8th Parliament of the World’s Religions to be Hosted Virtually

Tuesday, March 23, 2021 – 09:00
Media Release
For Immediate Distribution

The world’s premier interfaith convening organization is hosting its 8th global convening, for the first time virtually,  in response to COVID-19 safety measures

CHICAGO, IL (March 23, 2021) – The 8th Parliament of the World’s Religions (PoWR), the world’s premier interfaith convening, will bring together thousands of peoples of faith and conscience for the first time in its history virtually on October 17-18, 2021.

Since the historic 1893 World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago, modern Parliament Convenings have attracted participants from more than 200 diverse religious, indigenous, and secular beliefs and more than 80 nations to its international gatherings in Chicago (1993), Cape Town (1999), Barcelona (2004), Melbourne (2009), Salt Lake City (2015), and Toronto (2018). These Parliament Convenings are the world’s oldest, largest, and most inclusive gatherings of the global interfaith movement. Nearly 60,000 people across the world have convened in an enduring commitment to justice, peace and sustainability through the lense of interfaith dialogue and cooperation.

Parliament Chair, Mr. Nitin Ajmera, emphasized the moral and ethical importance of these convenings, “PoWR has brought the world together since 1893 to find solutions to the challenges of mankind. This year; we invite you all to have a dialogue virtually as we find ourselves defining a new normal. All faiths, spiritual beliefs, and religions can and will drive the shape of our future through love, peace, and inclusion.”

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 communities would be facing in the form of COVID-19. In response to established safety standards, the Parliament is 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 ongoing global crisis.

Dr. Dolly Dastoor, who serves as Vice-Chair of the Board at the Parliament, highlighted the organizer’s commitment to the safe engagement of faith and spiritual communities around the world, “Coming gradually out from the lockdown necessitated by COVID 19, we need to think out of the box for convening, to reach more people safely, by extending our stretch around the world and making it more affordable for all to travel across cyberspace and to view within the safety of our homes. We encourage our followers to take this opportunity and attend our virtual Parliament of World Religions on October 17 and 18, 2021 and take comfort from each other’s presence and thoughts.”

The Parliament is committed to being a safe space for people of faith to come together; both mentally and physically. During the ongoing pandemic, the organization could not guarantee this safety in a physical event and the Parliament convening is deemed 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.

Rev. Stephen Avino, the Chief Operations Officer of the organization stresses the inclusive and global nature of the gathering, “The Parliament has always been celebrated for its inclusivity. But this time we can truly bring all the people of the world together virtually. All voices will be heard. Please join us for the 2021 Parliament!”

Registration is now open. Access the lowest registration price by taking advantage of the Super Saver Rate, only available through May 31st. Learn more at parliamentofreligions.org/parliament/2021-virtual

For more information about the Parliament of the World’s Religions, please visit www.parliamentofreligions.org