Programs at the 2021 Parliament

The 2021 Parliament of the World’s Religions will be the eighth convening and the first time that it will be hosted virtually.  Recognized as the birthplace of the modern interfaith movement, the 1893 Parliament made history with its groundbreaking interreligious dialogues among leaders of Eastern and Western religious traditions, fostering understanding, cooperation and social harmony. Since 1893, six more Parliaments have been hosted in the United States, South Africa, Spain, Canada and Australia; attended by tens of thousands of people from around the world.

The​ ​Parliament​ ​of​ ​the​ ​World’s​ ​Religions​ ​invites​ ​proposals​ ​for​ ​programs​, presentations​ and religious observances at​ ​the​ ​2021​ ​Parliament​ ​of​ ​the​ ​World’s​ ​Religions​, to be held virtually,​ October 17-18. The theme of the 2021 Parliament is Opening our Hearts to the World: Compassion in Action.

Advertising, Exhibitors & Sponsorships

The 2021 Parliament of the World's Religions provides a cost-effective way to maximize your organization’s exposure to thousands of participants from 80 different countries and over 50 faith and spiritual traditions. Leaders in their communities, our participants are multi-generational, media-savvy, and culturally aware. Your organization will gain exposure not only as part of the virtual platform, but also to tens of thousands more through visibility on the Parliament website, social media channels, and associated marketing materials.

The virtual platform of the 2021 Parliament of the World’s Religions provides outstanding opportunities for multiple and highly prominent impressions of your brand - and your commitment to bringing persons of faith and conscience together to build peace, justice, and sustainability in today’s world.

Let the world see who you are and what matters to you.

Reach socially conscious, open-minded, and connected persons by hosting a booth in our virtual Exhibit Hall. Your booth will let you reach participants with one-on-one, personal conversations that build relationships.

Build Recognition and Authority , Share a Call to Action

Exhibitor booths in the virtual event platform are a virtual space for your organization with customizable elements such as logo, banner image, links, documents, media, interest/action button, and your ability to interact as your booth's representative.

One of the main reasons why exhibitors join events is to connect with potential leads or customers and expand their professional and social networks. In a virtual event scenario, there are a few ways that you can maximize that opportunity as an exhibitor through lead retrieval functions.

Exhibit Booths

Sponsorship

What Kinds of Speakers Come to the Parliament?

Since marking the 100-year anniversary of the birth of the interfaith movement in 1993, Parliaments are known to connect local activism network leaders, religious leaders, as well as luminaries like Nobel Laureates and others which have included Nelson Mandela, HH the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, President Jimmy Carter, Nobel Peace Prize Winner Dr. Shirin Ebadi, Queen Noor of Jordan, Dr. Jane Goodall, Dr. Karen Armstrong, Swami Vivekananda*, Rabbi David Saperstein, Eboo Patel, Margaret Atwood, Marianne Williamson, Bishop William Barber, Dr. Hans Kung, Deepak Chopra, and Amma the Hugging Saint, to name a few.

The Voices of PoWR at the Parliament are widely diverse luminaries featured at the Convening. Check-in bi-weekly for new updates

Volunteer with the Parliament

The 8th Parliament of the World's Religions is gathering virtually for the first time in its history. Volunteers are needed starting immediately to assist now and during the event.

Please email miriam@parliamentofreligions.org with a copy of your latest resume and your availability to volunteer. Please note that this is just the first step in the process, this does not guarantee that you will be approved as a Parliament volunteer.

Why Virtual?

When the Site Committee began the scoping of the 8th Parliament of the World’s Religions after the Toronto Parliament, its members never imagined what our communities would be facing in the form of COVID-19. In response to established safety standards, the Parliament joined interfaith and interreligious organizations across the globe in utilizing our diversity of beliefs and practices and committed to serving as a convener of the interfaith movement, virtually, to continue working together for a world-wide community that embraces love, compassion, justice, and peace during this on-going global crisis.

So why host the 8th Parliament of the World’s Religions Virtually? 

The Parliament is committed to being a safe space for people of faith to come together; both mentally and physically. During the ongoing pandemic, we could not guarantee this safety in a physical event and the Parliament convening is too important to put off. There is no better time than 2021 to bring people of diverse faith and spirituality together to bring about a better world.

The second and perhaps most important reason to go virtual for this year’s Parliament is the advantages of a virtual platform. Since 1893, each Parliament has striven to be more inclusive than the last. By allowing attendants to come to the Parliament through the click of a button in their homes and offices around the world, we bring voices that may not have ever had a chance to come before. Think of the possibilities! For the first time, the Parliament could include tours of sacred places from all around the globe. We believe that all Parliaments in the future will include some virtual element to them, even when we return to meeting in a city conference center. This is just the beginning!