Our Work
The Parliament of the World’s Religions is an international interfaith organization with headquarters in Chicago and programs around the world.
We carry forward the vision and purposes of the 1893 World Parliament of Religions, the historic beginning of the modern interfaith movement.
We are open to people of all religions, spiritual paths, traditions and ethical convictions, consistent with the values of respectful dialogue.
All who take part in our work do so in their individual capacity rather than with official representation of any religion or institution.
With individuals and communities who share our vision, values and mission, we:
Build community through global Convenings and ongoing programs of dialogue and collaboration. Meeting between persons of different religions and cultures with respectful dialogue fosters present understanding and trust, alleviates past prejudice, and opens future pathways to friendship and cooperation.
Expand knowledge through conferences, workshops, and expert seminars, as well as through publications and the creation of educational resources. Through these measures we learn from each other and form enduring partnerships.
Advocate for change and action through outreach to our constituencies, public statements, media and contact with policy makers. In addition to the specific issues of advocacy, our communications constructively emphasize what we hold in common.
We are guided in all our work by the principles of our signature document, the Global Ethic, adopted at the 1993 centenary Convening by an Assembly of 250 religious leaders of many faiths. The Global Ethic states values shared by our faith traditions and calls for their full realization.
Our mission areas are Peace and Justice, Climate Action, Women’s Dignity, the Next Generation, and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
The Parliament’s international Convenings are the world’s largest and most inclusive interfaith gathering, with an average attendance of 7,000. Since 1893 our Convenings have been held in: Chicago 1993, the centenary Parliament; Cape Town 1999; Barcelona 2004; Melbourne 2009; Salt Lake City 2015; Toronto 2018; Virtual Convening 2021, and Chicago 2023.
The Parliament is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) accredited to the United Nations Department of Global Communications (UNDGC), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD).
