Mr. Dwivedi, a Hindu priest who has served as president of the Hindi Society of Canada and the Global Hindu Association of Canada, was one of several featured speakers at the World Religions Conference in Yukon and Inuvik from Sept. 25 to 30, 2012.
“The trip was a terrific fusion of spiritual interaction and enlightenment,” Mr. Dwivedi said.
The six-day event – during which Mr. Dwivedi and other participants traveled more than 1,500 miles between Canada’s Yukon and Northwest Territories – was sponsored by Rizwan Peerzada of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community of British Columbia, which organizes several interfaith conferences each year in order to promote peace and harmony among diverse faith communities.
Mr. Dwivedi’s journey began on Sept. 25 in the Yukon city of Whitehorse, where the Best Western Gold Rush Inn hosted a symposium on “The Role of Religion in the 21stCentury.” The day, which began with a prayer from Mohammad Aslam Shad, regional president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, featured a presentation by Buddhist Rick Buchan, who urged his listeners to practice the cardinal values of his faith – compassion, peace, nonviolence and inclusiveness – to achieve peace in the 21stcentury.
The symposium also featured presentations by Jewish speaker Rick Karp, Christian minister Rev. Beverly C.S. Brazier, Muslim speaker M. Afzal Mirza and Sikh speaker Gian Singh Kotli, as well as Mr. Dwivedi.
“The Hindu Dharma is the most ancient religion on earth which advocates the oneness of all living beings, a universal family, respect for the environment and all religions, and the physical well-being of all,” Mr. Dwivedi said. “Now we have to focus on spirituality rather than religion. It will be a key factor to have a lasting peace and prosperity in this century.”
The next day, Mr. Dwivedi and his fellow speakers traveled six hours to Dawson City, Yukon, the heart of the Klondike Gold Rush of 1896. There, at the Danoja Zho Cultural Centre, Mr. Dwivedi joined Mr. Mirza, Mr. Kotli, Aboriginal speaker Percy Henry and Christian pastor Rev. Ian Nyland for the second part of the interfaith symposium.
On the following day, Mr. Dwivedi traveled the Dempster Highway – a 417-mile road through the Arctic wilderness that follows a former dog sled trail – for the daylong journey to Inuvik.
“The morning mist created fantasy,” Mr. Dwivedi said. “The trees and bushes were blanketed with fresh snow. Perhaps the swirling rivers, flowing to the northwest, were going to embrace the mighty Arctic Ocean. The whole area, filled with mystic passes and majestic mountain valleys, seemed to be blessed with boundless natural wealth and timeless beauty.”
On Sept. 29, Mr. Dwivedi joined his fellow speakers to address “Is Religion a Source of Unity or a Reason for Conflict?” at Aurora College in Inuvik, two degrees above the Arctic Circle.
The speakers – who included Mr. Dwivedi, Mr. Kotli, Mr. Mirza, native spirituality speaker Roy Goose and Christian speaker Doug Robertson – explored the idea that the teachings of many religions had been distorted and twisted to fit the agendas of extremists.
“All religions of the world preach peace, brotherhood, love and harmony,” Mr. Dwivedi said. “If any person of faith is not subscribing to these values, he is not to be called a religious person.”
Mr. Dwivedi and his fellow speakers ended their journey in Whitehorse on Sept. 30. A first-person account of the conference and his travels is available at the URI North America site.
