...but how did it all begin?
The Revd Nikkyo Niwano writes:
"The movement began when American religious leaders returning from the centennial of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi stopped in Japan to participate in the Japanese-American Inter-religious consultation on peace. We wanted to band together as people of religious faith and try to bring the quickest possible end to the slaughter that was then taking place in Viet Nam. The result was to call a conference in Kyoto in 1970, attended by over 300 representatives from 39 nations. For the first time in history representatives of the world's ten leading religions, broke down all isolating walls and came together in the name of peace. The conference called for an immediate withdrawal of troops from Viet Nam and for recognition that the conflicting elements were the members of religions but not religions themselves. The results of the meeting were revolutionary under the circumstances prevailing in the world of religion at the time'.
USALAMA
SHANTI
PAZ
SIOTCHAIN
PAIX
和平
FRIEDE
PACE
PAX
SHALOM
мир
TANGNÉFEDD
PEACE
SALAAM
....
Symbol of the Week of Prayer for World Peace. Begun in 1974 and observed every October in the week incorporating the United Nations Day.
'Religion exists to ennoble human nature and bring love and harmony, truth and honesty, compassion and sympathy where there is hatred and discord, untruth and deceit, cruelty and harshness' Swami Chidananda, a Hindu in India.
...and what's happened since then?
Ever since then the Conference has continued its efforts for peace.
a) The subsequent conferences at Louvain, Princeton and in 1984 at Nairobi have attracted an increasing membership, set important peace initiatives in motion and provided a safe meeting ground for conflicting groups to begin the work of reconciliation.
LANDMARKS
1. 1979: WCRP/Int was received by President Carter at the White House, and warmly commended for its work. 2. 1982: WCRP representatives were received by the Chinese Government in Peking, to discuss disarmament issues.
b) WCRP/International is a Category II United Nations Non- Governmental Organisation associated with the Economic and Social Council, and makes important contributions to the U.N. from an inter-religious platform. WCRP has two offices:
a headquarters in Geneva and a vital office in New York.
c) It has established an International network of local groups,
able to provide information and coordinate any appropriate WCRP response to regional conflict.
MOST RECENTLY WCRP IS:
I Launching an inter-religious aid programme for refugees. II Strengthening its role at the U.N. in New York.
III Planning a number of inter-religious youth projects.
'Over the last 15 years WCRP has reminded our respective religious communities that there are certain things which we could do better together than separately'. - Dr. John Taylor, a Christian from Geneva.
'A stranger is a stranger. Yet there are two ways to approach a stranger. One is to suspect, the other is to respect. Shifting the gear is not an easy task. Ms. Shelley Elkayam, a Jew in Israel. *Instead of magnifying or multiplying our differences let us pick up the common factors, build a workable mosaic and build bridges of goodwill and understanding between the people of different faiths'.- Dr. Inamullah Khan, a Muslim in Pakistan.
'The peace march, led by the leaders from all our religions passed in front of a Church, a Mosque, a Gurudwara, a Hindu Temple and was showered with flowers at each place of worship. A spirit of love was flowing through the streets of Delhi. - Maj. Gen. Sujan Singh Uban (retd), a Sikh in India.
...who is involved in WCRP?
INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS
General Secretary:
Dr John Taylor (Christian, U.K., formerly with the World Council of Churches; Director of the Programme for Dialogue with those of Living Faiths and Ideologies) Honorary Presidents:
Shri R.R. Diwakar (Hindu, India)
Dr Dana McLean Greeley (Christian, U.S.A.) President Nikkyo Niwano (Buddhist, Japan)
President Emeritus:
Archbishop Angelo Fernandes (Christian, India) Presidents:
Dr M. Aram (Hindu, India)
Metropolitan Filaret (Christian, U.S.S.R.)
Dr Inamullah Khan (Muslim, Pakistan) Dr Norma Levitt (Jewish, U.S.A.) Revd Toshio Miyake (Shintoist, Japan)
Dr Adamu Ndam Njoya (Muslim, Cameroun) Mme Jacqueline Rougé (Christian, France) Bishop Desmond Tutu (Christian, South Africa)
Mr Zhao Puchu (Buddhist, People's Republic of China)
THE UK/IRELAND EXECUTIVE
Chairman:
Canon Gordon Wilson (Week of Prayer for World Peace: Chairman, Anglican Pacifist Fellowship)
Vice-Chairman:
Professor Harminder Singh (Lecturer & Former Diplomat) Secretary:
Miss Hannah Stanton (Lay Reader & Social Worker)
Treasurer:
Ronald Gandy Esq. (Former Treasurer, G.L.C.)
Committee:
Revd Jack Austin (Buddhist, Priest & Lecturer) Rabbi Albert Friedlander (Jewish, Westminster Synagogue) Mrs. Donna Adamson (Bahái, Housewife)
Dr Mary Hall (Christian, Executive Director, Birmingham Multi-Faith Unit)
Mathoor Krishnamurti (Hindu, Director, Institute of Indian Culture, London)
A.S. Chatwa! Esq. (Sikh, Editor of the Sikh Courier) Dr Syed Pasha (Muslim, General Secretary, The Union of Muslims)
'If religious leaders cannot patch up their quarrels and adopt a more co-operative attitude towards each other, they are guilty of criminal neglect'. President Nikkyo Niwano, a Buddhist in Japan.
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