The Peace Council is a diverse group of religious and spiritual individuals who are internationally known and respected and who have decided to come together, as the Dalai Lama wrote in a recent letter, « to understand one another and work together so that those of us who profess belief in our respective faiths can work for the common cause of humanity. » He added, « I believe that such a joint effort can set the right example for the rest of the world » … (about1/2 /Introduction).
Homepage;
Councilors; Accomplishments; Looking Ahead; Links:
Address: International Committee for the Peace Council, 1112 Grant Street, Madison, Wisconsin 53711, USA;
Contact.
About 2/2 /Mission: … The mission of the Peace Council is to demonstrate that peace is possible, and that effective interreligious collaboration to make peace also is possible.
In a world where religion too often is used to justify division, hatred, and violence — and very seldom used to relieve these problems — the Peace Councilors offer an alternative: the example of religious leaders working effectively together to relieve suffering and make the world whole.
The Inaugural Meeting:
The Peace Councilors met for the first time in November, 1995. They agreed on a statement of purpose and commitment. From many faiths, they had a common concern with their responsibilities face-to-face with suffering. They identified seven interdependent threats to peace:
- religious intolerance;
- war, violence, and the arms trade;
- environmental degradation;
- economic injustice;
- the population « explosion; »
- patriarchy (cultures of domination, hierarchy, and control);
- and oppressive globalization.
Peace Council programs are intended to relieve these causes of suffering and, by their examples, to help people and communities grow in the ways of peace.
The Peace Council supports local peacemakers in regions of special need. It gives practical assistance to local peace efforts and to « communities of peace. »
The Peace Council also works with the United Nations, governments, and other non-governmental organizations.
Membership:
- The Peace Council began in 1995 with twelve members. It has grown since and may eventually include twenty to thirty members. A current list of Peace Councilors is available elsewhere on this web site.
Membership is by invitation to persons who are:
- respected within their faith communities for how they live and what they do.
- committed to working together in practical ways for peace, and to teaching by example.
Programs: General Principles: … (full text about).