Mission & Impact
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MISSION & IMPACT Religions for Peace—the ABOUT US world’s largest and most representative multi-religious coalition—advances common action among the world’s page2 page14 page16 religious communities for peace. Religions for Peace works MILESTONES ASSEMBLIES TESTIMONIALS to transform violent conflict, Overview of Religions for Peace’s Overview of Religions for Global leaders endorse advance human development, success for nearly 50 years Peace’s ten World Assemblies Religions for Peace promote just and harmonious societies, and protect the earth. page8 page4 VATICAN GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP Advancing a Moral Alliance H.E. Shaykh Abdallah Bin Bayyah [President, Among the World’s Religions Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim for an “Integral Ecology” Societies; Co-Moderator, Religions for Peace] leads collaborative global impact through the organizations’ deep partnership GLOBAL IMPACT countries90+ page12 INTERFAITH page6 RAINFOREST MYANMAR INITIATIVE Religions for Peace Religions for Peace page10 as the most high- regions is a key implementing ETHICS IN profile multi-religious 6 partner of IRI, an specialist promoting alliance harnessing moral ACTION peace in Myanmar leadership to protect the Religions for Peace earth’s resources is catalyzing action World to advance the SDGs 1Council through Ethics in Action 2 2012 MILESTONES Religions for Peace launched the “Ten Promises to Our Children,” a global initiative to improve child survival. This initiative empowers 1991-2000 people of faith to promote life-saving 2016-present Civil war breaks out in Sierra Leone practices, such as breastfeeding and Launch of the Interfaith Rainforest and Muslim and Christian leaders 2011-2012 immunizations, in the communities 2014-2016 Initiative, of which RfP is the form the RfP Inter-religious Council RfP Haiti mediated the where they live and work. RfP’s West African IRCs underwent implementing partner. RfP Latin of Sierra Leone (IRCSL). They “standoff” between the tremendous efforts to combat the deadly America and the Caribbean has mediate between the government executive and legislature on Ebola Virus. RfP led quick and effective been instrumental in implementing and rebels. The Council negotiated the formation of a permanent targeted awareness and sensitization the project in Colombia and Peru 2003-2012 the release of 50 child hostages in electoral council that plunged 2013 activities to curb the spread of Ebola and has also supported a meeting 1970 1997, and played a key role in the Religions for Peace Haiti into months of political Religions for Peace is and save lives. RfP-IRCL partnered with of key stakeholders in Brazil. The first “World Assembly” Lomé peace talks. In the following catalyzed interfaith efforts to crisis. It brought the parties advancing Restoring Dignity, UNICEF to deliver essential services. RfP- The African Council of Religious took place in October years, IRCSL conducted a human combat HIV/AIDS and scale together and facilitated the a global initiative dedicated IRCL Women of Faith Network responded Leaders (ACRL-RfP) and the Inter- 1970 in Kyōto and led to rights and peace education project up faith-based responses. signing of the memorandum to engaging faith-based by providing care, material support, religious Council of Indonesia (IRC the formal establishment to promote dialogue and a Truth RfP worked to strengthen of understanding on organizations, religious leaders, educational access and alternative Indonesia-RfP) coordinated similar of Religions for Peace and Reconciliation Commission. faith-based support to 24 December 2012. Both communities and individuals of learning opportunities for those who could convenings for key stakeholders and as an independent IRCSL transformed to respond to people living with HIV/AIDS, parties requested that RfP faith for common action to end not attend school during the outbreak. potential local partners in both the organization. RfP’s 10th the Ebola epidemic in 2014 and particularly in reducing the Haiti lead further peace talks. violence against women. RfP After the crisis, RfP’s IRCs worked to Democratic Republic of the Congo World Assembly occurs remains active today mitigating stigma that surrounds the released its “Restoring Dignity” mainstream orphans into society and assist and Indonesia, respectively. Learn from 20-23 August 2019. electoral violence. disease. Toolkit this year. in educating for childhood immunizations. more on page 12. 1970 1991 2011 2012 2013 2014 2016 1990 2003 2014 2016 1996 2009 2018 2014 1990-1997 1996-1997 2009-2010 In 2014, RfP launched the “Faith for Earth” campaign, The Religions for Peace Inter-religious Following the Dayton Agreement, The Arms Down! Campaign for Shared led by Archbishop Desmond Council of Liberia (RfP-IRCL) was the Religions for Peace Inter-religious Security was launched by the Religions Tutu, in 195 countries and 2016-2018 2018 founded in 1990 by religious leaders of Council of Bosnia-Herzegovina for Peace Global Youth Network in late culminated in a petition, RfP religious leaders have convened for eleven The Forum and RfP co-host Liberia drawn from the Christian and (IRC-BiH) facilitated communications 2009. Youth leaders from the world’s signed by 1.8 million people. meetings entitled “Ethics in Action” between senior religious leaders from Muslim communities. Their effort set across religious communities, liaised great religious traditions convened 2016 and 2018, to develop a multi-religious the MENA and EU regions to up a basis for mediation and dialogue between religious communities and on 4 October to deliver the 20 million moral consensus and to deploy that consensus collaborate to find innovative which eventually culminated in the NGOs working in the post-conflict signatures that they had collected on as the basis for concrete ethical action. Learn responses to mass migration. ECOWAS Peace Plan for Liberia and environment, with founding member the Arms Down! petition to the United more on page 10. Learn more on page 4. the 1997 general elections. President Grand Mufti Mustafa Cerić. IRC-BiH Nations Secretary-General’s High Charles Taylor announced his stepping remains active today in the protection Representative for Disarmament. down through the Council. of Holy Sites. 4 PARTNERING TO CONFRONT THE GLOBAL MIGRATION CHALLENGE Senior-most religious leaders from the Religions for Peace’s European Council of Religious Leaders (RfP-ECRL) and the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim societies convened in Abu Dhabi, UAE from 8–9 December 2018 to address the influx of MENA migrants to Europe. This meeting collected the wisdom, knowledge and expertise of some of the most senior religious leaders in Europe and MENA to offer guidance on advocacy and action addressing RfP Partnership with the root causes and effects of migration. Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies The Forum and RfP have closely worked together since 2013, not least in the historic Marrakesh Declaration and Alliance of Virtues initiatives of the Forum and multiple initiatives from the RfP side. Here, H.E. Shaykh Abdallah Bin Bayyah addresses RfP leadership GLOBAL ACTION th H.E. Shaykh Abdallah Bin Bayyah [President, Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim and esteemed guests at the 2013 RfP 9 World Assembly in Vienna. Societies, Co-Moderator, RfP] is greeted by Bhai Sahib Bhai Mohinder Singh, OBE KSG [Chairman, Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha; Co-President of RfP] RELIGIONS WORKING ALLIANCE OF VIRTUES: TOGETHER TO CONFRONT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GLOBAL PEACE EXTREMISM AND VIOLENCE Several key Religions for Peace leaders were graciously The Forum for Promoting Peace in hosted by the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Muslim Societies (the Forum) and Bhai Sahib Bhai Mohinder Singh presents Forum partners Societies for the Alliance of Virtue in 2018. Religions RfP co-hosted an event to confront with the Charter for Forgiveness and Reconciliation for Peace collaborates at every level, from senior-most extremism in December 2014. RfP religious leaders to grassroots youth of faith, with has been formally advancing a notion the world’s most representative coalition of religions of shared security, and later, Shared in order to advance the goals set at this meeting by Well-Being since the 8th World Assembly H.E. Shaykh Abdallah Bin Bayyah. in 2006. The Forum has become a key partner in this goal. Religions for Peace compliments the above goals of our partners in our own stated goal of “Advancing Shared ADVANCING THE PROTECTION Well-Being as a Multi-Religious Vision of Positive OF MINORITIES IN MUSLIM Peace.” This notion understands that human beings MAJORITY STATES The Forum and RfP co-host an event in Abu Dhabi in December 2014 entitled are relational; a link exists between unfolding personal “Religions Working Together to Confront Extremism and Violence.” human dignity & building up the “common good” RfP has been eagerly supportive of the through care for others. Marrakesh Declaration, an initiative led by H.E. Shaykh Abdallah Bin Bayyah [President, Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies, Co-Moderator, In his address, Dr. Vendley RfP]. Following the adoption of the [Secretary General, Religions Declaration, more than sixty world for Peace] stated: renowned religious leaders from the “[An Alliance of Virtue] can start MENA region participated in RfP’s with religions that bear similarities “Partnering with Religious Leaders of the with one another… but ultimately must extend to all religious believers Middle East in Advancing the Protection 60 world renowned religious leaders from the MENA region participated in the and people of good will. The bold High-level International Consultation: “Partnering with Religious Leaders of the Middle East of Minorities in Muslim Majority States.” commitment to the common good in Advancing the Protection of Minorities in Muslim Majority States” held in Japan Leaders reaffirmed the Marrakesh needs to be properly expressed, Declaration1 and advanced cooperation something that H.E. Shaykh 1 The Marrakesh Declaration, developed under the aegis of the Forum, provides a legal framework and call to action in support Abdallah Bin Bayyah has been to promote inclusive citizenship.