The Importance of Interfaith Cooperation for Securing Peace in the 21st Century in Vienna, Austria

By Peter Haider To set the tone for the conference a respecting animals and nature in video of UPF promoting an general, whereas justice could be

2 00 people gathered on February Interreligious Council at the UN strengthened by the idea of 6, 2015 at the Vienna “Creating a Family of Faith” was brotherhood of all men. Finally he told International Center (UN shown. After words of welcome by the story of the 6 blind men who tried Headquarters in Vienna) to Peter Haider, president of UPF in to describe an elephant, with the moral commemorate World Interfaith Austria, Elder Ruben Silverbird, a of the story: we all have parts of the Harmony week. The half-day long-standing Ambassador for Peace, truth, and our fellow man can see conference entitled “The opened the conference with a Native another part of it! Importance of Interfaith American flute blessing, asking those Then Johannes Aschauer presented Cooperation for Securing Peace present to close their eyes and say a the project “Jerusalem way - a in the 21st Century” was organized prayer for peace in their heart. Pilgrimage to the Holy Land”. He and by the Universal Peace Federation As a first speaker Dr. Slawomir Redo, two fellow Austrians walked all the way Austria (UPF) in cooperation with who has worked for many years as an to Jerusalem from the end of the ACUNS Vienna, the Women’s UN Senior Crime Prevention and Jacob’s pilgrimage way in Spain, Cape Federation for World Peace and Media Justice expert, choose to speak on “An Finistere to Israel! The pilgrimage Partner The Best of the World interreligious input for the from Austria to the Holy Land – some Network. This age of globalization United Nations 2016-2030 4500 km -took them 6 months, having needs enlightened people in each faith SDGs”. He explained that the a lot of time for thoughts, discussions who can examine their sacred writings Millennium Development Goals of the and encounters. Later they marked the and traditions and identify the aspects UN have been reviewed and will be way and so developed a new that can benefit all humanity as well as developed as sustainable development pilgrimage path. They also turned it those that preserve each religion’s goals for the next 15 years. He raised into an international peace project for identity. The UN designated the first the question: How can religion be Syria. “Walking this way you have to week of February every year as World integrated into these goals? Of course pass through many countries and meet Interfaith Harmony Week. UPF and its the Golden Rule can be found in people of many cultures. You can get network of Ambassadors for Peace almost all religions: Love for God and rid of many prejudices. That’s why the celebrate this week each year, in a way love for your neighbor. This rule could Jerusalem Way stands for tolerance that encourages understanding, already guide people to a more just and understanding. There is only one respect, and cooperation among people distribution of wealth. In addition he religion, the religion of love! of all faiths for the well-being of our highlighted two terms: dignity and The next speaker was Dr. Shantu Watt, communities and peace in the world. justice. As an example he mentioned UN Women’s Guild and Women that Buddhism has contributed to Federation for World Peace,

addressing the topic ”The Role of As the last speaker of the first session was more passionate than anyone else Women in Interfaith Peace Dr. No-Hi Pak, UPF Korea was in carrying out an interdenominational building”. Dr. Watt stated: “My goal speaking on “Religious Peace and interreligious peace movement. is to bring forth every person to the Movements in multi-religious Korea”. The central ideology coherent in all his forefront of visibility, also every Dr. Pak gave insight into the history of teachings is ‘One family under God’. woman!” She then spoke on the topic the multi-cultural Korean society. The Rev. Moon thought that the of Interreligious dialogue: There are percentage of officially registered fundamental reason lying behind 4200 religions in the world, and all of religious believers in South Korea religious conflicts was that believers them claim to possess the truth. It today is 52%. The main religions are were unable to overcome the needs a common ground in order to be Buddhism, Protestantism, Catholicism differences between the doctrines of able to have a dialogue. The common and Confucianism. Buddhism has been their different religions. And so he ground can be found by accepting the the main religion for more than 1000 mobilized world-renowned theologians dignity and equality of the other years. It harmonized with Shamanism, to come together and research the religion. the ancient religion of Korea. Then scriptures of the different religions Concerning the role of women: Most Confucianism was introduced by collectively, and he ultimately had gods and most religious leaders are China. Buddhists were tolerant them publish an interreligious male, which entails the subordinate towards Confucianism, therefore a co- scripture under the name of “World role of women. Almost never could existence developed between the two Scripture”. The results of the research they have leading roles in religions. sets of thought. carried out by those renowned Most interfaith dialogues don’t even When in the 18th century Christianity theologians revealed that 70 percent of address the discrimination of women was introduced, the intellectuals the doctrines of the different religions in religions. In an ideal discussion accepted it. Unfortunately Catholicism were identical, and that the remaining there should be a harmonious number clashed with the Confucian tradition of 30 percent differed because they held of men and women. Religious worshipping the ancestors, and much different religious rituals and followed dialogues also have to address blood was shed. When the Korean War different religious procedures. unacceptable religious practices, like broke out in 1950 and the Korean Korea is a multi-religious society, even female genital mutilation or abortion people were plunged into misery and though incidents giving rise to of female fetuses, if religions want to anguish, the United States, religious conflict have been committed be bastions of morality and peace. A representing Christian culture, now and then by a small number of recent religious freedom report from extended a helping hand like a savior extreme believers, for on the America shows that in 2014 most and offered assistance, which opened fundamental level, a spirit of tolerance people who have been displaced were up the hearts of the Korean people. in regard to religion is deeply enrooted so because of religious conflict: Moreover, the impassioned Holy Spirit in Korea. Christians, Muslims, Hindus and many movement, which swept across Korea As a start for the 2nd session the others. The dark sides of religions also when it was suffering in the wretched World’s first Interfaith Anthem Sami have to be addressed! Many people agony of war, served as the fertile soil Yusuf - The Gift of Love was shown. observe the ineffectiveness of whereon Protestantism was rapidly interfaith dialogue. “My observation is Prof. Dr. Richard Trappl, director of propagated. that it is more effective to do things the Confucius-Institute in Vienna, While suffering amidst the agony of spoke on the topic “Religion in China together than to organize meetings war and poverty, new autogenic with leaders of religions! “ in old and modern Times”. He had just denominations rooted in national returned from a trip to China where Her suggestions for interfaith dialogue spirit and traditions also came into his flight started in the early morning, were to look at cultural practices and active being within the Christian faith, he passed through the world of Muslim look for their proof in sacred texts, to sometimes even persecuted by culture during a stopover in Istanbul give women a larger role in religious mainstream Christianity. A principle and spoke here the same day in a institutions and that the media should example of this is the persecution conference in the UN building in show how many women are involved against the Unification Church Vienna. For him dialogue is the center in peacebuilding and interfaith Movement centered on Rev. Sun of our discussion today. It is important dialogue! Myung Moon, a religious leader who to know the other part, but it is also

important to know yourself. In China Western world. It was the dialogue of awareness of the preciousness of the which is still Communist today, there aggression coming from the West. family. are the tombs of Matteo Ricci, the Today the Chinese build churches for Talking about Austria, Prof. famous 16th century Jesuit missionary weddings to be held. Also Christmas is Bajrektarevic says that he can to China, in the center of the being celebrated in the whole country. understand (although not accept as a Communist party’s Academy building. This is a secularization of religion, but fait accompli) the sensationalism of There you can also find the place of the we can see a change in the atmosphere. media coverage of so-called Austrians churchyard with 56 tombs of Jesuit Prof. Anis H. Bajrektarevic, Professor of Muslim origin or immigrants of the priests who died in China. for international law and international Arab or Muslims descent. He is very Dialogue with China and her 1.3 billion politics, reflected in his presentation much against the nomadic way of people is extremely important. China is “Multiculturalism, dead or dread dealing with this topic: nomadic not just an economic power but also its in Europe?” upon Europe and its role meaning that, when the topic is trendy rich culture which should be studied in the world and he observed that all everybody is talking about it, not seriously. Prof. Trappl raised the religions originate from Asia, whereas allowing space for the real experts, and question whether Chinese religions all political philosophies (later then the topic is suddenly abandoned like Confucianism and Daoism which instrumentalized for ideological and interest moves to another trendy complement each other in many ways purpose) come from Europe. He also issue. Recent talks about Austrians are religions in the sense we have them confirmed that the Asian religions (or returning from Syria, or about some in the West. The term religion zongjiao as he calls them ‘comprehensive Muslim centers and schools in Vienna consists of zong “family” and jiao philosophies of life’) had the capacity are very dangerous and misleading “teaching”. He argued the to coexist, in contrary to the ‘nomadism’. While Turkish and Confucianism is an ethical system, to monotheistic believes of Judaism, Bosnian Muslims represent over 3/4 of create a human community that is Christianity and Islam, which very overall Austrian Muslims they are defined by responsibility. Daoism on often were misused for ideological excluded from debates. This seriously the other hand is an epistemology, to purpose, to purge the otherness in an disfranchises people and plays a think in polarities between existence alleged ‘exclusive access to the truth’. counterproductive card as regards an and non-existence. There is the In the booming world of physics and interfaith dialogue in Austria and the rationality of Confucian thinking and metaphysics, Europe is lagging behind. overall social consensus, security and the irrationality of the Daoist school of Europe is rapidly losing its bio capital safet thought. For 2500 years these two due to dismal demographic scores, as Ms. Eirini Patsea, a young lawyer, schools of thought were well as the migratory pressures (the specialized on “Cultural Diplomacy complementing each other. In the 1st best Europeans are leaving, while and Interfaith Mediation” (with her and 2nd century A.D. Buddhism Europe mostly attracts the unskilled main focus on Greece), gave an entered China opening what we would immigrants from the MENA and sub- account on the role of the Greek describe from a Western perspective as Saharan Africa). The lasting Europe’s Orthodox Church in Europe and the a more religious dimension. That was a crisis is not only economic, it is a Middle East, in respect to interfaith third pillar. When we look at the recession of thought and ideas on how diplomacy. For instance, the case of destruction of these heritages, highly to move forward. Europe has to revisit Egypt and the interfaith diplomatic respected for 2000 years, during the its social but also cross-generational activities of the Greek Orthodox Cultural Revolution we have to ask contract, before being able to conduct Church for the purpose of constructive why this could happen. During the a sincere and comprehensive interfaith conflict management of the tensions time of colonization the Western dialogue about multiculturalism and between the Muslim and the Coptic powers taught the Chines that they diversity. Prof. Bajrektarevic sees as communities. were too weak with their ideals of one of the most urgent problems that Another highlight, was the referenceto harmony and peace derived from European people have lost the ability the mediating role of the Patriarchate Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism to reproduce themselves – they lost the of Jerusalem between the Israeli state to match up with achievements of the and various Arab countries. There it

was pointed out, among others, that was a strong Muslim. This man knew solidarity and inclusion and human the leverage of the Patriarchate largely nothing about Hinduism but his wife rights education. We have to depends on the fact that it is one of the would cook vegetarian meals for his understand the complexities of the biggest owners of land in Jerusalem; as best friend, who was a Hindu. world, not just have a “be nice to each well as on the deep rooted underlying Friendship seems to be possible other” approach. relationship that Greek Orthodoxy has without knowing anything about each Then he spoke on the “Dilemma of with both the Jewish and the Muslim other’s religion. Education”. Civil society and the state cultures and traditions, allowing the As an urbanist he is researching the hammer out a consensus as regards Patriarchate to act as a credible, interaction between education and what education is about. Educational trusted mediator. urban planning. First he spoke about institutions recreate and sustain As illustrated through all the “Deep Learning”. He took part in society with all its norms but on the references, it was suggested that the interreligious dialogue for many years other side they also have to inspire for Greek Orthodox Church has great as a student, but only after going to change. He mentioned the topic potential in successfully engaging in countries like Morocco, Jordan and “Integration”, where there is no interfaith diplomacy, even on a state Turkey, did he start to understand consensus as to what this really means. level, acting as a stabilizing and things better. In Oman, being involved He continued to speak about the equalizing power in the regions of for two years in a project and having importance of narratives. He showed Europe and the Middle East. friends there he really started to fall in “Mapping Stereotypes -The Geography Dipl. Ing. Ian Banerjee, Ass. Professor love with the Islamic culture. This of Prejudices”. Incredible amounts of for architecture at the Technical immersion is absolutely necessary: “It information is showered over us today University of Vienna spoke on “An is not about talking but you have to get by all kinds of media outlets, society is urbanist’s perspective on into it.” His second point was “Global diversifying enormously and Education for Interreligious Education”. UNESCO has done a great intensively. The challenge will be dialogue”. Mr. Banerjee was born in deal of work in this direction published “convincing story telling” – to have the Calcutta and raised as a Hindu. As a in the UNESCO World Report on best stories and the best way to put practical example of interfaith Cultural Diversity and their pedagogy them on the networks. He ended with harmony he started with two personal is built on respect for cultural speaking about a project by National experiences: His best friend in school diversity. A second important Geographic. Seven-Year Walk was a Muslim, although he himself document is the Maastricht Global Highlights Power of ‘Slow Journalism’ didn’t have any idea about Islam. This Education Declaration, speaking about that Paul Salopek’s “Out of Eden” walk year Mr. Banerjee visited India with intercultural learning, citizenship may provide a new model for in-depth Austrian students and their tour guide learning and peace education, storytelling.