OCA Rep Participates in Preparations for International Assembly of Religions
The Very Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky, Assistant to the Chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America for External Relations, attended a four-day session of the executive and assembly preparatory committees of the World Conference of Religions for Peace [WCRP] in Kyoto, Japan July 19-23, 2004.
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Father Kishkovsky serves as vice-moderator of the WCRP.
The World Conference of Religions for Peace is the largest international coalition of the world’s great religions. It serves as a forum for communication and cooperation on a wide range of social, political, and economic issues and seeks to promote peace and security throughout the world. It is currently moderated by H.R.H. Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan.
Preparations for the Eighth World Assembly of Religions for Peace, slated to convene in 2006, were discussed at length during the session, according to Father Kishkovsky.
Held every five years, world assemblies gather religious leaders from around the world to set priorities for multi-religious cooperation for the next half-decade. Decisions regarding the 2006 assembly’s theme, venue and dates are expected to be announced soon.
A one-day round-table, “Peace Building in Iraq: The Role of Multi-Religious Cooperation,” was held in conjunction with the main session. Religious leaders from Iraq shared their perspectives on the current challenges facing the nation’s religious communities and explored potential inter-faith peace initiatives for the region.
Further information may be found on WCRP’s web site, www.wcrp.org.