| World
Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders |
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| Ringing in peace: U.N. Secretary-General Kofi
Annan tolls the Peace Bell at U.N. headquaters in New York on
Tuesday to mark the International Day of Peace and today's start
of the U.N. Millennium Summit. |
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| The Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious
and Spiritual Leaders was held under the auspices of the United
Nations in New York City from August 28-31, 2000 to mark the
year 2000 Millennium. Personally invited by United Nations Secretary-General
Kofi Annan, over 1200 representatives of religious bodies and
spiritual organizations from all over the world gathered in
the UN General Assembly Hall on August 28th. The delegation
from Japan, coordinated by Rev. Munemichi Kurozumi of Kurozumi-kyo,
consisted of about thirty persons representing Shinto, Buddhism,
and Christianity. Among them were Mr. Kuniaki Kuni, Daiguji
of Ise Grand Shrine, the Venerable Eshin Watanabe of Mt. Hiei,
Rev. Yukitaka Yamamoto of Tsubaki Grand Shrine, and President
Nichiko Niwano of Rissho Kosei Kai. The International Shinto
Foundation was represented at the Summit by its Director-General
Yoshimi Umeda, and New York Center staff Paul H. Sherbow and
Hiroko Sugimoto. Welcomed by Mr. Annan and Summit Secretary-General
Bawa Jain, prayers for world peace were offered by eminent representatives
of major faiths, such as Francis Cardinal Arinze of the Roman
Catholic Church, who read a personal message from His Holiness
Pope John XXIII; the Venerable Eshin Watanabe, Patriarch of
Tendai Buddhism, from Mt. Hiei, Japan; four Tibetan monks representing
Tibetan Buddhism; and Mr. Kuniaki Kuni, Highest Priest of Ise
Grand Shrine, representing Japanese Shinto. The following day
and evening, dozens of religious leaders delivered brief speeches
to the conference in the UN General Assembly. Some, such as
World Council of Churches Secretary-General Dr. Konrad Raiser,
made strong comments on the current world situation, particularly
regarding recent trends in economic globalization. Mr. Kuni
of Ise Shrine gave an impressive talk in perfect English on
Shinto, emphasizing its links with nature. Among the last, but
most colorful and moving presentations of the day, at almost
nine o'clock in the evening, was a combined delegation of Indigenous
Religions representatives , who gathered at the podium behind
spokesman Dr. Oren Lyons, Faithkeeper of the Onondaga Nation
of New York State. On the 30th and 31st of August, Summit activities
moved to the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, where panel sessions had
been organized for the presentation and discussion of topics
such as world poverty and health, religion and the United Nations,
and interfaith dialogue. Many Interfaith organizations also
participated, including the WCRP, IARF, URI. Scholars of religion
such as Professors Tu Wei Ming, Diana Eck, and Lawrence Sullivan
of Harvard University, were also present for discussion interaction.
One such panel, on religion and the environment, included Japanese
delegates Rev. Muneharu Kurozumi, Head of the Shinto Sect Kurozumi-kyo
and Mrs. Asako Hirose, representing the Spiritual Leader of
the Oomoto Foundation. During the discussion period following
the presentations, Rev. Takeshi Nishida, Head of the Ittoen
Community, also contributed his thoughts to the discussion.
On August 31, the closing session at the Waldorf-Astoria featured
prayers and blessings of the various religious representatives
for the cooperative work of all religions for future world peace
and harmony. |
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