Newsarchive Global News
(27.08.2010) The Global Youth Network of Religions for Peace is advancing a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution that asks member states to cut military spending by 10% and redirect those funds toward achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This reflects an important and necessary progression from existing UNGA resolutions on ‘disarmament and development’ that are less specific in their demands. The resolution is the political counterpart to a petition being circulated via the Religions for Peace Global Youth Network and their Arms Down! Campaign for Shared Security. Like the resolution, the petition calls on governments to reduce their military spending and re-allocate those funds toward development-related spending. Over four point seven million people have signed the petition, indicating its success as a tool for grassroots mobilisation and outreach. More
(19.07.2010) Religious Leaders in Uganda, members of the Religions for Peace Interreligious Council of Uganda, have reacted strongly to the bombs that killed more than 70 people in the country’s capital Kampala on 11 July and which have been linked to the ongoing conflict in Somalia. In a statement on 14 July the most senior religious leaders of the country, including Sheikh Ramadhan Shaban Mubajje, Mufti of Uganda; The Most Revd Henry Luke Orombi, Archbishop of the Church of Uganda; and The Most Rev Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kampala condemned the bombing and urged the government to do everything in their power to bring the perpetrators to book More
(03.06.2010) The 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) was held in May 2010 at UN Headquarters in New York. The final declaration was agreed by the 189 member states after comprehensive talks on the last day of the conference. The NPT is acknowledged as the cornerstone of global disarmament efforts and is even strengthened after the unanimously agreed final declaration. The document calls for the United Nations secretary general to organise a meeting of Middle East states in 2012 to agree to the creation of a "zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction". "All eyes the world over are watching us," said conference president Libran Cabactulan, of the Philippines, as the final text was approved. More than 2000 representatives of NGOs and faith groups including several Religions for Peace representatives were present during the month-long conference and Religions for Peace organised several events. More
(25.03.2010) (NEW YORK, 19 March 2010)—Dr. William F. Vendley, Secretary General of Religions for Peace, the largest and most representative global multi-religious coalition, called for partnerships between governments and religious bodies to stop war, fight poverty, and protect the earth.
Dr. Vendley spoke at the first Special Non-Aligned Movement Ministerial (NAM) Meeting on Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation for Peace and Development held on 16–18 March 2010 in Manila, the Philippines. There are 118 NAM member countries. More than 100 Foreign Ministers attended the three-day inter-faith dialogue hosted by the Philippine government.
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(23.03.2010) Religious leaders from every continent and many of the world's faiths commit to stronger, more collaborative efforts to eliminate stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV.
Den Dolder, The Netherlands, 23 March 2010 – High level religious and spiritual leaders from many of the world’s major religions pledged “stronger, more visible and practical leadership in the response to HIV” as the first global High Level Summit of Religious Leaders on HIV concluded today in The Netherlands.
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(21.03.2010) ECRL Moderator, Bishop Gunnar Stålsett and ECRL Member Bhai Sahib Dr Mohinder Singh will participate in the first-ever Summit of High Level Religious Leaders to generate greater leadership from religious leaders of many of the world’s faiths in the global AIDS response. Bishop Stålsett who has been part of the Steering Committee for the Summit says: “The fight against HIV and AIDS is of great concern to every person of good will. The fight needs leadership and responsible religious leaders can provide such leadership together with leaders from other sectors: political, business, media, civil society and academia.” More
(24.02.2010) – A milestone in the work to eliminate cluster munitions from our world, says European Council of Religious Leaders – Religions for Peace (ECRL) General Secretary, Revd Vebjørn Horsfjord. Last week two countries (Burkina Faso and Moldova) ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions, thus bringing the total number of ratifications to thirty and making the convention legally binding. The work of religious communities and the Religions for Peace network has helped advance the ban against cluster munitions. More
(09.12.2009) Make a World of Difference: Hearing each other, Healing the earth has been the topic of some 8000 people gathered in Melbourne, Australia for the 5th Parliament of the World’s Religions from 3 December to 9 December 2009. Among the participants and speakers are a number of Religions for Peace representatives, including Dr. William Vendley, Secretary General for Religions for Peace. Dr. Vendley gave several sessions including one on Conflict Transformation and Peace Building where he emphasised the role of religion in periods of mediation and in times of peace building and reconciliation. Dr. Vendley says: “Religion and interreligious cooperation often offers different perspectives, not only on the conflict itself but on the solutions and the processes towards it.” Dr. Vendley also participated in a panel together with Dr. Tariq Ramadam and Rabbi Michael Melchior discussing War and Peace in Al-Islam: The Prophet’s Struggle. The panel underlined the importance of including the context when dealing with holy texts. Dr Tariq Ramadam emphasised that the world for a long time has been divided in “us and them” and that this has to end. “We need to build a new we” Dr Ramadam said. More
(12.11.2009) —Global Youth Network launches year-long campaign calling for redirecting arms expenditures for fight against dire poverty—
(NEW YORK, 9 November 2009)—The first youth-led global multi-religious campaign on disarmament—led by the youth network of Religions for Peace, the world’s largest and most representative global coalition advances common action among the world’s religious communities for peace —was inaugurated in San José, Costa Rica, on Saturday. More
(29.10.2009) On Thursday 29 October senior religious leaders from Thailand and Sri Lanka met in central Bangkok for an encounter between the newly formed Interreligious Councils in the two Asian countries. The open encounter was also attended by more than a hundred guests representing government, the diplomatic community in Bangkok, academics as well as various religious communities. More
(09.10.2009) The European Council of Religious Leaders’ sister organisation The African Council of Religious Leaders – Religions for Peace continues to monitor the fragile situation especially in Guinea (Conakry), Somalia, Sudan and DR Congo. In their statement on the situation in Guinea Conakry they call on the international community, The Economic Community of West African States, the African Union, the United Nations and the European Union to maintain support for conflict transformation, peacebuilding and sustainable development processes underway in Guinea (Conakry) and indeed throughout West Africa towards sustaining the peace and regional stability. More
(20.09.2009) The International Day of Peace on the 21 September is a global call for ceasefire and non-violence and this year focuses on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. European Council of Religious Leaders’ Moderator, Bishop Gunnar Stålsett and Religions for Peace General Secretary, Dr. William F. Vendley have by letters invited religious people to take part in the activities connected to the International Day of Peace each in their own capacity. Religions for Peace has worked with these issues since its foundation in 1970. At the ECRL council meeting in Lille in May this year the council worked under the headline ”A Culture of Peace”, and issued a declaration on a culture of peace offering the council’s definitions of a sustainable peace and members’ commitment – both as individuals and as a council – to further a culture of peace. A culture of peace is hindered by the threat of nuclear weapons says ECRL Moderator, Bishop Gunnar Stålsett. More
(28.08.2009) The World Council of Churches on Thursday appointed Revd Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit as their new General Secretary. Dr. Fykse Tveit is a 48 year old Lutheran theologian from Norway who for two decades has played an active role in international interchurch relations. He will now head an organisation that brings together most of the world’s Protestant and Orthodox churches, representing 560 million Christians worldwide. “In Olav Fykse Tveit the WCC has elected a visionary leader who is also a good friend of Religions for Peace. We send him our warmest congratulations,” ECRL General Secretary Revd Vebjørn Horsfjord said, speaking on behalf of the European Council of Religious Leaders – Religions for Peace. More
(17.08.2009) Mr Kingsley Rodrigo, general secretary of Religions for Peace Sri Lanka has died. Mr Rodrigo had suffered several strokes over the last few months and was on his way to hospital when he died in the morning of August 16.
Mr Rodrigo's main work was as president of the People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL). He also served as General Secretary of the National Peace Council. For many years Mr Rodrigo had been involved in interreligious dialogue and he had been a key figure in the establishment of the Sri Lanka Council of Religions for Peace which was formally launched in April 2008, assisted by Religions for Peace International and the European Council of Religious Leaders - Religions for Peace. "Without Kingsley's commitment and dedication and his unique network among religious leaders and politicians alike, Religions for Peace would not have achieved what it has in Sri Lanka," ECRL General Secretary Vebjørn Horsfjord said.
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(19.07.2009) (Kathmandu, July 10, 2009) The International Summit of Religious Youth Leaders on Disarmament for Shared Security was inaugurated by His Excellency the President, Dr. Ram Baran Yadav, in Kathmandu on 10 July 2009. Organized by the World Conference of Religions for Peace, the world’s largest multi-religious organization accredited with the United Nations and headquartered in New York, the Summit brought together approximately 100 Nepali and 50 international religious and civil society leaders from 25 countries.[1] Other prominent participants in the Summit included Mr. Kul C. Gautam, former UN Assistant Secretary-General and former Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF; Mr. Taijiro Kimura, Director, UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific; Rev. Kyoichi Sugino, Assistant Secretary General, the World Conference of Religions for Peace; and Ms. Stellamaris Mulaeh, International Coordinator, Religions for Peace Global Youth Network. More
