For a week now, PeaceNext’s over 500 members have already been commenting, posting, organizing and connecting with each other.

A few of the highlights include:

• Groups: 29 Groups from the Portland-Vancouver Friends of the Parliament to the Food, Water and Climate Action Group.
• Blogs: Olivia Watts’ open-armed welcome to Melbourne.
• Blogs: Beth Blissman’s reunion with a fellow Oberlin alum.
• Photos: 400 member-uploaded photos, most of the Parliament-in-progress.
• Videos: Almost 60 videos, many in webcast format, providing connection and eyewitness accounts of the Parliament in progress.
• Above all our 586 members, many of whom have also added their location to our interactive map.

And this is just the beginning.  To connect and experience the digital voice of the interreligious movement, click here.

Social Networks have become a major phenomenon this decade, picking up hundreds of millions of users around the world.  During the development of the 2009 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Melbourne, Australia, our planning Council has made use of a variety of social networks to spread the word about the importance of interreligious work.  Here’s how you can connect up:

• If you only join one online network, it should be PeaceNext.  Specially built for the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions, PeaceNext is the premiere online site for the interreligious movement.  We’ve added over 500 members in the last week!  To join up for free, click here.
• There are also two Facebook entities associated with the Parliament.  Our Facebook Group was created specifically for the Melbourne Parliament and already includes more than 3500 members sharing photos, videos, conversation and more.  We also maintain a Facebook Fan Page for the Council with over 1000 members and access to our deep archives of photos and videos from prior events.  We have also recently created a Myspace Group.
• Last but not least, we invite you to Follow PWR2009 on Twitter for timely, spontaneous, and bite-sized updates on all things interreligious.

The Parliament of Religions has a Flickr Group so that you can share photos of your Parliament experience with the world.

Be sure to tag any photos you take with pwr2009, the name of any speakers or presenters featured in the photo, and then name of the event you are attending.

To go to our Flickr group, click here.

Every five years, the world’s greatest interreligious event welcomes thousands of people to see the world through different eyes. People of different faiths come together to learn, grow and celebrate their diversity. They realize that despite their religious differences, they share a similar calling to build a more just, sustainable and peaceful world. Friendships are made. Wisdom is shared. Lessons are learned. Souls are touched.

Why wait another five years?

The Council of the Parliament of the World’s Religions is pleased to announce the creation of PeaceNext, our very own social network that will bring together the global interreligious community in dynamic and far-reaching ways.

Share a reflection.

Post a photograph.

Pass along a link.

Celebrate your community’s accomplishments.

Share your city’s interreligious concerns.

Find a friend you met at the Parliament on the other side of the globe.

Meet a new friend who lives on the other side of town.

PeaceNext is not the Parliament, but it’s the digital extension of the event. Friendships are made. Wisdom is shared. Lessons are learned. Souls are touched.

Not every five years, but every single day.