| ICRD Update July 2010 |
|
July 12, 2010 A Note of Thanks Two of our Center’s projects received prominent mention in a recent report by the World Economic Forum, a non-profit foundation based in Geneva, Switzerland that is widely known for its annual meetings of leading business, political, religious, media and academic figures to address global challenges. From the report: Sudan: The Sudan Inter-religious Council, supported by the Washington, DC-based International Center for Religion and Diplomacy, has worked to identify the religious causes to Sudan’s bloody civil conflict – alongside ethnic, social and economic factors – and to support a fragile peace through dialogue and outreach activities. The Council played a pivotal role in reclaiming confiscated church property from the government and initiating local peace initiatives within villages aimed at bringing Muslim and Christian leaders together to “heal the wounds of war.” Pakistan: One of the few efforts to engage Muslim educational authorities with an eye to helping them reform and improve their schools is the Washington, DC-based International Center for Religion and Diplomacy’s Madrasa Reform Project. The project has sponsored a series of workshops with school leaders and education officials in Pakistan designed to help schools move away from rote learning and focus more on reflective learning, practical knowledge and understanding of other cultures. “We feel motivated to think in innovative and creative ways,” one workshop participant noted. “We have started looking at ourselves and our system. We have learned here how to plan things for a better future.” While the visibility is gratifying, even more appreciated is the support so many of you have provided to make this work possible. So, hats-off from all of us to all of you.
Growing out of his peacemaking involvements in the Middle East and elsewhere, ICRD Sr. Vice President Brian Cox has been invited to serve on a newly-formed Council for Dignity, Forgiveness and Reconciliation formed by the City of Rome and the Global Forum of Italy. This Council will involve an international cast of peacemakers, including religious leaders, academicians, journalists, NGO activists, government officials and several Nobel Laureates. Its purpose will be to examine forgiveness, in its various religious and cultural meanings, as a moral, spiritual and political tool for addressing existing wounds of history. The goals are twofold: restoring a sense of dignity to those who have suffered and creating the basis for building a common future.
|
