Religions for Peace - USA : PAST EVENTS

PAST EVENTS

Songs of the Spirit
A multicultural musical feast for the soul, Songs of the Spirit combines contemporary popular music and spoken word with traditional sacred music of diverse faiths and cultures, celebrating the shared spiritual ideals of an interconnected world.

Featuring Hugh Masekela, Odetta, Craig Harris, Tracy Grammer, Haale, Frank London & Lorin Sklamberg, The Shangilia Youth Choir of Kenya, and The Tibetan Monks of the Drepung Loseling Monastery.

Friday, November 16th at 7:30pm at The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Avenue at 112th Street, New York City.

Buy tickets here. Find more info here.

BDS Global Diwali Movement -Pray With Us
In commemoration of this year's Diwali festivities (festival of lights) we ask you to briefly turn your attention to the destruction taking place in Braj Bhoomi. As you may already know, Braj is being rapidly and recklessly mined for rock by various disclosed and undisclosed entities for the sake of corporate profit. The areas being mined are sites of great historical and spiritual significance. Furthermore, these hills preserve the local ecosystem by ensuring adequate rainfall and protecting the area from encroachment by neighboring deserts. As farmland and pastureland, the hills provide employment and livelihood to many villagers. Thus, the destruction of the hills has repercussions on many levels - economic, ecological, spiritual, and anthropological.

We believe alongside the many efforts already underway, prayer is key. We believe the Indian, NRI (non-resident Indian), and remainder of the world community, joined in united prayer, can send a strong and clear message to the Indian government that we will not stand idly by as 5,000 years of Hindu ancestry is reduced to rubble. We will not sit quietly while the heart of Hindu spirituality and devotional foundation of ancient Hindu scripture is so callously destroyed.

This year on Diwali (November 9th), we request all places of worship and inspired households to kindly join us in a collective prayer, calling for governments to not only protect the Heritage Hills of Braj but all places of religious historical significance. Hindu Temples, by focusing thought and meditation upon the lush rolling hills of Braj, should incorporate this into their Diwali Goverdhan/Giriraj Pooja or at any suitable point during the Diwali ceremony. Non-Hindu places of worship may recite any faith-appropriate prayer on or as close to Diwali day as possible, depending upon the timing of regular services. We believe this collective invocation of the Lord, in all forms, will certainly bring forth auspicious results.

For more information and a petition to show your concern about mining of Braj hills go to http://www.brajdhamsewa.org

RFP-USA launches apparel line!
In an effort to spread awareness at the grassroots level and do some light fundraising at the same time, RFP-USA has started selling t-shirts, mugs, calendars, and other items online. Currently, we offer six distinct designs, including original graphic art by RFP associates. All profits will benefit the work of this organization. Click here to see the designs.

The Better World Campaign's "Price of Peace" Project
This campaign, co-sponsored by The People Speak, seeks to raise awareness of the relatively miniscule cost of UN peacekeeping missions and their high success rates, when compared to global military budgets. An online petition at priceofpeace.org is collecting signatures to encourage the US government not to default on their UN peacekeeping dues. If the US does not pay by 2008, it will owe more than $1 billion. This is the largest single contribution owed to the UN, yet it is the equivalent of about a week of spending on the war in Iraq.

Interfaith Fast to End War in Iraq
We call on all Americans to join in fasting from dawn to dusk on Monday, October 8, to call for an end to the Iraq War. On this day, people of faith in local communities across our nation will act as catalysts to transform the meaning of the day from one of conquest to community and from violence to reverence.

The National Council of Churches, united with diverse religious groups from across the United States, is working to unite people of different faiths in common opposition to war, and in common pursuit of peace. Local communities are asked to show their support, by contacting their local political representatives and fasting on October 8th. In larger cities, such as New York and Chicago, people are also being asked to gather in public for vigils and prayer.

The event, which aims to move our nation from "conquest to community; from violence to reverence," is planned to coincide with the month of Ramadan, during which Muslims already commit to fasting. It is also planned to fall among Sukkot and the High Holy Days of the Jewish faith, as well as Pavarana / Sangha Day of Buddhist tradition. Numerous leaders of Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, and Christian faith have already pledged their support and the support of their congregations.

For more information, to find an event near you, and to post your own event, visit their website at http://interfaithfast.org/.

Information Session about UN Day
The United Nations Information Center and the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area is sponsoring and information session for local and regional religious leaders to provide information for the observance of United Nations Day on October 24 in our religious communities – among Muslims, Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, and observers of other sacred traditions in metropolitan Washington. This session will provide an opportunity for participants to identify resources and briefly discuss UN issues, like human rights, peacekeeping and the eight benchmark goals of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals.

To RSVP for this event, contact: Richard Griffis or Audrey Wood.

9/11 Floating Lantern Ceremony
The New York Buddhist Church, in partnership with the Interfaith Center of New York, is hosting an interfaith memorial floating lantern ceremony to commemorate September 11th.

The ceremony will take place at the Hudson River, on the south side of Pier 40, on Tuesday, September 11, 2007.

For more information, visit www.newyorkbuddhistchurch.org.

RFP-USA Presents Interfaith Academies for Religious Leaders
The United States today is an increasingly multi-religious society, and many who are engaged in religious formation, training, and ministry are seeking opportunities to dialogue with people outside their religious tradition. The Interfaith Academies for Religious Leaders are intensive study programs for people engaged in or training for leadership in various religious traditions. The Interfaith Academy for Emerging Religious Leaders and the Interfaith Academy for Religious Professionals provide a forum where people from diverse religious traditions can learn about each other’s faiths with and from each other.

Contest to Raise $ for Malaria Nets
Submit a proposal of 500 words detailing how you would raise awareness about malaria prevention for the Nothing but Nets campaign, which provides $10 nets to people in mosquito ridden countries. Ten finalists will receive $500 and a trip to Washington, DC to film their ads. Contest deadline is June 15, 2007. Learn more at the Buzz Cuts website.

Curtiss Paul Deyoung Spoke at the Church Center
Christian ethicist, author, and teacher Curtiss Paul Deyoung participated in a luncheon discussion on April 13 at noon in the Church Center of the United Nations. This event was co-sponsored by RFP-USA.

Mr. DeYoung's most recent book is Living Faith: How Faith Inspires Social Justice. In this latest book, Mr. DeYoung explores how faith provides the impetus for social action through character studies of three of the most influential activists of the twentieth century: Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Malcolm X, and Aung San Suu Kyi.

Each individual came from a different time period and a different faith, but Deyoung suggests that they were united by motivation. In each case, their faiths impelled them to pursue social justice and bridge the gaps between nations, beliefs, and ways of life.

Alternative Spring Break!
The National Catholic Student Coalition is hosting a UN Study Session under the theme of “Students and the Dialogue of Civilization,” from March 14-17, 2007 in New York City.

The theme of this session is taken from the UN initiatives of the Alliance of Civilizations, Culture of Peace, and the Dialogue Among Civilizations. Contrary to many assumptions that there is a “clash of civilizations,” they believe that there is a lack of education and awareness, economic inhibitors to development, etc., thus preventing real peace from taking hold. They also believe that dialogue, because of its nature, can help facilitate in the changing of the way people think and approach situations.

Although the study session is sponsored by a Catholic student group, they are very interested in having the participation of non-Christians. For more information, and to download the registration form, please visit their website here.

Donate to RFP-USA
Please take this time to show your support and appreciation for the work of RFP-USA. And with a donation of $75 or more, Religions for Peace - USA will show our appreciation by sending you a free copy of The Faith Club, a moving story of three women of different faiths who create an open environment for them to confront their differences after the events of September 11th.

Donate online or mail a check/money order.

Which Way Ahead? - The Real Iraq and the Role of Religious NGOs
In cooperation with RFP-USA, the Committee of Religious NGOs presented Sheikh Mohammed Mohammed Ali, a member and leader of the National Consensus Alliance, the Iraq Reconstruction Group, and other coalitions, who was traveling in the United States as a representative of the Hakim Foundation, a Shi’ite-based NGO which advertises itself as offering nondiscriminate humanitarian services in Iraq.

The Sheikh reported on his most recent visit to Iraq, media perceptions of the current conditions, the debate over “civil war,” potential solutions to the crisis, and the role of religious NGOs in reconstruction.

U.S.-Muslim World Relations: A Multimedia Discussion
Four in ten Americans said they have “at least some feelings of prejudice against Muslims.” 90% of residents in predominantly Muslim countries view the U.S. as the primary threat to their country.

In an attempt to confront these issues, The People Speak sponsored an online discussion between students from all over the U.S.. Over 15 Muslim American college students from the American for Informed Democracy Hope not Hate program were online in the TPS forum to answer questions and discuss their perspectives. Check out the discussion here.

Ask Ted Turner
He gave a billion dollars to support UN causes. He’s a dedicated internationalist and is passionate about the environment. Who am I talking about? Ted Turner, of course!

The People Speak gave you a chance to ask Ted Turner a question, and he has answered them online. Click here to see what he had to say.

STAND UP: New Guinness World Record!
On Sunday, October 15, 2006 23,542,614 individuals across the globe took a stand, both figuratively and literally, against poverty and for the Millennium Development Goals, a series of eight goals proposed by the UN that have a deadline of 2015.

To set a Guiness World Record, a minimum of 10,000 people had to physically and symbolically "STAND UP" within a 24-hour period. The challenge took place between 10 am (GMT) 15 October to 10 am (GMT) 16 October.

In New York City, thousands stood together in Times Square to witness the first time in history that the Times Square New Years Eve ball was raised on a day other than New Years Eve. They proclaimed together: “We stand here proudly; we cannot stay seated when tens of thousands of people die of poverty every day. We wish to set a record today for the largest number of people standing up to demand action on poverty.”

The official results announcement of the Guinness World Record was made on October 17 – the United Nations International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

For more information on Stand Up, please go here. If you want to make a change, first you have to take a stand.

Women in Religion in 21st Century

On October 17-19, 2006, the Interchurch Center hosted a special conference for women of faith. Over 60 female scholars, activists, and leaders presented at “Women in Religion in the 21st Century.” Endorsed by over 40 organizations, the Conference looked at the role of women in the history of religion and explored: the roles of leadership for women, the impact of women in religious communities, how religion affects women’s lives, and the historical perspective of women in religion. The women used their time at the conference to share experiences, learn from one another, and form bonds around their shared history and diverse cultures.

In the upcoming months, Religions for Peace - USA will be working to help these women, along with many others, develop a Women's Network. Look back to this webpage or sign up for our e-newsletter at the top right of this page to stay informed.

Unearthing a Buried Past
On Monday, October 9th 2006, Indigenous People’s Day, an all-day awareness conference was held by the Return to the Earth Project at the Capitol Hill UMC.

The Return to the Earth Project supports Native Americans in burying unidentifiable ancestral remains now scattered across the United States and enables a process of education and reconciliation between Native and Non-Native people. In the past year, the project has erected a building on the burial site and produced a study guide to start the healing process. The guide is available as a FREE PDF download here.

To learn more about the Return to the Earth Project, visit the website here or e-mail RTE@rfpusa.org.

New York City 9/11 Unity Walk
On September 11, 2006 approximately 200 individuals of diverse faith and cultural traditions joined together to commemorate 100 years of Gandhian nonviolence and to honor the memories of the victims of the September 11th tragedies, celebrating unity and hope instead of revenge and despair.

Participants walked from the Union Square Park Gandhi Memorial to the World Trade Center site, stopping along the way at the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, the Eldridge St. Project, Nur Ashki Jerrahi Sufi Order and ending at St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church.

The New York City 9/11 Unity Walk was organized by Religions for Peace-USA. To learn more about the walk, visit www.911unitywalk.org.

August 26-29, 2006
World Assembly of Religions for Peace
Over 500 senior and grassroots religious leaders from all continents gathered together in Kyoto, Japan for the 8th World Assembly of Religions for Peace, entitled "Confronting Violence and Advancing Shared Security."

The World Assembly occurred in conjunction with the first Youth Assembly in Hiroshima, Japan and the first Women's Assembly in Kyoto, Japan. Delegates from each assembly elected an international governing board and prepared a declaration.

For more information, including copies of the declarations, click here.

RFP-USA's Hope for Children Project begins in New Orleans
The first in a series of camps and trainings aimed at helping the young people of the hurricane-ravaged South Central region is underway in mid-July. For example, over 50 children have subscribed to a day camp at an Islamic cultural center in the Gretna region of New Orleans.

Hope for Children aims to assist in addressing the psychological, social, and spiritual needs of the child victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita through a unique multi-religious approach of day camps for children and trauma awareness and resilience training for adults and young adults.

This one-year project is being done in a multireligious fashion through a new partnership with the Camp Noah project of the Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota, the Louisiana Interreligious Disaster Recovery Network, and the Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience (STAR) program at Eastern Mennonite University. For more information, please write to hopeforchildren@rfpusa.org.

June 23 - 26th 2006

RFP-USA presents at North American Interfaith Network; Ghaznavi joins NAIN Board
Ms. Kinza Ghaznavi, Director of Development and Information Management of Religions for Peace-USA, will be representing RFP-USA on the Board of the North American Interfaith Network from 2006-8, as Executive Director Bud Heckman's term ends. Headed for graduated studies at George Washington University in the fall, Ms. Ghaznavi presented on the Native American, reconciliation-focused Return to the Earth Project as a young adult scholarship recipient at the 2006 NAIN Connect meeting in Vancouver in late June.