Global gatherings for interfaith groups

Christian Century, August 14, 2002

As the United Religions Initiative, founded by Episcopal Bishop William Swing of a San Francisco-based diocese, held its first Global Assembly August 18-25 in Rio de Janeiro, two other major interreligious bodies based in the U.S. were making plans for their next gatherings.

The Chicago-based Council for a Parliament of World Religions recently selected Barcelona, Spain, as the site for its next gathering in July 2004 and announced it has $2.5 million toward its five-year goal of $9 million. Barcelona narrowly edged out Edinburgh-Glasgow, said Travis Rejman, associate director of CPWR's partner cities program. The CPWR drew more than 7,000 participants to its last nonlegislative, workshop-and-celebrative meeting in Cape Town, South Africa, in December 1999.

The World Conference on Religion and Peace, based in New York, has asked its executive committee to select within a few months a city for its eighth World Assembly, said Secretary General William F. Vendley. The assembly is usually held every five years; the last one was in Amman, Jordan, in 1999.

Prior to going to Rio, leaders of the United Religions Initiative, which was chartered in 2000, said its first 30-member Global Council is in place. Peacebuilding and interreligious understanding are among major goals of its intentionally small "cooperation circles" around the world. About 250 persons were expected at the meeting in Brazil, said spokeswoman Barbara Hartford.