second-class citizen, or be exploited in any way whatsoever. There should be equal partnership between men and women. We must not commit any kind of sexual immorality. We must put behind us all forms of domination or abuse.

We commit ourselves to a culture of non-vio-lence, respect, justice, and peace. We shall not oppress, injure, torture, or kill other human beings, forsaking violence as a means of settling differences.

We must strive for a just social and economic order, in which everyone has an equal chance to reach full potential as a human being. We must speak and act truthfully and with compassion, dealing fairly with all, and avoiding prejudice and hatred. We must not steal. We must move beyond the dominance of greed for power, prestige, money, and consumption to make a just and peaceful world.

Earth cannot be changed for the better unless the consciousness of individuals is changed first. We pledge to increase our awareness by disci-plining our minds, by meditation, by prayer, or by positive thinking. Without risk and a readi-ness to sacrifice there can be no fundamental change in our situation. Therefore we commit ourselves to this global ethic, to understanding one another, and to socially beneficial, peace-fostering, and nature-friendly ways of life.

We invite all people, whether religious or not, to do the same.



GIfts of Service to the World

One of the most exciting and rewarding dimensions of the 1999 Parliament was the Gifts of Service project. CPWR staff worked for nearly two years to identify communities and groups willing to offer their “Gifts” (projects undertaken to relieve suffering, promote harmony, and build a better world) on the occasion of the Parliament. At the Registration center in Cape Town, participants received, along with their Program catalogue and copy of the event’s signature document, A Call to Our Guiding Institutions, a copy of the 1999 Book of Gifts, with de-scriptions of over 300 projects now underway in various parts of the world.

The Gifts of Service highlighted at the 1999 Parliament serve as examples of the creative, constructive, and transformative power of groups, organizations, and communities that choose to make a difference in the world.

At the event, problems of scheduling and a program that was in some respects simply too rich resulted in very poor attendance at some of the presentations of Gifts of Service. CPWR is committed to remedying that flaw in future Parlia-ments, in which Gifts will continue to play a very major role. In addition, we will provide coverage on our web site (www.cpwr.org) of all the projects offered as Gifts of Service.

In addition to the Gifts identified in advance of the 1999 Parliament, many proj-ects were offered during the event. As soon as possible, these will be added to the roster of Gifts and listed on the web site.

The following are just a few of the hundreds of Gifts shared at the Parliament:

• Play for Peace• Earth Charter• Greenland thing• Project SHALOM• Children’s Peace Musseum• World Movement for Nonviolence• Prison Smart Program, South Africa• University Programs for Building Bridges, Pakistan• Museum of World Religions, Taiwan• Community Biodynamic Farm, Egypt• Alternatives to Violence Project• Soka Gakkai International



The Next Generation

Under the banner of the Next Generation, the power, energy, and enthusiasm of today’s young leaders were prominently displayed at the 1999 Parliament. As presenters, participants, and performers youth at the Parliament demonstrated the importance of young voic-es in the effort to build bridges and find common ground between the world’s religious and spiritual communities.

Daily ProgramsThe Next Generation’s primary contribution to the Parliament took the form of 6 afternoon gatherings. Thematically based, these youth-targeted lectures, discussions, and presentations helped to foster youth interaction with the Parliament at-large.

The Spirit of the City Young People and the Urban Experience

The Realization of the New Day The Next Generation’s Response to A Call to Our Guiding Institutions, the key document of the 1999 Parliament

Rediscovering the Continuum Honoring our Intergenerational Bonds

Pushing the Boundaries of Creative Engagement Youth Initiatives that Work

Nurturing Transformative Communities in the Future Open Space Conference

Each gathering was structured differently with an emphasis on dia-logue and discussion rather than lectures and presentations. Atten-dance for daily gatherings averaged 200 participants, the majority of whom were international delegates. Next Generation organizers were encouraged by the fact that young people comprised the bulk of the volunteer force and played a large part in parliament at large.

On the morning of December 6, approximately 50 young people attending the Parliament from around the world visited the SWACO youth center in the Mannenberg Township. That afternoon they re-turned to District Six to attend a youth-organized ceremony honor-ing the land and its people.

Next Generation PlenaryThe Next Generation’s Capstone event was Parliament’s final eve-ning plenary, Nurturing Transformative Community. It featured per-formances from community performance groups from Cape Town such as Mine Nawe, Africa Ablaze, and The Future of Africa gum-

Peace Flags

While the Next Generation was geared primarily towards people between the ages of 18 to 25, Leigh Meinart, the Next Generation coordinator in South Africa, engaged the younger children of Cape Town through the Peace Flags Project. Like many ongoing initiatives, the project served as a vehicle to bring together the children of Cape Town. Moreover, selling Peace Flags raised funds to cover costs for the Next Generation plenary, to provide food and transportation for participants from the townships, as well as other miscel-laneous costs related to the Next Genera-tion. Describe an actual flag. Flags lined the streets and decorated venues during the event. The following is a sampling of the words that graced some of the flags:

“. . .Love is an important weapon”

“. . .Get connected with peace”

“. . .Asalaam wu alay kum”

“. . .Dear God. It’s me again, but this time I’m not praying for myself . . . “

“. . .A message of peace: In order to find peace outside you’ve got to find peace inside.”

“. . .Love and allow yourself to be loved. This is the step to peace.”

At the climax of the evening, 20 young gospel singers, 5 Capuera Dancers, 10 Hare Krishna chanters and drummers, a traditional talbabal drummer, 20 break dancers, a Hindu singer, a digiridu player, and a contemporary band complete with turntable and punk rock singer shared the stage in a final performance.



boot dancers. Prayers offered from different religious traditions and narrative were interlaced throughout the plenary.

The Next Generation at the Parliament AssemblyTwenty-five young people, selected from different communities around the world, who had reflected upon A Call to Our Guiding

Institutions, played an active role at the Parliament Assembly. Before the Assembly convened to discuss the Call document, this team led an afternoon gathering with other members of the Next Genera-tion to discuss the document and to hear the opinions of their peers before they attended the sessions.

At the Assembly, Next Generation delegates were treated as equals by some of the world’s respected religious and spiritual leaders, as well as leaders from a variety of guiding isntitutions. Members of the Next Generation Assembly team met regularly outside of the meeting to craft a joint statement to give to the larger body. This statement articulated the need for an intergenerational presence in interreligious dialogue and commented on both the importance and shortcomings of A Call to our Guiding Institutions. Individually, in a dramatic presentation that helped to bring the work of the Assembly toward its powerful conclusion, youth members rose in order around the room and said what they were committed to uphold in the Call. Responses ranged from working with HIV/AIDS in Florida, to creat-ing a culture of peace in Brazil, to working across interreligious lines in Cape Town.

The Next Generation left the assembly with two very specific requests. First they decided to rally around a single cause that is already established—Jublee 2000—the eradication of the debt of the world’s 60 poorest nations. Members decided to support Jublee 2000 because it was an established concrete effort that would cre-ate positive change in the world. Second, they decided to ask that the 2004 Parliament be a Youth-focused event.

Resources

For those interested in obtaining information on the 1993 or 1999 Parliaments of the World’s Religions,please contact our offices or visit our website at www.cpwr.org. To purchase additional copies of A Call to our Guiding Institutions ($10 each) or Towards a Global Ethic: An Initial Declaration ($5.00/each), you may call us at (312) 629-2990 or email us at [email protected]. Also available are a limited

How to Get InvolvedYou can provide invaluable assistance to the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Reli-gions in several ways.

1. If you attended the 1999 Parliament, copies of your best photos can enrich our archive. If you send photos to the CPWR offices, we will scan and return them to you.

2. We appreciate your comments, critiques, and suggestions. How can the 2004 Parliament experience be even better than the 1999?

3. If you live in the Chicago metropolitan area, please call to explore opportunities to work as a volunteer.

4. If you live outside the Chicago metropolitan area, you can organize a local Parliament Chapter. Call the CPWR offices for more information.

5. Finally, CPWR needs your financial support. Your gift can help to create a new source of hope for the world and its peoples.

Levels of GivingFriend of the Parliament $100 (Individual) $200 (Family)

Parliament Sponsor $500

Parliament Benefactor $1,000 and above

Major Benefactor $2,500 and above

Donor $5,000 and above

Major Donor $10,000 and above

Guarantor $25,000 and above

Major Guarantor $50,000 and above

Contributions can be made to:Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions

PO Box 1630

Chicago, IL 60690-1630



number of Programme books and copies of the 1999 Parliament Book of Gifts.

For audio tapes of keynote speakers, plenary sessions and 220+ presentations and performances, contact Conference Recording Services at (800) 647-1100 or visit their website at www.conferencerecording.com.

To purchase copies of A Sourcebook for the Community of Religions or the Mil-lennum Institute’s book, Threshold 2000, please contact CoNexus Press at (616) 682-9022 or visit their website at [email protected].

Special Thanks

The 1999 Parliament depended on the combined efforts of countless wonderful individuals and organizations from around the world. The Council is greatly in-debted to the work of themembers of both the Chicago / International and South African Boards of Trustees. This group includes nearly 100 dedicated individu-als, representing religious and spiritual communities throughout the world. Both Boards were involved in every aspect of the planning of the 1999 Parliament, from site selection and fundraising to the successful implementation of the event itself.

The chairs of our Chicago / International and South African Boards of Trustees demonstrated the extra measure of commitment. Their experience, insight, and energy enriched the Parliament in so many ways. We salute Dr. Howard Sulkin (Chicago), Dr. Amy Marks (SA), and Imam Rashied Omar (SA). The Council also thanks its entire staff, from both the Chicago and Cape Town offices. For many months leading up to the event, they worked around the clock, guided by the vision of the Parliament and inspired by the knowledge that they were working for one of the greatest interreligious events of our time. Over 1,100 volunteers have contributed to the Parliament over the last two years. In fact, over 900 vol-unteers were involved during the event itself. They participated in virtually every aspect of theParliament-- from organizing and directing the shuttles, to writing copy for newsletters, to operating information booths and registration tables. They stuffed thousands of envelopes, made hundreds ofphone calls, and spent innumerable hours, both in the Parliament offices and off-site, answering inqui-ries and working with presenters and attendees. Many volunteers attested that they gained much more from their work at the Parliament than just the waiving of their registration fees.

Over 125 South African organizations and businesses served as Co-Sponsors of the Parliament. They generously contributed time, money, and resources in the spirit of interreligious understanding and common effort.

Without the dedicated work of our South African partners, the 1999 Parliament



would not have been possible. We’d like to offer our special thanks to SA Co- Directors Afrika Msimang and Gordon Oliver and their energetic and committed staff, our partners and friends.

CPWR Directors

Jim KenneyDirector, International Interreligious Initiative

CPWR Staff

Khalid AwadProgram Co-coordinator

Clayton BensonNext Generation Intern

Josh BorkinNext Generation Co-coordinator

John DartMedia Consultant

Francesca DiBritoFundraising/Development Coordinator

Peter FinnProgram Co-coordinator

Diane GoldinVolunteer Coordinator

Rev. Carol JohnsonOutreach Coordinator

Cetta KenneyRegistration Coordinator

Jeanette KovitzAccounts Manager

Todd MassarRegistrar

Haik MuradianDatabase / Graphics / Systems Manager

Mim NealMedia Coordinator

Daniel OwensExhibits Co-coordinator

Mital PatelProgram Co-coordinator

Travis RejmanProgram Director

Cheryl RobertsMetropolitan Initiative Project Coordinator

Larry RothAssistant Graphics

Benjamin SchonthalGifts Co-coordinator

Hiroko SugimotoGifts Co-coordinator

Ross ThompsonSystems and Publications Consultant

Ann WoelkMetropolitian Program Coordinator

Tracy YagerProduction Manager

Michael YagerAssistant Production Manager

VolunteersRebecca Armstrong, Omie Baldwin, Colin Benson, Don Benson, Marilyn Biederer, Nelson Breen, Herb and Tamar Bronstein, Sara Kay Chandler, Kevin Coval, Brahmas Das, Gloria Dart, Mary Derr, Dr. Balwant Singh Hansra (Chair, International Interreligious Planning Committee), Ariane Hentsche, Dr. Irfan Amhed Khan Krishnapriya, Elizabeth Meyers. Eboo Patel, Dr. Steve Perkins, Carol Raphael, Krisann Rehbein, Colleen Rost, Elizabeth Schuler, Helen Spector, Rev. Robert Thompson, Sr. Georgene Wilson

Dirk FiccaExecutive Director Director, Metropolitan Interreligious Initiative



PWRSA Staff

Afrika MsimangCo-Director/Outreach

Gordon OliverCo-Director/Fundraising

Prabha ArendsePersonal Assistant

Nola BirkettAccounts/Administration

Marion Crewe-BrownCo-Sponsorship Coordinator

Joyce GampelPWRSA Registrar

Mickey GlassFundraising Coordinator

Jane KennedyMedia/Plenary Coordinator

Leigh Meinert

Next Generation Coordinator

World Conference on Religion and Peace––South Africa

Barney Beck

Mohammad Dangor

Gary Leonard

Cedric Mayso

Paddy Meskin

Saydoon Sayed

Heidi Whyle

CPWRP.O. Box 1630Chicago, IL 60690-1630TEL: (312) 629-2990FAX: (312) [email protected] www.cpwr.org

Thabiso MthembuReceptionist

Loshinee NaidooFundraising Assistant

Vimla PillayVolunteer, Programme, Gifts of Service Coordinator

Natasha SamuelsGuateng Office Administrator

Joan Shippey

Venues and Logistics Coordinator

VolunteersMorgan Behr, Dr. Farid Esack, Hajira Essop, Jesse Fish, Jean Knighton Fitt, Rabbi David Hoffman, Jaso Horack, Adli Jacobs, John Job, Patricia Kitshoff. Cindy Lehner, Ramesh Magan, Nicola Meyer, Joan Shippey, Rev. John Oliver, Neil Rusch, Jo Anne Scholtz, Jane Thompson, Marietjie Venter

Summary Report - Amazon S3...liament and its commitment to interreligious dialogue and cooperation...

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