4th Annual International Conference on Religion, Conflict and Peace

an article by Common Bond Institute

Registration and the call for proposals are open for the 4th annual international conference on "Religion, Conflict and Peace". The international forum promotes inter-religious and intra-religious dialogue to explore the challenges of social paranoia, intolerance, negative stereotyping, scapegoating, and islamophobia, and the promise of reason, understanding, compassion, and cultural harmony.

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The conference is an official partner event of the Charter For Compassion and the Parliament of World's Religions. It is sponsored by the the Common Bond Institute, Henry Ford Community College and the Parashakti Temple of the International Humanistic Psychology Association and endorsed by over 100 universities and organizations internationally. Full details are available on the conference webpage.

The Conference seeks to create an engaged, inclusive dialogue to consciously explore together both broader historical dynamics, implications, and possible remedies, and more recent specific manifestations playing out around us in society today.

The spiritual experience is both uniquely individual and universal, tapping into our deepest, most inner self, while connecting us to the oneness with all. How each of us chooses our own sometimes quite different path on this common journey can highlight an appreciation for the rich diversity of human sacred practice, while at the same time setting the stage for the potential hazards of elitism, competition, polarity, and even animosity that paradoxically negate the core message of unity, and hamper us on that journey.

Religious intolerance, marginalization, scapegoating, and related conflict are not new experiences, whether in the US or globally. Many examples are woven throughout our human history that highlight both the unique circumstances of individual religious groups, and the broader commonality shared by all who have been on either side of such supposedly fundamental divides. A current example in American society is the recent experience of Islam and the Muslim community. However the dynamics, struggles, and threat are universal for all religious communities exposed to these ills.

In addition, dichotomies and conflicts within spiritual traditions themselves, including extremist interpretations and interpolations of religious tenets and practice by uninformed or purposely manipulating individuals and groups, are also historical and present day dilemmas for many religions.

Understanding how these elements and conditions arise, how they compromise, contradict, and even threaten original spiritual intent, and how they wound relationships between and within religious communities, is essential to learning practical methods for appreciating diversity and achieving harmony and peace in today's rapidly shrinking and increasingly inter-dependent world community.

DISCUSSION

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How can different faiths work together for understanding and harmony?,

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This report was posted on February 10, 2012.

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