WORLD PARLIAMENT OF
RELIGIONS-2015
OCTOBER 15 - 19
The Parliament is the oldest, the largest, and the most
inclusive gathering of people of all faith and traditions.The first Parliament
took place in 1893. Since, this historic event has taken place in Chicago, USA
• Cape Town, South Africa • Barcelona, Spain • Melbourne, Australia - and now
in Salt Lake City, Utah!.Indian Jain Muni Acharya Dr Lokesh inaugurated the
Parliament of the World Religions, 2015 at Salt Lake City, USA, on October 15.In
his opening speech, Acharya Lokesh emphasized on the principles of non-violence
and remembered Swami Vivekananda’s speech of the first parliament in 1893.
Swami Vivekananda was chosen to speak on the first day of
the Parliament of World Religions in 1893. His speech beginning with ‘Brothers
and Sisters of America’ shook the entire world. After his historic speech,
Swami Vivekananda roamed all over the world and he was looked upon as Spiritual
ambassador of India. Acharya Lokesh further said that war and hate has become
the biggest enemy of humanity.He said that teachings of the Jain religion can
only help in bringing peace in the world. Acharya Lokesh, the founder of Ahimsa
Vishwa Bharti in New Delhi, also inaugurated a Jain temple in the Parliament
venue on this occasion. Parliament of World Religions was held in Salt Lake
City from October 15 to 19.
The 2015 Parliament
of the World's Religions came to a close Monday with leaders of the largest
interfaith gathering revealing plans to conduct a gathering every two years.In
the closing plenary Monday afternoon, Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid, outgoing
chairman of the Parliament's board of trustees, said people he met during the
five-day event frequently stopped him to tell him the same thing: "This
was the best Parliament ever.""Wait until you see 2017. Parliament
will be every two years now," he said. The location for the next gathering
has not yet been determined but holding the event bienally is a significant
change from conducting it every five years.The closing ceremonies also included
prayer, music and reflections on the Parliament, which for the first time
offered a Women's Assembly.
Rachel S. Mikva, a rabbi and professor of Jewish studies at
Chicago Theological Seminary, said the experience of Parliament "has been
very much like Yom Kippur, day of atonement when we work on becoming the human
beings we were created to be."Mikva said she felt an "amazing sense
of solidarity" with others in attendance and she has a long "to-do
list" to address issues of poverty, violence and sustainability when she
goes home.Several speakers at the concluding event thanked the host city for
its hospitality, some 1,000 volunteers who covered 3,000 shifts and Salt Lake
Interfaith Roundtable for its efforts as the local organizing committee.H.H.
Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji, president of Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh,
one of India’s largest interfaith spiritual institutions, said the work of the
interfaith movement is needed worldwide.
A declaration was issued at the Parliament of the World’s
Religions on Saturday, October 18, calling on people to stand against hate and
to pursue peace and justice.The declaration followed a plenary session titled, ‘War,
Violence and Hate Speech’ that was addressed by world-renowned experts,
analysts and lifetime champions of peace.
The 1976 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Mairead Maguire made a
passionate plea for peace.“We come here as people of all different religions
and none, from all different beliefs and we come from all parts of the world,
and we represent millions and millions of the human family who want peace,”
Maguire said. “We have a human right to peace and everyone in their hearts want
peace for themselves, their families, their communities. They want enough to
eat, they want a decent home, they want human security and they want to freely
speak about how they feel and what they believe in.”“We must realize that we
are human beings, we have our common humanity, that we are capable of loving,
that no matter what wrong people do, in their hearts they are good.”
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