This post contains the program schedules and descriptions for Saturday, October 17th.
For a listing of the program schedules for other dates, please click on the links below:
October 16 | October 18 | October 19
Transformative Nonviolence (Ahimsa)
October 17th, 8:15 AM – 9:45 AM
Room 355D
This restructured “Shared Session” will address three aspects of Nonviolence (Ahimsa) to have a transformative (thoughts, words and action) understanding.
I. Theology of Ahimsa: Nonviolence (Ahimsa) is one of the fundamental tenets for Jains and they have rigorously practiced it through the acts of mind, speech and body. We will define what it means? Should the Ahimsa be observed because it is good to do or are we afraid of violent reactions from others? The topic also discusses how Jains observe Ahimsa in their daily life. Gandhi said, “Nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind”.
Presenter: Arvind Vora
II. Jain Approach to Sustainable Living through Nonviolence: Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, “The world has enough for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's greed”. Jains believe overconsumption in itself is a cause of violence. The Jain code of conduct of nonviolence, truth, non-stealing, celibacy, and non-possessiveness which is as relevant today as was 2600 years ago, is the key in creating a sustainable world. The path can be adopted by everybody regardless of their spiritual faith or belief.
Presenter: Girish Shah (SiVIC)
III. Nonviolent Communication in Action: Nonviolence approach is key to any conflict or challenge in the world. An eye for any can make the whole world blind. Nonviolent communication is language of the heart. In this program we will provide 3 simple tools to use in any conversation that will empower each participant to take ownership of their thinking and focus their energies on what matters most to them, to transform inner and outer conflicts to loving relationships.
Presenters: Hema Pokharna, PhD, Mandakini Pokharna, MD
Exploration at the Edge of Women’s Leadership
October 17th, 8:15 - 9:45 AM
Room 251A
Women of Spirit and Faith has been celebrated as one of the significant outcomes of the 2009 Parliament in Melbourne, a thriving organization that began when a group of women came together to begin exploring the questions and possibilities at the potent intersection of feminine spirituality and women’s global leadership. The organization began by weaving together women working within the framework of traditional religions and those who grounded their leadership in the fertile spaces between religions. Over the past six years, we have created a safe space where women from multiple generations and diverse spiritual perspectives can gather, bringing their curiosity and passions, their vulnerabilities and their strengths, their questions and their wisdom. We have learned there is a great hunger among women for this kind of community and this deep authentic conversation. When women come together in circles with a sacred center, their transformative power is nothing short of ‘alchemy’. This workshop will offer the opportunity to hear some of the stories from this new frontier of women’s emerging spiritual leadership. More importantly, the voice of every participant will be heard and all will have a ‘lived experience’ of the collaborative, creative and life-affirming force of women’s wisdom.
Presenter: Kay Lindahl (Women of Spirit and Faith)
The Path of Community: Collective Approaches to Peace, Sustainability, Equality, and Justice
October 17th, 8:15 - 9:45 AM
Room 250F
There are communities around the globe experimenting with localized, community scale solutions to the world’s (and their own) most pressing problems. They depend on strategies of collaboration and sustainability while striving to build the world they want to live in. They are known as ‘intentional communities’ and they represent a long transnational history of people choosing to live communally in order to reinvent the ways they live and interact with the human and natural worlds. As we continue to witness the limitations of individualistic dissent, political institutions, and revolutions in creating deep-seeded change, these collective projects become increasingly interesting. This panel will explore the path of community in one intentional community, “Kashi”.
Kashi is an interfaith spiritual community in Florida, and is one of the oldest standing intentional communities in the USA today. Recognizing that intentional communities offer insights into society at large, this discussion explores the many challenges and lessons encountered while building a community with ambitions to embody equality, spiritual pluralism, harmony, and inclusion. In a world in need of healing and reparation, the tools to do so, and collective and inclusive approaches to meet these needs, intentional communities such as Kashi represent a growing body of possibilities.
Presenters: Swami Anjani Jaya Hanuman, Swami Mata Giri, Jaya Priya, Laxmi Ma, and Joe Griebosk (Kashi Ashram)
Healing Our Hearts at Wounded Knee Toward Indigenous and Global Healing: Part 2
October 17th, 8:15 AM - 9:45 AM
Room 155B
Healing was started with the Wiping of the Tears Ceremony in 1990, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa, the Canadian Reconciliation Commission, and includes World Peace Day among the many human activities and prayers for Peace. Sadly, massacre is common to this very day and in this we are all related. We present an action for healing.
Presenter: Chief Arvol Looking Horse(Protecting and Restoring the Sacred)
INCLUSIVITY: How to Expand Your City's Role in Interfaith Engagement
October 17th, 8:15 AM - 9:45 AM
Room 250D
Since 2007, in addition to drawing attention to the work of the global Parliament, we of the Southern California Parliament of the World’s Religions (SCCPWR) have been dedicated to creating multiple, groundbreaking activities connecting pluralism to current events. On March 8, 2015, Mayor Eric Garcetti, of Los Angeles--the most diverse city in the U.S.--gave SCCPWR an award "for all you do for the citizens of Los Angeles to promote dialogue about the variety of sacred experiences and building peace and community." SCCPWR is known for enriching LA's interfaith landscape by bringing together communities that rarely, if ever, interface. What once was primarily an Abrahamic-centered endeavor now includes individuals dedicated to Eastern philosophies and spiritual practices, people who identify with the “spiritual-but-not-religious” movement, Indigenous peoples, and most recently the Pagan and the atheist/humanist communities. The emphasis is on inclusivity and the commonality of our goals as a pluralistic society. We have been able to bring together disparate communities who may think they have nothing in common but, in the process of participating in events related to the climate, for example, they have discovered how our combined efforts, dialogue, and engagement can help meet the global challenges we all face.
Presenter: Laura Lafoia Ava-Tesimale (First Drops)
Democracy & Religious Diversity
October 17th, 8:15 AM - 9:45 AM
Room 355 BC
Facilitated by senior leadership from United Religions Initiative (URI), Sustained Dialogue Institute, Interfaith Works and Civic Mix, this highly interactive workshop will explore the engagement of diverse faiths in the democratic process. What are lead political issues within and across various faith groups? How do they shape the future, solve problems and find a place in public life? Through dialogue we shall look for answers to these questions as well as insights into how faith communities are contributing to effective public engagement and navigating electoral politics. Presenter: s are drawn from the U.K. and Indonesia as well as the U.S.A. They will briefly introduce select dialogue techniques to guide us, then most of our time will be spent working in small groups. By the close of our time together, we hope to have a clearer picture not only of the fault lines but also of common ground and possibilities for collaborative engagement. Participants will receive gift copies of A Greater Democracy Day by Day, co-authored by Sally Mahe. Note: this workshop is strictly non-partisan. No particular political party, point of view or set of issues will be advocated to the participants. Also, we are fully inclusive of those who do not identify as persons of faith or adherents of particular religious traditions.
Presenter: Victor Kazanjian, Executive Director, United Religions Initiative
Co-Presenter: Mark Farr
Co-Presenter: Sally Mahe
Co-Presenter: Nancy Murray
Co-Presenter: Erik Schwarz
Co-Presenter: Sonia Suryani
WSF Workshop - Explorations at the Edge of Women's Spiritual Leadership/ Empowering a New Generation of Women Spiritual Leaders
October 17 -- 8:15 - 9:45 am
Room 251B
Young leaders and 'seasoned leaders' from WSF will share their reflections on women's spiritual leadership in their families, workplace, communities and organizations. Participants will be invited to share their reflections in circle conversations.
We, People of Diverse Religions, Spiritual Expressions and Indigenous Traditions: Future of the Interfaith
October 17th, 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Room 355A
The Charter of the United Religions Initiative begins with the words, "We, people of diverse religions, spiritual expressions and Indigenous traditions..." In the 15 years since its founding, the United Religions Initiative has become the largest grassroots, interfaith peace building organization in the world. During that same time many other interfaith organizations have emerged and are doing extraordinary work in the world. But too often as individuals and organizations we have often been working in isolation from one another, and sometimes find ourselves in competition with one another. This workshop seeks to bridge those gaps, build bridges of understanding and create strategies for collaboration. Using a small group, circle dialogue format, participants in this workshop will interact with Trustees of the United Religions Initiative sharing insights from our past interfaith work, developing strategies for enhancing our present work, and imagining together our future work. URI trustees serving as small group leaders will share about their experience as part of the United Religions Initiative and invite participants to share their experiences in their work. Groups will then identify commons themes and a strategy for partnerships.
Presenter: Victor Kazanjian, Executive Director, United Religions Initiative
Presenter: Ros Sam An
Presenter: Tareq Z. Al-Tamimi
Presenter: Ciro Gabriel Avruj
Presenter: Kiran Bali
Presenter: Bart ten Broek
Presenter: Becky Burad
Presenter: Rattan Channa
Presenter: Genivalda Cravo
Presenter: Donald Frew
Presenter: Petar Gramatikov
Presenter: Marianne Horling
Presenter: Kazi Nurul Islam
Presenter: Ravindra Kandage
Presenter: Professor John Kurakar
Presenter: Phil Lane Jr.
Presenter: Elisabeth Lheure
Presenter: Alejandrino Quispe Mejia
Presenter: Rev. John Baptist Odama
Presenter: K. Vasudeva Rao
Presenter: Sherif Awad Rizk
Presenter: Ashraf Samir
Presenter: Musa Sanguila
Presenter: Swamini Adityananda Saraswati
Presenter: Bishop William Swing
What's Interfaith Got to Do With Politics?
October 17th, 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Room 253A
We are living in a world that is fearful of the unknown and feels the need to engage in war. This is the result of years of complacency in the bubbled lives we live in. When this bubble popped, we weren't prepared for the changes we'd see in our lives. Instead of seeking the unknown with an open mind, we were taught to fear it. Instead of communicating with compassion, we are forced to react with weapons. There is a great need for compassionate communication and interfaith development in politics. How that can be accomplished and what we can expect as the results will be the topic of discussion.
Presenter: Farrah N. Khan (First Drops)
Nuclear Weapons and the Moral and Spiritual Compass
October 17th, 11:45 AM - 1:15 PM
Exhibition Hall 2
Nuclear Weapons and the Moral and Spiritual Compass Nuclear weapons have forced us to consider whether we will be the last generation. The morality of a small group of human beings daily being prepared to unleash destructive thermonuclear weapons at magnitudes which will annihilate humanity and numerous other species forever should go unchallenged no longer. Daily we live with the faith that by accident, design or madness none of the over 16,000 nuclear weapons in the world today will unleash unspeakable suffering. Join us in an inspiring panel and dialogue addressing principles and policies for a safer, saner future.
Presenters: Bishop William Swing and Jonathan Granoff (Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons CC)
The Parliament Ambassador Program: Who we are, What we Do, How You Can Participate
October 17th, 11:45 AM-1:15 PM
Room 253A
For the past two years, Ambassadors for the Parliament have been working behind the scenes, raising awareness about the importance of the Parliament of the World's Religions. They have held events, and encouraged people to join this world wide gathering of people from every diverse religion and culture. Come and learn who we are, what we do, and how you can become an Ambassador for the next Parliament.
Presenter: Kay Lindahl (SARAH; Women of Spirit and Faith)
SHARED SESSION: Interfaith Digital Communications and Fostering the Language of Interfaith
October 17th, 11:45 AM - 1:15 PM
Room 251C
Fostering the Language of Interfaith: Cultivate Pathways from Interfaith Dialogue to Spiritual Activism.
The Wisdom Circle project has explored the shift from dialogue into spiritual activism. Where is this occurring and how are we most effective? As we reveal our common humanity and our inter-connectedness through our dialogue, how do we complete the cycle of transformation into spiritual activism? What is critical now? You are invited to witness the unveiling of the entire Peace Train scroll during the Agora forum. This will be a discussion in the round to help us shift from dialogue to spiritual activism. The purpose of this forum is to ignite our shared interests and passions, and transform our words into action. Our exhibition project has explored the language of Interfaith through the gift of seeing and listening to others, while revealing our common humanity. The Forum will coalesce the contributions from our Peace Train initiative with our panel of distinguished guests and participation from members of the audience. How are you called to participate? Note: We do have conception drawings available of our proposed exhibition layout.
Presenter Robert Hrasna
Co-Presenter Claudia Roblee
Knowing Each Other and Working Together: Interfaith Digital Communications for Connecting & Collaborating
Religious/interreligious news has grown exponentially since 9/11. Finally major media and countless other publications are paying attention. But the harsh realities humankind faces calls for a new kind of connectivity and communication among interreligious/interfaith/ interspiritual communities buzzing everywhere: for the sake of life, peace, and justice, we must better connect and collaborate, starting by getting to know each other. First half-hour – Three interfaith website founders will tell of building webs of connection, friendship, and collaboration: Mary Ann Brussat of Spirituality and Practice, Paul Chaffee of The Interfaith Observer, and Elizabeth Dabney Hochman of KidSpirit. Their aggregate numbers, with millions of connections, are barely the tip of the iceberg of faith-based leaders that need to know each other and be connected. Multiplying these connections opens up new, powerful synergisms. Following the presentations, small groups will share with each other how they get religious/interreligious news (each participant will be invited to list their best news sources on a short form). Groups will brainstorm possibilities they see for broader, more effective connectivity and collaboration. Workshop concludes with a 25-minute plenary for open discussion of how to strengthen and develop local/global religious, interreligious news, resources, and empowerment.
Presenter Paul Chaffee
Co-Presenter Elizabeth Dabney Hochman
Co-Presenter Mary Ann Brussat
Remembering Suwami Vivekananda in 2015: A Hindu and Catholic Appreciation
October 17th, 11:45 AM - 1:15 PM
Room 155E
Remembering Swami Vivekananda at PWR--2015 brings back the memory of his dynamic declaration that each soul is essentially divine, and the goal of life is to experience the presence of inner divinity and manifest it into the activities of daily life. Hinduism is not based merely on philosophical speculations, but is grounded in direct perception of the indwelling-soul from moment to moment. The teachings of the Holy Vedas, Upanishdas, and Bhagawad Geeta assert the inherently pure, luminous divine nature of man and also suggest the appropriate means for its subjective experience.
Swami ji reconciled the Karmayoga(the yoga of action), Bhaktiyoga (the yoga of devotion), Jnanayoga (the yoga of knowledge) and Rajayoga (the yoga of unity in transcendence) and made it very clear that spiritual progression of a person begins with Karmayoga, evolves around Bhakti matures into Jnanayoga, and slowly ushers the individual into yogic unity with the Soul. In the practice of devotion-cum-action the individual experiences a spontaneous flow of inner alignment into the work of his daily life, which prepares him for the direct experience of the Soul. He always emphasized, that the realization of God and individual salvation is not merely through severe penance and meditation in a Ashram or monastery; it is also possible through perpetual unity with absolute Divinity and selfless service to humanity.
He spoke fervently about the freedom of faith and religious tolerance as declared in Vedas and Bhagawad Geeta. The legacy of Vedic teachings has always advocated that every individual must seek his own personal confirmation from his own inherent resources. The aspirant should be properly guided and not forced into cooperation. He should be entreated and persuaded but not compelled. Free spontaneity in acceptance should be valued and respected. Every person is free to choose his own from of worship; for all paths ultimately lead to the realization of the Supreme-Soul through a variety of personal spiritual experiences.
Presenters: Dr. John N Sheveland and Mrs. Prabha Duneja (Women’s Interfaith Circle of Service (WICS-URI/CC))
My Life Is My Message – A Time for Community, Contemplation, Inspiration and Commitment
October 17th, 11:45 AM - 1:15 PM
Ballroom F
This presentation is a seminar/workshop to cultivate spiritual activism by engaging participants in a deep exploration of My Life Is My Message, Mahatma Gandhi’s response to a reporter who asked him, What is your message? Framed in the context of the Parliament’s theme and three critical issues, the day will be centered in deep reflection about the message participants yearn to communicate with their life and practical steps to help align their life as fully as possible with that message. This time will be interwoven with a variety of brief and varied presentations by spiritual activists from different traditions – women and men whose deep personal spirituality impels them to address the urgent issues facing the Earth community. This session will be highly participatory and interactive. It will include music and other forms of engagement, individually and in groups, in an interfaith context. In the often-overwhelming setting of the Parliament, this session will offer a place to belong, an intimate home to support the growth of people drawn to spiritual activism.
Presenter: Charles Gibbs
Co-Presenter: Audri Scott Williams
Co-Presenter: Heng Sure, Dharma Realm Buddhist Association
Co-Presenter: Elisabeth Lheure
Dances of Universal Peace
October 17th, 11:45 - 1:15 PM, 2-3 PM
North Foyer
Embody your commitment to justice, non-violence, and peace with this moving meditation and body prayer practice that honors and celebrates the beauty and truth immanent in all beings. The Dances of Universal Peace are meditative, joyous, multi-cultural circle dances using sacred phrases from the world’s spiritual traditions, joined with live music and movement, to create embodied prayers that allow us to touch the spiritual essence within ourselves, and recognize it in others. Come sing and dance with new and familiar friends from all faiths and creeds, recognizing God in each face and feeling the sacred heart connection that unites us all.
The Dances help us cultivate inner compassion, awareness, openness and acceptance which foster a lived theology or ethic of peace; inspiring outer action toward nonviolence, understanding and care for all of creation. There are neither performers nor audience and the simple songs and dances are taught as we go along. Each day’s session will be guided by diverse Dance leaders from around the world. All are welcome and no experience is necessary.
Presenter: Elizabeth Dequine (Bainbridge/North Kitsap Interfaith Council)
Saying No To Silence: The Power of Bearing Witness & Amplifying Our Voices
October 17th, 11:45 AM - 1:15 PM
Ballroom E
Discover the power of bearing witness and amplifying the voices of our neighbors.
Many people around the world are silent, unseen, unheard and unacknowledged. Yet many of us feel empowered by the simple act of someone listening to our triumphs and our struggles, to bear witness to what we are going through. We also feel empowered when someone takes the time to amplify our voice by genuinely and respectfully sharing our successes and tribulations with others.
Join us for a powerful and experiential workshop. Modeled by Canadian Indigenous and Sikh co-facilitators, all participants will have the opportunity to:
- experience and practice the art of bearing witness, listening to and acknowledging the successes and struggles of each other and our communities
- amplify each other's voice by respectfully sharing each other's stories
- develop new friendships
- explore how you can apply the power of bearing witness and amplifying each other's voices to your Parliament experience and beyond
Presenter Sukvinder Vinning
Co-Presenter Karen Joseph
Interreligious Dialogue and Peacebuilding
October 17th, 3:30 PM
Room 254B
Interreligious peacebuilding is a growing field of scholarship and practice. Civil socity organizations, Intergovernmental and governmental agencies are increasingly engaging religious leaders in their efforts to build peace in conflict areas, such as, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Myanmar, etc. In addition, there is a growing realization that a significant progress in addressing international and national violent extremism can not be made without interreligious institutional alliances. The proposed panel aims to explore specific questions, such as: what are the current models of interreligious peacebuilding organizations and practitioners? How do interreligious peaceworkers address the tension between policy makers and civil society regarding the role of religious actors in such setting? What are the challenges facing the field of interreligious peacebuilding? What are the main lessons that can be extracted from current efforts in the field? The panelists will share concrete case studies of effective interreligious peacebuilding efforts and present their own responses to the above questions too.
Presenter: Charles Gibbs
Only a Global Spiritual/Religious Transformation of Consciousness Can Save the Planet From Environmental Destruction
October 17th, 3:30-5:00 PM
Room TBD (Check the Parliament App)
The environmental catastrophe facing the human race is rooted in three key distorted ideas:
1. That unlimited growth and expansion of consumption is critical to a healthy economy.
2. That the earth is a resource which we have the right to exploit without limit.
3. That human beings and nations will necessarily fight over those resources because our nature is to satisfy our material desires, and it is unrealistic to think one can change
human nature and achieve a higher purpose or global solidarity.
To deal with the environmental crisis rooted in these ideas will require a fundamental change of consciousness. Religious and spiritual communities have a unique role in helping create this change in consciousness, but to do so we need to bring our spiritual teachings into the streets and help build a movement grounded in spiritual teachings.
We must challenge participants in our communities to go beyond individual acts and narrowly conceived environmental struggles to become advocates for a new story of what it is to be human, how to see the earth as sacred and how to develop global solidarity while we constrain governmental and corporate policies that are earth-destructive.
This session will include small group discussions to share other strategies drawing from the richness of the world’s religious and spiritual wealth.
Presenters: Kat Zabis, Rabbi Michale Lerner (Network of Spiritual Progressives)
The Quran and the Bible’s views on Interfaith Relations, Pluralism and Women’s role in society
October 17th, 3:30-5:00 PM
Room TBD (Check the Parliament App)
Religion has been blamed for violence throughout the history. In more recent times, Islam and its teachings have come under limelight. Despite this newfound fame, the teachings of the Holy Quran remain arcane. Ironically, most people who have a negative opinion on the teachings of the Quran (as well as the Bible) have actually not read them cover-to-cover themselves and their source of information is often secondhand, and frequently taken out of context.
The same can be said about how women are perceived in the Scriptures of the Abrahamic faiths. Do the Quran and the Bible render women as second-class citizens? Do the Quran and the Bible send their followers conflicting messages? The panel will make specific references to the teachings of the Scriptures to dispel myths related to interfaith relations and the role of women in society, in an effort to promote understanding and harmony between followers of various faiths.
Presenters: Ejaz Naqvi, Rabbi Pamela Frydman, Despina Namwembe and Iftekhar Hai (Interfaith Council of Contra Costa County)
Keys to Deep Listening: Unlocking the Heart of our Humanity
October 17th, 3:45-5:15 PM
Room 255B
Deep, open-hearted listening is one of humanity’s most powerful practices for thwarting violence and hate. As Joan Chittister says, “Make no doubt about it, the ability to listen to another, to sit silently in the presence of God, to give sober heed and to ponder is the nucleus of the spirituality of peace.” This kind of listening is difficult unless we are completely oriented to it—right down to our deepest selves. In a meditative, hands-on session, two authors and contemplatives will share a cornucopia of practices and everyday approaches to reorienting our hearts away from anger and violence toward listening and compassion. With brief presentations and interactive exercises, this session will include generous amounts of time for conversation and listening to one another. Together we will meditate with empathy on the “challenging voices” in our lives; practice deep listening in dyads; and muse on our own practices and how they might reorient our hearts to listening as a way of life.
Presenter: Kay Lindahl (SARAH; Women of Spirit and Faith)
