A year ago, in December 2009, I attended the gathering of a Parliament of the World’s Religions (PWR) in Melbourne, Australia, and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.  Despite the global economic downturn, more than six thousand people from all over the world showed up for this extraordinary occasion. This was a unique opportunity to get to know sects I had read about but never experienced, such as the Zoroastrians, Jains, and Rastafarians. It was also an opportunity to hear and meet with major religious leaders like the Dalai Lama, Joan Chichester, Jim Wallis, Michael Lerner, Hans Kung, Tariq Ramadan, and others.  It was not just about creating understanding, it was also about exploring practical ways to promote peace and justice, stop global warming, abolish nuclear weapons, honor the rights of indigenous peoples, etc. If you’d like to read a Quaker perspective on this event, see http://universalistfriends.org/uf051.html#Manousos

Anthony Manousos, laquaker.blogspot.com

2009 Parliament Highlights

Experience the 2009 Parliament through videos, photos, and news articles.