Vol. II No. 4 (Oct - Nov - Dec 2007)

Editorial Staff

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:
Sr.Sandra G. Clemente, RSCJ

MANAGING EDITOR:
Shakuntala M. Vaswani

PUBLISHERS:
URI SEAsia-Pacific Regional Office & The Peacemakers' Circle

CONTRIBUTORS:
Rev. Charles P. Gibbs
Dr. Shakun M. Vaswani
Ms. Marites Guingona-Africa
Bro. Valentin Shokuru
Dr. Muhammad Uthman El-Muhammady
Ms. Jessiee Kaur-Singh
Mr. Abel Moya
Mr. Orlan de Guzman, Jr
Mr. Ludwig Bon Quirog

IMAMS – PRIESTS DIALOGUE IN METRO MANILA

On October 24, 2007, forty imams and priests in Metro Manila learned that dialogue is not only a means to an end, but also an end in itself. They came together for the first time to engage in activities that involved not only speaking to each other with respect, but also listening to each other rightly with the heart; not only learning about each other and seeing similarities between them, but also accepting their differences and appreciating the fact that they are different; not only sharing with each other their hopes for a better world, but also working with each other in small groups to creatively and joyfully express their commitment to their collective endeavors for peace.

This happened when, after seven years of struggle by the Peacemakers' Circle URI CC in Manila to build respectful and harmonious relationships among people of diverse cultures and beliefs, financial support was finally made available. Through the funding of the Australian Embassy's Strengthening Grassroots Interfaith Dialogue and Understanding (SGIDU) Program, the Peacemakers' Circle was able to launch the first level of the IMAMS-PRIESTS DIALOGUE Training Seminar-Workshop that it had been hoping to contribute to the Muslim-Christian Relationship- building endeavors in the Philippines.

for the full story and more photos click here: http://www.imampriestdialoguemanila.blogspot.com/

EDITORIAL: Lighting up the World with HOPE and PEACE

by Sr. Sandra G. Clemente, RSCJ - URI SE Asia-Pacific Regional Trustee (2005-2008)

I remember a movie I had seen some years ago, "The Never Ending Story". In this movie, the protagonist-- a teenage boy-- had only one goal, which was to search for a land called Fantasia. Along the way, he faced many obstacles and hardships that almost discouraged him from accomplishing his mission. However, the boy, not knowing that someone--the "EVIL ONE"-- was trying to stop him, was determined to go on, despite all the challenges.

Finally, when they came face to face, the "evil one" said to him: "All throughout your journey to reach Fantasia, I had been trying to destroy your HOPE. When you lose your Hope, then it is easy for me to manipulate you and put you under my spell-- my power". But even as the young hero was almost dying in the battle, his determination and unfailing Hope triumphed over the power of the evil one. For Evil is no match to the inner spirit of one who has undying Hope for a higher purpose and mission.

This story is relevant for our reflections on what is happening today. Looking back on the year that has passed, we see a picture of disasters, calamities and violence in different forms. An international figure was assassinated and political leaders were removed from office, either by self-resignation or being forcibly removed by military powers. The lack of credible and legitimate leaders is worse than ever, while the poor are still languishing in poverty all around the world, and many children are still dying of hunger. Natural disasters destroy billions of crops, and the climate change is taking effect in dramatic proportions. Indeed, it was a year of turbulence and from a layperson's point of view it would seem like the world is going crazy!

Seeing and hearing all these news and events everyday often drains up the spirit-- makes one loose hope, lull in fear and despair, and become paralyzed. And if we allow ourselves to be swept away by all the chaos we might just end up doing nothing but waiting for our final extinction. And that is precisely what the evil force, our invisible enemy, would want--- to put bring us to the brink of desperation, helplessness and Hopelessness.

The Mass Media while it is a good source of information, more often than not, becomes a "media of doom". It promotes hopelessness in the world whenever it broadcasts and prints only the sensationalized stories of violence and conflicts. Moreover, it sometimes feeds on the manipulation of the audience's feelings, provoking us to be angry and indignant. The worst thing is we tend to believe more and more the "doom" that mass media projects!

Now, more than ever, we need to be more discerning of all the things we see and read, especially via the information technology (IT). We have to learn to sift through all of the information we receive and allow HOPE to be our daily companion and ally. We have to create a culture of Hope by spreading the good news that exists in our world which is merely being left behind, overshadowed by anger and fear. PEACE cannot thrive in a world where hopelessness is being peddled on us by media as if it is the only truth and reality.

We have been trained in our faith traditions to discern. Simply put, a path leading to GOD yields positive results, while the way towards the evil always leads to a negative outcome. In these trying times, we need to go back to own faith and our spiritual gurus, to seek guidance in discernment in our daily life. Our different faith traditions speak of the same paths and values we have to live by like Hope, Peace, Love, Faith, Justice, and Truth.

In the Preamble, Purposes and Principles (PPP) of URI, we are provided with guideposts to help us respond with discernment. According to the Gandhian principle: "We cannot promote real peace with a clenched fist because a closed fist is used to strike another, peace can only happen if we open our hands, ready to reach out and hold each other in a gesture of FRIENDSHIP and PEACE."

Now is the time for everyone-- most of all, the members of the URI family-- to really understand and live by the PPP. The world needs our light of Hope to radiate discernment and clarity amidst the darkness that cloud the world today. Together we can light up our region and the whole world by sharing our stories of HOPE and PEACE! And with all of our positive energies united, let us continue to shine forth through our real actions on ground --keeping ablaze ONE flame of HOPE -- SHALOM!

SR. SANDRA G. CLEMENTE, RSCJ

A Christian Encounters Krishna: REFLECTIONS on a Janmashtami experience

In this section we feature a reflection from Bro. Valentin Shukuru* a Catholic seminarian from Congo, Africa.

In African traditions, the greatest misery, misfortune a man or a woman can experience is dying without children. This is the reason why barrenness or sterility is considered as a curse. There are 3 major events that mark life in African society namely, birth, marriage, and death. These 3 moments shape and animate the entire life of Africans, and to each due emphasize is reserved. As for Africans, in any culture on earth, the birth of a child is always an occasion for rejoicing precisely because it is believed that the newborn brings with him blessings and fortune for the entire community; he opens new horizons full of hope. This becomes meaningful specially when this child is associated with some supernatural powers or believed to have a divine origin or entrusted with a special mission for the rest human race and for their own welfare. In this line, Christians would celebrate at Christmas the birth of Jesus Christ, Muslims during Rabee Al-Awwal would remember the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad, and Hindus would celebrate Sri Krishna Janmashtami, etc.

In particular, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)-- a spiritual expression of Hinduism-- celebrated the “birthday” of Lord Krishna last September 4th in Makati, Metro Manila. It was a celebration at which I was invited to participate as a member of The Peacemakers’ Circle. With my Catholic-Christian background I asked myself what sense could such a celebration have for me precisely because I know only a few things-- if not nothing-- about the Hindu religion. It is true that during my studies in philosophy I learned a bit about Hinduism but I did not go deep enough into further details as far as this faith tradition is concerned. Thus the invitation to join the Sri Krishna Janmashtami was truly providential for me.

I was positively impressed by the celebration through which people expressed their devotion to Krishna. If there is one thing worth mentioning that struck me it is their veneration and respect paid to Lord Krishna through chanting (“Hare Krishna”), lighting of candles, and offering of flower petals and money in front of the altar where the statue of the deity stood. I recalled to my mind what we Christians do at Christmas in front of the Crib.

Quite striking to me also was the bowing down of their "priests" and the reverence they showed by removing their footwear upon entering the “shrine” up until the end of the celebration. (I remember here the incident that happened to me that day when I first arrived at the Sri Madhava Center. Not knowing the tradition, I entered the place while still wearing my shoes until someone, kindly and politely asked me to take them off!). Going barefoot, was my first sacred experience as I was welcomed into the atmosphere of silence and peace, and the sacredness of the space.

One of the most meaningful highlights of the ceremony was the anointing of Krishna’s big statue with milk, honey, sugar, and yogurt; then its bathing by the “priests”. After sprinkling ourselves with blessed water, we were also invited to perform the same gesture of bathing the small Krishna statue. It was indeed a uniquely exciting experience for me! To top it all, the evening was concluded with a delightful gastronomic experience of vegetarian food which everyone happily savored and enjoyed.

This celebration gave me the opportunity to recall what Paul Valery, a French sociologist, once said: "Let us enrich each other from our cultural differences." Yes, I experienced the richness of our cultural and religious diversity at the Sri Madhava Center. Sad to say, however, it is the tendency of religious men and women of today's society to focus more on the differences in beliefs rather than the shared values. After all, life shows that it is not impossible to build a society of peace and harmony out of these differences.

Mahatma Gandhi once said: "Although what was narrated in the Gospels about Jesus was a fragment of the writer’s imagination, the sermon on the Mount would still be true for me [because the Gita, the Christian Bible, and the Holy Qur'an all teach the same, namely love of God as well as love of the neighbor and enemy]." Here lay for me all the meaning of Sri Krishna Janmashtami celebration as a Congolese proverb put it eloquently:
" What unites us (humans) is greater than what divides us."

Thank you for your invitation.
Valentin Shukuru B., SX

*Valentin is a seminarian from the Xaverian Missionaries. He has been in the Philippines for more than a year already and has been a regular participant of the Peacemakers’ Tuesday Inner Work Circle Send feedback and comments on this article to valbisschuk@yahoo.co.fr.

DIVINE LIGHT (InterSPECT - Interfaith Perspectives)

This section features central themes and subject matters viewed from the perspective of the different religions and faith traditions.

The most alluring of religious symbols is the light, the light that radiates everywhere within and without.

In spiritual traditions light stands for many different things. It stands for the original goodness and purity. It also stands for the Truth as well as the joy and delight and bliss associated with enlightenment. It appears that Light, Truth and the Divine One are synonymous in some respects.

When we experience higher state of consciousness, we tend to try to describe it in terms of divine light. So light can also refer to Supreme Consciousness.
In every tradition, light symbolizes the Divine One, or, more specifically, the energy of the Divine One, that Being who is the Ultimate Reality and Source of everything. It is called by many names depending upon the person’s religious or spiritual orientation. In Christianity and Judaism, it would be God; in Sufism, the Beloved; in Hinduism, Bhagavan or Shiva or Brahman or Vishnu.

Usually Buddhists deny the existence of a personal god. However, when a person has done extensive spiritual practice and emptied even the emptiness, there is still a presence in the void that Zen Buddhists call the Transcendent or “Faceless One.”

ISLAM

The famous verse of “light” in the Qur'an is the Ayat Al-Nur. ( Nur is the word for light). Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth.The parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche,and within it a Lamp; the Lamp enclosed in Glass: The Glass as it were a brilliant star: Lit from a blessed Tree, an olive neither of the East nor of the West,Whose oil is well-nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it. Light upon Light! God guides whom He will to His Light: God sets forth parables for men, and God knows all things. (Islam. Qur'an 24.35)

This parable of light of God in Islam does not express His reality which is inconceivable to any created being and therefore inexpressible in any human language but only to allude to the illumination which He, who is the ultimate Truth, which bestows upon the mind and the feelings of those who are willing to be guided.

CHRISTIANITY

Light is the first of the Creator's works, manifesting the divine operation in a world that is darkness and chaos without it. While light is not itself divine, it is often used metaphorically for life (Psalm 56:13), salvation (Isa 9:2), the commandments (Prov 6:23), and the divine presence of God (Exod 10:23). In the first creative act, "God saw that the light was good" (Gen 1:3).
Light represents the presence of God. God is light, who dispels the darkness of this world. Jesus came as the light of the world, breaking through the darkness of sin by his work on the cross. It follows that believers are a light to the world as well. Jesus describes his disciples as light and light-bearers (Matt 5:14-16). When Jesus spoke to the people, he said,”I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” ( John 8:12)

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. (John 1:5)

Light also represents the direction and guidance of God. Psalm 119:105 says God's Word is a lamp to the) and a light to our path. Jesus was called the “Light of the World” because He taught us how to see the truth.

HINDUISM

The "Brahman-OM" is "the highest light, the foundation and sovereign lord of all...." Brahma is light, says the Maitri Upanishad, and the mystic symbol OM is "a leader, brilliant, sleepless, ageless [and] deathless...." Brahma, "the limitless One," is that "shining form which gives heat in yonder sun.... Unending are the rays of him." Brahman is "self-shining," "self-luminous," and "shines by his own brightness." As He shines "does everything else shine after."
Brahma is the Light of lights.He is Self-luminous. He is Supreme Light. He is ultimate light. He is an embodiment of Light. By His Light all else shines. (Maitriya Upanishad)

"There, where there is no darkness, nor night, nor day, nor being, nor nonbeing, there is the Auspicious One, alone, absolute and eternal. There is the glorious splendor of that Light from whom in the beginning sprang ancient wisdom" (Shvetashvatara Upanishad 4.18).

God Almighty (Brahman) resides within all humans as Light,
"the light which shines higher than this heaven... is the same as this light which is here within a person." The Taittiriya Upanishad spells out that "the knower of the unity of the human person with the Universal Being attains unhampered desire."

The Upanishads say that God and the human soul both have characteristics of light and bliss because Brahman and Atman are essentially the same. In a famous commentary on the nature of truth, the Chandogya Upanishad relates the following: This point is made even more explicitly in the Maitreya Upanishad: I am free from space and time. Mine is the joy of the unclad... My form consists of total light; The light of pure consciousness am I.44 The same Upanishad goes on to say that "the light which shines higher than this heaven... is the same as this light which is here within a person."

BUDDHISM

Shakyamuni Buddha said, 'This light of lights is not blue, yellow, red, white, or black. It is not matter, not mind. It is not existent, nor nonexistent. It is not a phenomenon resulting from causes. It is the source of all Buddhas, the basis of practicing the Way of enlightening beings, fundamental for all Buddhists.' . .

This spiritual light is unbroken from the infinite past through the infinite future, this is called perpetual energy. Utterly free of senses and objects, the essence manifests, real and eternal, this is called permanent stability of radiance

Just as when those born blind don't see the sun It is not because there is no sun appearing in the world -- All those who have eyes can clearly see it, Each doing their work according to their occupations, So it is with the lights of the Great Being -- Those who have wisdom all can see, While ordinary folk with false beliefs and low understanding Cannot perceive these lights at all... So it is with the Great Being's lights: Those of deep knowledge are all illumined, While the ignorant, with false beliefs and poor understanding Are not able to see these lights at all.

Flower Ornament Scripture



Hindu: Lead me from the unreal to the real, From darkness lead me to Light.

Jewish: Lift up the light of thy countenance upon us, O Lord!

Buddhist: Hold firm to the truth as a lamp and refuge.

Christian: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

Islam: God is the light of the heaven and the earth. Shinto: She lights the far corners of Heaven and Earth – the great Kami of the Sun

Sikh: There is a light in all and that light is the Ultimate One.

Peace Among Religions: A Muslim Perspective (LISTENING TO THE OTHER)

By Dr. Muhammad ‘Uthman El-Muhammady*

Bi’awnika Ya Latif!

Due to certain historical circumstances destiny has made it that Malaysia has been given the tremendous task of forging harmonious collective life among its inhabitants consisting of various religious and cultural groups, especially during the post-merdeka [independence] period. The citizens of the country consisting of representatives of such diverse civilizations as Muslims (predominantly Malays), Buddhists (predominantly Chinese), then Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, and other, have to live with each other as neighbours. Compared to many societies with such multi-religious and multi-cultural nature, our country, due to the wisdom, tolerance and the spirit of giving – and take of its leaders, has emerged as a successful one. History has proved it clearly, in spite of comments to the contrary from certain quarters which would like to see it otherwise, for reasons known only to them. Malaysia, despite being a small country, has in its own way tried to put into practice the lesson of living in harmony and tolerance among such diverse cultural and religious groups.

There is the condition for realizing peace among religions through cool-headed dialogues among intellectuals and leaders of the cultural and religious groups, coming together with the idea of seeing the intellectual and spiritual contours of the various religions, so that the meeting points can be understood, not with the idea of understanding where there are real differences, so that we respect the differences, and where there are similarities, so that we encourage the improvement in the similarities, for enhancing harmonious and peaceful living.

Then there is the condition for establishing and continuing peaceful living among religions by the adoption of the real attitude of respecting what can be called as “spiritual privacy” of the various collectivities; just as we have psychological privacy, privacy in which we do not expose certain parts of the body, out of natural sense of modesty—barring aside people who already have lost this sense, for some reasons only known to them, the privacy of the bedroom in which we do not expose ourselves in that situation— so there are spiritual aspects of pirvacy. The priest in the holy of holies has got to be alone there, cannot be disturbed in that spiritual privacy; the food in the Muslim yearly festival of sacrifice is of such a nature. This has got to be understood and respected, and this should not be construed as exclusive attitude as opposite of the inclusive attitude. Aspects of the Islamic sacred law fall into this category. Muslims are duty-bound not to do the same thing in relation to others. The Qur’an teaches them not to vilify the objects of worship of ohters deemed not in harmony with the reality of the scheme of things from the perspective, for then others in turn will vilify God worshipped by Muslims, and it becomes like they themselves are vilifying Allah. This serious attitude towards things deemed sacred should be inculcated”; this is not about saying that things should be blurred so that people will think that things are all the same creating spiritual and intellectual confusion, creating more harm than good. This is about understanding things as they are and responding to them with spirituals and intellectual propriety, wisdom and maturity.

When we speak, we do not speak in a vacuum; we speak in space, time, and history; therefore, we have got to know that history well and perceptively, getting lessons from it, not ignoring it-- otherwise we will be victimized by it (God forbid!). Ibn Khaldun has taught this serious lesson aout six hundred years ago. Blessed is the person who learns perceptively from history.

We are also not living in paradise but on the earth and the world-- with all the attending imperfections of the earthly conditions; hence when we see things which we are uncomfortable with, we address them to the proper channels, not voicing them out in combative ways. We should be moral and cultured people of etiquettes speaking gently, in a civilized way, objectively, compassionaltely, not sentimentally, addressing issues as they should be. The Qur’an speaks about Moses and his brother going to Pharaoh ‘speaking gently’ or ‘in words of gentle import’ ‘so that he may learn lessons’ and ‘fear God’. If prophets speak to actual tyrants in words of gentle import, I think we all should all the more do so in the same manner.

There is also a necessity for all to be cautious to the utmost in speaking about doctrinal matters, so that there will not be intelletual charlatanism but ther should be that intellectual professionalism in the real sense. Everyone should speak in the field of his or her competence; for example there is no such thing as ‘do it yourself Islam’ giving out brazen personal opinions about matters of doctrine as if on is the voice of ultimate authority in the area, expressing opinions so confidently in the media. Intellectual and spiritual charlatanism masquerading as authorities can go no lower. The gravity of the matter becomes all the more serious when this is coupled with cynicism, disdain, and a sense of personal superiority and arrogance, as if one has no respect for any form of authority at all on earth of heaven. Matters of concern for , not bordering on the doctrinal, can be voised by anyone concerned, takin ginto consideration the manner of apporach, the channels and so on.

We have achieved relatively – compared to many countries of the world, including ones which consider thmselves as very advanced—successful harmonious and peaceful living in our country. We should do more by taking steps among others as mentioned above.

Wallahu a’lam.

.

*Dr. Muhammad 'Uthman El-Muhammady is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Integrity Institute of Malaysia (IIM). The article above is an excerpt from his speech presented during the Peace Among Religions interfaith conference organized by InSaF URI KLCC on March 18, 2007 held at the Singghasana Hotel in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.

Conversations with Ms. Jessie Kaur-Singh (Sikh from Australia)

EMBRACING DIVERSITY
is an interview section with practitioners of interfaith dialogue. In this issue, we feature Ms. Jessiee Kaur-Singh, a Sikh from Melbourne, Australia. She is the dynamic president of the Centre of Melbourne Multifaith and Others Network (COMMON) CC.

TCC: What is your faith tradition?

JKS: I am a Sikh. Sikhism is a monotheistic faith that teaches everyone to lead an honest life, to earn an honest living and share what we have with the less fortunate. It encourages one to practice daily prayers and meditation. It also seeks to develop in one’s self – unconditional love, and selfless service. The teachings of Sikhism lead us away from animosity and towards fearlessness. It teaches us to be always humble and compassionate, while standing up for social justice. We are guided into strive for continuous self-improvement towards achieving oneness with nature and all of creation. We believe in leading a life towards becoming a saint soldier.
The word “sikh” means 'learner', thus we always try to be a learner of the Cosmos.

TCC: What are your experiences in interfaith dialogue?

JKS: I was born in Malaysia-- in a multi-faith environment. Growing up in a Methodist School I have been engaged in interfaith dialogue all throughout my life since childhood. I had always been interested and fascinated by all the faith traditions. I would usually spend as much time as possible sharing with elders of diverse spiritual traditions and learning from them. I have constantly joined in celebrations of different festivals at temples, churches and various places of worship. Furthermore, religion has been a favorite subject of mine since childhood.

TCC: What are teachings from your faith or some or your personal insights that inspire you to engage in interfaith dialogue?

JKS: Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh religion travelled widely east to west sharing himself and his wisdom. He insisted on saying that if you are a Muslim then be a good Muslim, or if you are a Hindu then be a good Hindu, or if you are born to any other faith then be a good practitioner of that faith. We do not ask people to convert to our faith nor treat ourselves superior to others. Those are basic teachings from Sikhism.

TCC: How has the practice of interfaith dialogue enriched you?

JKS: I feel very fortunate and enriched having been widely exposed to the experience of interfaith dialogue such that I see myself in the future continually engaging in it and never ceasing to learn more from it and to share my learnings with others. It has made me more capable of being there for others as it has cultivated in me the sense of kinship and equality and the consciousness that each one is my family. The practice of interfaith dialogue has helped me with my own journey as I crossed the highs and the lows along the path towards finding peace. I may now be able to lead in the area of interfaith dialogue, yet I also still remain a student who is open to new lessons.

TCC: What message would you like to convey to the readers about interfaith dialogue?

JKS: To know thyself is to know others. To be at peace in ourselves we have to be at peace with our interrelationships with others. We are all on this journey, so let us just enjoy and appreciate each other's company. Divided we may fall but together we can stand and make it through. Let us enjoy this beautiful planet-- this ‘promised land' bestowed as a home for us and for our future generations.

TULAY CC holds Interfaith Youth Meeting in Bohol (CC Update)

by Ludwig Bon M. Quirog

The TULAY CC is a URI Cooperation Circle (CC) of youths; it is in the name itself. Trust, Understanding, and Learning Among Youth. We formed ourselves as sort of an offspring of an older CC. Bohol Goodwill Volunteers Incorporated, whose name had already established quite a reputation both as a CC in the URI and a non-government organization in our province.

Aside from our profound interest in the URI PPP, we are also very enthusiastic about getting involved. But we did not want to just ride with what the CC of grown-ups was doing, so we decided to build our own. That way, we mused, we could make our own projects and be proud of our own efforts. We could also underscore something which is a little different from what the other CC was doing. While they were basically into initiating dialogue among adults of different faiths, which is the most common CC activity, we wanted to do a similar initiative among the youth and have fun among ourselves at the same time. We didn’t really leap at the idea of just sitting down and talking all the time. It’s guaranteed that young people wouldn’t enjoy that sort of activity at all. We wanted something through which we could channel our youthful, creative energy. And so after several food trip meetings, we figured: ‘Why not do something for the environment?’ There is, after all, something in the PPP that says about it. Plus, we get to enjoy going out on trips if we ever decide to go on clean-up activities and such. So, we toyed with the idea a bit, spun it around and tossed it all over, until we finally decided to go for it.

There were only 12 of us in the CC at the beginning and we knew we really had to expand if we wanted our ideas to be realized. So, we planned again for a key project in which we could achieve our expansion in terms of numbers and orient our fellow enthusiasts as well. We came up with the idea of calling in a number of our friends and ask them to join in what was, at that time, a vaguely premeditated project that would deal with the environment as well as an orientation to the URI. We already decided that we would do it in a beach resort to create a stimulating atmosphere for the youth but we weren’t quite certain how to run the whole project. So, to solve the predicament, we asked for help from Sr. Sandra Clemente, RSCJ, a URI Global Council Trustee representing Southeast Asia. On the 14th of July, she arrived from Cebu.

Boy, did we have fun! She’s one of the coolest Roman Catholic nuns in the world! She turned what we thought would be another table palaver of sorts into a youthful, energetic conversation. We were all in a constant up mood throughout the entire program. It was as if she was someone our age whom we could very comfortably share ideas and crack jokes with. And very luckily for us, she even volunteered to handle the project. After the get-together, everything was settled. All that was left was for the actual event to happen.

Everyone was absolutely thrilled about the activity. But alas, we weren’t able to push through with our planned date (12th of October) since most of the members weren’t free from school at that time, and on our alternate schedule Sr. Sandra wasn’t able to join us! Fortunately, we were joined by Dr. Shakuntala Vaswani, the regional coordinator for URI in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Mind you, she was no ordinary speaker when it came to making magic with words.

When the day finally came, it was the moment of truth for us all. We thought, this was it, this was the moment. At the freezing hour of seven in the morning of October 22, we all met at the park. We met a couple of regular faces, and many, many new ones. We shook hands and got to know each other before we boarded a truck that would bring us all together to the beach where we were to hold what was going to be a defining endeavor for TULAY CC. The bumpy truck ride wasn’t just any ordinary one. It was a ride for and of new acquaintances and friendships. We enjoyed the roller coaster-like movement of the vehicle as it traversed the rocky terrain leading to where we were to be.

When we finally arrived, we were greeted by the rush of the cool ocean breeze on our faces. It was all too hard for the new participants to get inside the house where we were supposed to be in. But, after a while, they all finally budged for the very thing they were there for. At the outset, we exposed the participants to different prayers. There was an Islamic prayer done by one of our Muslim participants, a Hindu prayer chanted by Dr. Shakun, and a Christian prayer recited by one of our participants who was of the Roman Catholic faith. Then, we jump-started with individual introductions typical of gatherings like these. Everyone’s face was just so bright and inspiring, to say the least.

After getting to know each other, we proceeded with hearing words of inspiration from Dr. Shakun beginning with an orientation to URI; the reading of its Preamble, Purpose and Principles; and the showing of short clips about URI which we watched while nibbling on rice cakes prepared by some members of Bohol Goodwill Volunteers CC. Then, we were pumped up with more words of enlightenment and shown more video presentations. The last one Dr. Shakun showed us was a very stirring cartoon clip that hit the very core of what we were all about—the care for the environment. It left us all in awe and in a heavily moved state.

All that added up got all hands in the air when the big question, “Are you willing to be one of us?” was asked. After a while, it was time for Dr. Shakun to fly back to Manila. Alas, her time with us was short but there was no question whether or not we were all able to make the most of it. She had left us with something to live by every single day of our lives.

Lunch finally came. We treated the participants with good food to stimulate their enthusiasm. Afterwards, we all went to the beach when it was on a low tide and we bonded. We talked and laughed together and at each other. We had the time of our lives until it was finally time for us to climb back up for the second leg of the workshop. Inside the house, we were warmly greeted by Mr. Boni Quirog, a former URI Global Council Trustee and the leader of Bohol Goodwill Volunteers Inc., our parent CC. First, he initiated the singing of the song, “Let There Be Peace on Earth”. Then, the original members discussed our CC’s own history and objectives. It was such a joy to see everyone’s eyes with sheer fervor and gusto. For that, they were again treated with food to keep them all going.

After fulfilling our stomachs’ content, we showed a video of the documentary film, “An Inconvenient Truth” by Albert Gore, Jr. to rouse awareness in every single one of our participants about the current predicament of our world. No one blinked an eye throughout the movie. They were all ears and all eyes on it through the end. And then, as a final point, we engaged in a lively discussion about plans for the future. Everyone had something to say, and we felt that it was a really good sign. The ones who were silent at the onset were now speaking their minds. Such good ideas, they had from sharing of used clothes and toys this Christmas with the poor living in depressed areas to adopting the local shoreline for regular coastal clean up. We came up with a lot of things. But in the end, the fact that we all met, enjoyed, and found new meaning on our new directions in life was what really mattered most.

Kalinaw CC meets with City Government in Cebu for Interfaith Project (CC Update)

On November 16, 2007 around 100 representatives from different faith-based groups in Cebu City gathered together to attend a consultation meeting with the city mayor and other government officials at the Cebu Grand Hotel. Cebu City Mayor, Hon. Tomas Osmena, called for the meeting to consult with different sectors of the society for the government’s visioning and planning for the city in the next 10 years. About 15 different sectors were convened each week for the whole month of November.

Having known for her active involvement in interfaith dialogue and having heard of her being a member of an international interfaith network, Sr. Sandra Clemente, RSCJ URI SEAP Global Trustee and Kalinaw CC leader, was invited to attend the meeting. In fact, she was even requested to gather more participants from the different faith groups to the consultation. She was more than glad to comply with the request and to grab the opportunity not only to serve the society but also to introduce the URI to the local government and its larger constituents.

It was a very comprehensive consultation wherein inputs from the faith-based sector were later on presented to a larger group of around 500 delegates representing all the other sectors which include: the children/youth, academe, people with disabilities, senior citizens, vendors and workers, women and health, environment, business, and the civil society.

From the faith-based sector, the participants came up with the plan to establish an Interfaith Council in Cebu. With reference to the Office on Muslim Affairs already in existence as a government agency, Sr. Sandra put forward the idea which resonated with everyone.

The new task at hand is to build the sector into a council within the next few months. For this, Kalinaw CC has taken the challenge of organizing the potential council members by holding a Celebration of Life on December 19, 2007 whereby they will be formally introduced to the URI. Sr. Sandra & Kalinaw CC are looking forward with inspiration and hope that URI will shine brightly over the future of their beloved city.

Pakigdait CC celebrates Mindanao Week of Peace 2007 (CC Update)

In response to the need for enhancing peace in Mindanao, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed on November 26, 2001 Presidential Proclamation No. 127 declaring the last Thursday of November up to the first Wednesday of December of every year as the Mindanao Week of Peace. The Mindanao Week of Peace points to the future of peaceful coexistence between peoples divided by culture and religion, and leads the way to the synergy of activities among members of the civil society organizations

Peace Caravan and Youth Forum

About 70 young people from Iligan City, Marawi City, Lanao del Norte Province and Lanao del Sur converged at the Mindanao State University main campus in Marawi City on November 30, 2007 for a special forum on the role of the youth in peacebuilding and volunteerism. Kapamagogopa, Inc as the lead organization, in cooperation with Pakigdait CC, has started a productive synergistic relationship with university officials last year. At present, the self-help organization has about 12 new all-Muslim volunteers from different fields. Youth student leaders from different cultures and religions, youth community leaders, artists, NGO workers and youth entrepreneurs composed the group in the forum. A special meeting with MSU President Ricardo de Leon was one of the highlights of the activity.

Culture of Peace Workshop
For the PNP of Lanao del Norte

Sponsored by Pakigdait CC, VSO and CAFOD, the COP workshop was conducted from November 29 to December 1, 2007 at Villa Lacida, Linamon, Lanao del Norte. This was the first of its kind to be held in Mindanao. Workshop Programme Officer Xarifa Sanguila welcomed the first batch of PNP officers at the opening and after dinner the participants in civilian clothing went to Iligan City to join the Civil Society Organizations for Peace (CSOFP), and the Civil Society Organization Lanao del Norte Partnership for Peace and Development (CSOLNPPD) for the opening salvo of the MWOP. Resource persons included Pakigdait Director Musa Sanguila (“Ako at ang Aking Tribu,” and “Towards a Culture of Peace” ); Pakigdait Board Chairman Rev Fr Reggie Quijano (“Culture: Source of Conflict and Wellspring of Unity”); and CAFOD Country Accompanier Carino V. Antequisa (“Understanding Conflict: An Introduction to Conflict Transformation,” and “Peaceful Approaches to Resolving Conflict” ). Closing was given by Pakigdait Board Member Ptr Reu Montecillo. Guests during the graduation and awarding ceremonies included: Brig Gen Edgardo M. Gurrea (Ret.) who was awarded a Plaque of Recognition for his role as Chairman of the GRP CCCH; Lanao del Norte Board Member Robert Matalines (Representing Gov Mohammad Khalid Q. Dimaporo); and PNP Provincial Director P/SSupt Linog M. Bagul.

Muslim –Christian Peacemakers’ Association CC Cooperative Store & Medical Mission (CC Update)

On August 2007 the Muslim–Christian Peacemakers’ Association (MCPA) CC, assisted by The Peacemakers’ Circle CC, finished the construction of a “sari-sari” ("variety") store. This small-scale enterprise is hoped to jumpstart a livelihood program to help generate income for the grassroots members of MCPA-CC. The structure was built as a requirement to avail of a government assistance program called Self-Employment Assistance - Kaunlaran(“progress”) Program offered by the Department of Social Welfare & Development (DSWD). If approved and the application for grant capital awarded, the MCPA will be able to successfully launch the Muslim-Christian cooperative store that not only takes “interfaith cooperation” to a new level, but also paves the way towards economic sustainability and entrepreneurial growth in the community.

Meanwhile, on December 28, 2007 the MCPA-CC and The Peacemakers’ Circle CC once again partnered for a smaller-scale Medical Mission for the individual members of MCPA and their families from Barangay 188, Tala community.

With the help of Imam and Police Chief Inspector Ebra Moxsir of the Imam Council of the Philippines and the Chaplain Service of the Philippine National Police, a medical staff of 6 personnel (who were also police officers) were provided to conduct the mission.

Around 50 adult patients received medical attention.

URI SEAP Regional Community Report

by Dr. Shakuntala M. Vaswani
URI SE Asia-Pacific Regional Coordinator

STRENGHTENING BONDS WITH CCs

REGIONAL COORDINATOR VISITS CCs in Bohol & Cebu (Philippines ) & Svay Rieng (Cambodia)

CEBU

The Regional Coordinator, Ms. Shakuntala Vaswani traveled to Cebu and Bohol in October to meet the members and participate in the activities of the three Cooperation Circles (CC) in the area.

In Cebu, she had fruitful conversations with Sr. Sandra Clemente, RSCJ and the members of the Kalinaw CC and gave an orientation on the URI to a group of youths from University of Cebu who were interested to form a CC.

Shakun also met another group of youths at the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) which gathers young children regularly to tell stories and teach them music and dance and keep them usefully occupied. The youth and children who call themselves ”Kalipay” (Happiness) were keen to form a CC in the URI. Shakun also gave them a brief orientation on the URI and left materials on the URI. Sr Sandra will be nurturing these two groups.

The highlight of the Cebu visit was the interfaith prayers and sacred music at the huge gathering of over 1000 students at the University of Cebu, which Sr. Sandra of the Kalinaw CC organized with UC as part of the culminating activities of the Civic Welfare Training Service (CWTS) students. “Celebration of life” was a successful event which introduced the predominantly catholic student population to other different faith traditions. It was heartwarming to see the students enjoying the sacred music from other faith traditions and some even joined in the dancing.


BOHOL

The Bohol Goodwill Volunteers CC under the the leadership of Boni Quirog gathered at a seaside restaurant in Tagbilaran City , Bohol on October 21 to welcome Shakun. Over a sumptuous lunch the members shared their work and challenges with her. After an orientation on the URI, given by Shakun for the benefit of the new members, all the members unanimously agreed to revitalize the activites of the CC and continue to extend the URI vision on the island.

On the following day, October 22, Shakun met with The Trust, Understanding, Learning Among Youth (TULAY) CC who had gathered for a one-day seminar-workshop on environmental awareness at a beach house in Biking, Dauis, Bohol. Shakun was given a warm welcome and introduced to the group by the CC leader Ludwig Quirog.

The first part of the workshop was to get to know more about the URI, of which the CC became member recently. An orientation on the URI with video presentations was given by Shakun. The youth were much inspired and asked questions and volunteered to make a difference in their communities, in particular the environment.

After a lunch break Boni Quirog of the Bohol Goodwill volunteers CC conducted the second half of the program which was on environmental awareness. A video of the documentary film, “An Inconvenient Truth” by Albert Gore, Jr was shown to arouse awareness about the current predicament of our world. The group was captivated by it and engaged in discussions on what they can do to save threatened habitats in their local context. Some of these ideas will be taken up at future meetings of the group and some concrete action plans will be made.

CAMBODIA

Last December Shakuntala Vaswani made another successful trip to strengthen bonds with the Interfaith Youth Circle of Cambodia CC in Svay Rieng province, which is about 3 hours taxi drive from Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.

On arrival at Wat Prey Chlak pagoda in Svay Rieng , Shakun was graciously welcomed by Venerable Nhem Kimteng, the founder of Santi Sena which is a non-profit organization founded in 1994. They had a dialogue on the challenges of interfaith peace building in the region . Santi Sena programs focus on environmental conservation and empowerment, peace building and community development. Sam An Ros is the deputy Director of Santi Sena and also the leader of the CC.

The following day an orientation to the URI and was given to the staff at Santi Sena and prepartions were made for the workshop the following day. To overcome language barriers Shakun prepared noted for Sam An to translate for the workshop the following day. .

A full day workshop for youths was held in the Training Center at Santi Sena on December 6. There were 23 participants: Buddhists, and different denominations of Christians. Among them there were seven monks from different Wats in the province. The Muslim participants did not show up due to other commitments.

The workshop was conducted by Sam An with Ven. Nhem Kimteng as the resource speaker on the Role of Buddhism in peace education, Pastor Sok Sovandy on Christianity and myself on Hinduism. Ven Kimteng started with with a good introduction to the youths on seeing differences due to different perception of the same picture and how it can lead to conflicts.

This was followed by group discussions on difficulties and problems encountered in different faith communities in their province and the possible solutions.

The last part of the program was an orientation on the URI. The youths appreciated the URI work and would like to be part of the global family. They also volunteered to work with Sam An to translate the URI charter in Khmer.

The Youths' response was enthusiastic and heart warming. It was the first time they had such an encounter with youths of other faiths and were eager to learn more and work for better understanding and to build harmonious relationships and further the vision of URI in the region.

They will be coming together on monthly basis to continue interfaith dialogues for a better understanding and peace and harmony in their communities. Sam An the CC leader is very enthusiastic about the project.

URI Regional Updates

URI Philippine CCs held first country meeting

The Country Meeting of the URI Cooperation Circles (CC) from all over the Philippines took place for the first time on October 31 – November 1, 2007 at the URI SEAP Regional Coordinating Office in Loyola Heights, Quezon City, Metro Manila.

Five out of the six existing CCs in the archipelago participated. The leaders and representatives who were able to attend the meeting were: 1) Marites Africa (Peacemakers’ Circle CC leader); 2) Dr. Jo Kashim (Peacemakers’ CC member & URI MI Phil. Team member); 3) Sr. Sandra Clemente (URI-SEAP Global Trustee/ Regional Chair, & Kalinaw CC leader form Cebu); 4) Mr. Musa Sanguila (Pakigdait CC leader from Mindanao); 5) Mr. Boni Quirog (Bohol Goowill Volunteers CC leader CC); and 6) Mr. Ludwig Quirog (TULAY CC leader from Bohol). They were also joined by 7) Dr. Shakuntala Vaswani (URI-SEAP Regional Coordinator & Peacemakers’ Circle CC member), and 8) Mr. Orlan de Guzman, Jr. (URI-SEAP Reg’l Info.&Com. Officer & Peacemakers’ CC member).

The first face-to-face meeting of URI Philippines saw an inspiring and energizing gathering of leaders as they sought to touch-base and level-off with each other and get to know each of their CCs’ different programs and unique initiatives in interfaith peacebuilding. This was done through presentations of history and reports of activities & recent projects given by each CC.

As the two-day meeting progressed, more serious matters were taken up which includes URI leadership and organizational structure in the region, as well as evaluation of communications and CC-building. After an assessment of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges in the country, the members came up with plans and recommendations towards strengthening further the URI work in this part of the region.

In the coming months the CCs will engage in consistent and meaningful communications to strengthen leadership, plant new CCs, mobilize the youths and produce local audio visual materials for promoting URI work and peacebuilding workshops.

for more photos click on this link: http://uripilipinas.blogspot.com/2008/01/uri-philippines-first-country-meeting.html



GLOBAL COUNCIL TRUSTEE SELECTION

The first stage of the Trustee Selection Process ended on November 15, 2008 with the closing of the nominations of Candidates.

In the Southeast Asia Pacific region 10 CCs had filed their eligibility forms.

A total of 5 candidates have been nominated from the region. They are :

Dr. Amir Farid Isahak from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Ms.Marites Africa from Manila, Philippines
Sr. Sandra Clemente, RSCJ from Cebu, Philippines
Mr. Musa Sanguila from Mindanao, Philippines
Ms. Jessie Kaur-Singh from Melbourne, Australia.

The second stage is the elections of the THREE Trustees for a three year term on the Global Council.

The CCs eligible to vote will deliberate and will be casting their ballots between January 14 and April 4, 2008.

The Election results will be announced on April by e-mail and by the web.

An inspirational message from the URI hub

a letter from URI Executive Director,
REV. CANON CHARLS P. GIBBS.

Dear Friends in the URI,

Greetings of love and peace.

In the Christmas story cherished by Christians around the world, wise ones from Persia (scholars speculate that they may have been Zoroastrian astrologers) follow a star to Bethlehem where they behold a new light that entered the world with the birth of the Christ child, who came to be known by his followers as the Prince of Peace. As I celebrate Christmas this year, I rededicate myself to honoring the Prince of Peace by offering my life in service of a more peaceful and just world.

And I will be thinking of another star, one made in 1996, during URI’s first small global summit. An 11-year-old boy, Walter Gray, was forced to sit through an entire day of adults talking about the possibilities of creating what has become the United Religions Initiative. To amuse himself, Walter spent the day folding origami shapes out of beautifully colored sheets of paper.

At one point during the day, the adults, seated in circles of eight, were asked to imagine what a United Religions might be like. Would it be like a solar system – a brilliant, life giving sun with an intricate system of planets and moons orbiting around it? Or would it be more like a tree, with roots sinking deep into the rich soil of spiritual wisdom, with a strong trunk of interfaith cooperation, and branches bearing the fruits of peace, justice and healing?

As group after group reported, Walter folded a new shape with his origami paper. When he finished folding and an adult finished speaking, Walter stood up. I have something to say, Walter began. He held up a colorful origami octagon with an open center. This is how things are now, he said. The religions don’t talk with each other, and no one comes together.

But, if we begin talking with each other, things will change, Walter explained.

He began moving the sides of the octagon. Little by little, we come closer together, until we touch in the center, and something that never existed before is born – a new star, the United Religions!

Walter’s origami star became the model for URI’s logo – a star of many colors that represents people of diverse religions, spiritual expressions and Indigenous traditions uniting to promote enduring, daily interfaith cooperation, to end religiously motivated violence and to create cultures of peace, justice and healing for the Earth and all living beings.

In this season of light, I give thanks for my URI sisters and brothers around the world whose light of service helps the URI star to shine ever more brightly. And I pray that the light of the living URI star shine ever more brightly in our world, illuminating a path to a new future of peace, justice and healing for all. It is a privilege to share this journey with you.

Love,

Charles

Prayer to Invoke the Presence of the Divine Light

O Lord, the Light of Lights,
You are the Indweller of the entire Universe.

You are the One who makes the sun shine,
the moon shine, who makes the stars shine,
who makes the fire burn.

Kindly lead us to that Light of Wisdom and
remove the darkness of ignorance;
enlighten our hearts.

Help us experience that Light within and without.

Help us see the same Light,
the same spirit dwelling everywhere in everything or,
to be more accurate, as everything.

Let us behold your spirit running through all.

Give us the strength and courage and capacity to
experience that peace and Joy within
and share the same with everyone.

Help us to get away from these selfish temptations
with which we are creating all the differences,
all the fights, and all the wars.

Please guide us to know our brothers and sisters
and to know we are all parts of Your family.

Enlighten our paths, O Light of Lights,
Lord of Lords.

Help us, guide us.


(by Sri Swami Satchidananda)