From the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue,

Learn what some of today’s most exciting visionaries, thinkers, advocates, and activists are doing in the field of religion. Watch exclusive interViews, and read responses from the next generation of graduate students, seminarians, and civic leaders.

Click here to read what the panelists had to say in response to Rabbi Baird’s comments.

This week we have seen some significant steps taken to strengthen the relationships among the diverse religious communities of Silicon Valley.

For the past several months, two Faiths Act Fellows, Tim Brauhn and Hafsa Arain, have been stationed in San Jose to help build a network of students interested in cooperative efforts of service to address global poverty. Sponsored by the Tony Blair Faith Foundation and the Interfaith Youth Core, Tim and Hafsa have been working with students up and down the Peninsula to join together in working to eradicate malaria.

As their term of service comes to an end, they have sponsored meetings in San Francisco earlier this month and again this last Monday, May 10, in San Jose, to report on their efforts and to lay a groundwork for continuing after they go. In the time they have been in this area, they have held fourteen gatherings, have gathered a “Hub” team of 25 people, and have built groups at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, UC Berkeley, University of San Francisco, Santa Clara University, and Stanford.

Also this week, over forty people representing a wide range of religious and community organizations met at the South Bay Islamic Association center in San Jose and resolved to take the necessary steps toward building a multifaith organization that would enable the religious communities of the South Bay to take a more visible and active role in service to the wider community, engagement with governmental and educational institutions, and stronger relationships with one another in building a peaceable environment for all.

The new organization would take on the functions of Silicon Valley’s status as a member of the Partner City Network of the Parliament of the World’s Religions.

Click here to read the full article

If we are “hearing each other” then we have the opportunity to learn from each other. With this in mind, the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions (CPWR) is eager to enhance the educational opportunities available within and resulting from our Melbourne event.

First, we hope that students and teachers will attend the Parliament for their own personal growth and benefit; to learn about this opportunity, click here.

Second, teachers will be able to attend as representatives of their schools and organizations, as part of their professional development; to learn about this opportunity, click here.

Finally, the CPWR initiated Task Force of US Seminaries has created syllabi as a resource for religious leaders and as an expression of the profound need for interreligious cooperation; to learn more, click here.