Krishnapriya
Multi-faith
Kashi Foundation, USA

Growing up in a Community: How a Deeper Awareness Fosters Change in the World
A panel of youth, who have grtown up in spiritual or religious communities,will share their views on life in a community. The panel will discuss the different apects of how growing up in this type of environment creates positive attributes that will change and impact the 21st Century. There will time designated for Questions and Answers.

The panel will consist of young people who have grown up in intentional communities.

On History, Progress, and Civilization
Hiroko is contacting for Outline

Irfan has bio

Islam and World Peace
Dr. Irfan will talk to him to make the outline shorter. He has a long outline in his folder.

Dr. Maneh al-Johani, born in 1942 in Saudi Arabia, has obtained his MA and Ph.D. degrees from Indiana University -Bloomington, USA and specialized in linguistics. He was appointed lecturer and assistant professor in the English Department of the King Saudi University. Selected as Asst. Sec. General in 1983 and in 1987 as Secretary General of the World Assembly of Muslim Youth, an independent International Muslim youth organization and a NGO associated with UNO. He is the author and co-author of many papers and books and has participated in many international conferences.

Economic Globalization & the Roman Catholic Social Justice Tradition
I. Introduction II. The Reality of Economic Globalization III. Immediate Responses: Forgive 3rd world debt & Form International Economic Regulatory Bodies. Iv. Methodological Shifts: Formulating a Global Ethic Reformulate Ethic of Proximity Abandon Universal Ethic Lang. for Lang. of Global Ethics. v. The Catholic Social Justice Tradition. Vi. Conclusion: Practical & Pastoral Implications.

Rev. Mark Allman is a Roman Catholic priest for the Diocese of Albany, New York (USA). Currently, he is working towards a Ph.D. in Christian Ethics at Loyola University of Chicago. He also speaks Spanish.

72 Hours
From December 31 thru January 2, people of faith around the world will be participating in an extraordinary and unprecedented act of inter-religious cooperation-72 hours of interfaith peace building at the turn of the millennium. Come hear about the wide range of specific projects that are underway at local and global levels, and explore how you can participate in this millennial gift of the United Religions Initiative.

Paul Andrews is Project Director for the 72 Hours Project, and a member of the United Religions Initiative staff.

Women in Islam (Sufi Women Organization Promoting Universal Human Rights)
The lecture will begin with a brief discussion of the historical role of women in Islam, moving on towards current conceptual issues within the Muslim world, in terms of both cultural and religious values. Looking towards the next century and the increasing opportunities for women, Dr. Angha will introduce the Sufi women Organizations (SWO), a humanitarian, non political, non sectarian organization. SWO has been laying foundations for a dialogue of creative engagement, among the Sufi women of the world, committed to promote the recognition and dissemination of universal human rights with a focus on women's rights. Being committed to a culture of equal rights, the SWO has been been successful in bringing Sufi women of the world together for the goal of promoting its universal mission.

Nihad Angha, Ph.D., is the cofounder and co-director of the international Association of Sufism (IAS), founder of Sufi Women Organization (SWO), the executive editor of Sufism : An Inquiry, (A quarterly internationally distributed journal), and the main NGO representative of the IAS to the United Nations. She is an internationally published author and one of the major Muslim Sufi teachers. She has written at least fifteen published books and has performed numerous lectures at universities and participated at conferences including The Vision for the 21st Century. She is a Broad member of the Marin Interfaith Council, Vice president of the San Francisco's Interfaith Center at the Presido Board of Directors and member of the Board of Advisors, Institute for the World's Religions.

Celebrate the Spirit of the Earth with Ritual, Dance and Song
Participants in this event will create a sacred space together with the intention of opening to the divine nature of the Earth and finding their personal connection with it. We will sing and dance together using primarily songs from the American and western European Pagan and earth-spirituality traditions and will teach all of the simple songs and dances used. No experience is necessary and people of all faiths are invited.

Director of Earth Spirit, one of the largest and longest lived Pagan organizations in the USA, has been leading public Pagan and interfaith rituals for 20 years across the United States for groups of 10-1000 people. At the 1993 Parliament she was instrumental in designing and leading the Full Moon Ritual held in Grant Park, and led a well received morning meditation during the Parliament. For over 15 years, she has been educating the public at every level about her own minority spiritual path. More recently she has been actively involved in the elementary educational system in her region helping to ensure that honoring diversity becomes an integral part of young children's education.

Neo-Pagan Communal Authorship and the Charge of the Goddess.
The most important single religious text in the Neo-Pagan movement is the Charge of the Goddess. This paper examines the Charge's unusual status as a perpetual work-in-progress, open to constant revision by many hands since its first known publication in 1898. If we use a mutable text open to new authorship as a case study, what new questions can we ask about the idea of sacred scripture? Question and Answer.

Sarah Avery is an initiated priestess in the Blue Star tradition of Wicca, and a member of Braided Stream Coven in New Jersey, U.S.A. She is also a doctoral candidate in English Literature at Rutgers University.

Lecture
Human existence is physico-psycho-spiritual being. So for physical fitness, psychic alertness & spiritual elevation triferious exercise is a must. In this regard, Sri PR Sankan's (alias Ananda Munhjee) contribution is excellent as an introduction to yoga-meditation, which is based on Bio-psychics.

Acharya Priyatosananda Avt -Yoga therapist practitioner since 30 years. Alias Kshirsagar.

Psychotherapy And Prayer: A Path Toward Spiritual Unity
As a psychotherapist in private practice it has become clear to me that psychotherapy, one process toward healing the soul, requires prayer as an essential part in the healing process. My proposal: to speak in favor of the power of prayer to be the unifying factor of the world's religions. Not one of the religious traditions can exist without acknowledging the two essentials of prayer and meditation: humility and gratitude. Humility asks us to look within ourselves and "notice the log in our own eye" as we offer compassion to the "speck in our neighbor's eye." Gratitude asks us to walk in a humble manner, seeing the Divine within every moment. Psychotherapy, the modern confessional of the Western world, has a definite place in the continuum of spiritual direction. Psychotherapy offers a unique perspective as a practice of "walking the walk" of spiritual development. One can only speak of success in therapy when a person leaves theory and ideas behind in favor of a humble and grateful life. The time together will be both informational and experiential. How can we in pragmatic terms learn to live a more humble and grateful life? We will pray together and share our deepest hope that prayer and meditation can cut across all boundaries of "religious difference."

Peter G. Azrak, MA, MSW, is psychotherapist in private practice. He has received Master's degrees in the fields of Religious Studies and Social Work. Along with his practice he offers prayer services and retreats to those interested in community prayer. His most recent presentation at Sufi Books in New York City was entitled, Judaism and Christianity: A psycho- Spiritual Search for Unity.

Now Let's All Work To End Family Violence
I. I plan to describe the various unit of families as well as the 8 types of violence that can occur in some families. II. Participants will view a 2 part award winning video. III. Question and answer period will follow. IV. Participants will be divided into 3 groups lay person, clergy, and youth. V.------ group will have topics like What Every Church ------- Do About Violence, Have A Relationship Not A Power Struggle, etc. Groups will record and report back to the whole. VI. A graph will be made of the respondents from things on handout and place ----- viewing for everyone -----. VII. Another powerful handout The Good Samaritan will be read by Charlene Smith. It is the story of an abused woman on the street who passes a clergy, a -------, a social worker, a women's church group president and none of these people ----- her pain, hurt and suffering, it is homeless woman, who really comfort--- nurtures this abused woman on the road.

Elder Barbara J. Baker, M.Ed., DTM, Moderator of Church & Society committee at Sixth Grace Presbyterian Church, Chicago, IL USA, the main presenter, is also Commissioner to the Chicago Presbytery. She is an educator in the Chicago Public Schools where she has won many awards & grants for her ------ and dedication in teaching urban children. She does public speaking in the Toastmasters International and a favorite pastime is as a writer and ---- Relations Practitioner for the above-listed organizations, IBWC and ---- other organizations. She studied "Confronting Violence Against Women" under Dr. Reverend Marie M. Fortune. Charlene Smith, M.Ed and Competent Toastmaster has been a public speaker and a workshop leader for a number of years. A colleague with Ms. Baker in many speaking and workshop presentations.

Yoga as Prayer
The participants will be instructed and guided in a prayer in which a simple flow of yoga asanas is joined with the words of the Lord's Prayer. This group prayer offering will be an expression of gratitude to the tradition of Hatha Yoga, the teachings of Jesus Christ, and the many paths to the one truth. It will be an experience of prayer as defined by Hildegaarde of Bingen: breathing in and breathing out the one breath of the Universe."

Judith Baker Miller is a transpersonal counselor and yoga teacher . She is a lover of Africa who seeks a means of connecting with and being in service to South Africa. She currently lives in Portland, Oregon. She has practiced and taught "Yoga as Prayer" in classes and workshops for fifteen years. She offers the practice as an expression of love and means of knowing unity, mind, and spirit.

Dance, Drama & Conflict Resolution
Dance & Drama are more than art forms. In this experiential & interactive workshop we will explore the use of dance and drama to create a more peaceful person. You will acquire skills that turn potentially damaging conflict into peace, harmony & understanding

Masankho Banda, originally from Malawi uses music, dance, and drumming to create inner peace, foster spiritual growth, enhance inner wisdom, and build community. Masankho has been leading workshops and performances for the past 12 years, all over the USA and in Europe.

Healing Body & Spirit with Dance
Come & heal your body, nourish you soul & your spirit as you dance to music from Africa & the Carribbean. Any age and ability. Learn to express yourself full and with confidence.

Masankho Banda, originally from malawi uses music, dance and drumming to create inner peace. Foster spiritual growth, enhance inner wisdom and build community. Masankho has been leading workshops and performances for the past 12 years all over the USA and in Europe.

Becoming Earthwise
Earthwise is an experiential workshop process which enables particpants to formulate their role interacting with the earth as a living system upon which all life depends.

Dance For Peace
Deborah Testa Bennett's South African Dance Troupe, composed of sixteen youths from various ethnic religious backgrounds will present a fifteen minute program of dance and meditation that will include a prayer for peace. led by the children, the program will conclude with the entire congregation sitting in silent meditation for three minutes. The dance theme is: Drinking spiritual nectar together, at the level of soul we are all one

Deborah Testa Bennett was born in South Africa and began dance training at age three in Johannesburg. She received her BA from University of Natal, Durban , South Africa in 1980. Ms. Bennett started teaching at Fairview Academy at at sixteen. In 1982, she opened her own ballet School in Soweto. Later, she moved to America and opened her own ballet school in New Jersey. In 1994, the dance company she founded, performed at the Conference on World Religions in Queens, new York. Currently, she teaches at M&S Studio of the performing Arts, Fredericksburg, Maryland.

The Focolare Spirituality of Unity in Teaching Word Religions
The Focolare spirituality is an interpersonal praxis oriented to making oneself one with the other. It provides a framework for understanding and valuing religious and other cultural differences. As such, this spirituality gives rise to a distinctive hermeneutic of world religions that is both faith based and genuinely pluralistic.

Presenter. Constance L. Benson is a research associate at the City University of New York's Center on Violence and Human Survival, and author of God and Caesar with a foreword by Cornel West. She holds an M.Div. from Harvard Divinity and a M.Phil. from Colombia and Union Seminary in New York.

Beyond Religious Apartheid: A Critique of Ernst Troeltsch on World Religions
Ernst Troelsch (1865 - 1923) is one of the most respected and renowned figures in mainstream white Protestant thought. His religious relativism is commonly considered to be a contribution to religious equality and torleance. However, this interpretation presupposes Enlightenment values that are actually foreign to the eminent thinker, who subscribed to theories that would today be called racist. In his essay, " The Place of Christianity among World Religions," (1923) Troeltsch argues that Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam are of value only for their own "races" within their respective territories, dismissing the smaller cults of African and other "primitive races" as inferior and a legitimate object of European evangelization. This view legitimized Euopean colonization of Africa and enslavement of Africans, which was being contested in Troeltsch's Germany by both Catholic and Socialist parties.

Presenter. Constance L. Benson is a research associate at the City University of New York's Center on Violence and Human Survival, and author of God and Caesar with a foreword by Cornel West. She holds an M.Div. from Harvard Divinity and a M.Phil. from Colombia and Union Seminary in New York.

Connections & Confluences Among The Meditation Paths
Note on email: Mayanne L. Krech-1@tc.umn.edu Direct personal experience of the Transcendent, whether or not given the name God, is the Source, Essence and Goal common to all religions. The processes and paths leading the realization of this source, essence and goal, are termed meditation. The presentation will give a summary of these parallels and confluences among the spiritual practices of various religions, those that are now prevalent as well as those that are now extinct

Maha-mandaleshvara Swami Veda Bharati, formerly known as Usharbudh Arya D. Litt, was raised in the five-thousand-year-old tradition of Sanskrit-speaking scholars of India. A renowned philosopher, he gave his first public lecture at the age of nine when he taught the Yoga-sutras of Patanjali and Vedas. He has been teaching and lecturing for the last 52 years. He now reads and understands 17 languages of varying degrees of fluency. From 1952 to 1967, he served various communities in Africa, South America and elsewhere as a pandit and spiritual guide. From 1967 to 1972, he was professor of Sanskrit at the University of Minnesota, USA, where he received the Distinguished Teacher Award. In 1996 he was appointed Spiritual Guide of the Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences in Dehradun, President and Spiritual Guide of the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and philosophy in India, and president and Spiritual Director of Swami Rama's Ashram (Sadhana Mandir) in Rishikesh where he resides. On March 15, 1999, he was honored by the Swamis of India who conferred on him the title of Maha-mandaleshvara, placing him among the top 30 or so leading swamis of India.

The Seminal Contribution of Zoroastinanism to the Religions of the World
Zoroastrianism, as the mother of all monotheic religions, is the quintessence of the ecumenism that binds all religions together. This presentation depicts the enormous influence that Zarathushtra's teachings have had in the cradle of civilization - Egypt, Sumeria, Babylon, Canaan, Greece and Rome and extending to India and China. This presentation also highlights the principles that Zarathushtra articulated, in the holy text , known as "The Gathas of the Prophet" which found their way into Judaism - and through Judaism into Christianity. This presentation further asserts and will demonstrate that The Gathas is both the oldest religious literature and , at the same time, is the youngest in terms of it's applicability to modern man.

Mr. Keki R. Bhote a life long student of Zoroastrian theology and history and a pioneer in furthering Zoroastrianism in North America. A founding influence in both the Zoroastrian association of America and of the Zoroastrian Association of Metropolitan Chicago, he served these organizations as president and trustee respectively. Mr Bhote has chaired the 2nd Zoroastrian Symposium of North America. A much sought after lecturer, he has presented at over 100 church groups and , most notably, at athe Parliament for the World's Religion's Centennial Gathering in Chicago in 1993, as well as, at the 3rd World Zoroastrian Conference . Currently he lectures on Zoroastrianism and comparative religions at YMCA College, serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the World Zoroastrian Organization, as Vice President, Center for Ancient Iranian Studies - Boston, MA and as Chairman of the Committee on "the Future of Zoroastrianism" for the Federation of Zoroastrians of North America. He is also the President of Keki R. Bohti Associates, a consulting company specializing in Quality and Productivity Improvement.

Zoroastrianism and the Ethics of Leadership
Zarathushtra launched into this world a code of principles, ethics and leadership that has been replicated by the great prophets that followed him and by the charismatic leaders of nations and peoples. This paper and presentation lists the attributes of such leadership based upon the principles and ethics as Zarathushtra taught and practiced them. Furthermore, it compares how well the leaders of Zoroastrianism's long history and the leaders of modern industry have adhered to these attributes, but how poorly the managers - as distinguished from the leaders - of today have sullied these attributes.

Mr. Keki R. Bhote a life long student of Zoroastrian theology and history and a pioneer in furthering Zoroastrianism in North America. A founding influence in both the Zoroastrian association of America and of the Zoroastrian Association of Metropolitan Chicago, he served these organizations as president and trustee respectively. Mr. Bhote has chaired the 2nd Zoroastrian Symposium of North America. A much sought after lecturer, he has presented at over 100 church groups and , most notably, at athe Parliament for the World's Religion's Centennial Gathering in Chicago in 1993, as well as, at the 3rd World Zoroastrian Conference . Currently he lectures on Zoroastrianism and comparative religions at YMCA College, serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the World Zoroastrian Organization, as Vice President, Center for Ancient Iranian Studies - Boston, MA and as Chairman of the Committee on "the Future of Zoroastrianism" for the Federation of Zoroastrians of North America. He is also the President of Keki R. Bohti Associates, a consulting company specializing in Quality and Productivity Improvement.

The Resplendent Vision of Zarathushtra As Profiled in His Gathas - A World Legacy
The Gathas represent the oldest, monotheic scholarly quintessential religious literature in the world.They remain a virtual revelation by God to Zarathushtra - a Rossetta Stone for later religious leaders to decipher the universality of his message. This paper outlines 12 principles that Zarathushtra details, making Zoroastrianism a rational and non prescriptive religion - ideally suited for the yearnings fo the modern man.

Mr. Keki R. Bhote a life long student of Zoroastrian theology and history and a pioneer in furthering Zoroastrianism in North America. A founding influence in both the Zoroastrian association of America and of the Zoroastrian Association of Metropolitan Chicago, he served these organizations as president and trustee respectively. Mr Bhote has chaired the 2nd Zoroastrian Symposium of North America. A much sought after lecturer, he has presented at over 100 church groups and , most notably, at athe Parliament for the World's Religion's Centennial Gathering in Chicago in 1993, as well as, at the 3rd World Zoroastrian Conference . Currently he lectures on Zoroastrianism and comparative religions at YMCA College, serves as a member of the Boardof Directors of the World Zoroastrian Organization, as Vice President, Center for Ancient Iranian Studies - Boston, MA and as Chairman of the Committee on "the Future of Zoroastrianism" for the Federation of Zoroastrians of North America. He is also the President of Keki R. Bohti Associates, a consulting company specializing in Quality and Productivity Improvement.

Chaos As A Source of Creation: A Spiritual Approach
Chaos can be a stimulus toward fear and retreat, or it can be an opening into rich new possibilities which uses principles of spiritual transformation and new science teachings. This presentation will offer explanations about the true potential of chaos and how to work with it. Participants will be given guidelines for developing a simple spiritual practice to meet the challenge of rapid change and unpredictability.

Barbara Blackwill has been a transformational consultant for individuals, groups, and organizations for over 30 years. She synthesizes spiritual transformation principles and new science. She is active in CoreLight's Meditations For Peace program. She currently lives in California.

Connections: Sages and Sage Wisdom, African and Chinese
There is a renewed interest in sages evident today in various societies and scholarly research projects. The return to the tradition of ancient wisdom is viewed as an important resource for understanding individual cultural ways of thinking and living, but also more generally they offer philosophical resources that bear upon ourselves as humans and our place in the environment. Our presentations examine some major features of traditons of sage wisdom in Africa and China. Professor Presbey will profile African sage wisdom based upon her study of African worldviews and her fieldwork research in Kenya. Professor Blakely will profile Chinese sage wisdom as this is expressed in the early and middles phases of the Confucian tradition. We will then advance suggestions regarding the contemporary importance of sage wisdom traditions.

Dr. Gail Presbey, Fulbright Scholar, University Nairobi, author of several articles, a book, Nonviolence: Social and Psychological Issues, and co-editor of The Philosophical Quest. Dr. Donald Blakeley, Professor of Philosophy, California State University, Fresno, author of articles on topics in Asian and Western philosophy.

The Story of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints: From Sectarian Violence to the Pursuit of Peace
The church was begun in 1830 under the leadership of Joseph Smith, Jr. in the state of New York, USA. It's sectarian and increasingly militant nature resulted in persecution, retaliation and finally the assassination of Joseph Smith in 1844. The Reorganized Church, which gathered around Joseph Smith III, son of the first prophet, has sought a more peaceful path. This is presently symbolized by its presence in 40 nations and, in 1994, the dedication of a temple for the pursuit of peace, reconciliation and healing of the spirit.

Panelists: Andrew Bolton - Coordinator for Peace and Justice Ministries at the church's international headquarters. A native of England, he taught multi-faith religious education in a Leicester school from 1985-94, completed teacher training at Westminster College, Oxford, 1994-1997, and was religious education adviser for Leicester city schools from 1997-1998. Bunda Chibwe- Associate regional administrator for the church in Africa with specific responsibility for Zambia and Lubumbashi area in the Congo. Born in Mwense, Zambia, he has worked as a minister for the church since 1982. Mary Ooko- is a missionary for the church in South Africa. Born in Kisumu, Kenya, her current ministerial work includes developing a young peacemakers club with children. Previously she trained and then worked as a teacher with children who are hearing impaired. Main Presenter: Grant McMurray- 7th President of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints and the first who is not a direct descendent of the church's founder, Joseph Smith Jr. A native of Toronto, Canada he has worked since 1971 at the international headquarters of the church in Independence, Missouri, USA.

Spiritual Direction: A Christian Spiritual Practice
A. Brief presentation on the history of spiritual direction in the Christian tradition. B. Description and demonstration of spiritual direction by representatives of the Institute for Spiritual Leadership. C. A panel of Institute representatives discussing their experiences of using spiritual direction in various cultural and religious settings. D. Bibliography and resources, See Attached Sheet

1) Patricia Bombard, B.V.M., is executive director of the Institute for Spiritual Leadership, Chicago, Il, USA. She is a Roman Catholic, and is currently working on a Doctor of Ministry degree at Chicago Theological Seminary. 2) Thomas Torinus is a graduate of ISL and a former journalist and businessman. He is a member of the United Church of Christ and currently is involved in spiritual companioning, community-building work and teaching spirituality. 3) Dabula Mpako is a Roman catholic priest with the Archdiocese of Pretoria and native of South Africa. He is pastor of a parish and is involved in spiritual direction work. 4) Kathleen Bridge, S.N.D., is a Roman Catholic and member of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. She is a native of South Africa, and currently does religious formation work in her congregation.

Focusing: A Tool for the Inner Journey
A. History and Descriptionm of focusing, a process developed by Eugene Gendlin, PhD, University of Chicago. B. Demonstration of focusing as a tool for intercultural exploration of personal religious experience and authentic spiritual accompaniament. C. Information of training resources. - See Attached Sheet - Representatives of the Institute for Spiritual Leadership will lead a program that includes a description and demonstration of the technique of Focusing, a holistic process, which unites body, mind, and spirit. The program invites people to live in an integrated fashion.

1) Patricia Bombard, B.V.M., is executive director of the Institute for Spiritual Leadership, Chicago, Il, USA. She is a Roman Catholic, and is currently working on a Doctor of Ministry degree at Chicago Theological Seminary. 2) Thomas Torinus is a graduate of ISL and a former journalist and businessman. He is a member of the United Church of Christ and currently is involved in spiritual companioning, community-building work and teaching spirituality. 3) Dabula Mpako is a Roman catholic priest with the Archdiocese of Pretoria and native of South Africa. He is pastor of a parish and is involved in spiritual direction work. 4) Kathleen Bridge, S.N.D., is a Roman Catholic and member of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. She is a native of South Africa, and currently does religious formation work in her congregation.

Conflict Resolution with Heart
Many who pray for peace cannot resolve disagreements in their own families, churches, and communities. This 3 hour workshop offers a practical and transformative approach to address conflicts between individuals, religious organizations, communities, and nations. It can also be used to empower individuals and groups to cooperatively address critical present time needs which confront the human community. This healing brings people together by focusing on expressing and receiving universal feelings and needs; and making clear requests (not demands). The workshop is based on the model of nonviolent (or compassionate) communication developed by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg, founder and Education Director of the Center for Nonviolent Communication.

Presenter, Carroll Boone, J.D., M.S.W. is doing business as Coaching and Mediation Services. Carroll is an active member of the center for Spiritual Living, empowerment groups and teaches "Communication from the Heart as a Spiritual Practice." Her mediation practice focuses on organization and community dispute resolution.

Clairvoyance and One's Spiritual Life: How It Works
This presentation will offer techniques for self-guided meditation that enable one to access one's spiritual abilities, such as clairvoyance, and show how one can use these abilities in everyday life.

VRR Dr. Susan Hull Bostwick, presenter CEO, Church of Divine Man and its Seminary: The Berkeley Psychic Institute. President, Deja vu Publishing co. Managing Editer, The Psychic Reader Newspaper. Founder, Yin Yang School for Psychic Children.

Rememberance, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation
Jim Kenney has details

Marcus Braybrook is a trustee of the International Interfaith Center and president of the World Congress of Faiths as well as author of several books on interfaith work. He was co-editor of "All in Good Faith."

Religious attitudes towards Organ Transplants
The program will outline the different attitudes of people of faiths; both doners and recipients of kidney transplants. A discussion on organ tranplants will follow.

Mary Braybrook is an experienced medical social worker who has worked at the Renal Care Unit of Oxford and has made a special study of this subject. She is an active member of the World Congress of Faith and the International Interfaith Center.

Religions and Science: Is it time for Repentance?
The relationship of science and religion is basically a religious and spiritual problem. How is knowledge developed, cultivated, and used for the health and well-being of our earthly home? Conflicts between religion and science and among religious traditions arise out of limiting beliefs about reality and embrace a more inclusive vision is a pathway to repentance. Two aspects of this pathway are discussed: transformations of knowledge and religious practice growing out the mixing of traditions; and the emerging generalized cosmic-vison of the sciences.

David Breed is a consultant, teacher, and writer. He has published Yoking Religion and Science: The Life and Thought of Ralph Wendell Burhoe. He serves on the boards of The Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions and the Institute for World Spirituality.

A Solution for Humanity
A thorough study of all religions leads to the conclusion that all religions are one, not their historical accuracy or separate customs, but in their essential message: All of humanity is one common family; all religions come from one divine source; all ethics is essentially contained in the Golden Rule; divinity can be experienced and realized in the individual through prayer/meditation/contemplation; good deeds are rewarded, evil deeds are punished; etc. The noble effort of Cao Dai is to unite all of humanity through a common vision of the Supreme Being, whatever our minor differences, in order to promote peace and understanding throughout the world.

Born on 6-30-1943 in Vietnam, Medical doctor:1968 Military Surgeon of the Vietnam Army: 1969-1974 City Council at Tayninh: 1974-1975. To the USA: 1975 General Secretary of Caodai Overseas since 1993

Definition of Religion in American Law: Ambiguous Implications for Religious Diversity
Religion is defined from different perspectives. As such, the United States Supreme Court cannot take one perspective on religion if the free exercise of religion is to be respected. But how do judges even know what is a religion when they think they see it? Limiting the recognition of religion to a judicial perspective would not fare well for religion. Yet, the Court must decide cases, especially with regard to exemptions from government control of religion and distribution of benefits to religion from government. Thus, given the fact that any conception of religion will be perspectival, the Court still needs some general outline of what at least looks like a functioning religion, without passing judgment on the "truth" of religion.

Ph.D. in systematic theology from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago (1984). J. D. From Valparaiso University School of Law (Dec. 1998, awaiting state bar results). Lecturer in Theology and Religious Studies at both parochial and secular institutions. Former editor: Bulletin of the Council of Societies for the Study of Religion (1986-1995). Publications in the area of theology/ science/ ethics (Zygon, anthology on Albrecht Ritschl). President, Calumet Chapter, Indiana Civil Liberties Union (1988-present). Starting private practice of law and will continue teaching part-time at LSTC.

Scientology: Religious Solution for a Secular World
Information about and deconstruction of social betterment progress in the area of education, drugs and criminal rehabilitation. Moral rejuvenation based on the words of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard

T.B.A. Al Buttnor , director of Public Affairs. Church of Scientology of Toronto.

CAODAISM, the Third Universal Amnesty of God
What is Caodaism? How it was created? Philosophy and doctrine of Caodism How does Caodaism represent God Organizational structure of Caodaism Esotericism in Caodaism. How are spiritual disciplines implemented in Caodaism? How Caodaism interacts, with the mainline religions such as Buddhism Christianity, Confucianism, etc. How Caodaism adapts to the different social and cultural aspects of the world Persecution and repression of Caodaism in Vietnam. How to promote respect for fundamental human rights and freedom of religion or belief in Vietnam.

1) Mr. Tran Quang Canh, President, Cao Dai Overseas Missionary. Mr. Canh is a sub-dignitary and is also the head of the Cao Dai Temple of Washington DC. 2) Dr. Sergei Blagov, Associate Professor, Institute of Asian and African Studies, University of Moscow, Russia. 3) Mr. Christopher Hartney is a graduate student in World Religions, University of Sydney, Australia.

Sacred Passage: A Model for Psychospiritual Transformation
Ecopsychology is a model that interprets the human condition, both healthy and pathological, in relationship to the living Earth, known as Gaia. Sacred Passage is a contemporary experiential program that provides a safe container for radical psychospiritual transformation in an 11-day model. This experience occurs in a 108 pace circle in sacred places throughout the world. The participant is prepared for a seven-day solo experience in Silence with no distractions. The presenter will use his own experiences, and that of his therapy clients, to describe the invariant process of psychological death and rebirth that occurs in the Sacred Passage basic program.

Dr. Canterbury-Counts is a clinical psychologist and adjunct Florida Atlantic University professor. He is the founder of the Center for Sacred Psychology, a member of the National Academy of Neuropsychology, the Center for Jungian Studies of SE Florida, and listed in Who's Who in America and Who's Who in the World. He is a spiritual student of Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati and lives with his family at Kashi Ashram, Florida.

The Black Mother: The Essential Archetype for a New Millennia
In the 1930s the psychologist Carl Jung wrote that if contemporary civilization did not rediscover the importance of the Feminine and integrate this archetype into our lives there would be no hope for the existence of humanity. Dr. Jean Houston has offered that one of the most significant events that makes this period in history unique is the emergence and honoring of the Feminine. the archetype of the Mother will be discussed with its psychospiritual implications. A particular emphasis will be placed on the Black Mother, Kali, and the wisdom She offers us. The psychological technique of the identification and integration of shadow projection is discussed as a practical means of using the "fierce love" of this Black Mother.

Dr. Canterbury-Counts is a clinical psychologist and adjunct Florida Atlantic University professor. He is the founder of the Center for Sacred Psychology, a member of the National Academy of Neuropsychology, the Center for Jungian Studies of SE Florida, and listed in Who's Who in America and Who's Who in the World. He is a spiritual student of Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati and lives with his family at Kashi Ashram, Florida.

Experiencing Unity Through the Prayer of the Heart
The Prayer of the Heart is a spiritual meditation in which participants unite their minds with their hearts by repeating a sacred prayer word, preferably a NAME OF GOD such as Jesus, Yahweh, or Allah, to quiet the mind and experience the presence of God within. All thoughts, emotions, and images pass by without judgment. This often results in an experience of warmth and light, patience and understanding, peace and joy, love and wisdom. By practicing this meditation daily, participants experience release of stress and tension, feel more generous and compassionate, find inner peace, and feel whole and awake. In this workshop, I will explain the 'Prayer of the Heart' & then have the group experience it for themselves. 6.4

Barbara S. Carpenter is a licensed clinical social worker. She has been a regular daily mediator since 1969 and has meditated for months at a time. She founded the Network of Light in 1979, an organization that honors and celebrates all paths to the light, and which has hosted interfaith events for the Washington, D.C. area for 19 years. She has taught the 'Prayer of the Heart' workshop around the word, at a United Nations conference, at the Women's Conference in Beijing, and at Habitat II in Istanbul.

Healing Religious Wounds-Joining a Research-Action
Healing religious wounds has become an increasingly obvious need in our world. When war breaks out, religious wounds almost always contribute to the devastation. In 1996 the Interfaith Center at the Presidio made a commitment to examine the theme carefully to discover healing ways and how to implement them in a fractured world. This workshop surveys the international horizon for examples of healing religious wounds, discusses the first learnings from the Interfaith Center's projects, and offers an opportunity to participate in "The Listening Project," an international research project to discern the wisest contributions our respective faith traditions can offer in the quest to heal religious wounds.

Paul Chauffee grew up in Asia, son of Presbyterian missionaries. He is ordained in the United Church of Christ (USA), the founding executive director of the Interfaith Center at the Presidio, and member of the board of directors of the United Religious Initiative. The revised edition of his Accountable Leadership- A Resource Guide for Sustaining Legal, Financial, and Tubical Integrity in Today's Congregations (Jossey-Bass) was published in 1997.

Enhancing trust and vitality within and among faith communities
Appreciative inquiry is a methodology developed by David Cooperrider and others in the field of organizational development. It has been used as the guiding approach of the United Religions Initiative and in a variety of ways at the Interfaith Center at the Presidio. As a Founding member of both these projects, the presenter has seen appreciative inquiry at work in various settings. He has also brought appreciative inquiry to congregations and clergy for use not only in their interfaith activities but within their individual faith families and in relations with various other communities. This workshop is a practical exercise focused on the best benefit of appreciative inquiry (for this presenter) -- its ability to enhance trust and vitality within and among groups of people, beginning with our one-on-one relationships. The workshop would (1) briefly cover some basic principles and values in an appreciative approach; (2) offer time to "do" appreciative inquiry instead of just learning "about" it; (3) provide resources so people can continue learning about this discipline; and (4) leave some time for questions and to consider what's been learned before breaking up.

Paul Chauffee grew up in Asia, son of Presbyterian missionaries. He is ordained in the United Church of Christ (USA), the founding executive director of the Interfaith Center at the Presidio, and member of the board of directors of the United Religious Initiative. The revised edition of his Accountable Leadership- A Resource Guide for Sustaining Legal, Financial, and Tubical Integrity in Today's Congregations (Jossey-Bass) was published in 1997.

The Heart of our Values: Our Meeting Place
Human values open the heart and transform human nature so that life is filled with compassion and humility. Through constant awareness of inner values, a person develops the ability to discern truth and to follow the path of truth, within whichever religious frame of reference that person chooses. This workshop is an opportunity to bring into awareness and "cross-fertilize" the seeds of specific human values which make life meaningful. Participants are united on the basis of having a pure desire for and loving belief in the core values within each human being. They will experience the meeting place beyond the external differences of their religions while acknowledging the richness of each faith. They will also understand each other from the heart, where love is present, and make progress towards a better world will be possible. Two workshop coordinators will invoke the spirit of human values by presenting the core human values from an interfaith perspective, and by describing experiences of finding common ground in interfaith gatherings. This will be followed by an in-depth exchange between the presenters and participants and also among participants. The workshop coordinators will steer the discussion, offer feedback, and recognize different voices throughout the session. The workshop will conclude with time for silent reflection.

B.K. Sister Chandru has been a full-time teacher with the Brahma Kumaris since 1964, and has been teaching and practicing Raja Yoga meditation for nearly three decades. She has administered Brahma Kumaris Center in Africa, Canada, and the United States, and is currently the Director of the regional main center in San Francisco, California. In addition to her administrative and teaching duties at the San Francisco center, she is a board member of the United Religions Initiative of San Francisco, and has played an administrative role in the 1997 and 1998 URI International Conferences at Stanford University. She is also the vice chair of the San Francisco Interfaith Council, and the retreats at the San Francisco Brahma Kumaris Center.

The Korean Buddhist Ch'on'tae Order and the Avalokitesvara Meditation
Through this lecture, I would like to introduce the Korean Buddhist Ch'ont'ae Order (KBCO) to the world community and to make known its practice and social activities in Korea. The main contents are: A Brief History of KBCO, The Life of the Most Venerable Sangwol, The Found Spirit of KBCO, where KBCO stands, The Avalokitesvara Meditation as the Fundamental Practice.

Lecturer: Chong-yoon Jeon is President of the Executive Council of the Korean Buddhist Ch'ont'ae Order (KBCO), President of the Chungbuk Taekwondo Association, and Vice President of the Council of Korean Buddhist Orders. In 1966 he became a Buddhist monk as a disciple of the Most Venerable Sangwol-wongak. Particpants: Jin-soo Kim, Director of the Division of Education, KBCO Young-nam Kim, Director of the Division of General Affairs, KBCO Jong-yul Park, Director of the Division of Ethic, KBCO Young-joo Kim, Associate Director of the Division of Personnel, KBCO Ki-soo Kim, Associate Director of the Division of Instruction, KBCO Sun-Ho Kim, Assistant Director of the Division of Broadcasting, KBCO Jae-chang Lee, President of the Kumkang Buddhist College Sang-hyum Kim, Professor, Dongguk University Hwee-ok Jang, Professor, Dongguk University Sa-up Kim, Professor, Dongguk University

The River School: A Model for Education in the 21st Century
Founded by Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati, the River School weaves spirituality, service and awareness along with a consciousness of non-bigotry and non-violence with a quality education in an inspirational, creative, thought-provoking environment. The River School staff and students will discuss why this model will impact education in the 21st Century and how inter-generational cooperation and embracing diversity have given these students a broader, global perspective in their lives.

Anjani Cirillo, Principle of the River School Kashi Frank, Teacher Panel of Students from the River School

Gratitude as an Interreligious Dynamic among Second-Generation Japanese Americans
The Paper will examine the importance of gratitude as a religious value in the lives of second-generation (Nisei) Japanese Americans. It will be argued that, for this group of people who identify themselves using a well-defined generational construct, gratitude serves as a key dynamic for shaping their life experiences as they grow older, regardless of whether individuals hold Christian or Buddhist faith affirmations.

Rev. Peter Yuichi Clark is an ordained American Baptist minister, a doctoral candidate at Emory University in Atlanta, and a Chaplain at St. Mary's Medical Center in San Francisco. His research interests are in Asian American religions and aging populations.

Creating Ritual
Bringing the sacred into everyday life. Creating live and spontaneous rituals, which mark and honor gateways and transitions in the human journey through life, will weave together all religions and cultural traditions. These rituals will include all members of the global community.

Religious science minister, Stephanie Clarke, teaches classes, facilitates workshops and writes for International publications in the field of spiritual psychology and metaphysics. She has a large private clientele as a licensed practitioner, reaching out across cultural and color lines. Stephanie is returning to S. Africa (12/99) to establish an inter-racial non-denominational ministry.

Global Ethic Ceremony Interfaith Liturgy-- Workshop
The workshops will be comprised of previously selected interfaith leaders, speakers, and musicians. These workshops would include a discussion of Global Ethic Principals and a choice of a creative project; Visual Art, Dance, Dramatization, Music, Media Outreach, Culminating Event, and sharing.

AFGE- is comprised of artists of various disciplines all currently living in the San Francisco Bay Area. We have been creating and performing works based on the Global Ethic Concepts since the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations in 1995.

The Labyrinth: Walk a Sacred Path
Experience a mystical tradition found throughout the world. Walk this path of prayer, this archetype of wholeness and unity. Through this ancient meditation tool, you will experience a sacred space that benefits body and soul. The "Labyrinth experience" is a pathway to a spiritual journey.

Sandra Comeau is a facilitator for Veriditas, a World-Wide Labyrinth Project at Grace Cathedral. She brings to the "labyrinth experience" her extensive training in ancient cultures, sacred geometry, spiritual counseling and various other healing traditions, as well as a degree in Cross-Cultural Studies.

The Labyrinth: Rediscovering a Sacred Path
Explore the history of this ancient meditation tool. Through a slide presentation we'll examine labyrinths throughout the world. This discussion includes ancient archetypes and metaphors as they relate to this mystical ritual. Emphasis is on the process of using this powerful tool for transformation of individuals and communities.

Sandra Comeau is a facilitator for Veriditas, a World-Wide Labyrinth Project at Grace Cathedral. She brings to the "labyrinth experience" her extensive training in ancient cultures, sacred geometry, spiritual counseling and various other healing traditions, as well as a degree in Cross-Cultural Studies.

Interfaith Peacemaking: The Work of the Fellowship of Reconciliation
The Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) is the largest, oldest interfaith peace and justice organization in the United States and in the world. The International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR), founded in 1914, has over a half million members in forty countries. The FOR "envisions a world of justice, peace, and freedom. It is a revolutionary vision of a beloved community where differences are respected, conflicts addressed nonviolently, oppressive structures dismantled, and where people live in harmony with the earth, nurtured by diverse spiritual traditions that foster compassion, solidarity, and reconciliation." This presentation and exhibit will feature some of the current initiatives of the FOR.

John Copenhaver, a university professor and United Methodist Clergy, has served on the National Council of the Fellowship of Reconciliation (USA) for three years and chairs its Interfaith Committee. He has been involved in interfaith dialogue and peacemaking for twenty years. He is the author of Prayerful Responsibility, a book examining the religious thought of Douglas Steere, a Quaker pioneer in interfaith spirituality.

Parenting and Spirituality
Parenting in this modern era is a challenge. This is a workshop that will call parents into remembering the need for balance in areas of mind, body and spirit. We need to teach our children values of tolerance, forgiveness and compassion. We can help them by pursuing our own spiritual path and understanding other faiths. We will do a balancing exercise.

Judith Costello, MA, ATR-BC is a registered art therapist. She is the creator of "Peter's Path; a journal on parenting and spirituality." The journal is circulated primarily in the USA and inspires parents to teach tolerance, awareness and compassion. It is an interfaith journal and is available at the conference. Judith is the mother of two.

Men and Earth Stewardship/Service
Structure of event still in planning stages.

Forest Craver- Writer, Social Activist. Robert Moore- International Men's Movement Leader. Philip Hazelton- Environmentalist- World Bank.

All Our Relations: Interfaith Dialogue on Human Rights
The proposed four-part dialogue session "All our Relations: Interfaith Dialogues on Human Rights" was envisioned after conversations on spirit and its relation to human rights. Has spirit expressed herself in the contemporary calling for a human rights culture that was imagined 51 years ago in the United Nations? Living spirit lives in the core of all religions and spiritual material cultures and this spirit, timeless and omnipresent, calls for all to live in dignity. "The Universal Declaration of Human Rights," the "Call To Guiding Institutions," the "Principles of A Global Ethic" and many other documents speak essentially the same truth: Life is precious.

Charmaine Crockett works as an economic and financial research analyst on a consultative basis. She is a writer and has been a human rights activist with UN affiliates for several years and has been active in the processes of globalization and its effect on spirituality, politics and compassion in the United States. Most recently, she organized a symposium on the "Soul of Human Rights" at the United Nations, New York headquarters with Yasmine Sherif, Esq, Dr. Robert Muller and herself. She is currently editing a book on human rights fiction and poetry. Kristi Rudelius-Palmer is the co-director of the Human Rights center at the University of Minnesota and the founder and director of the Human rights USA Resource Center, a national clearinghouse for human rights education materials and training. In 1992, kristi became the founding director for the Partners in Human Rights Education Program, which to date has trained more than 1,000 lawyers, teachers and community advocates to teach approximately 25, 000 youth about their human rights and responsibilities. She has presented at numerous national,, regional, and local conferences and has designed and taught primary, secondary, university and community courses on human rights education.

Peace and Human Unity in the New millennium
Meditation cuts across cultural, professional, and social boundaries. More and more people all over the world, realizing that professional success is no guarantee of personal happiness, are seeking their own transformational experience through spirituality. Dr. Czerny will speak about meditation as a way to balance personal and professional life with spiritual vision. She speaks from her experience as an internationally recognized economist and a person who ,herself ,has been meditating for many years.

Dr Czerny is an economic scientist and economic policy advisor to the Austrian government and the European union Presidency. She is head of the department of East-West Relations, infrastructure, housing policy, and comparative international economics of the Austrian institute of Economic research. She has organized conferences for OECD, World Bank, the European Union and other national and international organizations.

Healing our Hearts: Working for Interfaith Reconciliation in India
An introduction to the practical work of laying the foundations for peace. Our input focuses on the work of the Henry Martyn Institute in Hyderbad, India, particularly its work of bringing Hindus & Muslims together in violence-prone inner city areas. After an overview, we will facilitate a discussion of this aspect of building strong interfaith relationships. 6.4

Andreas D'souza is the director of the Henry Martyn Institute. He has his Ph.D. in Islamic studies from McGill, is a former Capuchin Monk, and teaches yoga. Diane D'souza is the assistant director at the Henry Martyn Institute in Charge of their practical outreach and engagements. She is involved in the academic study of religion, as well as being an artist, and a student of the Bharatnatayam Dance Form. Diane & Andreas will be co-presenters.

HAUNTED BY GOD: THE LIFE OF DOROTHY DAY and QADISHTU (SANCTIFIED WOMEN)
Haunted by God is a one-woman show about Dorothy Day, co-founder of the Catholic Worker movement. Sojourner's magazine hailed it as a "wonderfully uplifting... theater experience." This dramatic portrait tells the story of the woman The New York Times eulogized as a "nonviolent social radical of luminous personality." Dorothy Day (1897-1980) was a powerful woman of immense conviction who found herself jailed many times because she stood up for her beliefs. In New York(1933) she and French born itinerant philosopher Peter Maurin co-founded the Catholic Worker, a living movement that has been responsible for feeding and housing the homeless while maintaining a national monthly -read paper.

Anita Stenger Dacanay earned a B. F. A. in Acting from Dayton's Wright State University in 1988. She has lived and worked in Chicago as an actress, arts educator, poet, and performance artist for the past ten years, and currently serves as co-director of still Point Theater Collective. Anita is also a member of the women's performance ensemble, "The Empress Has Red clothes."

Religion and Secular Politics: Lessons from Panikkar
The issue of relation of religion and secular politics is usually treated in terms of church and state relations. In the United States, the argument is that the "wall of separation" between church and state must be kept "high and unimpregnable." Many other countries follow this scheme. However, Raimon Panikkar suggests a different way of looking at the issue, namely from the people's point of view. People who are religious believers are also political citizens of a state. The issue is thus how to negotiate in-side the mind and heart of people the relation between faith and secular politics.

Prof. Fred Dallmayr holds a Doctor of Law degree from the University of Munich and a Ph D. from Duke Univ. Since 1978, he is the Packey J. Dee Chair of Political theory at the Univ. of Notre Dame. He has published more than the dozen books in Western political philosophy and in cross-cultural philosophy among them Beyond Orientalism (1996) and Alternative Visions: Paths in the Global Village (1998).

Crooning Rituals: Affirming Older Women
The wisdom of elders, especially women, is not highly valued in Western society when, the experience and knowledge they have to offer is greatly needed. Women's spirituality groups are using the ritual of crooning to validate and nurture older women, and those about to become older women, in a community setting. We use the term crone to recapture some earlier positive meanings of wise woman associated with the triple goddess archetype of Maiden-Mother-Crone. We hope women will journey to a deeper, freer experience of themselves, accept their own power, and lend their strength and wisdom to the world.

Claudia Dancing practices social work in a private counseling practice, a hospital, and retirement home. She facilitates crooning rituals for individuals and groups. She is a past board member of the Central Midwest District's Women and Religion Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Association. She is a member of the Unitarian Church of Evanston (IL), serving on committees and the board of Trustees. Claudia holds LCSW and ACSW certifications and is an NASW Diplomate in Clinical Social Work.

World Tibet Day and the Interfaith Call: The making of a major worldwide annual event
The session will cover the goals and structure of World Tibet Day (WTD), as well as its rapid growth in size, scope, and impact. Having started in a few cities in the U.S. in July of 1998, WTD was observed this July in hundreds of sites aroung the world; the related Interfatith Call for Freedom of Worship in Tibet and Universal Religious Freedom was held in well over a thousand houses of worship. The workshop will be led by Brahma Das, Executive Director of WTD (and a student of Ma Jaya Bhagavati, who founded WTD). He will illustrate how this multi-faceted event was developed into a major occurrence of value and significance, despite having few initial resources and he will open discussions on restoring religious, cultural, and political freedom for the Tibetan people.

He presently serves as Media Chairman for the International Interreligious Initiative of the Parliament of the World's Religions. He is also the Executive Director of the Council for World Tibet Day. He is also serving as Media Director for two other organizations founded by Ma Jaya. He was a Pulitzer Prize nominee in History, (Across the Barricades, Lippincott, 1971) as well as a National Correspondent from the U.S. Senate for Westinghouse Broadcasting. He is now a writer, editor, and consultant on various issues. He also teaches journalism and comparative religion at the River School, a small private School in Sebastian, Florida.

Technology, Information Revolution and Lifestyle Adjustments in Families
With the rapid advances in technology, information is available to children and adults within seconds of its transmission. This has both advantages and disadvantages. This presentation will discuss what effect this technological revolution is having on family life style, family values, religious knowledge, morality, ethics, on socialization, and interpersonal relationships. The technological revolution is affecting and will continue to affect our psyche and our way of responding. What role will women as keepers of family values or transmitters of oral religious traditions have in the next decade?

Dastoor is a clinical psychologist and an Asst. Prof. Psychiatry McGill University. She is also the immediate past president of FEZANA (Federation of Zoroastrian Association of North America).

Neo Buddhism & Rising Activism for Human Rights in India
This paper describes the historical and current condition of ex-untouchables in India, who number about 200 million people. Their search for equality and human dignity has resulted in the rise of Neo Buddhism. The paper also addresses issues of increasing struggle for human rights, with particular emphasis on the role of Neo Buddhism in the success and failure of activism aimed at improving human rights for these masses in India. The writer also advocates that the rise of Buddhism creates conditions conducive for increased social harmony and peace, which today seem like a mirage and mere dreams.

The Ravelling Back Into the Text of Her Genesis: Poetry About One Woman's Way Home to the Divine Feminine
The Ravelling Back Into the Text of Genesis is an extended poem cycle about a late 20th century European/American woman and her long, difficult, ecstatic return to the Divine Feminine. She is born of family of religiously and ethnically mixed ancestry: Irish Catholic and New England Puritan. Her family was afflicted with a strong fear and hatred of feminine and the vulnerable. In other words, they are still heavily burdened, generations after the fact, with the fallout of various persecutions -- including witch-burning -- that their forebears committed or underwent in the name of an exclusively male God, largely because she is female and disabled. She is scapegoated and abused from an early age, yet she is determined to create a life and a family of her own without perpetuating the negativities in her personal and her ancestral history. Along the way, she finds joy and healing in the discovery and re-discovery that her real Source is surprisingly different from anything she had ever been led to believe. The author will read selections from the three parts of the poem cycle: I. Offering: Where to Burn, How, If II. Mercy I Desire Not Sacrifice III. Twenty-First Century Canticle of the Woman Clothed With the Sun

Buddhist/Christian religious affiliation; poet and nonfiction writer whose work has appeared in such magazines as The Roll, Fellowship In Prayer, Pudding, Utne Reader; Volunteer/ participant in the 1996 Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies conference and the Parliament's Sounds of Harmony Concert, among other interfaith dialogue events.

Let's Experience God
Everyone has experiences in life that have moved them to deeper levels of faith and belief that there is an energy--a power beyond us --that is powerful, yet loving and caring. This experiential workshop will allow participants the opportunity to find a safe space to open a discussion about those experiences.

Sister Pratima is Director of Brahma Kumaris in Chicago and is Trustee of the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions. She has been a teacher in Raja Yoga Meditation for over 25 years.

The Cultural Unconscious and the Female Psyche: Religious Factors in the Liberation of the Female Self.
1) Healing the Female Psyche: The Contemporary Challenge. 2) Dynamic factors in the healing process: A psychoanalytic perspective. 3) The role of cultural and religious factors in forming and deforming the female self. 4) Engaging the pathological constructions of the feminine: Some Conclusions.

Dr. Dhanahan is a Jungian psychoanalyst and co-director of the Program in Jung and Spirituality at the Institute for World Spirituality. She teaches at the C.G. Jung Institute of Chicago and Chicago Theological Seminary and lectures widely on topics relating to women, psychology and spirituality.

Partnership: A Development Methodology for Equity and Community Building North & South
Katalysis' Partnership, doing international microcredit development in four Central American countries with seven nationally-based NGOs, has developed and lived the Partnership methodology presented here over the past 15 years. This is the story of development based on partnership values and community building by way of creating equity primarily for and among women through micro-financing of micro-entrepeneurs; of the 22,000 Katalysis and Partners clients 85% are women. The transfer of resources and formation of "human capital" occur at all levels of the partnership network. Both business and organizational training of women and men is rooted in creating a community of support for the micro-entrepeneurs, so that the transfer of economic resources will actually mature and become sustainable. The emphasis is on creating economic and "human capital" within the concept of community. This presentation will review the story, the evolution, and impact of this methodology, with reference to the transformation occurring for southerners and northeners.

Marget Diener, O.P., is a Dominican Sister of San Rafael, California, and Director of Administration for Katalysis Partnership, an international nonprofit committed to the economic and sustainable development of its southern partners and their clients. Margaret's efforts are directed to organizational and human resources development within the context of the larger development efforts of Katalysis. She has over 25 years' experience in education, administration and spirituality.

Between Confucianism and Christianity: Ethical Guidelines for International Business
The internationalization of business has made business people more aware of their religious differences. One of the most striking challenges of the 21st century will be to set up an inter-religious dialogue about ethical issues in international business.

Prof. Michel Dion (Universite de Sherbrooke, Canada) will conduct the workshop with assistance from Prof. Want Yi-Hua (Business School, People's University of China) and Want Jui-Xing (Academy of Social Sciences of China); and Prof. Yang Xiang Ju (Renmin University of China).

There is no Religion Higher than Truth
My presentation will be about trying to find the link to all religious beliefs, in order to bring about a true brotherhood of all religious people.

The presenter was born in Camaguey, Cuba and came to the United States as a refugee in 1961. He has been a member of the Theosophical Society since 1967. He retired from IBM in 1992, after working there 20 years. He attended the 1993 Parliament in Chicago and considers that event the highest spiritual point in his life.

Why is the Cathedral Heritage Foundation a National Model?
I. The Founding of Cathedral Heritage Foundation A. A Unique Partnership; B. An Urban Revitalization Project; C. Creation of a Spiritual Center for the Whole Community. II. The Festival of Faiths A. Concept Development; B. Four Year Progression; C. International Recognition. III. A Guiding Institution Partnership A. Working history with Kentuckiana Educational Television; B. The Media as a Partner; C. Education as Focus. IV. Future Plan A. Festival of Faiths; B. Sharing of Houses of Worship.

Christina Lee Brown is the current president of the Cathedral Heritage Foundation and serves on its Board of Directors. She is a co-founder of CHF and has taken a leadership role since its beginning in 1985. Michelle Staggs Doninger has been the Executive Director of Cathedral Heritage Foundation since 1997. Together Christy, Michelle, and hundreds of volunteers are responsible for developing and implementing the restoration and revitalization plans for CHF into one of the most significant cathedral projects in the country and an internationally acclaimed festival celebrating the diversity and unity of our faiths.

New Stratgies Developed by Indonesian Muslims and Christians in the Face of the Post-Suharto Situation
I contacted them to fill the PDW

Dancing with the Divine: The Role of the Imagination on our Spiritual Journeys
The imagination is to the soul what breath is to the physical body. What is an imagination? How is the imagination different than creativity? How do each of us use our imaginations? Do we dance with the Divine? How are we imagining the future? Through questions and participants' dialogue, it is my intent to awaken the awareness of the imagination and how it can become the sacred imagination.

Author/ Illustrator of How to Bring Angels to Earth and Angel Playtime (published1998). Co-author with Clare Buckland of Always Becoming Forever: A Journal of Conscious Dying, Soul witness to others' spiritual journeys: 1985-present. Creativity consultant 1995-present. Third year teacher training with Leslie Temple-Thurston.

Kriyayoga: The Sacred Practice for Evolving and Uniting Humanity.
The sacred practice of the Kriyayoga Teachings and Techniques embraces that particular system which imparts harmony and equilibrium to all the forces and faculties that operate for the perfection of body, mind and soul. The art of meditation taught through the practice of Kriyayoga teaches one how to actually contact God or Cosmic consciousness by the application of the science of spiritual law. The Kriyayoga methods of body and mind perfection are universally applicable, uniting, and utilizing the highest contributions of both East and West in material and spiritual realms, through a spirit of good fellowship for all-sided development.

Dr. Patricia M. Doyle has been teaching and conducting meditation and healing classes for over 20 years in the spiritual traditions. She has been associated with Amrita Foundation, Inc. since 1995, and has specifically worked as an associate with Armita Foundation's Tour Programs.

The Ethical Limits of Interreligious Dialogue
The lecture will discuss an important issue in interreligious dialogue, whether there should be ethical guidelines to limit the practice of interreligious dialogue or whether such dialogue should be open-ended. It will be argued that some ethical limitations are indeed needed in dialogue and I will suggest how such limitations could be plausibly and respectully formulated in a multireligious world.

Scott Dunbar, B.A., M.A., PH.D (ABD), Professor, University of Sakatchewan (Canada). Scholar of Hinduism and interreligious dialogue.

The Problems, Challenges and Rewards of a Christian-Sikh Wedding
In this presentation, my wife and I will share with the audience our experiences and reflections of our own interfaith wedding. Such a presentation can be helpful to other couples contemplating an interfaith marriage. We intend to point potential obstacles and hazards along the way; yet at the same time reflect on the rewards that such a marriage could bring.

Mr. Scott Dunbar, Christian Ms. Sumita Bawa (Sikh) Both Canadian citizens. Married in Winnipeg, Canada

The Moral Imperatives of Global Capitalism
The paper discusses the costs and benefits of global capitalism and argues that if it is to succeed, it needs a strong moral underpinning and that virtues specific to the demands of global capitalism need to be fostered

Professor Dunning has been researching into the economics of international direct investment and multinational enterprise since 1950s. He has authored and co-authored or edited 35 books on this subject. Professor Dunning is Emeritus Professor of International Business at the University of Readings, U.K., and State of New Jersey Professor of International Business at Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA. He has honorary doctorates from the University of Uppsala in Sweden, the Autonomous University of Madrid and the University of Antwerp. [More in file.]

Can Another Religion Really Contribute to My Faith?
If we can shift our relationship to other faiths from threat to value, and find grounding in our own faith tradition, we can look at a model for encountering religions that produce deep enrichment. In this workshop, we will look at a model which views each religion as a unique access to the Divine or Ultimate or Real. Looking at the access granted by Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and Judaism in particular. How does each religion speak to basic human experiences of being lost and being found, being time-serving or time-transcending, being divided or whole? How does each address questions such as: what is worth living and dying for? What constitutes sin (misdoing, mistakes, mischief)?

The Rev. Eileen L. Epperson (Presbyterian) Interim Ministry specialist, yoga teacher. Engaged in interfaith ministries in school, hospital and parish settings and interfaith dialogue for 30 years. She is committed to global interfaith partnerships and the sustainable end of all religious violence by 2020.

Braghid Meditation to Welcome the Day (or night)
Using guided imagery, meditation and poetry, we will welcome the day (night) grounded in the ancient Realms of Land, Sea and Sky under the blessing of the Great Goddess, Brighid.

Rowan Fairgrove is a Wiccan Priestess, and Elder of Covenant of the Goddess and a Daughter of the Flame. Dotf is an international order of Priestesses dedicated to keeping Brighid's Flame alight in the world.

Suffering is Not the Enemy: How the Shared Wisdom of Buddhists and Christians Can Humanize Modernity
As societies modernize, they fall in love with "progress." It is the driving myth of every modern society that "progress" is our chief goal, and we assume that progress will eventually heal us of everything from illness to inconvenience. Though this drive for progress brings much good to the world, it also teaches us to fear suffering. Suffering is a ubiquitous feature of our human experience, wherever we live, and whatever our circumstances. Yet suffering is the challenge to our technical mastery of the world. When we think like modernists, we are threatened by suffering. We cannot abide it, so we ignore it, flee from it, make it invisible.

Presenter holds degrees from The Catholic University of America and the General Theological Seminary. The presenter is a Ph.D. candidate at Emory University, with expertise in Christian theology, social ethics and Buddhist-Christian comparative Theology. He is a priest in the Episcopal Church, USA ,with ten years of experience in parish ministry. He is married with two children.

Global Brotherhood: Building an Internet Church
Part I will be a brief overview of interfaith spirituality, and the importance of respecting and supporting spiritual diversity. Part II will be a demonstration of the strands to different links available on the World Wide Web, for example: sermons, newsletters, spiritual networks, resources, etc. Part III will offer a discussion of how to use the full benefit of what is already available. Part IV will discuss how the Internet can be used to take the place of, or as an adjunct to, a physical church for a fraction of the cost.

Honora Finkelstein, Ph.D. , and Susan Smily, M.A., are both writers, teachers, healers, and interfaith ministers. They are also Reiki teachers/masters and certified "Oneness" facilitators. They are qualified to teach this workshop because of their combined experience of teaching workshops and giving lectures internationally (with over 55 years of combined experience) and the development of a website of over 1000 pages (www.sunweaver.com).

Promoting Dialogue and Education in a Grassroots Inter-religious Organization: The Long Island Multi-Faith Forum
The purpose of this lecture and videotape presentation is to present information about, and reflection on, the work and experience of the Long Island Multi Faith Forum, an example of a young, grass roots organization created to facilitate mutual understanding among the religiously diverse members of the forum, and to educate local groups about Long Island's religious diversity and about the importance of promoting tolerance of, and appreciation for these religious communities. The lecture will be in five parts; (1) overview of the structure and activities of the Forum; (2) internal activity of the Forum; (3) external activity of the forum; (4) reflections from the experiences of the Multi Faith Forum, (5) discussion and Q& A. 6.4

Matthew Foster, An American Christian, presently teaching religion and ethics at Molloy College. Raised by missionary parents in Japan. Member of the Presbyterian Church (USA), and of the Long Island Multi-Faith Forum's Education Project. Doctorate from the University of Chicago Divinity School, and author of Gadamer and Practical Philosophy. Scholarly interests in : the practice of dialogue, the meaning of religious diversity, environmental ethics, and religion and science. Robert Reber , Assistant Presenter. An American Christian, presently Dean of Auburn Theological Seminary and organizer of it's Continuing Education Programs, including many on interreligious topics. One of the original organizers of the Long Island Multi-Faith Forum, and Chairperson of the Education Project of the Forum. Doctorate from Boston University ; formally Ex. Dir., Thompson Conference and Retreat Center (St. Louis), and Prof. of Adult Education, Scarritt College( Nashiville).

Spirituality & Service in the 21st Century - A Model for Caring
The River Fund is a service organization founded by Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati. The presentation will focus on "hands on service" and how the River House, a spiritual environment for people with life challenging illnesses, is changing the way people are cared for in the 21st Century. The River Fund provides educational and AIDS awareness programs, volunteer outreach and is the Central Florida Chapter of Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt.

Main Presenters: Bina Frank, Executive Director of the River Fund and Chandra Devi, Head Nurse Practitioner.

Sekem Egypt: Gift to the World
1) Introduction: Human Encounter As Sacrament of the Future : Bio dynamic agriculture, sacrament of the soil. (2) Sakem where a sacred encounter of man, earth, art, science, religion, meet. (3) How this gift can brought to the rest of the world.

Studied Art and Design, pioneered Design dpt. at PTA University. Co-Founded the PTA Waldorf School on Bio Dynamic Farm. Taught and trained teachers for 24 years. Started Support work and design for Sekem 1996.

What is Wicca (Neopagan Witchcraft)? An explanation of the beliefs and practices of Neopagan Witchcraft or Wicca by several Elders of the Covenant of the Goddess (COG), the largest Wiccan religious organization in the world. Although Wicca is one of the fastest growing religions in the U.S., it is often misunderstood. This talk will introduce the basic concepts of the Craft and dispell some common myths. Frew has served two terms as president of COG and five as Public Information Officer. He is a COG's National Interfaith Representative. He will be joined by other members of the Covenant of the Goddess. Deborah Ann Light served COG as a member of the Assembly of Religious and Spiritual Leaders at the 1993 Parliament. Frew and Light are COG's National Interfaith Representatives. They will be joined by other members of the Covenant of the Goddess. Neo-Pagan/Wicca

Amen--A Spiritual Approach To Peace As Creation
Amen--A Spiritual Approach To Peace As Creation Is: A spiritual inquiry of the Hebrew word-root "A.M.N," how it brings into convergence such notions as: "Faith," 0"Creation/Art/Craft", "Education," "Covenant/Treaty," "Truth" and "Trustworthiness." 6.4

Hagitte Gal'ed, M.A., A.B.D has extensive experience in art, education production and research. Hagitte teaches at the Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion in New York, and is the founder of "Garden of Peace International."

The Jain Principle of Anekant and Human Survival
Human history is replete with violent feuds conflict and wars. Ironically enough most wars have been fought in the name of religion which is meant to be used as an instrument for individual purification and spiritual elevation. The Jain principle of Anekant, however, has in it the potential to end all quarrels and conflicts. It stresses the unity of all religions and excludes disputation or refutation of other beliefs from its periphery. Anekant advocates non-absolutism and teaches us to respect different viewpoints and beliefs. If the Anekant approach is adopted in our day-to-day dealings we can still hope for survival, or else fanaticism may annihilate human civilization all together.

Dr. S.L. Gandhi, the former Vice-Principal of Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, is the Dean of the Faculty of Peace and Nonviolence Studies, at Intercultural Open University, Opeinde, the Netherlands. He is the Project Director of the Institute of Jainology UK and has written, and edited, several books relating to Jainism and ahimsa.

The Original Exercises Taught By Daruma-Founder Of Zen Buddhism
It is generally accepted that around the year 527 AD, an Indian Monk named Bodhidharma (Ta Mo in Chinese) came to the Shaolin Monastery in Henan Province, China to spread the teaching of Buddha and became the founder of Zen Buddhism. It is also accepted that he taught a set of exercises based partly on Buddhist Yoga, fitness art, and his own observation of animal behavior in nature to strengthen the body of his disciples, stretch their muscles and tendons, and drain the energy channels to withstand the long meditation periods. The author would like to present these exercises that have long been kept secret, offer it to the Zen community, and to anyone who practice Zazen (sitting Meditation).

Dr. Gasper Garcia, MD main presenter, Vice- President World Academic Society of medical Qigong-Highest representitive of the Luohan System in the West. Has been practicing Chinese disciplines for more than 25 years. Expert in Bodhidharma's excercises "The Hands of the 18 Luohans."

Microcredit, Transformation and Role of Religious Organizations
The workshop will involve a lecture, followed by discussions. With some case studies, the presentation/workshop will analyze and discuss the following: 1. The dynamics and essentials of microcredit; 2. its role in alleviating poverty and transforming the lives of the poor in the 2nd/3rd world; 3. the meaning and indicators of transformational development; 4. the challenges and constraints faced by microcredit institutions; 5. strategic recommendations for guiding the future; and 6. the role to be played by religious organizations in responding to the needs of the poor and those who serve the poor through microcredit.

Dr. Makonen Getu, currently Deputy Regional Director of the Opportunity International Africa Office. He has worked for about 20 years in the field of development in Ethiopia, Lesotho, Zambia, Australia and Zimbabwe with such organizations as UNDP, SIDA and World Vision. He has also served as a lecturer in development economics at the University of Stockholm. Professor Paula Payne Hardin is an author whose work includes the acclaimed book What Are You Doing With the Rest of Your Life? She spent several years as founder and director of a midlife consulting center. Along with her late husband, David Hardin, she has been a donor and volunteer leader in support of micro enterprise development programs around the world.

Sacred Psychology: A Tool to Enhance the Spirituality of All Faiths.
The optimal resolution of suffering is spiritual transformation. By recognizing this higher potential of the human quest, a spiritual psychology can be a potent force helping individuals find true transformation and a deepening commitment to their faith. This lecture will outline steps of how individuals can be assisted toward a deeper recognition of their innate spirituality and toward the expression of their potential for compassionate action.

Ram Giri, Ph.D. has been a student of the legendary Neem Karoli Baba and Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati for three decades. He integrates his experience of mystical Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism with his work as a psychotherapist, healer and spiritual mentor. He has been a member of Kashi Ashram since its inception and holds advanced degrees in counseling and transpersonal psychology.

Meditation Workshop: Letting Your Spirit Soar
People all over the world are meditating today: some for physical health, some to improve the quality of their lives, and some for spiritual reasons. This meditation workshop has something for everyone. It is filled with exercise and techniques for concentrating our attention within, learning to live more consciously, and recognizing who we are as spiritual beings. It is based on the theory of Sant Mat, or meditation on the Inner Light, and will include several opportunities to meditate.

Sandy Glassman is a freelance writer, editor and photographer, whose articles and photographs have appeared in national and international print media. She also develops and coordinates seminars, focusing on spirituality, meditation and related subjects. She has been a devoted disciple of Sant Kirpal Singh and is currently studying with Sant Rajinder Singh. She has been meditating for over twenty five years.

Either panel or dialogue on religious traditions facing racism or Historical Patterns of US religious communities facing racism.
Option 1: I would be glad to be part of a panel, or part of a dialogue, or conversation, about religious traditions and spiritualities facing racism and the legacies of racism, either in the general context of human rights, or in an exploration of how other communities can appropriate aspects of the South African transformation in their efforts at healing suffering caused by racism. Option 2: I would give an academic paper on historical patterns of religious communities in the US facing the challenge of racism from slavery through segregation and into the post Civil Rights era. The range of religious communities would be broad and the focus would be on how fully traditions have in interracial inclusiveness and in political witness against.

Will Gravely has been on the faculty in Religious Studies at the U. of Denver since 1968, and part of a Ph.D. faculty exploring religion and social change since 1985. He has published articles, chapters and books on abolitionism, lynching, African-American religious traditions, and topics affecting religion and race in the US.

A New Buckle on the Bible Belt: Interfaith Dialogue in Central Florida
This presentation will describe and assess formal and informal activities in Central Florida in recent years that have contributed to interfaith cooperation and dialogue. In a rapidly changing religious environment, with a proliferation in the number of immigrants and religious centers, a major challenge for existing interfaith organizations and other institutions has been to embrace these new communities. As an affiliate of Harvard University's Pluralism Project, the Rollins research team has been conducting field work into the new religious demography in Central Florida, mapping out new religious centers and documenting the changes in demographics that are taking root in our community.

Dr. Yudit Kornberg Greenberg has been a professor of religious studies at Rollins College for the past 13 years. A native of Israel with academic specialization in Jewish studies, women's studies, and cross-cultural concepts of the body, Dr. Greenberg has been a very active voice and presence in the religious and spiritual life of the Central Florida community. Lynette Mayo is a junior at Rollins College majoring in religious studies. During the 1998-99 school year she was privileged to participate in Harvard University's Pluralism Project. Inspired by this project, she became founder and president of The Religious Pluralist Party, an organization with similar themes on Rollins' campus. She is also a volunteer for the local public school system to aid in literacy efforts. Lynette plans to attend graduate school and pursue a doctorate in the field of religious studies. Johanna Leslie is a junior student at Rollins College and a religious studies major. She is a researcher of the Pluralism project, with a focus on women in the local Islamic Center. She is a founding member and vice president of The Religious Pluralist Party on campus. Her interest in religion touches cultures all over the world, and she feels responsible to explore these cultures and religions.

Desiring the Kisses of his Mouth: Transfiguring the Body in Midrashic and Kabbalistic Commentaries to the Song of Songs.
The embodied yet sublime poetry of 'Song of Songs' express not only the desire and longing for intimacy between lovers, but also the sensuality and perfection of their bodies set amidst nature's beauty and delight. Such fecundity as represented in the Song holds great promise for contemplating the divine embodiment in the physical form. This would be especially true in light of the meaning of the 'Song' as the speech of love and intimacy between the devotee and the divine. However, we find the Midrashic and Kabbalistic commentaries to the 'Song' a transfiguration of the body and the textualization of erotic desire. In this paper I select several commentaries to the verse, " May he kiss me with the kisses of the mouth" and trace the hermeneutical moves of these commentaries in conceptualizing the signification of the mouth and the kiss. I explicate how the body is abstracted and conceptualized as the language of the Torah, and how Eros is contextualized in the Talmud. Finally, I discuss the implications of such semiotics for the body and sexuality in the Jewish tradition.

Dr. Yudit Kornberg Greenberg has been a professor of religious studies at Rollins College for the past 13 years. A native of Israel with academic specialization in Jewish Studies, and cross-cultural concepts of the body, Dr. Greenberg has been a very active voice and presence in the religious spiritual life of the Central Florida Community.

PROJECT: S.H.A.L.O.M.-Students Holding Hands Across Lines Of Multiculturalism
Recognizing that as the world becomes smaller and their schools become more culturally diverse, the chances of interpersonal conflict, prejudice, and misunderstanding become more likely; the students in Qiryat Gat, Israel and Highland Park, Illinois (USA) decided to join hands and minds in order to do something about the problems of intolerance that exist between the various cultures, socioeconomic groups, religions, and races in their two very different schools and nations. Over a two year period, they communicated over the Internet. Sharing concerns, and brainstorming solutions, the students gained a deep understanding of each school and each nation's particular situation and difficulties.

Suzanne Greenwald was born in Chicago and teaches 11-14 year olds at Elm Place Middle School in Highland Park, Il. She has taught Future Problem Solving classes for over 15 years, engaging students in community service and social activism. She believes that "when children get involved; their self esteem soars, adults pay attention, children learn they can make a real difference, and society benefits." Her students have organized celebrity trash shows to save the ravines, changed local laws to prevent teen smoking, helped to feed Chicago's hungry, and most recently joined hands with Israeli Problem Solvers in creating Project: SHALOM. Suzanne is an active participant in Common Ground and the Aitz Hayim Center for Jewish Living. Miriam Sharon was born in Morocco and moved to Israel at the age of seven. She is an English teacher and the 12th grade coordinator at the New High School in Qiryat Gat. She has taught elementary grades and high school for over twenty five years. In 1997, she introduced "Community Problem Solving" to Israeli students for the first time. She has three children and enjoys handicrafts and art in her free time. She feels strongly that "teaching problem solving, multicultural understanding, and tolerance should be at the center of the interest of every society."

Emptiness (Sunyata and Kenosis) and Depth Psychology in Interreligious Dialogue: Toward a Personal Model for Bringing It All Home
As racial, cultural, religious and national identities increasingly encounter each other and overlap, dialogue becomes less a meeting between people with clearly-defined differences, and more an inner and interpersonal conversation about sorting through both tradition and new ways of being to decide what to hold onto and what to let go of. The creative result can be a transformation of persons and cultures that will empower the development of greater consciousness and responsibility for the future. An examination of emptiness in both Buddhism and Christianity, along with insights into the meaning of being a person from depth psychology, can assist this process of transformation.

Rev. Robert W. Gunn, Ph.D. teaches at Union Theological Seminary and the Postgraduate Center for Mental Health in New York. He is in private practice of psychotherapy there, is ordained and served pastorates in the United Church of Christ, and is a practicing Zen Buddhist. He is the author of Journeys Into Emptiness, Paulist Press.

Partisanship: The Antitheisis of Spirituality
The great founders of all religions have considered all mankind, even their opponents, as their brethren. They have proclaimed and practiced "Equal Justice For All". However, historically, people who have called themselves religious have often acted in a partisan manner, leading to incalculable harm to the concept of spirituality and to the image of religions as peace-makers. Partisanship is an evil to be guarded against by all truly spiritual people, especially those who aim to participate in interfaith work- it is indeed the antithesis of spirituality. With quotations and incidents from the lives of the founders of all religions, the author exemplifies these important issues.

Dr. Hamid Abdul Hai is an Islamic scholar, writer and speaker and also a physician. He received his Islamic education in India. He was Chairman of the Islamic Group at 1993 Parliament. He has been active in Interfaith work for many years.

The Interfaith Work of Prophet Muhammad
It is not widely known that Prophet Muhammed (Peace be upon him) was an advocate and a practioner of interfaith work. The author has reviewed authentic hadith (i.e. recordings of the words and deeds of Prophet Muhammad) and has derived from this study the basic principles of Interfaith work. This review is an inspiration for all of us to pursue interfaith work with sincerity.

Dr. Hamid Abdul Hai is an Islamic scholar, writer and speaker and also a physician. He received his Islamic education in India. He was Chairman of the Islamic Group at 1993 Parliament. He has been active in Interfaith work for many years.

Perspectives on Islamic Medicine in Golden Age and Modern Times
Islamic Medicine is considered one of the most noble branches in the natural, philosophical, scientific and technical (occupations, skills, crafts, professions or specialties). It stands among the highest professional callings in the theoretical and practical healing arts within Islamic framework and under its banner together with other religious associations, partnerships or involvements whether being Muslims, Christians or Jews in symbiosis, benevolent and amiable togetherness. It originated as well from many cultures, ethnic groups and communities such as: Indian, Syriac, Persian or Greek. The latter, however, had been the foremost, the profound, dominant, all embracing and effecting form of togetherness.

Born 2/2/25 in Madaba-Jordan, migrated to USA on April 1952 Ph. D. 1959. Served 1959-77 Smithsoniam Institution, Washington. Prof-Teacher 1978 to present, published 24 books in history of medicine, pharmacy and ethics will be back to USA for good from May 1999, dialogue on Islamic medicine and Christian symbiosis.

Muslim Perspectives of the Educational and Economic Situations in India
Educational/Economic situation in India with special reference to Muslims; there is a need to change the scenario. Efforts are currently being made by All India Educational Movement. 6.4

35 years in Indian Civil Service, worked with Central and State Governments. Worked with various Ministries and Planning Commission. Vice-Chancellor of Aigarh Muslim University. Voluntarily working for development of Education for the last 15 years. Chairman All India Education Movement & Co-Chairman of Trust for Promotion of Higher Education.

A Course In Miracles Through Songs
This is a musical introduction to principles and practices of A Course In Miracles. Tom will play guitar and sing original songs which will give participants the feeling of ACIM Teachings. He will also explain the meaning of each song. Tom regularly performs at conferences, seminars, churches, and special events.

Tom Chanson is a song writer/singer/guitarist who performs songs about inner and outer peace. He is an author of a course in miracles, an attitudinal healing facilitator and author of mathematical and spiritual books. He has a Ph.D. in education and was a US peace corps. A volunteer in Liberia, West Africa, from 1964-1966.

The Sikh Scriptures and the Environment
A three phase presentation will be made. First, a brief introduction to Sikh scriptures will be made. Second, environmental issues will be discussed. Third, solutions to save our environment based on Sikh scriptures will be discussed.

Professor of Physical Sciences at City Colleges of Chicago; Past President, Sikh Religious Society of Chicago; Trustee of CPWR, Vice-Chair of CPWR; Chair of IIPC CPWR.

Foundamentals of Sikhism
The following aspects will be discussed: 1. Social, political and religious environments at the time of Guru Nanal's Birth. 2. Highlights of the lives of Sikh Gurus and their contributions toward improving the spiritual, social, political and economic conditions in India.

Professor of Physical Sciences at City Colleges of Chicago; Past President, Sikh Religious Society of Chicago; Trustee of CPWR, Vice-Chair of CPWR; Chair of IIPC CPWR.

An Illumination of Towards A Global Ethic and A Call to Our Guiding Institutions
I propose to create a body of fine art works based on the Parliament's documents Towards a Global Ethic and A Call to Our Guding Institutions . This collection of artworks is meant to illuminate and celebrate these documents, as well as aid in the dissemination of the ideas contained in them. I propose the creation of two "sets" of documents; the first to be sent to the 1999 Parliament of the Worlds Religions convergence in Cape Town, South Africa. It is a gift to the Parliament, to be exhibited during the gathering, and then the individual pieces gifted to those present, to be dispersed around the world. The second set will be kept in Denver, Colorado. It may be sent near or far to be exhibited, published or sold. Any monetary profits generated beyond the initial costs of the project will be used to expand the documents' dissemination, or given to the Parliament for additional outreach.

Protestant Christian Mystic Spirituality in 20th Century America
This presentation will begin with a definition of mysticism and a brief explanation of its nature. Next, there will be a consideration of factors as to why mysticism has not been a major development in Protestantism. Two conservative Protestant denominations, however, have had a significant mystical focus: the Quakers, and The Christian and Missionary Alliance. They both had a strong spiritual outreach, under girded mystically. Since mid-century, however, the Quakers have focused on issue of social justice. The Christian and Missionary Alliance was founded in 1887 by A.B. Simpson, born in 1843 on Prince Edward Island, Canada, with ancestors who came from the Highlands of Scotland.

Presented at 7 international conferences. Recent scholarly book on mystical spirituality. A.B., A.M. , UNIV OF CHIC; PH.D., New York Univ.; M.Div., No. Baptist Seminary; D. Min., Chicago Theo. Sem. Prof. Emerita, Univ. Illinois. Listed in "Who's Who in the World." Ordained, 1987.

Are We Beyond The Limits To Growth?
This is an update of "Beyond the Limits", which will be published in '99-2000. The original computer study "Limits To Growth" in 1972 (which sold over 9 million copies in over 30 languages) predicted that trends in world population, food production, industrialization, and pollution continued the limits to growth on this planet would be reached within the next 100 (now 70) years. These projections have proven correct.

Mr. Harris has spent the last 30 years giving his time and money to organizations in the environmental, population, energy efficiency, agriculture and peace fields. Mr. Harris has has served on some of the Boards of Directors, and occasionally chaired these groups.

Witches in the United States and South Africa: A Nuanced Comparison.
We will begin with a brief presentation on the growth of Paganism in the U.S., which includes Witchcraft in feminism and other contexts. Then we move to identity issues and comparison to the construction of witchcraft in the South African context. Who are contemporary witches and what do they see themselves as doing? What is their social role?

Grove Harris has researched Paganism in the U.S. for the pluralism Project at Harvard University. Her work appears on the CD-ROM "On common Ground: World Religions in America." She is a Priestess of Feminist Wicca and received her M Div. from Harvard in 1996.

Caring For Creation: Ecology and Spirituality
In planning process

Forest Craver- Writer, Social Activist. Robert Moore- International Men's Movement Leader. Philip Hazelton- Environmentalist- World Bank and specialist in rain forest reclamation.

Moving Faith Into Action: Strategies for Building a Just World
There are a variety of strategies for developing local faith communities' capacity to deal effectively with social issues. Building on the book, "Moving faith Into Action," Dr. Mary Heidkamp will share successful models for faith communities engaging in local and international issues which bring about dignity and justice. She will also present models for religious institutions to impact public policy.

Dr. Mary Heidkamp is the Co-Director for the Office of Peace and Justice in the Archdiocese of Chicago. A native Chicagoan, she has been an overseas missionary in Japan and India and spent all of her high school years in south Africa. She is the co-author of Moving Faith Into Action. (Paulist press, 1990) and regularly contributed articles to a variety of periodicals. She Is the joint recipient with her husband, Jim Lund, of the Fagan Award for contributions in Social Action. She is the mother of two children: received her Doctor of Ministry in 1993 from McCormick Seminary. While in South Africa for the World Parliament, I plan to learn about efforts to combat violence and also plan to meet with organizations that are promoting economic development. In addition , I plan to spend some time with the south African Grail, an international Christian lay women's organization who work on the development of women, reconciliation among all people and justice. I first met The Grail in 1964 in South Africa and have been a member ever since.

Spiritual Forum- An Architectural Approach
The advancement of technology and globalization changes our perception of the world. All people and cultures move closer together. This brings about many points of conflict and collision but it also contains the possibility of dialogue and exchange. Contemporary science by theorizing its own limits is going beyond logic and reasoning. Scientific investigation in human nature, language, culture and knowledge itself reveals belief systems and faith as necessary and inherent to human life. Holistic approaches to global ecology bring humans back into the natural world fabric and show the artificiality and the limits of our current cultural and economical models.

I grew up in east Berlin, Diploma of Architecture at Dresden University of Theology. I received a Master degree in Architecture at Pratt Institute New York with specialty in German Academic Exchange Service-Investigation and architectural design. Currently working in Berlin on solar architecture projects.

A Guided Meditation for Africa
A guided meditation for people of all faiths, to share in prayer, healing and visualization for the spirit, land and people of Africa.

Hin is a mystic and a renowned instructor and counselor of comparative religion, mysticism, and peace. She has traveled and taught internationally as the founding president of the White Rose Foundation, an American Educational non-profit dedicated to harmony and unity at the heart of all religions.

Appreciative Interviews-Offering A Foundation of Friendship
What exactly is it that happens in the intimacy of an appreciative inquiry interview that creates momentum for change often beyond peoples' expectations? Appreciative interviews create opportunities for people to speak from the heart about what is meaningful in their lives. The AI interview has proven extraordinarily successful as a way to build friendships among people from different backgrounds and to release the highest vision of what is possible. This workshop will invite people to experience an appreciative interview and reflect upon its value in creating a safe place for inter-religious cooperation.

Mr. Godwin Hlatshwayo. Ph.D. candidate at the Weatherhead School of management at Case Western University serving as the URI Africa Regional Coordinator. Sally M. Ackerly, Project Manager for the URI serving in the area of organizational development.

Ancient Wisdom Confronts Modern Science
The ancient wisdom from the west is the seedbed from which modern science has originated. By rerooting it with the Greek and Medieval soil, from which it was developed,modern science could become an integral part of the rich wisdom of the west. Instead of being in conflict with religion, such a science would be a part of an enriched culture calling for full feminine equality as crucial to restoring a basic commonsense knowledge of nature's wisdom.

Adrian M. Hofstetter OP, Ph.D., is a Kentucky Dominican Sister and environmental scientist. She is author of "The Organism,"Biogenesis" and "Spontaneous Generation" in the New Catholic Encyclopedia and of numerous other articles in scientific and philosophical books and journals.

Awakening to Change - a guide to transformation and self empowerment in the next millenium
The 1990s are a time for change. The world is changing so fast that it is hard to cope. Constant warnings of ecological disaster, economic collapse, epidemics and increasing world instability make us feel helpless and out of control. In "Awakening to Change" Soozi helps us to overcome our fear of change. She enables us to understand what is happening and why, and suggest ways -- from meditation, dream interpretation, drawing, the use of sound, colour and visualization to aura cleansing, chakra balancing, spiritual nutrition, exercise, breath control, balancing male/female and left/right sides of the brain -- to heal mind and body, spirit and emotion, and move into the future.

Soozi Holbeche was born in Sri Lanka, grew up a Buddhist, educated at a Roman Catholic convent in the UK, became a Sufi, and then became assistant to Paul Solomon (minister and metaphysical teacher in the USA). Spent time with the Findhorn Foundation and gave seminars at the Edgar Cayce summer school. Has traveled world-wide as a teacher, healer and counselor and worked with Aboriginals, Native Americans, and Africans in South Africa. Works with the chronically poor and deprived in the townships around Cape Town. Soozi is an intuitive diagnostician and author of a number of books. She is regarded as a key spokeswoman in the human potential movement.

Spiritual Foundations of the Twelve Step Recovery Programs
Spirituality is central to the popular and successful twelve-step programs used for recovery from drug abuse (including alcohol abuse) and other types of destructive behavior. Mr. Holmes, an expert facilitator of twelve step programs, will talk about how the program's spiritual core helps people turn their lives around. He will also present meditation as a shortcut for recovery.

Ray Holmes received his BS from the University of Maryland and as a senior paralegal supervisor with the US Department of Justice. During his twelve years in the US Army, Mr. Holmes was a senior paralegal specialist in the Judge Advocate General's Corps. For the last twenty-two years, Mr. Holmes first studied meditation on the inner Light with Sant Darshan Singh. He now studies with Sant Rajinder Singh, head of Swan Kirpal Ruhani Mission/ Science of spirituality.

Report on Interreligious Cooperation within the Religions Consultation Population, Reproductive Health and Ethics
Dr. Hubbard will report on the work of the Religions Consultation, which brings scholars of diverse faiths together to cooperate in producing innovative research on the interrelated topics of population, ecology, reproductive health, women's rights, and ethics. He will be joined by several scholars who have participated in the Religions Consultation's activities.

1) Dr. Benjamin Hubbard chairs the Department of Comparative Religion at California State University-Fullerton. He co-authored America's Religions: An Educator's Guide to Beliefs and Practices (Libraries Unlimited, 1997) and is currently working on Whose Religion is True? An Introduction to Religious Diversity. 2) Dr. John C. Raines teaches in the Department of Religion at the Temple University in Philadelphia. He received his Ph. D. from Union Theological Seminary in 1967. He has written several books, including Islam and the West: a Coming Clash of Civilizations? (Petaling Jaya, 1995) and Modern Work and Human Meaning (Westminster Press, 1986). 3) Rev. Marvin Ellison teaches at Bangor Theological Seminary in Portland, Maine. He is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA). He is the author of the Erotic Justice: A Liberating Ethic of Sexuality (Westminster/ John Knox Press, 1986). 4) Dr. Farid Esack is a Commissioner for Gender Equality in the South African government and Senior Researcher at the Institute of Religion, Identity and Culture at the University of the Western Cape. He is a Muslim theologian who has studied in Pakistan, the United Kingdom and South Africa. 5) Dr. Tavivat Puntarigvivat teaches in the graduate program of Comparative Religion at Mahidol University in Thailand. His expertise is Buddhism. He books include the way of Mahayana Buddhism (Sukkhapapjai, 1989) and Sages and Buddhadasa Bhikku (Paramita, 1987).

The Challenge of Fundamentalism: The End of Modernity and the Future of Interreligious Dialogue
Along with the rise of global interreligious dialogue, fundamentalism has been one of the most significant religious developments of the twentieth century. At the end of the century, it energizes millions of people in their various religious commitments and identities while serving as a radically transforming force in all of the major religious traditions of the world. Yet fundamentalists are rarely represented in celebrations of interfaith encounter. Indeed, fundamentalism is often branded as the prime threat to international spiritual harmony and understanding.

Peter A. Huff (Ph.D., Saint Louis University) is Assistant Professor of Historical Theology and Director of Catholic Studies at Saint Anselm College (USA). He is author of "Allen Tate and the Catholic Revival: Trace of the Fugitive Gods" (Paulist, 1996) and co-editor of Knowledge and Belief in America: Enlightenment Traditions and Modern Religious Thought (Cambridge, 1995). He is currently writing an introduction to the academic study of fundamentalism.

Getting in Touch with Your Higher Self: A New Educational Perspective
Dr. Hunter will speak on how to empower yourself by exploring techniques and methodologies that will allow you to gain a higher level of personal spiritual fulfillment. During this engaging presentation, you will also learn how to meditate on the inner Light.

Dr. Hunter was an educator with Chicago Public Schools for thirty-eight years. She is currently very active as president of the Retired Teachers Association in Chicago. She holds a doctorate in Education from the University of Sarasota, Florida. Her honors include being selected as "Mother of the Year" by the Indigo Newspaper. Dr. Hunter is also a vivid student of Mysticism, studying various spiritual perspectives and integrating them into her evolving view of the world and God

The Wonder of Ancient Civilizations: Bridging East-West Unity
An overview of recently explored ancient temples revealing the similarities of world cultures which show complementary patterns of development, especially in relation to sacred architecture, temple building, as well as cosmology. An analysis of interesting archeological findings in remote regions and a film examination of discoveries beneath the waters of Egypt and Japan.

J.J. Hurtak, Ph.D., Ph.D. is a social scientist, environmentalist, futurist, remote-sensing specialist who has worked for cross-cultural understanding. He has lectured before major universities in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, and holds two international film awards. He is a Director of AFFS Corporation (USA, South Africa) an international organization that supports cultural and philosophical unity.

Universal Principle of Life in the Go-game
This presentation introduces Go-game, a Japanese traditional board game that uses stones of two colors, black and white. Originated along Silk Road end, Japan, the game now has became so popular that participants for the annual World Amateur Championship come from more than 50 countries. The Strategy of the Game is to eliminate the opponent’s stones and keep one's own stones longer and freer. The strategies are acceptable except suicide. A short lecture will be given about the essence of the game in relation to the balance in human life, connections with several religious traditions.

Mariko Inori was born and lives in Japan. Her name has following meanings ; Prayer (inori), Truth (mari) , and Child (ko). Her name reflects her theme of life, interfaith spirit; especially finding the common factors and the nature at different things. She is deeply influenced by the teachings of Shinji Shumei-kai for the past 10 years. She was the Go-game female student Champion in Japan in 1990 and now works as Go-game instructor.

Islamic Education in a Plural Society
The need and method of imparting Islamic education in a multi-religious society in a manner that maintains respect for other religions and communities, underling their role and rights as well. Hiroko is approaching for Bio

THE JAINS - Global Commitment to the Culture of Non-violence - The Jain View
Elucidation of the intrinsic content of wide comprehensive perspective of the culture of non-violence as per Jain religion. Jain religion regards non-violence as the Supreme Religion and lays down its principles and practices for adherence not only by individuals for his/her own survival but in terms of his/her relationships with others in society. Mahatma Gandhi's translation of the Jain culture of non-violence and its strategy of the Indian struggle and desirability and the relevance for tackling global issues - be they for peace and war, World conflicts of regional and inter-state issues, interfaith disharmony, racial prejudices, issues connected with exploitation, inequality, etc. Non-violence is a culture to be used as an effective weapon in the challenging task of not only protecting the environment but also in upgrading it. The culture of non-violence - its psychological impact, its contribution to the shaping of work ethics, human resource development, promoting of issues of tolerance, compassion and 'live and let live' among not only human beings but also vis-a-vis all other living beings.

Dr. N.P. Jain is the former ambassador of India to the European Union, United Nations, Mexico and Nepal. He is also the former Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs. He is a member of the World Spiritual Assembly, a writer, poet, Economist and Environmentalist.

THE JAINS - Vegetarianism - The Jain Experience
Vegetarianism - the Jain experience from religious, ethical, philosophical, psychological and health points of view. Jain faith envisages vegetarianism as a vital and potentially highly promising tool to propogating non-violence in thought, word and deed. Vegetarianism as a meaningful step to restore harmonious balance among nature, humans and other living beings. Vegetarian food as an esteemed tool in the protection of cruelty to animals. The horrifying spectacle of brutal and cruel killing of animals and the spreading of the campaign against slaughter houses. Other connected points with examples of blossoming culture and civilization, values and higher plains in vegetarian societies. This is a collective workshop with a Jain doctor, a Jain nun, and a Jain reformer.

Dr. N.P. Jain is the former ambassador of India to the European Union, United Nations, Mexico and Nepal. He is also the former Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs. He is a member of the World Spiritual Assembly, a writer, poet, Economist and Environmentalist.

THE JAINS - The Role of Jainism in Promoting Interfaith Creative Engagement
There are many practical areas where the Jain religion can contribute to interfaith engagement in view of its well-articulated and well-practiced faith promoting compassion, tolerance, coexistence, peaceful co-prosperity and elimination of tensions. Illustrating case studies of successful projects done in different countries, this lecture will explore: evolving common programs of environmental protection and population; Setting up bird clinics, animal shelters, home for the aged and infirm, care for the dying and imporverished; propogating vegetarianism from ethical, health, environment and psychological points of view; understanding reforms for improving the lot of women and preventing abusive child labor practices.

Dr. N.P. Jain is the former ambassador of India to the European Union, United Nations, Mexico and Nepal. He is also the former Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs. He is a member of the World Spiritual Assembly, a writer, poet, Economist and Environmentalist.

The URANTIA Book & Our Guiding Institutions
The URANTIA Book presents a wealth of insight into the origins of our guiding institutions, their nature and their destiny. The authors of The URANTIA Book provide a visionary ideal for these institutions based upon a deep spiritual foundation.

Gard Jameson is a Trustee of URANTIA Foundation, the publisher of The URANTIA Book. He is on the board of the North American Interfaith Network, the Southern Nevada Interfaith Council and the National Conference For Community and Justice. Marvin Gawryn is a board member of the URANTIA Book Fellowship. He is the Chairman of the Fellowship's Fraternal Relations Committee. He has been reading The URANTIA Book for nearly 30 years.

Misappropriation of Native American Spirituality

Using Our Faith Traditions and Spiritual Tools in Faith and Community Health Initiatives
Our Faith Traditions provide a powerful means and incentive for creating wellness and responding to disease with our respective communities. We will present health and faith collaborations that work, strategize around ways of creating effective collaborations and highlight resources and potential collaborators with some government initiatives, public health initiatives, academic organizations and private industry initiatives.

Reverend Carol A. Johnson, MTS is currently working on Doctorate of Ministry and preparing for Unitarian Universalist Community Ministry at Meadville/ Lombard Theological School at University of Chicago. Carol recently earned a Masters of Theological Studies from Harvard University, where, as a student she founded Harvard AIDS Ministries, Harvard's GospelFest for AIDS during AIDS Awareness Week and worked with Dr. White to create and teach curriculums for theological and ethical examinations of public health issues. Additionally, they worked to mobilize, empower and educate church lay religious leaders to address issues of infant morbidity and mortality in Boston. They used numerous tools to measure faith impacts, awareness and knowledge gains.

Wellness For Our Kin-"Our Sexuality is A Gift: Celebration Reconciliation and Renewal for Same Gender Loving women, bisexual women, women who have Sex with women, lesbians, women lovers and allies"
Often as we worship, grow spiritually and work for the Human Rights of women who love women, we lose sight of the ways that our sexuality, combined with our spirituality, gives us. Let's take this historic moment, in South Africa (the 1st country to include sexual orientation in it's revised and now official constitution) to reflect, to release any consciousness, notions and/or stereotypes which do not serve us. Let's celebrate the gift of our sexualiy! Let us also convenant to create and work for the sexual health of our communities. This workshop is a safe, welcoming and affirming space for all. Sisters of Color especially encouraged to participate.

Reverend Carol A. Johnson, MTS is currently working on Doctorate of Ministry and preparing for Unitarian Universalist Community Ministry at Meadville/ Lombard Theological School at University of Chicago. Carol recently earned a Masters of Theological Studies from Harvard University, where, as a student, she founded Harvard AIDS Ministries, Harvard's GospelFest for AIDS during AIDS Awareness Week and worked with Dr. White to create and teach curriculums for theological and ethical examinations of public health issues. Additionally, they worked to mobilize, empower and educate church lay religious leaders to address issues of infant morbidity and mortality in Boston. They used numerous tools to measure faith impacts, awareness and knowledge gains.

Zoroastrianism's Reciprocity with Other World Religions and Civilizations
A concise historical dissertation of the theological, philosophical and ritualistic impact of Zoroastrianism on other world religions and cultures and their influence on Zoroastrianism as it has evolved through the ages. Our mission today should be to tie together the thread of commonality that binds all religions, respecting diversities, and giving ourselves the opportunity to come together for the betterment of humankind.

Chairperson of the Federation of Zoroastrian Association of North America Publication. Director of the Third World Scholar's Consortium (Boston). Director of the Zoroastrian Education & Research Society (USA). Past President of the Zoroastrian Association of the Greater Boston Area. President of the Metrowest International Concerts Association (Boston). Active participant in interfaith and cultural activities.

The Science of Mantras in Jain Religion
In this lecture, the Science of Mantras and Yantra (Mandala) in Jain texts will be explained and analyzed. An in-depth study of some important recitations (stotras) and the gradual development of worship practices using Mantras and Yantras will be explained with slides and charts. The effect of such worship practices on day to day life will be explored.

Vinod Kapashi was born in India in the state of Gujarat. He is a Civil Engineer by profession and has lived in the United Kingdom (UK) for the past 30 years. He is the author of several books on Jainism and has done extensive research on the life of Jain Acharya Hemachandra. He has also published several papers including one for the Parliament of the World's Religions centenary celebration at Chicago in 1993. Mr. Kapashi is President of Mahavir Foundation in the UK and Chairman of Jain Education Board of the Institute of Jainology. He teaches Jainism as a special course at the University of London. He is associated with Jain organizations in the UK.

Shrimad Rajchandra and Philosophy of Soul
Shrimad Rajchandra was born in November 1867 and died at the age of 33. In his short life span he had a great impact on the philosophical viewpoints of modern day Jains. His philosophy, and especially his famous poem about soul and emancipation (Atmasiddhi Sashtra), will be analyzed in the lecture.

Vinod Kapashi was born in India in the state of Gujarat. He is a Civil Engineer by profession and has lived in the United Kingdom (UK) for the past 30 years. He is the author of several books on Jainism and has done extensive research on the life of Jain Acharya Hemachandra. He has also published several papers including one for the Parliament of the World's Religions centenary celebration at Chicago in 1993. Mr. Kapashi is President of Mahavir Foundation in the UK and Chairman of Jain Education Board of the Institute of Jainology. He teaches Jainism as a special course at the University of London. He is associated with Jain organizations in the UK.

Pope John Paul II on Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism
Pope John Paul II is the world's foremost spiritual leader. His views on the world's religions are of utmost importance for those committed to interfiath dialogue. The Pope sees his own tradition as sacred and as a divine message for all humanity. Precisely for this reason, his views are of such importance for non-Catholics; understanding them helps us to see the difficulties confronting those of us who are committed to serious interfaith relations. My talk will focus on John Paul's vision of Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism, three non-Christian traditions on which the pope offers commentary in his recent book Crossing the Threshold of Hope.

Harold Kasimow is the George Drake Professor of Religious Studies at Grinnell College where he teaches courses in Judaism, Islam, and Asian religions. He received a Bachelor of Hebrew Literature from the Jewish Theological Seminary and Ph.D. from Temple University in comparative religion. He has published articles dealing with Judaism and other religions and coedited, with Byron Sherwin, John Paul II and Interreligious Dialogue forthcoming from Orbis.

Empowering Women in Muslim Society
The presentation will suggest ways of empowering the role of women in society, socially and culturally, with special relevance to the practices in Muslim countries. Irfan

Born in Ankara, Turkey in 1968. She attended Medical school for 2 years and then, because of the difficulty of observing hijab, she moved to Dallas, Texas and graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science from the Univ. of Texas, at Dallas. She memorized the Qur'an after her graduation. She was chosen the Head of International Relations, in the Welfare party. She is now continuing her position with the Virtue Party. At the moment, she stands to be elected as a member of the Turkish Parliament.

The Role of Women in the Social and Political Life of Muslim Countries
This presentation will focus on the need for Muslim women's involvment in the social, political and economic arenas, within the boundaries of Islamic, cultural and traditional practices. Irfan

Born in Ankara, Turkey in 1968. She attended Medical school for 2 years and then, because of the difficulty of observing hijab, she moved to Dallas, Texas and graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science from the Univ. of Texas, at Dallas. She memorized the Qur'an after her graduation. She was chosen the Head of International Relations, in the Welfare party. She is now continuing her position with the Virtue Party. At the moment, she stands to be elected as a member of the Turkish Parliament.

Relation of Law, Religion, and Morality in Islam
The relation between these social institutes and the principals to govern in this relation will be explained and discussed according to Islam, as a belief and practical system.

Graduated from Univ. of Istanbul Law School (1965) and Institute of Higher Islamic Studies in Istanbul (1965) Received Ph.D on Islamic Jurists and their works in Transaxonia(1967). Associate and full professor of Islamic Law, and the Dean of Islamic College in Ataturk University (for 9 years). He has published 10 books.

Human Beings--Who Are We? A Latter-day Saint (Mormon) View
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) believes that human beings lived in the presence of God before they came to earth. In the heavenly realms, we began the process of spiritual growth, but upon entry into mortality our memories of the prior life vanish, and we become dependent upon the Spirit to relearn who we are and to grow spiritually. The goal of all life experiences--before, during, and after mortality--is to become like Jesus Christ and to live a life like his and that of his Father.

Dr. Roger R. Keller is the Richard L. Evans Professor of Religious Understanding at Brigham Young University in the USA. He teaches world religions, is a Bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and is the author of three books and various articles on world religions and Mormon issues. He seeks to facilitate understanding between and appreciation for persons of diverse religious traditions.

How Can Science, Art and Religion Be Kept Al ive?
In the past, science, art, and religion were interrelated. Then, over time, they became separate disciplines. What are their relationships in the present age? Should science, art, and religion remain as separate entities or should efforts be made to reorganize these fields into one discipline?

Lithographer, advertising photographer, filmmaker, vegetarian cook, eurythmist, curative eurythmist, religion teacher, biographic consultant for individuals as well as couples, lectures and seminars on pedagogic and biographic themes.

Islamic Medicine
Tibb is an Arabic word which, in different places, has been refered to as Arabic, Greco-Arab, Hikmah, Unani, Islamic and Sufi Medicine. Irfan

Muhammad Salim Khan M.D. (M.A.) D.O.F.Sn. is an international authority on Tibb-Islamic Medicine. He is the founder of the Mohsin Institute, an organization devoted to education and research into Tibb, in Leicester, U.K. He was born in Pakistan now lives in U.K.

When the Heart is Right: Thomas Merton on the Contemplative's Contribution to Interreligious Dialogue
As Thomas Merton matured in his Christian contemplative life, he awakend to new possibilities for interreligious dialogue with the contemplative traditions in Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. The presentation examines Merton's conviction that the comtemplative's experience of God unmasks the illusion of divided world religions. Merton developed an interreligious dialectic of being together in "intervals of silence" and entering a depth of spiritual conversation articulated in "honest and undogmatic speech." His own life encounters with contemplatives of other religions, culminating in his journey to Asia, pioneered a new paradigm for interreligious dialogue which is appraised in this presentation. In one of his poems, Merton described it: "When the heart is right/'For' and 'against' are forgotten.

He is Professor of Theology at Bellarmine College in Louisville, KY, USA. He is the author of "Ace of Freedoms: Thomas Merton's Christ," and editor of volumes 6, 9, and 11 of the Merton Annual. His essays on Merton have appeared in Cistercian Studies Quarterly, Cross Currents, Mid-Stream, Thought, and The Merton Annual. In the Fall of 1998 he was a Visiting Scholar at Tantur, the Ecumenical Institute, in Jerusalem.)

Sacred Roots: Rediscovering the Wisdom Tradition of the Aramaic Jesus
Introductory remarks: Aramaic language and scholarship. The Prayer Jesus taught, Pronunciation, Translations and Spirituality. Chant and Sacred Movement taught. An experience of the Prayer Jesus taught. The Beatitudes, Pronunciation, Translations and Spirituality. Questions, insights, comments from participants. Closing remarks and meditation.

Brother Joseph Kilikevice, O.P., a Dominican friar, founded the SHEM Center for Interfaith Spirituality during the 1993 Parliament of the World's Religions. He has directed interfaith retreats since 1980. Musicians and others connected with recent work done on the Aramaic words of Jesus will be present.

Modes of Religious Understanding
1. All religions serve a variety of fundamental human interests, each in its own particular configuration. 2. Four of those are: 1) orientation in time, space and value; 2) edifying accounts which carry the message of tradition; 3) authenticating commitments and engagements; and 4) transforming self-understandings advancing the authentic life. 3. We will define and illustrate these four functions

Dr. Kirk has retired after 33 years as Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Denver. He has published studies of the 1893 Parliament, one such study was presented as a paper at the 1993 Parliament in Chicago. He is active in educational programs focused on interreligious understanding. Dr. Kirk is author of Stories of the Hindus and Religion and the Human Image.

Sri Ramakrishna: Embracing the Divine
Sri Ramakrishna said, "I am the string running through all the pearls," the pearls being the individual religions of the world. He taught universal respect and tolerance for all religions, and came to harmonize them. This is the essential theme of the presentation. Also discussed will be the spiritual concepts of meditation, discrimination, renunciation and divine love. Also, the actual practice of moving through life daily from the heart, our center of divine love.

Audrey E. Kitagawa was a practicing attorney for 20 years. She gave up her law career to fulfill a request that she carry Sri Ramakrishna's light to the world. She publishes an internationally distributed newsletter called the SRK Spiritual Family News which includes testimonials about life transformations, essays about Sri Ramakrishna and his teachings, memoirs of Divine Mother, and accounts of spiritual family activities. She has been invited to lead meditation sessions and to deliver lectures at private homes of spiritual family members, conferences, universities, and various groups. The pace of her schedule is as hectic as was her legal career, and she spends much time traveling outside Hawaii.

Harmonic Encounters
Voice and sacred instruments from many cultures. A musical and meditative experience with overtone singing, Tibetan and Mongolian "deep voice" chanting, wordless toning, songs drawing from different cultures and religions.-- A demonstration of the unity/ harmony of humanity through sound.bbb

1) Nestor Kornblum: Co-director of the Association of Sound Therapy and Harmonic Studies, specialist in overtone singing and Tibetan "Deep Voice" chant. Musician, lecturer and sound therapist. 2) Michele Averard: Co-director of the Association of Sound Therapy and Harmonic Studies, singer, overtone singer, musician and sound therapist. 3) Patricia Almeyda: Artist, musician, singer and overtone singer.

The Anthropic Principle as a Source for an Interreligious Global Ethics?
Foundational to the Anthropic Principle is the scientific confirmation of the incredible fine tuning in the universe needed in order to produce intelligent life, fine tuning all the way from the Big Bang to the formation of molecules. The Anthropic Principle concludes that belief in an agent of design is perhaps more rational than believing the universe came to support rational life purely by chance. After presenting the Anthropic Principle in its most convincing form, the paper evaluates the ability of its conclusions to serve as a basis for a global ethics. If this Principle succeeds in saying something true about the universe as a whole and its purposeful creation, then it perhaps can be put further to use for a truly global ethics.

James Kraft is a Ph.D. student at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. He is working on a dissertation on universal truth claims in interreligious dialogue. He is interested in the relationship between faith and reason and the relationship betwen science and religion. He received an MA from GTU in 1991 with a thesis on "Sartres Understanding of God."

Responding to Philosophical Criticisms of Universal Truth Claims in the Second and Third Parliaments of the World's Religions
This paper rigorously presents philosophical criticisms of the kinds of universal and ethical truth claims both that the Second Parliament of the World's Religions embraced and that the Third Parliament will espouse. After carefully laying out such criticism, the paper responds to them with a scientifically sophisticated version of the age old design argument—i.e., the Anthropic Principle—which can perhaps support the kind of universal ethical truth claims that the latest Parliaments deem necessary.

James Kraft is a Ph.D. student at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. He is working on a dissertation on universal truth claims in interreligious dialogue. He is interested in the relationship between faith and reason and the relationship betwen science and religion. He received an MA from GTU in 1991 with a thesis on "Sartres Understanding of God.

Manifestation Chant for the Success of South Africa, its Peoples and the Parliament
Words will be printed in English. The chant has four words we will chant for twenty minutes. If you want place donation baskets that will be fine.

A Walk Through Time...From Stardust to Us
A Walk Through Time...from stardust to us is a transportable, illustrated one-mile long exhibit. It lays out the 5 billion-year history of earth on a million-years-to-the-foot scale. The story is told on ninety panels of text and illustrations appropriately placed along the mile. The Walk presents a scientific understanding of the story of our origins, in a viscerally meaningful form, as a fundamental context for identifying and addressing the important issues of the future, be they ecological, religious, social or personal.

The walk will be coordinated by the Foundation for Global Community staff.

Kriyayoga: The Sacred Practice for Evolving and Uniting Humanity.
Mr. Lahiri to speak spontaneously on the Sacred Practice of Kriyayoga.

Shibendu Lahiri is the great grandson of Lahiri Mahashay, the famous householder Yogi who lived in Benares, India from 1828 to 1895 and known as the "Father of Kriyayoga". He has the sacred mission to spread the Kriyayoga of Lahiri Mahashay to the world, having the distinction of receiving the authentic, original Kriya Process in the age old Rishi-tradition of India, that is from father to son, generation after generation. Thus the process passed here through knowledge and genes, from shyama charan to Tinkori to Satya Charan to Shibendu who was initiated in 1960 by his late father Satya Charan at the Satyalok Temple in Benares, India.

Science & Spirituality
Spirituality that underlies all religions. Come back of spirituality via the findings of modern sciences. The support & lead spirituality gives to sceince will bring the next major step forward in science.

Involved in portraying Spirituality at many famous schools, colleges, universities in England. Involved in portraying Hinduism on BBC world services. Devotee of Vivekananda, who was the famous speaker at the World's Parliament of Religion in 1893

The Social Effects of Different Religions
Religious beliefs and myths are general theories of life with which we structure our experiences and view of the Universe, and which influence our response to life. It follows that different belief and myth structures will influence their believers' behavior in different ways. A comparison of the different effects that Protestant Christianity and Roman Catholicism have had on the countries in which they have each been the majority religion since the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation. Some possible cause of these differences in their belief and worship structures. Can a study of these differences and their social effects help us find the religious pattern most conducive to human survival in the third millennium?

Frederic Lamond is sole lecturer. He will be a 68-year old economist and computer consultant at the time of the Parliament. Comparative religion and the social and psychological effects of different religions have been his main spare time interest since he had two mystical experiences in his 20s. he has written two books on religious topics: 1. The Divine Struggle (under the name Robert) Nemeton Press 1990. 2. Religion without Beliefs. Janus Publishing 1997. He has written a third book for which he is still seeking a publisher: 3. The Economics of Human Fulfillment and Resource Conservation. He proposed lecture expresses his own views as a student and observer of religion, and in no way that the Pagan Federation to which he belongs.

Using The Internet for Gathering & Connecting People
1) The Internet is a powerful communications & connecting tool. 2) Examples of how it is working to link people today. 3) Hear how it can empower you. Questions & Answers

William C. Laufer, MBA, CPA, co-founder of catholicnet.www.catholicnet.com Age: 53, active Christian, Georgetown U. C67 Related Groups Cleveland Catholic Diocese.

Religion in the quantum Age
Opening address or closing address would be ideal

Micheal Ledwith was born in Ireland in 1942 and attended university from 1960 to 1971, specializing in philosophy and theology. After completing postgraduate studies, he was appointed lecturer in General Theology in 1971 at Ireland's Maynooth University, and Professor of Systematic Theology in 1976. Ireland's national seminary is also located at Maynooth. He served ten years as the university's President until 1994. His forthcoming book, "The Ascent to God: The Soul's Journey Within" links the teachings of Ramtha to the foundational

Torture and Its Longterm Effects: A Call to the Faith Community The use of torture is condoned or sanctioned in 120 countries of the world. It is estimated that 15-30% of the 20 million refugees worldwide has survived politically-motivated torture. The long term psychological and physical effects of torture affect individuals, their families, and entire communities. What is the response of people of faith (from various traditions) to the pain of torture victims? What can be done to assist recovery? What principles do we find in our faith traditions that guide our response? Evelyn Lennon is a Program Coordinator and Health Education Specialist for The Center for Victims of Torture in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She received a Master's Degree in Social Work with an emphasis in Program Development, Policy, and Administration from Augsburg College in 1994. Ms. Lennon earned a graduate degree in theology from United Seminary in 1992 and was ordained a deacon in the Episcopal Church in 1996. She worked as an African refugee resettlement caseworker for four years. Christian

Sacred Scripture, Women, and Interreligious Dialogue: Paper Presentations
A scholarly panel on the use of sacred scripture in interreligious dialogue with special attention to the role of women. The presentations are as follows: "Towards a Hermeneutics of Dialogue: Feminism, Biblical Interpretation, and World Religions" Margaret D. Zulick, Department of Communications, Wake Forest University "Storytelling, Women, and the Religious Message" Andrew Leslie, Dept. of Comm. WFU "Myths as Mimetic Texts: Resources for Women in Interreligious Dialogue" Ulrike Wiethaus, Program in the Humanities, WFU

1) Andrew Leslie, Lecturer, Dept. of Communication, Wake Forest University. Prof. Leslie holds a Ph. D. from Northwestern University. He is a professional storyteller who has presented workshops on many aspects of storytelling and oral tradition, including workshops on storytelling and archetypal psychology at the C. G. Jung Center, Evanston, Illinois, and on religious storytelling at the First Presbyterian Church of Chicago, Illinois. His current research includes the role of public narratives in fostering social change. 2) Ulrike Wiethaus, Associate professor, Humanities Program, Wake Forest University. She holds a Ph. D. in Religious Studies from Temple University. She has published three books on the religious experience of medieval Christian women mystics, and has offered numerous workshops on women's spiritual processes and mythology. She is currently working on a volume of essays on the construction of gender in Christian mysticism. 3) Margaret Zulick, Associate Professor, Dept. of Communication, Wake Forest University. She received her Ph. D. from Northwestern University and has a MA of Earlham School of Religion and a MTS from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. She is particularly interested in rhetoric and the Hebrew Bible.

Grass-roots Interfaith Dialogue: Connecting at the Heart Level
The art of dialogue, speaking and listening form the heart, is at the core of interfaith understanding. For the past seven years, the Alliance for Spiritual Community has hosted semi-monthly grass-roots interfaith dialogue meetings. This workshop will introduce the concepts of the dialogue process, guidelines which open up a safe space for deep dialogue and our meeting format. This approach provides an access to connecting with those not like us in a very powerful and profound way with its emphasis on listening and speaking to understand, not to agree with or believe. The more we understand, the less we fear; the less we fear the more we risk; the more we risk the more we trust; the more we trust the more we love.

Kay Lindahl is the founder of the Alliance for Spiritual Community and The Listening Center. She leads workshops on Centering Prayer and The Sacred Art of Listening. She serves on the Board of Directors of the North American Interfaith Network and is a regional coordinator for the United Religions Initiative.

The Contribution of Religious Education in UK Schools to Understanding a Diversity of Faiths
The place and purpose of Religious Education in the curriculum of UK schools has been much revised and developed in response to the need to understand the diversity of cultures and faiths present in Britain today. Does the UK model encourage a greater respect for people of faiths other than Christianity? Can something of value from the UK experience be offered to other countries as they seek to educate their children to become religiously aware citizens in a global context?

Gwyneth Little was for many years a teacher and lecturer in Religious Education and Religious studies in UK schools and colleges. She has a deep interest in interfaith work and is a member of local groups and a trustee of The International Interfaith Center in Oxford, UK.

The Development of Children's Spirituality- Towards an understanding of What it is to be Human
Significant research has been carried out in recent years on this subject. The session suggests that children's spirituality may be encouraged within the home, faith community and education. The development of awareness of their innate spirituality will help children to understand what it means to be human, and therefore lead to a greater awareness of the interdependence of all human beings with each other and with their universe.

Gwyneth Little was for many years a teacher and lecturer in Religious Education and Religious studies in UK schools and colleges. She has a deep interest in interfaith work and is a member of local groups and a trustee of The International Interfaith Center in Oxford, UK.

The Struggle to Retrain Our Languages, Our Identies

Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj's Message of Peace and Unity: A Vision of Personal Transformation for the New Millenium
Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj is head of Swan Kirpal Ruhani Mission/ Science of Spirituality. The Message is of love, peace, and lastinghappiness- acheived through meditation His teachings appeal to people everywhere. At its core is the promise of direct personal inner experience. Recognizing the transcendent oneness at the heart of all religions, he emphasizes prayer and meditation as the true building blocks for achieving both inner and outer peace. He works tirelessly toward the fulfillment of his vision: personal transformation, coupled with spiritual growth, leading to a spiritual renaissance in the next millennium. This program will include a video presentation.

Mr. Carols Lozano Angel, lawyer and diplomat, has had twenty-five years public and private administration experience, including eight years as consul general of Colombia to the government of India and two years in Egypt with the Colombian embassy. He has coordinated many major conferences in South America, focused on spirituality and interfaith understanding. He is currently employed as a corporate executive consultant. He has been a member of Swan Kirpal Ruhani Mission/ Science of Spirituality for three decades.

Testimonies To 'Mutual Irradiation'
Side by-side silence. Clarification of "mutual irradiation" through interreligious encounter. (Distinguished from simple exclusion, inclusion, separate paths, separate cultural-linguistic houses.) Testimonies: individuals, 2's and 3's. Examination for validity and value. Significance for future interreligious engagements. Face-to-face silence.

We've just begun to put the word out for testimonials. The next step is pointed recruitment from selected world religions. Sr. Georgene Wilson, Order of St. Francis, is both a facilitator and an witness in this conversation. She is a contemplative teacher of spirituality, who has her being at Wisdom Webbings Anchorhold in Wheaton, IL, USA. Dick Luecke is a city pastor and a trainer of pastors in Chicago USA, a philosophy teacher, and a director of urban studies on work, health, and the constitution of cities. He helped organize "Voices of the Dispossessed" for the 1993 Parliament. Both facilitators are trustees of CPWR.

Seeking the Common Core that Binds Us as One
This panel explores how to seek the common core that binds us as one. Jonathan Granoff, of The Temple of Understanding, will chair the panel and there will be three presenters who will speak 10-15 minutes each. The panel will open itself to an open discussion with the audience and the panel on the topic.

Panel Chair: Jonathan Granoff, Temple of Understanding. Presenters: 1. Lenard Swidler, Professor of Religious Studies, Temple University. 2. Ashock Gungacleen, Professor of Philosophy and Chair, Hauer Fond College. 3. Thomas D. Lynch, Professor of Public Administrations, Louisiana State University.

The Black Experience -- A Cry for World Peace
The Black Experience-A Cry for World Peace is a collage of poetry, prose, drama and song which depicts the African American experience beginning with slavery. It is an experiential happening which solicits audience participation and emphasizes the need for racial unity as a prerequisite to world peace.bbb

Ladjamaya is a creative actress, director, and vocalist who performs intricately woven, artistic presentations which speak to and from the heart. Audiences, young and old, throughout the United States, and in Canada, Trinidad, Tobago, the former Soviet Union, and Beijing have enjoyed the warmth, joy, intensity, and involvement of her presentations of rich imagery and powerful emotions.

Significance of the Bhagavad Gita for the New Millenium
The presentation will be concerned with the significance and message of the Bhagavad Gita for the 20th and 21st centuries through its numerous translations and interpretations. I will discuss a dozen interpretations, including those of Shankara, Tilak, Gandhi, Radhakrisnan, Hitler, T.S. Eliot, Bhaktivedanta, and Christian missionaries such as Weber, Garbe and Farquhar. I will argue that the Bhagavad Gita had given a religion of tolerance of differences, which was not only suitable for the past generations, but also can be a guide for the New Millennium.

Dr. Ashok Malhotra is Professor and Acting Chairman of the Philosophy Department at the University of New York, at Oneonta. He has published six books and more than fifty articles on Asian and comparative Philosophy. He is the director of the SUNY Learn and Serve Study Abroad Program in India. The goal of the program is to help build schools for underprivileged children in India. His 1996 group has already started a school in the town of Dundlod, Rajasthan. He will accompany 15 undergraduate students from USA to India on December 28, 1999 who will help him to build an eight-room structure for an elementary school in the Town of Dundlod. The school project will be completed by January 16, 2000. A great way to start the New Millennium!

Religious Peace Will Lead to General Peace
The new millennium can be called a beginning of a new period in human history because there are signs of a critical mass developing in our collective thinking. To further this natural movement, we need to analyze clearly and elaborately what constitutes religion, spirituality, and culture. A thorough look by a multitude of people will help us come up with a common minimal program to be used as a vehicle to lead us towards a peaceful coexistence. Peace is what every human being seeks, and peace has been elusive. The paper will look in detail at these concepts and make precise suggestions that are universal in nature.

Renu S. Malhotra, is an Indo-American, holds a M.B.A. degree and is president of Seed The World Inc. a charitable organization doing work in disadv antaged areas. In the USA it attempts to help projects dealing with child welfare.

Women in Solidarity: A Case Study of A Cross-Cultural, Inter-religious Project to Overcome Violence
This workshop presents an inter-religious project created by women to overcome violence. Initiated by religious women leaders, the Women in Solidarity project aims to teach that women's spirituality, religious traditions, and culture are sources for peace and social justice. The workshop will include a 16 minute video of the project materials used to develop leadership among women, and discussion about this multiracial project in Southern California.

1) Dr. Susan Maloney, SNJM is chair of the M.A. Program in Feminist Spirituality at Immaculate Heart College center in Lost Angeles, California USA. She lectures and writes on women, religion and social change. Maloney was an invited religious scholar to Research Committee on Sex Roles and Politics at the International Political Science Association Congress in Seoul, Korea in 1997. 2) Dr. Catherine Ferguson, SNJM is associate director of the Inner City Law Center in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is adjunct professor at Immaculate heart College center and has worked in Peru, Mexico, and Chile. She was on the international staff for Pax Christi, Brussels, Belgium, responsible for planning international delegations for religious leaders and activists. Both women are members of the sisters of the holy Names of Jesus and Mary.

Communicating with Each Woman in a Multi-Religious World: SPIRITUAL PARENTING IS CRIME PREVENTION
Acclaimed author and lecturer addresses international nightmares: child abuse and substance abuse. Her recent publication, REMEMBER TOMORROW: A Woman's Companion ,offers loving and supportive avenues for building self-esteem -- set at an English 8th grade reading level. Author reads excerpts of the book, followed by questions and answers. Religious communities now distribute this book in U.S. women's correctional facilities, universities, prisons, community conferences and women's studies programs. Washington State government lists this book as the ONLY suggested reading for all foster parents in the state. This binding provides a necessary communication link that facilitates ministry contact with members of congregations dealing with family problems. Abuse begets abuse. This reading is a key to reducing violence in societies beginning in the HOME.

Charmaine Mandell with be the keynote speaker at the International Women's Day United States/Mexico Border Conference, 3/8/2000. An author on a mission - reaching into the hearts of women, offering avenues for rebuilding self-esteem -- 15 years, foster parent for children of substance abuse and incarcerated mothers.

Peace of Spirit: Spiritual Dimension to the Culture of Peace-An Indian Perspective
A real spiritual man is a true citizen of the world. The spiritual mind is the most unifying and uplifting of all influences. The most outstanding character of the spiritual mind is its universality and to be more precise, it is the mind of mankind.

Ramu Manivannan., Senior lecturer in Political science, Hindu College, Delhi University.

The Art of Mastering Movement to Harmonize Body, Soul and Spirit
Any attempt to form a complete image of a person's characteristics aims ultimately at the comprehension of his individuality. We find ourselves today in a situation in which all that is implied in the worlds religions and religiosity is no longer the only concern of faith. The life of all human beings is finally about awareness and transcendence, which belongs to the realm of experience. Through various easy-to-do exercises, Dr. May-Ropers will invite her audience to re-harmonize and re-integrate body, soul and spirit: movement from the center.

Dr. Christiane May-Ropers, born 1952 in Kreuth/Bavaria/Germany is a doctor in General Medicine, a specialist in Physical Rehabilitation Medicine and Naturopathic Treatment. She has had many years of training and experience in Germany, Tibet, Nepal, India, Thailand and the USA. She received spiritual training from the Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry/India and various outstanding masters. She was chief medical doctor of a famous private clinic for rehabilitation and today runs an International Institute for Balance and Movement. She has particpated in world-wide lectures and seminars and has authored many books and articles. She is inspired and supported by Lord Yehudi Menuhin.

Moral Development in the Pluralistic Society
It has become commonplace to note that the 20th century was born in on a tidal wave of optimism, due to the unprecedented advances in science, invention, commerce and other elements of culture. It is an equally threadbare truism that our era has devolved into a spate of wars (250 wars, holocausts and ethnic cleansing resulting in more than 180 million deaths, mostly civilian), with the spectra of possible annihilation of all life on the planet. Optimism, for many, has given way to anxiety, cynicism and despair.

Robert B. McLaren, Ph.D., is Professor of Human Development, in the California State University, Fullerton, CA, and holds degrees in Psychology, Theology, Education, and Philosophy. He has taught Philosophy, World Religions, and Human Development; is author of five books, and has lectured in Canada, England, Germany, Holland, Belgium, and Russia.

Perennial Wisdom and Emanuel Swedenborg
We are hoping to have something similar to the Swedenborg Session at the last meeting of the Parliament of the World's Religions. Five scholars will present papers about Emanuel Swedenborg and his contribution to religious thought and life, particularly in the light of perennial and universal religion.

1) Drake Kaiser studied comparative religion, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin at the Academy of the New Church (Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania) and Edinburgh University (Scotland). He serves as associate director of the Swedenborg Association, and associate editor of Arcana: Inner Dimensions of Spirituality, a Journal devoted to studies in comparative religion and the theology of Emanuel Swedenborg. 2) Leonard Fox studied at New York, Columbia, London, and Munich Universities; and has taught Sanskrit, Russian, and linguistics at various universities. He has published books on Albanian customary law and Albanian grammar, and on Malagasy poetry. Rev. Fox is the editor of Arcana: Inner Dimensions of Spirituality, a Journal devoted to studies in comparative religion and the theology of Emanuel Swedenborg. 3) Olle Hjern, educated at Uppsala University, is widely regarded as one of the world's leading experts on Emanuel Swedenborg. He has published many books, and edits Varlarnas Mote, one of the world's oldest Swedenborgian Journals. 4) Andrei Vashestov studied medieval history and the history of philosophy at Moscow University (Ph. D. 1985) and comparative religion at the Academy of the New Church (Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania) and Temple University (Philadelphia); and has taught philosophy, medieval history, and religion at various universities. He currently serves as associate pastor of the Lord's New Church in Charleston, South Carolina. He has published and translated books and articles on the history of philosophy, comparative religion, and the theology of Emanuel Swedenborg. 5) Paul Booth is a Swedenborgian minister who was educated at City College in Washington state and served in the United States Army for twenty years before being ordained. He serves as pastor for both the Asheville (North Carolina) and The Hague (Holland) congregations of the Lord's New Church. He also serves as chairman of the Raad Van Beheer in Holland, and chairman of the International Council of Priests of the Lord's New Church.

The Way to Become Ecumenical in a Globalized World
Spiritual leaders can greatly influence planetary changes by learning how to work in harmony with each other. This may begin by exploring the differences between religious tolerance and ecumenism. Furthermore, the ecumenical code of ethics for all nations should be based on universal and spiritual principles to inaugurate the New Millennium. Lastly, Christians and non-Christians should understand that Jesus' message should not only be considered religious doctrine, but also a universal philosophy applicable to economy, education, politics, art, sport, etc. (The same relates to other Religious Masters.)

Poet and journalist, Luciano Meira is the advisor to the President of Legion of Good Will and Temple of Good Will, Jose de Paiva Netto . Meira is the Liaison of the Legion to the United Nations and the chairman of the International Liaisons of the International Association of Educators for World Peace.

Ramtha and the God Within
A video demonstration and a teaching on the gnosticism inherent in the work of Ramtha the Enlightened One and his message to the world.

Greg Simmons graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a B.S. degree in Psychology. He then attended and successfully completed his studies at the Burklyn Business School. Before coming to Washington, Greg owned several businesses, schools, a residential training for business entrepreneurs, and was a partner with Robbins Research Institute headed by Anthony Robbins, world famous motivational speaker. He has been a student of the Ramtha teachings since 1982, and an employee of Ramtha's School of Enlightenment (RSE) for the past nine years. He is currently the leading facilitator of the teachings of Ramtha for the 5 Continent World Tour of 1999.

The "Work of the Cell" and the World's "Heart Work" in Thomas Merton's Confessional Writing
Thomas Merton's private journal writing (recently published in seven volumes) is a testament of "confession and witness" to the Cistercian monk's practice of an "inner ecumenism" as he listened for and dialogued with the voices of the Strangers, the resident aliens at the center of his interior life. This interior ecumenical movement was Merton's "heart work." It produced his openness and compassion toward a World-Wide communion of saints. Merton models for us in his autobiographical writing an inner work in solitude which is foundational to companioned work with others for peace, justice, and a non-violent world community.

Jonathan Montaldo is Director of the Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine College in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, which archives the most important and extensive Collection of Merton's literary, artistic and spiritual legacy. He edited Volume 2 of Merton's Journals, "Entering the Silence" and co-edited a compendium volume of Merton's Journals with brother Patrick Hart of Gethsemani: "The Intimate Thomas Merton: Spiritual Memoirs, 1939-1968."

Kali's Follies: Mid-Life at the Millenium
This one-woman performance of original theater will humorously address a woman's confrontation with the spiritual and psychological dimensions of aging, facing loss, and becoming an advocate and spokeswoman for global and environmental issues. A journey through life's mid-life changes will encompass mythological motifs about spiritual eldering; as well as, exploring contemporary issues around discrimination toward aging women. The performance promises to be provocative, funny, and inspiring.

Lou Montgomery is an actress, singer, playwright, and psychotherapist with twenty years experience performing and conducting groups and workshops internationally. Authored and toured Family Baggage, an original play about healing addictions and family trauma, has facilitated psychodrama groups around the world, and is completing her Ph.D. in Dept. Psychology.

Spiritual Narcissism and Religious Tribalism: Perspectives from Contemporary Psychoanalysis
1) Intro: When Narcissism recruits religion into its service. 2) Dynamics of Spiritual Narcissism. 3) The role of religious Tribalism. 4) From Narcissism to community: Imaging a treatment plan.

Dr. Robert Moore is a psychoanalyst and co-director of the program in Jung and Spirituality at the Institute for World spirituality. He is professor of psychology and spirituality at Chicago Theological Seminary and is founder and President of the Institute for World spirituality.

Spirituality in Business: Bringing Our Hearts Into the Workplace
We spend 40 plus hours a week at work - most of our waking lives. Too often we must leave our hearts and beliefs at home, shutting our spirituality down to earn money. But there are changes happening in the world which are making it possible to be spiritual beings and make money. This workshop will discuss all of the innovations in business practices which are indeed encouraging spirit in the workplace. We will also address the communication behaviors which we can each adopt daily to encourage respect, trust, collaboration, rapport, relationship, and brother-/sisterhood in all areas of business.

The workshop will be run by Ms. Morgan alone (unless others who are involved in the Spirit in Business movement would like to join me should they be at the Parliament. Additional input is welcome!). Sharon Drew Morgan is the author of New York Times Bestseller Selling with Integrity which introduces the first spiritually based sales paradigm. Ms Morgan has written over 50 articles on Sales as a Spiritual Practice and teaches and speaks throughout the world to major corporations wishing to add spirituality into their workplaces through the sales function.

Awakened Life--Awakened World
The New Thought movement has a radical and significant history in the American expression of Christianity. Called the "religion of healthy mindedness" by Harvard philosopher, William James, the tradition was born nearly 150 years ago as a revolt against the rigid and repressive dogmas so prevalent in New England churches of that day. Movement founders and proponents were among the very first in this country to study metaphysical systems and draw significantly upon eastern philosophical influences. This presentation to leaders and constituents of all religious traditions will represent the leading edge of the New Thought lineage, coming together on this occasion as the Association for Global New Thought (AGNT), founded in 1996. Among it's constituent member churches are Unity, Religious Science, and non-denominational NT movements engaged in educational and social programs that are rooted in strong spiritual communities. The panel will explore the rapid expansion of these modern ministries, which have offered models for church growth, personal commitment to spiritual practice and activist contributions by these congregations to communities -at-large.

Dr. Michael Beckwith, Agape Church, Los Angeles, CA; Rev. Carol Carnes, ANT Center for Positive Living, brandenton, FL 34202 Rev. Mary Manin Morrissey, Pres. AGNT, Living Enrichment Center, Wilsonville, OR Rev. Howard E. Caesar, AGNT Unity Christ Church San Francisco, CA 94132 Rev. Sharon Connors - AGNT Unity Christ Church Rev. Wendy Craig Purcell - AGNT Church of Today, San Diego, CA Rev. Richard Rogers - AGNT Unity of Phoenix

The Movement of Spirtiual Inner Awareness--Fulfilling the Spiritual Promise
The message of MSIA is that God is in heaven, that there are greater realms, that you don't have to die to experience them, and that you can know the divine reality while you live on this earth." John-Roger. MSIA's basic tenets- "Out of God comes all things, God loves all of its creation and Not one Soul will be lost" will be discussed. MSIA has no moral code per se; we provide some simple guidelines by which we strive to conduct our lives in this world and the leading intention of all we do is loving.

John Morton is the Spiritual Director of MSIA. His life is dedicated to peace and assisting people in discovering God. Since 1979, John Morton has spoken and conducted workshops all over the world for MSIA, the Institute for Individual and World Peace (IIWP) and other organizations dedicated to improving people's lives. He is on the board of Directors of IIWP, the University of Santa Monica and New Visions Foundation. The work that John does with MSIA and other groups focuses on the good in all and sharing that goodness with others.

Spiritual Warrior-The Art Of Spiritual Living
Part I: What is a spiritual Warrior? "Even when confronted with adversity, the classic warrior holds to his values and principles. But while most warriors march off to subdue a perceived enemy, Spiritual Warrior follow a different path- marching into their innermost center. They strive to perfect the internal discipline that will keep them attuned to God as they journey through this world." Part II: Becoming a Spiritual Warrior. Part III: Living as a Spiritual Warrior.

John Morton is the Spiritual Director of MSIA. His life is dedicated to peace and assisting people in discovering God. Since 1979, John Morton has spoken and conducted workshops all over the world for MSIA, the Institute for Individual and World Peace (IIWP) and other organizations dedicated to improving people's lives. He is on the board of Directors of IIWP, the University of Santa Monica and New Visions Foundation. The work that John does with MSIA and other groups focuses on the good in all and sharing that goodness with others.

Impact of the Macroeconomic Environment on Microcredit
The workshop will involve a lecture, followed by discussions. The presentation will discuss the impact of high interest rates, inflation, currency depreciation, and regulatory instruments, among others, on the capacity of microcredit to meet the needs of the poor.

Dr. Moyo is a lecturer in the Department of Economics at the University of Zimbabwe. She is a Board member of Zambuko Trust, a leading microcredit institution in Zimbabwe that currently reaches over 18,000 clients. She is also an appointed board member of the Agricultural Finance Corporation, the biggest agricultural organization in the country

Globalization, Religious Consciousness, and Civil Society
We will discuss globalization -the worldwide process of social and cultural change that has tended to weaken national ties while strengthening both old and newly formed religious identities. We will discuss the necessity of a global civil society to provide a human social and moral counterbalance to the growing power of the corporate global economy on the one hand and the political anarchy created by the emergence of new identities on the other. Paradoxically the mosaic of exclusive and often hostile religious and cultural groups is accompanied by tendencies toward an integral religious/spiritual consciousness.

Harlan L. Mueller; BS and MS in Sociology (University of Illinois); Professor of Sociology College of DuPage: Co-author along with Dean Peterson and Dolores Wunder of "Social Problems: Globalization and the Twenty-first Century. " Main presenter R. Dean Peterson: BA (Religion and Spirituality), MA (Sociology) MA (Religion) all from Baylor University. Ph.D. (Historical Theology) St. Louis University. Former lecturer in Sociology and Theology at St. Louis University. Adjunct Professor of Christian Heritage at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary. Professor of Sociology and Religious Studies at College of DuPage. Author of "A Concise History of Christianity" (2nd ed. Wadsworth, 1999). Coauthor with Harlan L. Mueller and Delores Wunder of "Social Problems: Globalization in the 21st Century (Prentice-Hall, 1999).

Sharing First People Wisdom (The Prairyerth Experience)
Most non-indigenous people have lost the ability to live in a manner acknowledging the unity of all life. We have forgotten the ceremonies that helped us synchronize with the rhythms of the Earth. In our forgetting, we have nearly destroyed our planet and severely depleted our spiritual heritage. Out of their own experiences of indigenous wisdom, a group of people in the Chicago area created a link between First People teaching and metropolitan reality. Seeking to create harmony between the land and its people, they formed a group to work toward sustainability and natural healing. That group, Prairyerth Unitarian Fellowship, is an accepted, official component of an established denomination.

A founding member of Prairyerth Fellowship, Mim Neal is secretary of the Chicago Area Unitarian Universalist (UU) council and helped organize three UU Central Midwest District Women Spirit Summer Gatherings. She is a member of the Seneca Wolf Clan Teaching Lodge, the Unitarian Church of Evanston, and the Public Relations Society of America. In her 20 years in public relations for Rotary International, she has worked in 14 countries. Currently, she is public relations manager for the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions.

What Does It Mean to Believe in a Universal Spirit?
The lecture will present ways in which the sacred as ultimate presence is experienced in several of the world's religions. Investigated will be the question of a common core and diversities of experiences and expression. Investigated as well, will be the relation of the experiences of universal spirit to social justice and ethical concerns. D3

Prof. of Religion, North Park University, Chicago member: Board of the Parliament for the World's Relgions.

The Millennium Prophecy Herald a Golden Age
The Present civilization will end within the global year 2002, after the occurrence of a third World War, if man does not heed his inner voice. This inner spiritual urging is given expression by the modern profits. A new civilization will begin by the permanent peace messenger of Almighty God, the great Imam Mahdi, who will come from the Arabian desert as desired by God. Jesus Christ will appear from heaven to assist the Great Imam Mahdi to establish a World Government based in Jerusalem to co-creating heaven upon earth in the year 2002.

The Wedding Party: A Celebration of Global Song and Circle Dancing
We join together in a circle and share in traditional songs and circle-dances from the global village. We marvel at the variety and rejoice over the unity! Songs from the North and South (Sweden and South-Africa) will take precedence, but songs from the Western (Amerindian) and the Eastern traditions will also be featured. "The Wedding Party" is a continuation of the Wedding" (see other program description) but stands as an independent program open for anyone with a love for singing.

Long C.V.'s from Anders and Jennifer Ferguson -- need to be shortened!

The Wedding: A musical marriage between North and South, Man and Woman, Black and Blond, Heaven and Earth
Six Swedish female singers meet six male South-African singers. The Nordic tradition of exalted melodic beauty meets and crowns the African tradition of vibrant rhythmic roots -- and harmony is born. But not without its share of dischords and clashes... In song and story, dance and dress a tale unfolds in three parts: In the beginning a young Swedish girl in traditional dress enters and calls on her cow-horn in the ancient style of the female herders of the Swedish mountains. Far in the distance the call is answered -- by a kudu-horn. Enter stage right: a young South African man dressed in the costumes of his ancestors. They meet and in the attraction of love's opposites a drama is born. The music, drawing from the deep vocal roots of each country, reaches out in the second part across the seeming abyss of the different cultures and tentatively at first, then flamboyantly connects and embraces. Bridal polskas merge with African drumming, praise-singing of the South fuses with wedding marches of the North iscethamiye intertwines with kulning. In the last part the musical consummation is final, expressed in a more universal and contemporary world-music language with influences from reggae, soul and r & b. The lyrics in Swedish, Zulu, Xhosa and English express themselves through the universal and the personal, the profound and the humorous. The wedding-dance turns into a lang-dans encircling not only the whole audience but the whole world as well.bbb

performers: 6-8 Swedish female singers 6-8 male South-African singers 3-4 tour South-African instrumentalists The names are at present not finalised composer and conductor: Anders Mikeai Nyberg (attached C.V. --> too long)

Creative Interchange among the Religions and Nations
1. Description of American philosopher Henry Nelson Weiman's Philosophy of Creative Interchange. 2. The four sub events of the process of creative interchange 3. Creative interchange as the goal and method of interreligious dialogue 4. A local experiment in interreligious dialogue in St. Louis, U.S.A., based on Wiemen's philosophy of creative interchange 5. Commitment by the world's religions to the process of creative interchange as a necessary condition for world peace 6. Other required conditions for achieving lasting world peace

Dr. Oughton teaches religion, philosophy, world religions, Holocaust studies, and peace studies at Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis, MO, U.S. He organizes the St. Louis' Dialogue Group of the World's Religions and Philosophies, an Interfaith Gathering for Peace around United Nations Day, and a bus tour pilgrimage to different houses of worship. His interdisciplinary doctoral program from St. Louis Univ. was in "Philosophies and Theologies of Peace and Justice." His dissertation is "The Implications of Henry Nelson Wieman's Philosophy of Creative Interchange for World Peace."

Nationalism and Religion
In recent years the world has been witness to an unprecedented outburst of nationalism, resulting in thousands of deaths, and this enmity has every sign of being confessional in nature. Nationalists are trying to make an ally of religion, using it to sanctify their actions. But for religion itself this "alliance" constitutes an enormous temptation and results in the most fatal consequences. In order to stop this shameful alliance of nationalism and religion it is vitally necessary for there to be more dialogue between different religions.

Dr. Natalia Pecherskaya is the director of one of the first in Russia non-state educational and research instruction-St. Petersburg School of Religion and Philosophy (SRPh) founded in 1990 under the aegis of St. Petersburg Assoc. of Scholars and Scientists. Being a mathematician by profession and Russian Orthodox by confession, she was invited to lecture at the SRPH. They are a group of scholars who have high level of knowledge,believe and civic spirit. An author of the collected scholarly works in English "The Emancipation of Russian Christianity," Toronto Studies in Theology, V.33, 1995 (The Edwin Mellen Press) Dr. Alexei Chernaikov is the professor of Philosophy at the SRPh. His professional career started as mathematician at the Institute for Economics and Mathematics of Russian Academy of Sciences. Then he got research grants from the British Council to work on philosophical issues at Cambridge, and then from Central European University. He was awarded by G.Soros Foundation in Moscow in 1993 in "Nomination of Scholars". Since 1993 he works at the SRPh. A member of the Editorial Board of an international series of phenomenological philosophy "Orbis Phaenomenologicus" (Verlag Karl Albert, Freiburg i.Br. Germany), and Geselschaft fuer Intercultuelle philosophie e. V., Koeln. Author, editor, commentator and translator of books and articles in phenomenology.

Identity Politics and Identity Spiritualities: Soteriology at the Intersection of Race and Religion?
This project anticipates North America's immediate future as a battleground of creolized racial identities and, in light of that anticipation, seeks to contribute to understanding the relationship between spirituality and racialization. It will explore the ways in which religious symbols have been mobilized in discourses of racialization to "spiritualize" or contest particular forms of political identification. Ultimately, I want to help formulate ways in which spiritual identity can be constituted in collective commitments that maintain a clear practical distinction between the absolute wholeness towards which they aspire and the contingent approximations they achieve in history.

James W. Perkinson holds a Ph.D. in theology from the University of Chicagoand has focused on questions of race, class and gender. He spent 15 years as part of an activist inner city Christian community in Detroit and currently teaches world religions, social ethics and theology at Ecumenical Theological Seminary and Marygrove College.

Soteriological Humility: The Christological Significance of the Humanity of Jesus in the Encounter of Religions
In the context of a global community, irreligious practice is increasingly investing regional conflict with particularist violence. Recasting religious identity so that neither loyalty nor toleration is compromised emerges as a paramount task. Interreligous encounter can no longer be considered merely an exercise in mutual enrichment but as a mutual soteriological search.

James W. Perkinson holds a Ph.D. in theology from the University of Chicagoand has focused on questions of race, class and gender. He spent 15 years as part of an activist inner city Christian community in Detroit and currently teaches world religions, social ethics and theology at Ecumenical Theological Seminary and Marygrove College.

The Gift/Curse of "Second Sight" : Exploring "Blackness" As a Shaman's Category in the Myth of White Supremacy
This paper will explore the possibilities of a modern or even post-modern form of shamanism that emerges precisely at the point of the peculiarities of racialization in the changing context of a historically supremacist culture like the U.S., as a case study in the interaction between race and religion that may have wider global significance.

James W. Perkinson holds a Ph.D. in theology from the University of Chicagoand has focused on questions of race, class and gender. He spent 15 years as part of an activist inner city Christian community in Detroit and currently teaches world religions, social ethics and theology at Ecumenical Theological Seminary and Marygrove College.

Enjoying The Journey
We are on diverse pathways leading to discover that there is but one God. Perhaps it is not as important "How we discover God" but "That we discover God." We are the temple that houses this Holy Spirit, and now is the time for us to move forward from merely "Talking God " to "Experiencing God" while still on this planet. If God is awesome, compassionate, abundantly creative, and unconditionally loving, etc. then for us to get our lives working constructively, we need to emulate, embrace, and express these high principles in our everyday lives. We state that we want Peace, the only way to achieve it is to live the pace we want to see happen. Only as we live the "Golden Rule" will peace begin with me and become contagious. May peace prevail on Earth.

Refer to his web site: http://www.pilgrim2.com In 1989/90 Peace walked half way cross the country. 1991 found him in the Pacific Northwest and Canada, opposing the Iraq war. He then went to Eugene, Oregon for medical attention which curtailed his activities to regional lectures. In 1992 he spent a month in Israel with a peace delegation dialoguing with Israelis and Palestinians. Upon his return he underwent the first of four major surgeries in August 1992 through March 1993. While convalescing he completed his book, Enjoying The Journey. In September, "Peace" attended The Centennial World Parliament Of Religions meeting in Chicago. Leaving in February 1994, Peace Pilgrim drove 21,000 miles, crossing the United States to speaking engagements everywhere. Early in 1995 while seeking a rest in Hawaii, Peace found himself instead lecturing extensively. His talks which took him to four Islands, included six prisons, interviews with newspapers, some ten T.V. and twenty radio talk shows. He returned to San Francisco to participate in the United Nations 50th Anniversary Celebrations, and remained working in the Bay Area until October. Then he headed South to Los Angeles for radio, T.V. and school presentations. Late December, he spent the holidays in British Columbia with his son. January 1996 he returned to Southern California to join the electronic age with a loaned laptop computer. Then on to Sacramento to learn to use the computer, email, and create this site on the World Wide Web. He was invited to spend the first two weeks of March in Virginia speaking at churches and other groups before heading for Washington D.C. where friends had arranged an array of speaking engagements with media, schools, churches etc. In April he returned briefly to California for a T.V. engagement before heading north in May, to Oregon where friends had arranged so many schools, media and group talks, that he barely could squeeze in time for a stomach hernia operation!! June and July where spent in Washington State where, as in Oregon, a support group had arranged accommodations, media, lectures, etc. We also got proclamations of peace from the governors of Oregon and Washington States.

Flesh: Thoughts on the Role of the Body in African American Religions
In recent years, scholars have begun to recognize that African American religion is not only Christian but also Islam, Santeria, Vodou, Black spiritual churches and other forms of orientation. Although the diversity and multilayered nature of African American religious experience has begun to receive scholarly attention, very little of this work is comparative in nature. The aim of this presentation is to explore ways in which a comparative study of these vibrant religious traditions can occur. My assertion is that the various forms of religious experience with African American communities are tied together through a common understanding of the body as a powerful religious symbol and ritual "device". Using the methodological concerns and approaches in liberation theology and ritual studies (particularly Ronald Grimes), this paper explores the importance given to the body in each tradition. Slides highlight the ritual importance of the body will be shown. The presentation will encourage efforts to move from descriptive studies to comparative analysis, to foster connections between practitioners f these various traditions.

Dr. Pinn was born in Buffalo, NY. Received his B.A. from Columbia Univ., Master of Divinity, Ph.D in Constructive Theology from Harvard Univ. Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and Coordinator of the African American Studies Program at Macalester College. Publications include Why Lord?: Suffering and Evil in Black Theology(1995) and the Varieties of African American Religious Expeerience (1998).

Turn the Other Cheek But Make Sure It's a Kiss
Anger is an alarm indicating that we are disconnected from ourselves and that our needs are not being met. Dealing with anger means restoring our connection to ourselves and making a choice of where to focus our attention. In this presentation we will understand where anger comes from, increase our awareness of anger, and learn ways of expressing our needs and feelings behind anger. Using skills and tools of compassionate communications we will learn to hear and express anger compassionately without feeling guilty or blamed. The purpose of this workshop is to develop skills to maintain and strengthen peace within and without stressful situations, and resolve conflicts nonviolently into satisfying dialogues.

1) Hemlata Pokharna, Ph.D. (Biochemistry), research associate at the Univ. of Chicago, trained at the Gestalt Institute and Focusing Institute, teaches meditation, alternatives to violence and nonviolent communications to promote health, wholeness and disease prevention. 2) Mandakini Pokharna MD. Practices Internal Medicine at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago. Is also trained at the Focusing Institute and Center for Nonviolent Communication.

Sacred Water Ceremony
Water is essential to life on earth. It is a common element to religious traditions around the world. I have collected water from 24 special and sacred sites representing every continent. Among these are: Ise, Japan; Chimayo, USA; Mt. Abu, India; Lourdes, France; the Red Sea and Jordan River, Israel; Nile, Egypt; Santa Lucia, Philippines; Delphi, Greece; Sun Cosi, Nepal; Ganges, India; Amazon, Brazil; Volga, Russia; Antarctica and Sydney Bay, Australia. I would like to include the bringing together of these waters by representatives of the world's religions as part of the opening or closing ceremonies, or as part of another plenary session where a blessing is to take place.

Bishop, Church of Divine Man. Board of Directors, North American Interfaith Network. Board of Directors, Interfaith Center at the Presidio.

Yoga--The Future Hope for Mankind
I.Yoga--What is its Universality? A. The practice of Yoga. B. To bring Unity into every aspect of your life. C. The Bond of Unity in all faiths.

Born in 1960, Orissa, India. The Vice President of Kriya Yoga Institute, USA; Kriya Yoga Zentrum, Vienna and Kriya Yoga Ashram, India. The designated spiritual successor of the only living God-Realised Kriya Yoga master Paramahansa Hariharanandaji. He holds MA in Economics. Teaching Kriya Yoga in India, Europe, North & South America and Australia. Well-versed in all of the worlds Scriptures-Vedas, Upanishads, Bible, Torah and Koran. An accomplished orator, philosopher, author and editor of many books. He is proficient in many languages.

Interfaith Issues / Economic Justice
This workshop on economic justice will focus on globalization issues, debt related themes, and campaigns and their significance for religious communities. Harve Cox's article in March's Atlantic Monthly entitled "The Market As God" will be a reference point.

The Impact of of Globalization on Our Lives and Spirituality
The workshop will provide a brief examination of the various ways corporate globalization is impacting our daily living, social structures and spirituality. We will anaylze how religious communities are responding and what might be new and creative strategies

Chiropractic: Healing The World By Reconnecting Man The Spiritual With Man The Physical
Chiropractic predates quantum physics in acknowledging an intelligent and holographic universe. Our entire philosophy is based on the omnipresent existence of a Universal Intelligence and its personification in individual living forms. Our entire intent is to remove interference to that Intelligence as it expresses itself through those forms. We therefore see chiropractic as an indispensable benefit for one's spiritual, mental and physical well-being. Furthermore, after each individual is free to express his/her spiritual essence and to fulfill his/her mission, talent, and destiny; the universal oneness is in turn exhaled and served.

Dr. Ptak has been a chiropractor for 12 years. He lectures at schools, community clubs, and major corporations on principled chiropractic and connecting physical man with spiritual man. He donates his days off to the less fortunate in his area with his mission is to serve god by serving man. Past President of the Santa Monica Chiropractic Society, cofounder of the Santa Monica Philosophy group and an member of the World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA) and the International Chiropractors Association(ICA). Dr. James Sigafoose was a chiropractor for 39 years,prior to his retiring. He now a consultant and a trustee of Life Univ. in Marietta, GA. since 1974. He travels weekly worldwide, spreading the principles of life and healing to both the lay person and to chiropractors. A fellow of the ICA and an member of the WCA. Dr. David S. Zamikoff graduated from Cleveland Chiropractic College in Los Angeles. Participant in several C.R.E.W. missions to Panama; he is an extraordinary teacher and healer. Currently practicing in south California adjusting and educating the public on the principles of chiropractic. Member of the WCA and ICA Dr. Luis E. Ocon has been a chiropractor for 8 years and was the 1992 Nicaraguan Olympic team doctor. Received the WCA's 1997 humanitarian of the year. Founder of C.R.E.W., an organization that takes volunteer chiropractors to provide services to thousands on a missionary basis. Currently maintains practice in the Salinas Valley of central California. International lecturer and a member of the WCA and the ICA. Dr. Stewart M. Bittman has a chiropractic practice in South Lake Tahoe, Calf. He a speaker and writer of inspirational message of the spiritual principles of life and healing across the U.S. An original member of the C.R.E.W. missions to Panama. An inspirational consultant. A member of the WCA and ICA. Patricia Ptak is the CEO of a large chiropractic clinic for past 6 years. Educator of the foundations of chiropractic principles, laws of living and life. Background in public speaking and political science and a patient advocate for Ptak Chiropractic Life center; in south Calif. Holds a degree in International Studies. A participant in C.R.E.W. missions to Panama.

Developing Interfaith Relationships Through Experiential Activities
This workshop will offer participants an opportunity and practical tools for establishing and maintaining interfaith and cross-cultural relationships. The workshop will use a blend of action based activities, relationship building theory, reflection and active dialogue to: identify the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to initiate, establish and maintain healthy, mutually beneficial interfaith and cross-cultural relationships. Experience initiating and establishing beneficial interfaith and cross-cultural relationships with workshop participants. Perform an inventory of significant interfaith and cross-cultural relationships in one's life and assess what knowledge, skills, and attitudes were present in the relationship. Identify common triggers of conflict and its prevention strategies in interfaith and cross-cultural relationship.

Rudy Pucel , of Acorn Learning, designs, develops, and facilitates instrumental programs internationally with the aim of developing human potential on a personal and professional level. He has worked in, or for corporations, nonprofit agencies, government, community groups, and schools.

The THRESHOLD 21 National Sustainable Development Model: A tool for religion/ government, donor dialogue.
Dr. Qu will present the THRESHOLD 21 model to show simulations of how citizen groups can analyze policy decisions that affect the futures of nations. Several countries will be shown as examples.

Dr. Weishuang Qu is Director of Information Systems at the Millennium Institute. He is a specialist in the application of science and technology to national development. He has extensive experience in both policy analysis for science and technology decisions and in the transfer of technology among leading research institutions.

Rotary International World Community Service Projects
A presentation of several world community service projects underway and completed with resource lists of who to contact to bring service projects to your community. For example: literacy projects, immunization, mobile clinics, water buffalo, solar ovens, etc.

Governor of Rotary International District 4280 (47 clubs in Los Angeles area). Worldwide Rotary International has 29,000 clubs with over 1.2 million members.

The Spiritual Rhythm of Relaxation: How to Thrive on Stress in Today's World
This workshop will instruct people on how to utilize self assessment, experiential exercises, meditation, and a take home personalized stress management program.

Dr. Radel, a philosopher who graduated from UCLA , has over 15 years' experience developing successful strategies for a broad spectrum of international clients. She is stress management consultant to Mexicana Airlines, Henry Mayo Clinic, Borland Software, The Palms and Oaks Fitness Spas, Little Company of Mary Hospital, Royal Cruise Lines, Los Angeles County Fire Department, and Shinji Shumeikai, among others.

What Men Owe to Women: Positive Resources From the World's Religions
This panel will share the findings of a research project involving 12 male scholars who explored the positive resources supporting mutuality and human rights in male-female relationships in Islam, Christianity, Buddhism Judaism, Hinduism, Native American, and African spiritual traditions.

Five Panelists: 1) Dr. John C. Raines teaches in the Department of Religion at Temple University in Philadelphia. He received his Ph. D. from Union Theological Seminary in 1967. He has written several books, including Islam and the West: a Coming Clash of Civilizations? (Petaling Jaya, 1995) and Modern Work and Human Meaning (Westminster Press, 1986). 2) Rev. Marvin Ellison teaches at Bangor Theological Seminary in Portland, Maine. He is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA). He is the author of Erotic Justice: A Liberating Ethic of Sexuality (Westminster/ John Knox Press, 1986). 3) Dr. Farid Esack is a Commissioner for Gender Equality in the South African government and Senior Researcher at the Institute of Religion, Identity and Culture at the University of the Western Cape. He is a Muslim theologian who has studied in Pakistan, the United Kingdom and South Africa. 4) Dr. Tavivat Puntarigvivat teaches in the graduate program of Comparative Religion at Mahidol University in Thailand. His expertise is Buddhism. He books include The Way of Mahayana Buddhism (Sukkhapapjai, 1989) and Sages and Buddhadasa Bhikku (Paramita, 1987). 5) Dr. Benjamin Hubbard chairs the Department of Comparative Religion at California State University-Fullerton. He co-authored America's Religions: An Educator's Guide to Beliefs and Practices (Libraries Unlimited, 1997) and is currently working on Whose Religion is True? An Introduction to Religious Diversity.

Science and Religion
In the impending century, religious leaders cannot afford to ignore the impacts of scientific knowledge in our values and belef systems; nor can be the scientific establishment ignore the relevance and significance of the religious framework for human sanity, society, and civilization. The lecture will be an elaboration of this thesis. I would prefer to haveit in a plenary session.

Prof. V. V. Raman, author of several books and numerous articles and papers on science and its impact, has also discussed the relationships between science and religion in various presentations. He holds a Ph.D.. in Physics from the University of Paris

World Peace and Tamil Siva Yoga Siddhatham
Promoting World Peace (SHANTI) -- physical, vital, mental, intellectual and spiritual -- through Tamil Siva Yoga Siddhatham of Kriya BABAJI with ASANAS, PRANAYAM, DHYANAM, MANTRAS and BHAKTI. Replace Atomic bombs with the ATOMIC BALM of KRIYA YOGA.

YOGI RAMAIAH -- Main presenter S. Shunmugam of USA -- Yoga respondent (enclosed c.v.) ; highlights include careers as physical therapist, yogic therapist, college lecturer (Imperial Valley College, Arizona Western College), yoga teacher and founder of organization.

The Tao of Truth
Six performance pieces. Deeply spiritual in nature. Each is 12-15 minutes in length and they can be used either together or individually to suit time requirements.

Barbara Bossert-Ramsay Yale Drama School, American Theater Wing, City Center Ballet School, Julliard School of Music. Lead in first Australian Television serial-"Bellbird". Openned innovative dinner theater, "The Stage Door" which ran successfully for many years. 1992, her play "The Accidental Mystic" premiered at the Edinburgh Festival, with seasons in Sydney and Melbourne followed by an international tour. 1993, "The Accident Mystic plays at Parliament of World Religions, Chicago". Her book "Finding The Magic," continues to be a focal point for human development programs.

An Allegory of Faith: Photographs by Carol Ann Raphael
An exhibition of color photographs (from India, Thailand, Laos, Mexico, Europe, and Nepal)

Becoming Global Citizens: The Contribution of Indigenous Religions to a Global Ethic
This workshop will bring together representatives of indigenous peoples from around the world to reflect on which ways in which the wisdom of indigenous peoples can contribute to a global ethic as envisioned in the 1993 Parliament. The panelists will be drawn from concerned academics who began critically to engage indigenous world views as well as practitioners of indigenous religions as activists who argue for the case of applying indigenous wisdom as they respond to the multiple ethical issues that confront humanity today.

Professor Kay Read teaches courses on Native American and Meso-american indigenous peoples at DePaul University. She will convene a panel which may include: Dr. Theresia Hinga (who teaches African Indigenous Religions and Women and Religion at De Paul), Dr. Laurenti Magesa (Tanzanian Catholic Priest & author of African Religions: The Moral Traditions of Abundant Life); Ines Talamantez (Native American practitioner, scholar and activist at the University of California, Santa Barbara); Professor George Tinker (Native American practitioner, scholar and activist with Illiff School of Theology and author of Missionary Conquest; Prof. Chyung Hyung Kung (Korean scholar and activist with Union Theological Seminary and author of Women's Perspectives on Religion, Theology and Ethics; Ms. Grace Wamue, scholar and researcher with Kenyatta University, author of Gikuyu Religion and the Quest for a Land Ethic; and Ms. Nokuzola Mndende (practitioner of African indigenous religion and scholar at the South Africa University of Cape Town.

Microenterprise Development: Where Dignity and Compassion Meet
1-Microenterprise Development: Self-Sustaining Poverty Alleviation 2- The Modern Roots of the Microenterprise Movement 3- The Religious Roots of the Microenterprise Movement 4-Reuniting Spirituality and Microenterprise Developmen.

Larry Reed, since 1984, has worked with the Opportunity International Network(OIN). From Oct. 1997 to the present, he has seved as managing Director. OIN is a membership organization of the microenterprise organizations in over 30 countries. He has been the Director of Venture Investments, Founder and Director of Africa Regional Office in Zimbabwe from 1991-1996, and vice president of Programs for OIN-US. He holds a MA in Public policy from J.F.K.School of Government at Harvard Univ. and a BA in Social Sciences and Biblical Studies from Wheaton College.

The World Sabbath of Religious Reconciliation: A Call to Create a Holy Day of Justice and Peace.
Fr. Reinhart will lead a workshop on how we can and why we must create a new interfaith holy day called the World Sabbath of Religious Reconciliation. This will be a day on which religious leaders may speak out for justice, equality and peace. This will be a day to reveal that most "religious" wars are really excuses for ethnic hatred and economic expansion. Fr. Reinhart will tell of our plans to celebrate the first World Sabbath in Michigan and to call on religious and public institutions to continue it.

The Rev. Rod Reinhart is an Episcopal priest, school teacher and founder of the World Sabbath. He is a long-time peace activist. The main respondent will be Lanee Fertig, a Michigan human rights and labor lawyer. The second respondent will be chosen later this summer.

A Prayer for the New Millennium (Day Five)
A Final Panel Discussion between all the speakers including a ceremony intended to help purge the sorrows of the past and express a collective vision for religious freedom for Indigenous people's worldwide in the new millennium.

Huston Smith - Professor Emeritus, Syracuse University, visiting Professor, University of California, Berkeley, author of many books including, The World's Religions, and subject of a recent Bill Moyers television series, "The Wisdom Of Faith". 2) Walter Echo-Hawk (Pawnee) - Senior Staff Attorney, the Native American Indian religious freedom and author of "Battlefields and Burial Grounds: The Indian Struggle To Protect Ancestral Graves in the United States." 3) Charlotte Black Elk (Oglala Lakota) - A primary advocate for protection of and Native access to the Black Hills of South Dakota and an authority in the verification of Lakota oral tradition. Ms. Black Elk is Great granddaughter of Nicholas Black Elk, the subject of John Neihardt's book, Black Elk Speaks. 4) Frank Dayish, Jr. (Dine) - Native American Church (NAC) Roadman and President of The NAC of North America when the 1994 U.S. Congressional legislation was passed which overturned the infamous U. S. Supreme Court "Smith Decision". 5) Suzan Shown Harjo (Cheyenne /Hodulgee Muscogee) - President of the Morning Star Institute of Washington, D. C, Founding Trustee of the National Museum of the American India, Past President, The National Congress of American Indians, writer, lecturer, curator, and veteran Indigenous advocate. 6) Oren Lyons (Onongada) - Faith Keeper of the Turtle Clan, world renowned voice of Indigenous wisdom, author of the book, "Exiled In The Land Of The Free," Director of Native American Studies, State University of New York at Buffalo, and subject of the Bill Moyers television special, "The Faithkeeper". 7) Winona LaDuke (Anishinaabe) - Founder of the White Earth Recovery Project and the Indigenous Women's Network, author of the novel, Last Standing Woman and an internationally acclaimed activist advocating respect for the Earth's environment. 8)Lenny Foster (Dine) - Coordinator of The National Native American Prisoners Rights Advocates Coalition and spiritual advisor to Native Americans in 89 Federal and State prisons including overseeing traditional ceremonies inside prison walls. 9)Janet MC Cloud (Tulalip) - Founder of The Native American India Lodge specializing in helping troubled Native youth and a renowned spokesperson in behalf of Native religions that have at their core, relations with Salmon. 10) Melalani Trask (Hawaiian Native) Renowned sacred land activist will discuss international effort for protection of worldwide Indigenous religious freedom including activities at the United Nations, at the conferences in Rio De Janeiro and now at the Parliament in South Africa.

Persecution of Native American Religions - Past & Present (Day One)
Walter Echo-Hawk (Pawnee) and Prof. Smith will review the history of oppression on the Indigenous religions in the United States and outline current concerns and potential remedies.

Prof. Smith- Professor Emeritus, Syracuse Univ., visiting Prof. at Univ. of California, Berkeley, author of many books including, The World's Religions, and subject of a recent Bill Moyers television series, "The Wisdom Of Faith." Walter Echo-Hawk (Pawnee) - Senior Staff Attorney, the Native American Indian religious freedom and author of "Battlefields and Burial Grounds: The Indian Struggle To Protect Ancestral Graves in the United States."

Sacred Cermonies Outlawed- A Triumphant Case Study (Day One)
Frank Dayish, Jr. (Dine) and Prof. Smith will summarize the triumphant struggle of The Native American Church in the early 1990's for religious freedom which was documented in Prof. Smith's book, One Nation Under God. They will then discuss the current ramifications on the other religions of America and ponder potential future problems.

Prof. Smith- Professor Emeritus, Syracuse Univ., visiting Prof. at Univ. of California, Berkeley, author of many books including, The World's Religions, and subject of a recent Bill Moyers television series, "The Wisdom Of Faith." Frank Dayish, Jr. (Dine) - Native American Church (NAC) Roadman and President of The NAC of North America when the 1994 U.S. Congressional legislation was passed which overturned the infamous U.S. Supreme Court "Smith Decision".

Sacred Sites - Protection & Access (Day Two)
Charlotte Black Elk (Oglala Lakota) and Prof. Smith will discuss the significance of the "Paha Sapa" or Black Hills of South Dakota on her people's religion and they will propose practical solutions for the ongoing issues of protection of prayer sites and unlimited access for Native peoples.

Prof. Smith- Professor Emeritus, Syracuse Univ., visiting Prof. at Univ. of California, Berkeley, author of many books including, The World's Religions, and subject of a recent Bill Moyers television series, "The Wisdom Of Faith." Charlotte Black Elk (Oglala Lakota) - A primary advocate for protection of and Native access to the Black Hills of South Dakota and an authority in the verification of Lakota oral tradition. Ms. Black Elk is Great granddaughter of Nicholas Black Elk, the subject of John Neihardt's book, Black Elk Speaks.

The Threat of Scientism to Native American Religion (Day Two)
Suzan Shown Harjo (Cheyenne/Hodulgee Muscogee) and Prof. Smith will discuss the dangers of organized religion partnering with science, as in the case of The Vatican Observatory's desecration of the Apache people's sacred Mount Graham.

Prof. Smith- Professor Emeritus, Syracuse Univ., visiting Prof. at Univ. of California, Berkeley, author of many books including, The World's Religions, and subject of a recent Bill Moyers television series, "The Wisdom Of Faith." Suzan Shown Harjo (Cheyenne /Hodulgee Muscogee) - President of the Morning Star Institute of Washington, D. C, Founding Trustee of the National Museum of the American Indians, Past President, The National Congress of American Indians, writer, lecturer, curator, and veteran Indigenous advocate.

Destruction of Native Languages (Day Three)
Oryen Lyons (Onondaga) and Prof. Smith will discuss the history of governmental efforts to destroy Native languages, the resulting damage to Native ceremonies and current efforts to save what has not yet been lost.

Prof. Smith- Professor Emeritus, Syracuse Univ., visiting Prof. at Univ. of California, Berkeley, author of many books including, The World's Religions, and subject of a recent Bill Moyers television series, "The Wisdom Of Faith." Oren Lyons (Onongada) - Faith Keeper of the Turtle Clan, world renowned voice of Indigenous wisdom, author of the book, "Exiled In The Land Of The Free," Director of Native American Studies, State University of New York at Buffalo, and subject of the Bill Moyers television special, "The Faithkeeper".

Native Religions and Environmental Stewardship (Day Three)
Winona LaDuke (Anishinaabe) and Prof. Smith will discuss the interdependence of Native religions and Mother Earth, the threat that potential ecological disasters now pose for both Indigenous religions and mankind in general and proposals for effective remedies.

Prof. Smith- Professor Emeritus, Syracuse Univ., visiting Prof. at Univ. of California, Berkeley, author of many books including, The World's Religions, and subject of a recent Bill Moyers television series, "The Wisdom Of Faith." Winona LaDuke (Anishinaabe) - Founder of the White Earth Recovery Project and the Indigenous Women's Network, author of the novel, Last Standing Woman and an internationally acclaimed activist advocating respect for the Earth's environment.

Prisoners Rights - Access to Ceremonies (Day Four)
Lenny Foster (Dine) and Prof. Smith will discuss current injustices faced by incarcerated Native Americans which no other race or religion in the U.S. faces and they will propose remedies.

Prof. Smith- Professor Emeritus, Syracuse Univ., visiting Prof. at Univ. of California, Berkeley, author of many books including, The World's Religions, and subject of a recent Bill Moyers television series, "The Wisdom Of Faith." Lenny Foster (Dine) - Coordinator of The National Native American Prisoners Rights Advocates Coalition and spiritual advisor to Native Americans in 89 Federal and State prisons including overseeing traditional ceremonies inside prison walls.

Sacred Salmon Religions Endangered (Day Four)
Janet McCloud (Tulalip) and Prof. Smith will discuss Native religions that have at their core, relations with Salmon, current endangerment of those religions due to restricted fishing rights and endangered species and proposed remedies.

Prof. Smith- Professor Emeritus, Syracuse Univ., visiting Prof. at Univ. of California, Berkeley, author of many books including, The World's Religions, and subject of a recent Bill Moyers television series, "The Wisdom Of Faith." Janet MC Cloud (Tulalip) - Founder of The Native American India Lodge specializing in helping troubled Native youth and a renowned spokesperson in behalf of Native religions that have at their core, relations with Salmon.

Service to Humanity Through Travel
This workshop will introduce the idea of "Traveling to Make a Difference" and give conference members real life ways they can bring "compassion into action" and help build bonds of friendship between peoples and cultures. 6.4

Nancy Rivard has 22 years as an employee of American Airlines. When her father died suddenly 15 years ago she returned to flight attendant status to pursue God and the Nature of Reality. She is the founder of Airline Ambassadors Intl. an N60, affiliated with the United Nations.

Basic Tenets of Zoroastrianism Their Imperative for Interfaith Work in the Modern Age
Examination of the basic tenets of Zoroastrianism to identify their imperative for interfaith work and respect for diversity bringing forth their value in the context of the present age of diversity. A plea for other faiths to examine their own in preparation of the coming "Age of Diversity".

Rohinton M. Rivetna - Founding member of the Zoroastrian Association of Chicago, Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America, Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions and a spirit for the formation of United Religions Organizations.

United Religions 1993, 1999 and Beyond- -A Progress Report and Formulation of Future Direction
A recipe for the formation of a United Religions was offered at the Parliament in 1993. Since that time considerable development has taken place. We shall examine the goals, present status and formulate future direction.

Founding member of the Zoroastrian Association of Chicago, Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America, CPWR and a spirit for the formation of United Religions

The World as "One Place": Globalization, Global Ethics and the Negotiation of Religious Difference
This is a paper planned for a joint session entitled: Social Science Perspectives on Inter-Dialogue between the World's Religions.

Richard Roberts holds a Chair in Religious Studies at the University of Lancaster, England. He is president of Research Committee 22 (Sociology of Religion) of the International Sociological Association (ISA).

From Prisons to Community: Our Interreligious Challenge
GIFT OF THE PLANET This presentation will call for the attention of the religious community to the global situation of prisons and prisoners. The discussion will embody what the world's religious leaders need to know regarding issues of imprisonment and, using the case of prisons in the United States, will raise the issue of the significance of prisons to determine the quality of community in any country. Lastly, Dr. Roberts will submit a methodology for concrete transformation of persons and communities in the world's prison systems.

For the past ten years, Bob Roberts has been actively involved in various aspects of community building programs across the country, in Europe and the former Soviet Union. Dr. Roberts is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor at Tulane University's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and Executive Director of Project Return, a prison aftercare program that offers community building workshops; addiction treatment; training in conflict resolution, relationship skills, and communication; family and individual counseling; vocational counseling and job placement. Dr. Roberts has been much in demand as an instructor at workshops and conferences across the country and has been interviewed on numerous radio talk shows, including National Public Radio and has made dozens of appearances on various newscast and television talk shows on CBS, NBC, ABC, and FOX, including the Ivanhoe nationally syndicated news broadcast. He currently resides in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Regenerative Agriculture---The Key to Lasting Peace on This Planet
Since gardening for food is a way of life in all developing countries, we will use our Regenerative Agriculture Resource Center (RARC) program in Senegal, West Africa as the basis for our workshop/lecture human interactive display--demonstration project.

Amadou M. Diop is an agronomist, born in Senegal. He has been working with the Rodale Institute for 9 years. Amadou was the team leader for Rodale International for 6 years (1990-95). Demba NDiaye is a Senegalese farmer from the Village of Tatene Toucouleur in the Region of Thies. He is one of the fist farmers who received training from Rodale International. His wife Marietou Diallo and his son Pape NDiaye work hard to contribute to the family well-being

NON-VIOLENCE & SPIRITUALITY: Goals and Activities of The International GANDHI & GRIFFITHS Society
A non-profit movement to promote the great ideas and ideals of Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) and the Benedictine monk and sage of the Sat-Chit-Ananda Ashram Shantivanam Bede Griffiths (1906-1993); with special consideration of the outstanding village reconstruction work in India of Jesuit Father and Gandhi-friend Professor Dr. Michael A. Windey (1921-). Non-violence: Life in peace, harmony and love. Education of human sciences under human conditions: art, music, dance, literature, languages, community life in the context of joy and freedom, following the great work and example of Lord Yehudi Menuhin (1916-1999). Spiritual teaching and practice according to the wisdom of the great sages in all religious traditions. Establishing Gandhi & Griffiths Centers in all parts of the world. Helping the poor and non-priviledged to make their lives equal to the conditions of humanity and justice.

Roland R. Ropers, born 1945 in Stade / North Germany, is a teacher of comparative religious philosophy and spirituality. Disciple of the Zen-Master and Jesuit Father H.M. Enomiya-Lassalle (1898-1990), of the English Benedictine monk, prophet and sage Bede Griffiths (1906-1993) and the universal scholar Professor Dr. Raimon Panikkar (1918-). Author, editor and translator of various books and articles. World-wide lectures and seminars on spiritual subjects in the fields of religions, philosophy, music and health. Roland Ropers, President of the International Gandhi & Griffiths Society, worked for more than 25 years in international chemical business. For many years he has made an intensive study of Christian mysticism and the wisdom of the East, and done private research into comparative linguistic and religious studies. He holds a Ph.D. (oriental philosophy) from the University of Colombo/ Sri Lanka. He is a disciple of the Zen-Master and German-Japanese Jesuit H.M. Enomiya-Lassalle (1898-1990) and the universally known scholar Professor Dr.Mult. Raimon Panikkar (1918-). He is an author, editor and translator of several books. He holds world wide courses in contemplation, gives religious-philosophical lectures at universities, academies, educational institutions and churches to pass on the thought of Bede Griffiths on Universal Wisdom.

Economics of Care, Solidarity and Accountability
Global world economics today benefit the First World, but harm the people of the Third World and our planet Earth. The "economics of Jesus" are distribution economics, not supply and demand economics. Distribution economics are economics of hospitality and care and are practiced among the poor of the Third World, as my experience in the Philippines shows. Everyone is accountable to his/her neighbor and to the whole community. There is no "profit-making" aim involved, but the satisfaction of basic needs. Global economics are anonymous and accountable only to corporations; profit-driven, they neglect basic needs and thereby the poorest of the poor. Panel discussion after short presentation by Dr. Rose.

Renate S. Rose received her Ph.D. from the University of Muenster in Westphalia, Germany. She also graduated from the Harvard Divinity School in 1980 and moved to Hawaii where she was ordained by the United Church of Christ. She is presently engaged in preparing study material and text books for the Theological Education by Extension Program of Union Theological Seminary in the Philippines. Hans Jacklin (1938) is a businessman (Jacklin Music Company, Zurich, Switzerland). In addition, he assists individuals and groups on unfolding their consciousness and discovering meaning in their personal and business lives. As a collaborator of the Institute for Spiritual Development of Consciousness in Politics and the Economy. ISPE, at the Lassalle-House in Bad Schoenbrunn, Edibach ZG, Switzerland, he is in charge of the manifesto "A Global Economy for the Benefit of the World Community."

The African American Religious Tradition: A Functional Model for Religious Pluralism
A paper will be presented which examines the way in which African American religious leaders of the 20th Century have drawn on several religious traditions to express a theology of freedom and liberation. The religious philosophies of pivotal thinkers such as Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm X, Howard Thurman, and Martin L. King Jr. will be used to illustrate the functional dynamics of this view. Particular attention will be given to the influence of Gandhi on the development of this tradition as expressed in the work of Howard Thurman and Martin L. King Jr.

Dr. Richard Rose, Assistant Professor Religion and Philosophy The University of LaVerne Ph.D, The Claremont Graduate School, 1995 Dissertation: "Howard Thurman's Life and Thought: Implications for Religious Pluralism and Interaith Dialogue"

Experiencing the Soul-From Beliefs to Knowing
A multimedia presentation featuring excerpts from the author's private film interviews with the Dalai Lama, Sant Rajinder Singh, Sri Daya Mata as well as riveting testimony of scientific researchers, near-death experiencers, people in the process of dying, all who've had profound spiritual experiences. Based on themes found in Mr. Rosen's Los Angles Times best-selling book Experiencing the Soul-Before Birth During Life After Death, he will show the essential unity of the five major categories of soul experiences and the universality of the "human experience of the numinous" across religions and cultures. Experiential components include fascinating science experiments, humor, music, poetry, slides, interactive wisdom-sharing with participants and a demonstration of a universal form of meditation which promotes inner and outer peace irrespective of one's belief and religious affiliation. 6.4

Eliot Jay Rosen is the author of the Los Angeles Times best selling book, Experiencing the Soul and a licensed hospice social worker and filmmaker. He also founded the non-profit charitable and educational organization For A World We Choose Foundation (501c3). As an educator, he was on the teaching faculty of the Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Hospice, Grief Counseling, and Death Education Program at Northern New Mexico College. As a spiritual aspirant, in 1975 he was initiated by Sant Darshan Singh (1921-1989) and presently seeks spiritual guidance from the living spiritual teacher, Sant Rajinder Singh.

Buddist-Christian Theological Encounter & Global Problems
Six members from the International Buddhist-Christian Theological Encounter will reflect on their sixteen-year experience of dialogue and their joint work on issues of ecology, world peace, and the global economy.

PANELISTS Rosemary Ruether- Christian Theologian, Garrett Seminary David Chappel- Buddhist teacher, University of Hawaii-Manoa Sulak Sivaraksa -Buddhist activist, Santi Pracha Dhamuma Institute-Bangkok Yifa- Buddhist nun teacher, Hsi Lai University, Berkley, CA. Sehul Ogden- Theologian, SMU-Emeritus

The Role of the Body in Prayer
All the affective charges we hold in our bodies from the stresses of daily living can derail our efforts to pray. If we persist in trying to pray all the while ignoring the body and thinking that prayer is just a matter of the mind, our efforts will lead to frustration and mental struggle. This session focuses on the body as the environment of the mind and demonstrates how even working minimally with your body to release tension and stress before times of prayer will palpably deepen your corporeal quietude and mental tranquilty. When body, mind, and spirit are harmonized, the mystery residing in our deep being comes through more clearly.

Rev. Thomas Ryan, a Roman Catholic priest and member of the Paulist Fathers, is founder and director of Unitas, an ecumenical center for spirituality and Christian meditation in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He is the author of several books, most recently, "Prayer of Heart and Body" and "Disciplines for Christian Living."

Meditation and Yoga as Christian Spiritual Practice
A growing number of Christians practice yoga and meditation and experience real benefits. Often, they do not talk about it to their church friends because they fear being viewed with suspicion or responded to with lack of understanding. They themselves are somewhat at a loss to make the points of connection between their Christian faith and their meditation/yoga practice. This session aims at making the links which enable Christians to fully and consciously integrate their yoga/meditation practice into their faith and find there a rich and meaningful expression of it.

Rev. Thomas Ryan, a Roman Catholic priest and member of the Paulist Fathers, is founder and director of Unitas, an ecumenical center for spirituality and Christian meditation in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He is the author of several books, most recently, "Prayer of Heart and Body" and "Disciplines for Christian Living."

Becoming Earthwise
Earthwise is a four-hour experiential workshop which enables participants to formulate their role in interacting with the earth as a living system upon which all life depends. The Earthwise Workshop first provides participants with an experience of perspective. The perspective sees our planet, Earth, from a distance, as an astronaut far out in space might see it, as one, whole, interdependent living system. Participants, working from this perspective, then take part in various exercises, evaluating the health and well being of the planet and its various biological systems. The group then identifies current salient problems and challenges facing humanity. Working with concepts from traditional wisdom traditions and disciplines from cutting edge science, the group works at generating creative solutions to apply to these challenges at personal and collective levels.

Amy Beare, a mother of two sons, is a leader in her local community. She has designed and facilitated numerous courses, seminars, and group activities focused on enabling people to address current global challenges. Joe Kresse is a retired partner of Arthur Anderson, a worldwide accounting firm. For the last 10 years, Joe has been a full-time volunteer for FGC, facilitating workshops and coordinating organizational activities. Janet Boggia has been a Public Entity Risk Manager for 19 years. She recently spent a month in the Transcaucasia helping to facilitate the fourth dialogue among professionals from the two warring countries.

Becoming: Women's Circles, Women's Lives
This is a calling for women around the world to enter into dialogue in small and large groups. In our conversation we will focus on two things 1) The unique challenges and opportunities of what it means to be a woman in various countries of the world today. 2) How we use our spiritual practices to contribute to the urgently needed healing of individuals, families, communities and the ecology of the earth.

Peggy Sebera, MS, and Ronita Johnson are both organizational consultants from the USA who have facilitated groups for more than 20 years in the USA, Europe and Asia. They are members of the Chakra Circle featured in the film Becoming: Women's Lives. Peggy's work focuses on Leadership Development, Collaborative Team Work and Conflict Resolution. Peggy was a facilitator at The Gathering of Religious Leaders at the 1993 Parliament of the World's Religions. Ronita's work focuses on Diversity. She works as trainer, facilitator, and coach on multicultural workforce issues for corporations, organizations, and communities. Both women are dedicated to authentic conversations through Dialogue, believing in the power of storytelling as a forum for transcending worlds beyond our differences. Ronita, who has a BS in Psychology, is an African-American woman raised as a Christian. Peggy has a Master's degree in Psychology, and practices Buddhist meditation, Yoga and prayer. This program submission was encouraged by Helen Spector, member of the Broad of Trustees of the Parliament of the World's Religions.

Modern Cosmology and the Theory of the Complex System Evolution as a Base for Joining Efforts of Scientist and Theologians in Solving Common Problems of Environment
1. Modern science has discovered the transcendence of the Universe. This is of paramount importance for the world's religions. 2. Representatives of all the world's religions understand that it is the science which can help them in the realization of their duty (Gen.>1:28), that is saving the environment for every creature and responsible stewardship. 3. The possibility to join efforts of different scientific communities to solve crucial environmental problems is unique to the Parliament of the World's Religions.

Religion at the United Nations
The presentations will focus on the following issues: 1) What role, if any, should religious voices play at the United Nations? 2) Can they contribute positively to the issues currently being debated at the United Nations?

Panel Discussion of 6 people. Chair: Dr. Nafis Sadik, Executive Director, UNFPA and Assistant Secretary General to the United Nations. Panelists Denise M. Ackermann, D. Th. - Denise Ackermann is professor of Christian theology at the University of the Western Cape. She has a particular interest in feminist theology and teaches courses on, among other topics, women's issues in pastoral care and Christian sexual ethics. She has published widely in these fields and is presently working on a book on women and lament in Africa. She is a member of the American Academy of Religion, the International Academy for Practical Theology, and the Circle for Concerned African Women Theologians, whose present project is research on violence against women and the search for healing in South Africa. Teresia Hinga, Ph.D. - Teresia Mbari Hinga is assistant professor in the Department of Religious Studies at DePaul University in Chicago, IL. She has written extensively on issues surrounding women and religion in Africa. Book Chapters have included" Christianity and Female Puberty Rites in Africa: The Agikuyu Case", "Between Colonization and Inculturation: Feminist Theologies in Africa", and Gikuyu Theology of Land and Environmental Justice". Under a research grant from the Rockefeller Foundation, Dr. Hinga produced a research report, "The Role of Religious Networks in the Provision of Education to Women in Africa". Frances Kissling - Writer, advocate and policy analyst, Frances Kissling has been president of Catholics for a Free Choice since 1982. A highly regarded speaker and thinker on issues of religion, reproductive health, women's rights and population policy, ms. Kissling's views combine a deep respect for the spiritual aspect of life-giving with a passionate commitment to the moral agency of women. Ms. Kissling has briefed parliamentarians and development professionals in a number of countries, including Brazil, the United Kingdom, Mexico, the Philippines, Germany, Ireland, Poland, and throughout the United States. Laurence J. O'Connell, Ph.D., S.T.D.. - Laurence J. O'Connell is president and chief executive officer of the Park Ridge Center for the Study of Health, Faith and Ethics, located in Chicago, IL. Prior to assuming this leadership position, Dr. O'Connell was vice president of theology, mission and ethics at the Catholic Health Association of the United States. A frequent presenter and moderator at conferences concerning issues of faith, ethics, and public policy related to such health care issues as AIDS, cross-cultural medical practices in health care reform, Dr. O'Connell was awarded the prestigious Golden Eurydice Award of the International Forum of Biophilosophy by the Danish Parliament in May, 1996 for "his persistent work in organizing structures for bioethical debate and exceptional contribution to the understanding of sound ethical reasoning." Dr. O'Connell holds a Ph.D. from the University of Louvain, Belgium, where he also received an S.T.D.. He is both a U.S. and an Irish citizen. Arvind Sharma, M.Th.., Ph.D. - Arvind Sharma is the Birks Professor of Comparative Religion Faculty of Religious Studies at McGill University in Montreal. He has been active in the interplay of Hinduism and human rights, and recently organized a session on human rights, world religion and human dignity for the World Conference on the Universal Declaration on Human Rights in Montreal in December, 1998. He is a member of the board of advisors of the Project on Religion and Human Rights of Emory University and an international consultant for the "Encyclopedia of Hinduism".

Religious Leadership and Human Rights
The project consists of a Panel discussion for two hours on the challenges posed by human rights discourse to the religious leaders of the various communities, and how the leaders are responding to the challenge

Bawa Jain, Interfaith Center of New York (Chair) Kusumita P.Pederson, St Francis College, New York Nancy Martin, Chapman University, Orange, California Joseph Runzo, Chapman University, Orange, California Arvind Sharma, McGill University, Montreal (Respondent).

DISCOVERY
A fascinating look at religious thinkers of the past, and how their theologies responded to the secular and scientific challenges of their day. Their experiences have a lesson for all who feel spiritually 'adrift' in the modern world.

Kevin Sharpe was born in 1950 in New Zealand, lived in the United States for sixteen years, and now resides in Oxford, England. He is a professor in the Graduate College of the Union Institute, Cincinnati, a nontraditional distance learning program, where he supervises and advises doctoral studies. He is also a Visiting Fellow at the Ian Ramsey Center, Oxford University. His academic background includes two doctorates, one in mathematics ( from la Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia) and one in religious studies (from Boston University). Ecclesiastically, he is an Episcopal ( or Anglican) priest.

An Encounter In the Heart of The Divine Darkness: South Africa's Significance for a Global Theology of Reconciliation
A systematic Meta-Theology based on diverse spiritual insights. This presentation draws on: 1) my background as a meditation teacher to the multi-ethnic groups of Southern California and other cosmopolitan areas; 2) my work in Theological scholarship and 3) personal experience of living on three continents and embracing a diversity of cultures as my own, as well as the pain and power of a minority voice.

Rita Dasgupta Sherma holds a Master's degree in Religion from Claremont Graduate University and is a Ph.D. candidate in Theology and Culture at Claremont. Her publications include essays in edited volumes and journals. She is currently completing Eros, Ecology, and Hindu Great Goddess tradition. A former President of the Himalayan Arts Council of California, and member of the executive board of the Scripps College Fine Arts Foundation, she is also a multi-media artist who has won various awards for her work. She has lectured widely on indigenous sacred art, theology, meditation traditions and Asian religions, and has taught at Chapman University.

Anekantvada- The Axis of Jainism: An Extraordinary Doctrine to Understand a Multiplicity of Views
Tirthankara Mahavira said that it is hard to experience the ultimate truth and it is even harder to express this truth. We have seen through the ages that the truth expressed by different prophets in various contexts was understood differently. Perhaps this has given rise to many religions in the world. Tirthankara Mahavira taught the doctrine of Anekantavada - (a methodology to understand truth from different angles) the adoption of which will immediately demonstrate respect for other traditions.

Sadhvishshri Shilapiji is a Jain nun from Veerayatan, a Jain socio-religious institution located at Rajgir in the State of Bihar in north eastern India. She made Veerayatan her home in 1986 and the next five years of her life were a remarkable story of service and sacrifice, of devotion and dedication, of master-disciple relationship. She attained diksha (renunciation) in 1991. She joined King's College in London in 1995 and completed her master's degree in comparative Indian Religions. She is presently undertaking a Ph.D. at King's College.

The Power of Our Own Thoughts
Our enitre world has been created by our own thoughts. By thinking we create the world around us, negative or positive. Wouldn't it then make sense for us to think the very highest of thoughts, the purest of thoughts, so that the world we create would be of that corresponding quality -- high, noble and pure?

Sadhvishshri Shilapiji is a Jain nun from Veerayatan, a Jain socio-religious institution located at Rajgir in the State of Bihar in north eastern India. She made Veerayatan her home in 1986 and the next five years of her life were a remarkable story of service and sacrifice, of devotion and dedication, of master-disciple relationship. She attained diksha (renunciation) in 1991. She joined King's College in London in 1995 and completed her master's degree in comparative Indian Religions. She is presently undertaking a Ph.D. at King's College.

Environmental and Ecological Issues Practiced By Tirthankara Mahavira
Tirthankara Mahavira was an apostle of love for all forms of life. He developed a unique oneness with all facets of the environment. Not only did he preach on environmental and ecological issues, but his entire life was an example of how to live in perfect harmony with the environment.

Sadhvishshri Shilapiji is a Jain nun from Veerayatan, a Jain socio-religious institution located at Rajgir in the State of Bihar in north eastern India. She made Veerayatan her home in 1986 and the next five years of her life were a remarkable story of service and sacrifice, of devotion and dedication, of master-disciple relationship. She attained diksha (renunciation) in 1991. She joined King's College in London in 1995 and completed her master's degree in comparative Indian Religions. She is presently undertaking a Ph.D. at King's College.

Sharing Spiritual Tradition From Japan
1. A perfomance at the Opening Plenary and Closing Plenary in District six. These will be short 5 minute perfomances, yet impressive. 2. Approximately two performances at the daily Evening Plenary in Good Hope Center. 3. Two Grand Concerts in City Hall as one of the cultural events. Each will be of one hour duration. 4. Three or four performances during lunch time in Cape Technicon University. Each performance will be for approximately 20 minutes. 5. Perfomance on Robben Island. 6. We hope to welcome African musical groups as co-stars if possible. 7. Concerts and Cultural exchanges at schools from the end of November to December 3.bbb

Long list of participants included. needs to be shortened/honed

The Family In Today's Society
Presentation based upon: "The Family: A Proclamation To The World", issued Sept. 23, 1995 by The First Presidency and The Quorum of The Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints.

B.S., Utah State University. J. D. , The George Washington University Law School. Married; 6 children; 10 grandchildren. Commissioned Officer, United States Air Force. Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Alan Bible. Bishop, Stake President, Mission President, General Authority, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Days Saints. Private Law Practice, Las Vegas, Nevada (27 Years).

Interfaith Dialogue for Multi-Cultural Education: A Vedantic Perspective
In the modern shrinking and hurting world, the need for bringing different faiths and religious systems closer together through multi-cultural education can hardly be over-emphasized. In this lecture significant concepts of Vedanata will be highlighted. These concepts effectively demonstrate how different religions can engage in an open-minded dialogue leading to multi-cultural education, and, eventually, to the development of a congenial global village

NA

The Significance of Male Hair, Its Presence, and Removal
Those who make it their business to engage in the comparative study of the various religious practices of the world are familiar with the importance of the abstention from hair cutting to many male religionists. To name just a few, the Sikh, Sunni Muslim, Rastafarian, Orthodox Jewish, and Nazirite faiths each consider, in their own way, the presence of male hair to be a sign of spiritual dedication. Yet, men the world over increasingly find themselves to be under a tremendous level of generalized, social pressure to cut their hair and shave their faces in a manner incongruent with their respective religious duties. My lecture will ask the listener to acknowledge the validity, indeed the urgency inherent in the following three questions: (1) Why is there such a dominant social drive toward the requirement that men shave their faces and keep their cranial hair cut short if they are to be considered worthy of respect? (2) What is it, most fundamentally, that men accomplish when they shave and have their hair cut? (3) How do male hair cutting requirements work to drive a wedge between the man and his religious dedication? I will present to the attendees what I have come to believe, after careful study and analysis, are the answers to the above three questions. 6.4

Mr. Singh was born in Chicago, IL, U.S.A., in 1954. He was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Seattle Pacific University in 1987. In May of 1999 he was awarded the degree of Juris Doctor from Valparaiso University. He is an accomplished aviation pilot and a military veteran in good standing.

Egoism: A great Barrier Between Humans and God Consciousness
Egoism creates a great veil of illusion that keeps his conscientiousness tide to his physical, phenomenal world and he can not see the light of God. Through the grace of God and a perfect enlighter his veil of illusion can be sent as under. Guru Nanak Dev

Universal Man and Universal Religion
Every religion has its own mission. In the divine scheme, each of them has been assigned special functions. Thus the existence of the different faiths work as a spiritual division of labor. Hence, to treat our own religion as superior and the rest as inferior is a sacrilege and undivine act. The externalisation of spirituality can be only in terms of morality-purity, love, brotherhood, service and sacrifice. There is an essential unity among the teachings of religion.

His Holiness Sahi Swamiji Maharaj His Holiness Swami Chaturanandji Maharaj Professor Ram Jee Singh Sri M.R. Agrawal Sri Pradeep Kumar

Meditation: Secular in Form, Spiritual in Content
Different faiths have discovered different methods of meditation and there should not be any quarrel between them. The first step towards meditation in the Santa Mata tradition is to recite the holy name of one's spiritual teacher to facilitate concentration. This is mental, not verbal. After this, we have to fix our mind and attention to the form and figure of our spiritual teacher to deepen our meditation. Then we fix our mind on the point of light between our two eyes and then we hear a divine sound. This may not be clear at first, but after practice, the meditation becomes easier and blissful.

His Holiness Sahi Swamiji Maharaj His Holiness Swami Chaturanandji Maharaj Professor Ram Jee Singh Sri M.R. Agrawal Sri Pradeep Kumar

Theater of the Imagination
A performance/discussion using myths, folk tales, poetry and parables with the power to nourish and heal. The stories are a collection of sacred prose containing the great universal themes that promote compassionate action. The parables tell of loss and resurrection; of love and sacrifice and of the courage to survive. They suggest to us that we can in a sense, change our value structure... examine what is it that we get from being alive; not as an antique, not as a living relic. All the stories tell of transitions within their culture. Transition-representing as a modernist movement will be discussed. Translators Stephen Mitchell and Clarrissa Pinkola Estes embody in English the simplicity, dignity and powerful earthiness of the original languages.

Catherine Slade, A, E.; S.A.G.; A.F.T.R.A.; is a Chicago area performance artist, director and teacher. She has performed internationally with Harvard University's AMERICAN REPERTORY THEATER. Primarily a soloist, Catherine also collaborates with audio artist, classical and jazz musicians. She spends much of her touring, producing, leading training sessions and writing. She is a professor of performance art at The School of the Art Institute and Columbia College Chicago.

Transformative Insight Imagery: Conflict Resolution
An experiential workshop. Through an imagery process we will identify and experience various parts of ourselves that contribute to internal and external conflict. It is a part that holds anger, strife, disharmony, or competition. We will find a way to release this part to a sacred place within. Conflict resolution is a commitment to living truthfully and is an expression of our willingness to release the control drama.

Charlotte A. Smith, Ph.D., has engaged in individual, marital, and family psychotherapy in private practice for over thirty years. Her Doctoral studies at Northwestern University successfully researched the effects of imagery on brain activity. She is a certified Transformative Insight Imagery Trainer and has been facilitating imagery groups for twenty years.

The Spiritual Roots of Nonviolence: Experiencing Peace Through Meditation
In this participatory session, we will explore the religious, spiritual and ethical roots of nonviolence, both historically and from a contemporary perspective. We will see how mutual respect can positively affect our behavior, in every aspect of life. We will seek to identify tools available for people who wish to actively work toward more nonviolent communities, and also show how meditation can be an effective way to help establish and spread peace, from the individual to the global level.

Dr Stein teaches Peace Studies and Comparative Religion at the University of Rhode Island. He has written extensively in these areas, including several books to his credit, and is a co-founder of the new Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies at the University of Rhode Island. He has been a student of meditation and other contemplative practices for many years.

The Spiritual and Moral Development of Children: An Interfaith Perspective
In this interactive workshop, we will explore ways to help children more fully develop their moral and spiritual potential, within the home and at school. We will draw upon current creative thought and resource materials in the field, and tap into our personal experiences. How, for example, can a positive school environment and curriculum contribute to the spiritual development of children from varied cultural, social and religious backgrounds?

Clare Sartori- Stein is a school psychologist and holistic educator who teaches courses in child development at the University of Rhode Island. Also she is chairperson of the South County Interfaith Council of Rhode Island. She has taught children and worked with families in rural areas of West Africa.

Jesus The Holy Fool: A Christology For The New Millennium
This presentation, based on Stewart's book, Jesus the Holy Fool (Sheed & Ward, Fall 1999), will suggest that Holy Fool is a valid Christological title. It is Stewart's premise that the words and actions of the gospel Jesus, as well as the negative reactions he evoked from the establishment, provide a biblical basis for naming Jesus as Holy Fool. While this Christological title is implied rather than explicit, there is ample evidence that Jesus was willing to appear as a fool for the sake of God's reign; moreover, his teachings advocate a way of life that is grounded in Holy Foolishness. Through an archetypal examination of the fool motif as it applies to the gospel Jesus, this presentation will attempt to reconcile folly and holiness; firstly, to offer new insights into Christology; secondly to explore the pastoral ramifications of this Christology for the third millennium.

Dr. Elizabeth Anne Stewart holds a joint appointment with the Departments of the University Ministry and Religious Studies at DePaul University, Chicago. The author of more than 80 articles on spirituality and a regular contributor to living Faith. Stewart gives presentations and retreats across the country and internationally. A spiritual director and alternative healer, Stewart has published two books of original research on the use of imaginary in healing contexts, as well as three collections of poetry, and several books on the inner life. Her books include: Form Centre to Circumference: God's Place in the Centre of Self (Paulist Press: 1996); Image Guidance: A Tool for Spiritual Direction (Paulist Press: 1992), Woman Dreamer (Wyndham Hall Press: 1989); Extraordinary Time (Life Enrichment Publishers,: 1988); Frost and Fire (Life Enrichment Publishers: 1985); this fall, Sheed and Ward will be publishing Stewart's Ph.D. dissertation, Jesus The Holy Fool.

World Scripture: An Integration of our Universal Heritage
A 45-year project of mine, which now is involving the historic religions, spiritual movements, and individuals, is on computer and available for consideration in providing an ethical and spirit-base for bringing our planet together. This workshop will explore the need for such a scripture and how this one can help meet the emerging need. Time will be provided for dialogue.

I would be doing the presentation myself. Founder/Central Coordinator, Unity-and-Diversity World Council. Compiler/Author, World Scripture, Author, From Technological Power to Lasting Peace. Facilitator, monthly Interfaith Celebrations.

Connecting Women in Ministry; the Story of the Women's Institute in the Berkshires
The presenters are going to offer the story of the Women's Interfaith Institute as one model for connecting women in ministry. They will describe how this organization of women in leadership and ministry in Western Massachusetts has created opportunities for dialogue, education, and research. Their purpose is to engage participants in a discussion of other experiences and models, and to network for the future.

Rev. Allison is Stokes, Ph.D.. D. is Founding Director of the Women's Interfaith Institute and a United Church of Christ pastor. With degrees from Yale and Harvard Divinity Schools, she is co-author of "Defecting in Place, Women Claiming Responsibility for their Own spiritual Lives.

New Theological Categories For the Wider Ecumenism: A Challenge to Christians
I. The context for Dialogue II. A Work in Progress III. Constructing a New Groundwork for Christology Iv. Christology as a New Theological Category for Wider Ecumenicity V. A Summary of the Challenges Ahead for Genuine Dialogue

Carla Mae Streeter, OP is a member of the Order of the Preachers (OP), the Dominicans. She belongs to a woman's community in Racine, Wisconsin in the United States. Dr. Streeter works on the campus of St. Louis University where she has taught systematic (doctrinal) theology for thirteen years. She completed her doctoral work at the Toronto school of Theology at Regis College in Canada. She is involved in interfaith dialogue in St. Louis with the Christians, Jewish, and Islamic communities.

Cross-Tradition Participation: Reconfiguring the Terms of Interfaith Dialogue
Interfaith dialogue typically occurs among different religious traditions whose members see themselves as having exclusive allegiance to their own tradition. Those who belong to a tradition not their own are thus viewed as the "other," as those who stand over against us in potential conflict. Cross-traditions participation, such as we find among Muslims and Hindus in South India, can help lay the groundwork for revising these presuppositions regarding "otherness" and conflict, and thus facilitate a new model for interfaith dialogue.

Assistant Professor of Religion, Furman University, Greenville, SC. Most recently, I have been working on the Diana Eck and the Harvard Pluralism Project as an Affiliate Researcher.

Religions, Sexuality and Health
This program will examine the ways in which religious teachings in sexuality affect individuals' ability to obtain and maintain physical, spiritual and emotional health. Both positive and negative interactions will be used to demonstrate how religious teachings affect not only the access to good medical information, treatment and care, but also individuals' ability to seek out and use the resources that are available to them. HIV/AIDS and women's health issues will provide the primary examples for this program, but the concepts discussed are applicable to many other areas as well.

Robert Sturm has worked in alternative and complementary health care settings for fifteen years. The focus of his work has been the integration of physical, emotional and spiritual models to allow for truly holistic care. Robert is currently the coordinator of CHAI - The Chicago HIV/AIDS Initiative, a programming to the Chicago-area Jewish community. He is also Healing Arts Coordinator at Strong Spirit Wellness Center, a program of Illinois Masonic Medical Center which integrates Western medicine and Psychotherapy with Massage, Bodywork, Energetic and Spiritual Healing.

Playful and Purposive Creation-A Comparative Study of the Hindu and Christine Doctrines of Creation
The paper compares the Hindu, Vaishnava doctrine of Iila with the Biblical/Christian notion of creation with purpose and design. The paper would claim that the differences with regard to the Hindu and The Christian World views could be traced back to these creation stories.

Dr. Sundararajan is Professor of Theology at St. Bonaventure University, New York, teaching courses in the area of History of Religions. His academic interests have been in the areas of Vaishnava, especially Sri Vaishnava theology, and inter-religious dialogue, particularly Hindu and Christian. He has organized and participated in a series of Hindu and Franciscan dialogue organized at St. Bonaventure University, and has been a participant in an inter-religious dialogue by the World Council of Churches. He has recently edited a book, Hindu Spirituality-Post Classical to Modern Times, volume 7 in "World Spirituality Series" published by the Crossroads of New York. Currently, he is the chief editorial coordinator in the Encyclopedia of Hinduism Project.

Walking the Way: Five Aspects of Buddhist Practice.
Understanding how to use Buddhist Sutras in Practice Why the Ethical Guidelines are Essential to Practice The Role of Esoteric Practices in Buddhism Meditation The Pure Land: What Devotional Practices Are About

Bhikshuni Heng Ch'ih- American Buddhist nun, Disciple for 30 years of the late Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua; M.A. Dharma Realm Buddhist University. Bhikshuni Heng Liang- American Buddhist nun, Disciple for 20 years of the late Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua; M.A. Dharma Realm Buddhist University. Bhikshuni Heng Tung- Taiwanese Buddhist nun, Disciple for 10 years of the late Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua; B.A. in Chinese Studies Fu Jen University, Taiwan. Dr. Snjezana Akpinar- Chancellor, Dharma Realm Buddhist University; Ph.D. in Islamic Studies, University of Istanbul. Dr. Martin Verhoeven-former Buddhist Monk (18years) Ph.D. in History, University of Wisconsin, Madison.

A Global Reconciliation Service to End Inter-religious Violence
A global Reconciliation Service advises the international community with consultation services to bring closure to the past, re-imagine a non-violent future, and live fully in the present. Forgiveness processes from different cultures and religions will be introduced and experienced. Questions on reconciliation leadership and the role of forgiveness for just, humane, peaceful and an ecologically sustainable world dedicated to commemorate the UN Decade on Nonviolence for the world's children 2000-2010.

Virginia Mary Swain, MA CPHC has been developing her Global Reconciliation Services and reconciliation leadership training in a peace building institute to service the UN and international community. Virginia has consulted on four continents and is an organizational development consultant trainer, spiritual director and holistic counselor.

Building Partnerships Across Sectors for Codes and Strategies
An interactive and experiential workshop to teach networking, partnership skills and coalition building, write one's own code of conduct, and learn the skills of building cross-sectoral strategic alliances. This workshop uses the document Toward a Global Ethic as its fundamental tenet as a way to build the political will necessary to mobilize humanity at the millennium. This is one strategy of the Global Reconciliation Service to Commemorate the Decade of Non-Violence for the World's Children.

Virginia Mary Swain, MA CPHC has been developing her Global Reconciliation Services and reconciliation leadership training in a peace building institute to service the UN and international community. Virginia has consulted on four continents and is an organizational development consultant trainer, spiritual director and holistic counselor. Tom Hansen, musical artist.

Vendanta and the Role of Humankind in the Cosmos
The lecture will focus on the scientific principles of Vedantic Cosmology and the Mission of Humankind. A synthetic view of science and religious traditions will also be presented in the light of Vedanta.

Born in a Vaisnavite Hindu family in Manipur, India, on Dec.9, 1937. After graduating from Calcutta Univ., he completed his Ph.D. in Physical Organic Chemistry at the Univ. of California, Ivrine and worked at Emory Univ. as a research scientist. Organized First and Second World Congress for the Synthesis of Science and Religion in 1986 (Bombay) and in 1997 (Calcutta) The President of the Univ. of Bhagavata Culture in Manipur, India. Involved with United Religious Initiative since 1997, Governing board of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and Director of the Bhaktivedanta Institute since 1974.

Spiritual Challenges Facing the 2nd Millenium: The Museum of World Religions As a Response
The lecture will address problems that the world is facing as a global village in spite of scientific advances. it will elaborate upon the mission and potential of the WRM as a site for inter-religious dialogue that fosters mutual understanding and cooperation towards love and peace.

Dharma Master Hsiu Tao was born in Burma in 1948, came to Taiwan at age 13, educated Buddhist order at age 25, spent 8 years in ascetic practice, founded Ling-chiu shan monastic community in Fu-long in 1983. Established the WRM development foundation with branches in Taipei and New York in 1991. The Museum is due to open in Dec. 2000.

Interactive Religious Space
The panel will discuss aspects and visions of Interactive Religious Space as embodied in various centers of interreligious dialogue such as the World Religions Museum in Taipei, the Interfaith Center in Oxford, Thanksgiving Square in Dallas, the Ashram founded by Bede Grifiths in Shantivarnam and the Miho Museum in Japan.

Dharma Master Hsiu Tao was born in Burma in 1948, came to Taiwan at age 13, educated Buddhist order at age 25, spent 8 years in ascetic practice, founded Ling-chiu shan monastic community in Fu-long in 1983. Established the WRM development foundation with branches in Taipei and New York in 1991. The Museum is due to open in Dec. 2000.

Awakening to the Oneness of All Things: Personal Transformation Leading to Unity Consciousness
Part I: Principles of Awakening (within a psychological and non-denominational context of the Western World) What is spiritual awakeness and how do we find it? By doing the work of reorganizing awareness into more balanced states, we eventually awaken to Oneness with the Infinite. Inner transformation deeply affects our relationship with the outer world. Outer peace happens when we awaken to our true nature by healing the inner separations and polarizations. We will discuss: the importance of witnessing our patterns; dissolution of ego patterns; instituting the permanent opening of the heart; and dissolving the veils of duality. Part II: Practical Techniques for Awakening (meditation, samadhi and the reconciliation of opposites) Our world is a world of opposites and we are caught in the many dualities. For example: love and hate, war and peace, pain and pleasure, right and wrong, good and evil. By working to integrate the polarizations in the mind and the emotions, we will find the inherent unity of transcendent states. We will learn three simple techniques for balancing mind and emotions using the reconciliation of opposites. Leslie will give instruction on meditation and samadhi as ways of clearing past trauma, as well as a transmission to deepen your meditative practice.

She is a western yogi who was born and raised in South Africa and currently lives and works in the United States. She is author of the book Of Spirit and Matter, and is the founder of the non-profit organization CoreLight, which is dedicated to humanitarian service and to fostering world peace through developing personal inner peace.

We Left Our Hearts in South Africa-Building Bridges Between the U.S. and South Africa
Inspired by South Africa's commitment to truth, reconciliation and forgiveness, a group of us traveled there on a CoreLight Meditations For Peace journey. As pilgrims traveling throughout the country with the intention of honoring Mother Africa, we received many inspirational gifts from her, and we offered our gift of peaceful meditation and prayer. For our panel discussion: 1) We will share the inspirational gifts we have received from South Africa and her people. 2) We will generate a discussion about how we propose to give something back to South Africa. Some of the possibilities are: a South African center offering humanitarian services and teaching programs; exchange programs; and bringing people together for spiritual communion. We will invite participation and feedback from anyone. CoreLight is a non-profit organization dedicated to humanitarian service and to fostering outer peace in the world through developing inner peace.

Christine Arundell currently lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico and works with the non-profit organization CoreLight. She is deeply committed to the principles of selfless service and the Oneness of all creation. Brad Laughlin is the Executive Director of the non-profit organization CoreLight and is co-author of the book "Of Spirit and Matter". He currently lives and works in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Leslie Temple-Thurston is a western yogi who was born and raised in South Africa and currently lives and works in the United States. She is author of the book Of Spirit and Matter, and is the founder of the non-profit organization CoreLight, which is dedicated to humanitarian service and to fostering world peace through developing personal inner peace. Judith Baker Miller is a transpersonal counselor and yoga teacher . She is a lover of Africa who seeks a means of connecting with and being in service to South Africa. She currently lives in Portland, Oregon. She has practiced and taught "Yoga as Prayer" in classes and workshops for fifteen years. She offers the practice as an expression of love and means of knowing unity, mind, and spirit. Barbara Blackwill does healing and spiritual transformation work with individuals, groups and organizations for 30 years, synthesizing spiritual transformation principles and new science. She is an active participant in CoreLight's Meditations For Peace program. She currently lives in California.

THE JAINS: Traditional Jain Raas
Raas is a traditional stick dance of Gujarat. Lady delegates in the group will perform the Raas in a rhythmical style and costume using sticks. The striking of sticks compliments the pre-recorded music which will be played in the background at the time of performance.

Performers: Mrs. N. Shah, Mrs. Sudha Kapashi, Mrs. Sonali Mehta, Mrs. Meena Chandaria, Mrs. Usha Shah, Mrs. Ila Mehta, Mrs. Mina Mehta, Mrs. Kumud Chandaria and others.

Two Wings of a Bird: The Equality of Women and Men
Introduction and Consciousness of the Problem: Visioning Exercise, Damaging Effects of Gender Prejudice...Inherited Assumptions Introduction of Key Themes: Oneness of Humankind, Full and Equal Participation in all Spheres of Life, Education and Motherhood, Women and Universal Peace, Roles and Responsibilities of Men Call to Action--Spiritual Transformation

Cynthia R. Thomas, B.A., Sociology, Morgan State University, Baltimore. M.A., Education, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Ms. Thomas' extensive experience has earned her a vast repertoire of skills, including group facilitation, multicultural training, administration and management motivation, conflict meditation and team building. She is presently a Career Counselor Supervisor at the University of California, Los Angeles. In addition, she serves as secretary of the National Committee for the Equality of Women and Men (for the Baha' is of the United States).

Spirituality and the World of Business
Find out how business and professional life can be conducted in accordance with timeless and ancient spiritual principles. Based on her experience as a meditation practitioner and a successful entrepreneur, Ms. Thomas will talk about a path of balance, harmony and self-empowerment.

Ernestina Thomas is an entrepreneur, real estate developer, and lecturer. She holds an MBA in Finance and Marketing from the University of Chicago. Ms. Thomas owns and runs E.T. International Consulting Group, a consulting, investment and real estate development company, which she started in 1982. She has been a practitioner of various types of Yoga and meditation for over twenty years.

A Neighborhood of World Religions: An Exploration of Collaborative Approaches to the Teaching of World Religions in a Pluralistic Society
Panelists experienced in teaching world religions in a variety of formal and informal venues employ a conversational pedagogy in settings where students are religiously and culturally diverse. Drawing from their collaborative approach to teaching, the speakers will share their method of how they incorporate into their respective curriculum the rich diversity of students' backgrounds. This conversational approach promotes a deepened awareness of the value and integrity all faith traditions by drawing out, in dialogue, the presuppositions students have of their own faith traditions, and how these presuppositions might mediate the understanding of their neighbor's faith.

Panelists: Lisa Grumbach is a doctoral candidate at Stanford University, where she has co-taught many classes dealing with the religions of East Asia. Her research interests include Buddhism, Shinto, and interactions among the religions of Japan; popular understandings and appropriations of religious doctrine; and the negotiation of religious practice by competing religoius worldviews. Richard Hunt, an ordained Methodist minister, is a doctoral candidate at the Graduate Theological Union. He holds an M. Div. from the school of Theology at Claremont, and an MFA in writing from the University of Montana. He is presently doing dissertation research on William Blake, the Bhagavad Gita, and the mysticism of non-duality. He intends to enter the Methodist minstry full-time upon completion of his doctoral studies. Rev. Ronald Y. Nakasone, Buddhist cleric, is a professor of Buddhist Studies at the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley. Rev. Nakasone studied Buddhist art and thought in Kyoto Japan, the University of Hawaii, Harvard University and at the Univeristy of Wisconsin, where he took his doctorate in Buddhist studies. He has written extensively on bioethical issues, such as cloning, organ transplants, euthanasia, and the unique spirituality needs of ethnic elders. Jennifer Peace is the Curriculum Coordinator for the Center for Women and Religion at the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) in Berkeley, California. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the United Religions Inititative. Currently she is in the forth year of her doctoral studies in the Historical and Cultural Study of Religions at the GTU. Rev. Heng Sure, a doctoral candidate at the Graduate Theological Union, is a Buddhist Bhikshu in the Chinese Mahayana tradition. Rev. Heng SUre currently serves on the Board of Directors for the United Religions Initiative. His research interests include: repentance in Buddhism; Confucian and Buddhist ethics; monastic dialogue; technology and spirituality. Joseph Thometz, a doctoral candidate at the Graduate Theological Union, has taught world religions at Notre Dame High School, Sherman Oaks, California, and recently served as lecturer in the Religious Studies Department at the University of San Francisco. His dissertation focuses on the dilemma of expressing ineffable religious truth through language. In words, it is a comparative study of Christian apophaticism and Indian Mahayana Buddhism.

Western Cultural Conflict to Moral Practice
I. The Culture is: Practice, Tradition, Custom II. Moral Practices to Stir the Conscience III. Technology an Adjunct to Civilization IV. Moral Beliefs are Strength

Active in all levels of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church; private Practice Rental health Provider for 15 years; workshop facilitator for various denominations; Adjunct Instructor at Park College and University of Missouri, at Kansas City

A Productive Cyberspace for Spirituality and Religion
The workshop will show how the internet may assist those engaged in spiritual and religious inquiry, study and dialogue. The program will highlight: 1) the scope of venues available to support and enhance study and encounter; 2) describe means for locating reverent and helpful contacts and resources; 3) indicate added dimensions for projects in the real world. Discussion will be substantiated by, Multi Faith Net, a World Wide Web site for religious resource and research.

Paul has been raised from birth in two traditions: Christianity and Buddhism. he works as an Internet developer at the University of Derby, where he is involved in the Multi Faith Center project as well as MultiFaithNet. He is a member of the International Interfaith center's Advisory Committee.

The Gift Within: Working with the Extraordinary Powers of Etheric Healing
The day-long "The Gift Within" workshop will teach participants Eric Vormann's Etheric Healing Method. Etheric Healing is an ancient method of preventative treatment that taps into energy for extraordinary healing of body, mind and spirit. Etheric healing is a simple; painless and loving process that can help you heal yourself and others.

Eric was born in a tiny village in Ghana, West Africa. During this first seven years, Eric gained a reputation in his community for being able to tell people many hidden things about their lives and health. One of his earliest healing tools was water. Eric did not know that he was "healing"; he simply did what his Spirit guides instructed him to do. He also received spiritual instruction in the gathering and application of plants and leaves that could be use as a talisman to protect an individual.

Haunted By God: The Life of Dorothy Day and Qadishtu (sanctified Women)
Qadishtu (sanctified Women) is a new performance which provides insight into the power and significance of Mary Magdalene while portraying the personal struggle of a modern woman seeking spiritual wholeness. Playwright Anita Stenger Dacanay consulted a variety of scholarly and fictional sources to gain insight into Mary Magdalene and the various myths that have been created around her. Eventually, Dacanay's research took her back to the ancient Goddess. The artist's vision is to encourage the embracing of an image of the Divine which includes and reveres the Feminine along with the Masculine. Haunted by God is a one-woman show about Dorothy Day, Cofounder of the Catholic Worker movement. Hailed in Sojourner's magazine as a "wonderfully uplifting... theater experience" this dramatic portrait tells the story of the woman the New York Times eulogized as a powerful woman of immense conviction who found herself jailed many times because she stood up for her beliefs. In New York in 1933, she and French-born itinerant philosopher Peter Maurin co-founded the Catholic Worker, a living movement that has been responsible for feeding and housing the homeless while maintaining a monthly, nationally read newspaper. See Hard Copies for more information.

Lisa Wagner founded Still Point Theatre Collective in 1993 and currently acts as co-director of the company. she holds a BSE in speech and theatre from Emporia State University, Kansas. She conceived and researched the play POINTS OF ARRIVAL: A JEAN DONOVAN JOURNEY and currently portrays the title role in the touring production. Anita Stenger Dacanay earned a B.F.A. in acting from Dayton's Wright State Univesity in 1988. She has lived and worked in Chicago as an actress, arts educator, poet and performance artist for the past ten years, and currently servs as co-director of Still Point Theatre Collective. Anita is also a member of the women's performance ensemble, "The Empress Has Red Clothes."

The Four Faces of Woman
An interactive, personal journey back to the original purity of being. A discovery of the power to reclaim that on a permanent basis; and a recognition of our distractions. Experiential-4 faces: Eternal, Traditional, Modern and Shakti.

Caroline Ward is a Transition Management Specialist; she is the international coordinator of Brahma Kumaris women of Spirit; international speaker and facilitator. Caroline has facilitated and designed 4 faces of woman programs on all continents and has trained women from over 30 countries to facilitate this program.

Freedom of Religion in a Pluralist World
The "freedom of religion" is an ideological concept that developed over several centuries along with the secularization of the governments of nation-states. Originating in the Western world and extending by this century's end to the East and South, state-religion relationships have taken many different forms, and there is no uniformity among nations. In some countries, there has been separation of state and religious institutions, in others there is the free exercise of religion by those espousing minority religions within the context of a state-established church. There is also, today, an oppression of some religious minorities in some parts of the world, and this has given rise to calls for nations to confront the injustice.

Elizabeth Warren received a B. A. degree from Bryn Mawr College. She received her PhD. D. from University of Nebraska in Political Science. Her special fields of interest are American government with emphasis on policy-making and urban studies.

Workshop: Religion and Sport.
Kurt Weis: 100 Years of Olympic and Interfaith Movement: A Comparison of Two Visions for a Better World. David W. Chappell: Response Michael von Brueck: Interculturality and Identity-The Perception of Religions in Preconceived Contexts. Further participants and presenters. Religion and sport, though obviously belonging to different worlds, are related in many ways. They are historically, culturally, socially and politically connected. Religions mold their cultures, religious cultures their societies, and societies their body cults and sports. Modern sport and traditional religion are social institutions with parallel structures and functions. They are both "time-outs" in our societies and have also in some cases been appropriated as state religions and state sports. They can complement, reinforce, reaffirm and influence each other. Usually, they do not replace each other. However, sport as a modern institution has come to fulfill the five major social functions of religion. The modern Olympic Games and their development are the culmination of the Western type of sport and the international consequences of both the growing significance of sport and the Westernization of the world. In an interesting development of seven stages, the original (quasi) religious goals of the modern Olympic Movement and the aims to achieve those goals were modified, exchanged and replaced, until economic success became both the eventual means and final goal. Both the Olympic Movement and the Parliament of the World's Religions continue traditions born 100 years ago. Both have their vision of a better world. We should discuss what we can learn from a comparison. 6.4

Kurt Weis, workshop organizer, main presenter: Prof. Dr. Kurt Weis, S.J.D. Harvard Law School, Prof. of Sociology at Institute of Social Sciences and Institute of Sport Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Germany. Areas of research and interest: sociology of time, of futures studies, of technology, of deviance, of youth, culture, sport and religion. David W. Chappell, Graduate Chair, Department of Religion, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA. Michael von Brueck, main presenter: Prof. Dr. Michael von Brueck, Chair: Comparative Religion, Dean: Evang.-Theol. Faculty, Munich University, Germany.

Religious Pluralism Reconsidered: The Imperative and the Promise
1. What's in a name? A discussion of the comparative value of the terms "pluralism" and "diversity." 2. Who should be at the table? A reflection on the contributions that may be anticipated from religious leaders, practicing believers, scholars of religion. 3. When theory fails, can a focus on ethics succeed? The move from theoria to praxis is alluring, but can it succeed without theory?

Chester Gillis is Associate Professor in the Theology Department at Georgetown University. He is the author of Pluralism: A New Paradigm for Theology and A Question of Final Belief: John Hick's Pluralistic Theory of Salvation. Lonnie Kliever is Professor of Religion and Department Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. He is the author of The Shattered Spectrum: A Survey of Contemporary Theology and "Moral Education in a Pluralistic World," Journal of the American Academy of Religion (Spring, 1992), pp. 117-35. James B. Wiggins is Remington Professor of Religion and Department Chair of the Department of Religion at Syracuse University. He was Executive Director of the American Academy of Religion from 1983-1992. He is author of In Praise of Religious Diversity.

Contemporary Prayer Beads: A Metaphor for Life