ll/i /t

UNITED NATIONS W@®i NATIONS UNIES

TIONS. N.Y. 100IT

rlONS NtWYOKK

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

CABINET DU SECRETAIRE GENERAL

„,.„.„„ 9 June 1997

Dear Ms. Hollister,

On behalf of the Secretary-General of the , I am writing to thank you for your thoughtful letter to him dated 30 April. The Secretary-General attaches great importance to the work of the Temple of Understanding in its efforts to promote dialogue, education and tolerance among people around the world no matter what their religious affiliation.

Given the many years of dedication you have shown to the work of the United Nations, the Secretary-General has asked me to tell you how much he values the suggestions that you offer in your letter. Regarding the idea of a citizen affiliation with the United Nations, might I suggest that you be in contact with the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA).

The UNA-USA is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the aims and objectives of the United Nations. They have a membership program which includes a newsletter that serves to keep its membership abreast of recent developments regarding the United Nations. It is an organization that is made up of approximately 25,000 citizens like yourself. If you wish to obtain more information about this organization, may I suggest that you call Mr. James Olsen, Director of National Programs, at the following telephone number: 212-907-1324.

Once again, thank you for your expression of support and your interest in the United Nations.

Gillian Martin Sorensen Assistant Secretary-General for External Relations

Ms. Juliet Hollister Hollister House Greenwich Juliet HoIIister Hollister House, Steamboat Rd. Greenwich, Connecticut 06830 igjjsjLJ - T 1997

i OF THE

"Z

J

<\

Juliet Hollister Hollister House, Steamboat Rd. Greenwich, Connecticut 06830

i

J^ $i W

u^ ef

A Global Interfaith Association ^Jj ne purpose of the Temple of

To promote understanding among v^ Understanding is the the world's religions . worldzvide promotion ofinterfaith dialogue and education, to achieve To recognize the Oneness of the human family understanding and harmony among the people of the world's religions To achieve and beyond. "A Spiritual United Nations"

The Temple of Understanding maintains a strong commitment to the integrity of each religion or faith tradition and believes that each can better remain true to itself by honoring the truths inherent in all traditions.

We invite your active participation and support. "My dear brothers and sisters, we are already ONE... what we have to become, is what we already are." Fr. Thomas Merton

"/ used to think that the Temple of Understanding was an act of sentiment. Now I believe it is an essential strategy for survival." Bill Moyers

"Every ray of light must be treasured in this dark world of ours and so we send to The Temple of Understanding, a "At heart, people are spiritual beings, their evolution a movement of light and understanding, our very best spiritual journey.. To sweeten that journey is what The wishes for effective activity in the future." Temple of Understanding is all about." President S. Zalman Shazar Juliet Hollister

"May this greatly needed Temple of Understanding come "Let us...prove to the whole world that we are ONE, let us into realization soon, for our world surely needs the be ONE in love to the poorest of the poor." inspiration and leadership of such a "Spiritual United Nations." Eleanor Roosevelt "Understanding breaks barriers of ignorance and leads to "My hopes and prayers are with you in the realization of tolerance and cooperation, especially among people of this great Temple of Understanding, which has a profound religion. That surely leads to true love and peace for all significance... The Spirit burns in many flames." creation on earth. This is what The Temple of Understand- Dr. Albert Schweitzer ing is all about." H.E. Sheikh Ahmad Kaftaro "I ivholeheartedly commend the idea which inspires the Temple of Understanding. I hope that your efforts to bring about better understanding between individuals and "The religious traditions and the natural world must go nations, at a religious level, may be entirely successful." into the future as a single sacred community. The Temple Secretary-General of Understanding's great work of helping to bring the world's religions together is an important step in that "I appreciate any organization or individual people who direction." sincerely make an effort to promote harmony between Dr. Thomas Berry humanity, and particularly harmony between the various religions. I consider it very sacred work, and very important." "The Temple of Understanding embodies the ancient and His Holiness the Dalai Lama imperishable truth of humankind's spiritual nature. May this priceless message be heard around the world." "What we speak of is the evolution of the objective world Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan which inexorably says to all of us that we are human together or nothing at all." N.R. Mandela The Temple of Understanding conducts annual pilgrimages to places of current religious interest, visiting THE TEMPLE OF UNDERSTANDING is CURRENTLY holy sites and organizing interreligious seminars and meetings with religious and political leaders: Kashmir INVOLVED IN FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES: (1989), Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union (1990), the Middle East/West Asia (1991), Latin America (1992), and Japan, Korea and India (1993).

The Temple of Understanding is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The Temple of Understanding periodically organizes The Temple of Understanding sponsored the official events such as "The Buddhist Experience" featuring interfaith celebration to commemorate the 50th Dr. Bernard Tetsugen Classman, Roshi and Dr. Robert Anniversary of the United Nations and, together with A.F. Thurman and "Religious Harmony in a Pluralistic the Council of Religious and Interfaith Organizations, World" by Dr. Karan Singh. A recent Lecture Series hosted a major Interfaith Symposium. Our included Dr. Cornel West, Michael Lerner, Fr. Luis representatives at the United Nations are advocates for Dolan and Dr. Mahmoud Ay oub who spoke on a variety recognition of spiritual values in all UN documents, of topics ranging from Race Relations to Interreligious especially those issued after the World Summit for Social Work in the Next Decade to the Real Picture of Islam. Development in Copenhagen, the Fourth World Womens Conference in Beijing and the Habitat II Forum in Istanbul. The Temple of Understanding sends newsletters three times a year to a circulation of three thousand, and has The Temple of Understanding is working with produced a number of books. Most recently the Temple educational institutions to promote greater has published two editions of North American Interfaith understanding of religious diversity. A program at the Directory and A Global Interfaith Directory to facilitate University of Maryland encourages students to respect global networking and to provide a reference listing of religious diversity. A pilot program is under way in New organizations engaged in interfaith work. York City to discover- what unites and what divides people of different religious traditions. Panels of speakers will be trained to bring the interfaith message to churches, synagogues, mosques and schools. Recognizing that art is a primary expression of the sacred in all religions or faith traditions, The Temple of Understanding is sponsoring, in conjunction with the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, an on-going project in Produced and hosted by Leonard Marks, the Temple of the sacred arts. A conference and festival in the New York Understanding distributes an on-going series of television metropolitan area is "The Sacred in the Arts" was held programs illustrating multi-religious perspectives on current in 1993. issues, featuring such religious leaders and scholars as the The Very Reverend James Parks Morton, Rabbi James A. Rudin, Juliet Hollister, Dr. Mohammed Mehdi, Dr. Frederick Franck, Rabbi Marshall Meyer, Chief Oren An endowment fund has been created by the Rev. Luis Lyons, Dr. Thomas Berry, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Dolan to encourage inner-city high school students to Videos of "Hiroshima Remembered" and A "Spiritual pursue interfaith studies and practice by offering Salute to the United Nations on the Occasion of the 50th scholarships. Students from any religious background Anniversary" will be aired on Public Television. can qualify. Islam

"No one of you is a believer until he desires V for his brother that which he desires for ^^ himself."

Sunnab

Baha'i Jainism

"Blessed is he who preferreth his brother t, "In happiness and suffering, in joy and before himself." grief, we should regard all creatures as we regard our own self." Baha'u'llah, Tablets of Baha'u'llah, 71 Lord Mahavir 24th Tirthankara

Judaism Buddhism "What is hateful to you, do not to your " Hurt not others in ways that you fellow man. That is the law: all the rest is yourself would find hurtful." commentary."

Udana - Varga, 5:18 Talmud, Shabbat 31a

Native American Christianity " Respect for all life is the foundation." "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." •fr The Great Law of Peace Matthew 7:12 Sikhism Confucianism "Don't create enmity with anyone as God is "Do not unto others what you would not within everyone." have them do unto you." Guru Arjan Devji 259. Guru Grant Sahib Analects 15:23 Zoroastrianism Hinduism "That nature only is good when it shall not "This is the sum of duty: do naught unto do unto another whatever is not good for its others which would cause you pain if done own self." to you." Dadistan-i-Dinik, 94:5 Mahabharata 5:1517 MEMBERSHIP IN THE TEMPLE OF UNDERSTANDING is available to individuals and organizations The Temple of Understanding was founded in 1960 In 1988 The Temple of supporting our work. Members receive our to address the urgent need of our time for dialogue Understanding co-founded newsletter and announcements of all our events, with opportunities to become involved in and understanding among the religions of the world. the Global Forum of roundtables, retreats, pilgrimages, receptions, Spiritual and Parliamen- It began through the inspiration of Juliet Hollister, celebrations, and other important interfaith tary Leaders for Human with the support of a distinguished group of Dr. Karan Singh, Chairman activities. "Founding Friends" including Ecumenical Patriarch Survival. The coupon below indicates the various Athenagoras, H.H. the XlVth Dalai Lama, Madalyn In April of 1988 The Global Forum held an unprecedented categories of membership. All contributions to The Garabaldi, Sir Zafrulla Khan, Fr. Thomas Merton, conference at Oxford, England, bringing together for the Temple of Understanding are deductible to the extent permitted by law. Jawaharlal Nehru, Tenko Nishida, H.H. Pope John first time parliamentarians, scientists and spiritual XXIII, H.H. Pope Paul VI, Dr. Sarvepalli leaders from around the world. The Global Forum met Radhakrishnan, Eleanor Roosevelt, H.E. Ambassador again in Moscow in 1990 and Tokyo in April of 1993. TO: The Temple of Understanding Zenon Rossides, Anwar el-Sadat, Dr. Albert The Temple of Understanding was also instrumental 720 5th Avenue, 16th Floor Schweitzer, President S. Zalman Shazar, and in bringing into existence the North American Interfaith New York, NY 10019 Secretary-General U Thant. Network, an association of local, regional, national and Tel: (212)246-2746 Fax: (212) 246-2340 The Temple of Understanding developed a series of international interfaith organizations, interreligious offices of denominational bodies and faith communities, Spiritual Summit Conferences through which a Yes, I would like to support the work of The network of world spiritual leaders emerged: Calcutta and educational institutions. The North American Temple of Understanding. Enclosed is my (1968), Geneva (1970), Harvard University (1971), Interfaith Network has held international conferences contribution of $ '._ Princeton University (1971), Cornell University (1974), m Wichita, Kansas (1987), and Seattle, Washington. (1990) D Please put me on the mailing list. and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine (1984). and again in conjunction with the Parliament of World Religions in Chicago (1993). NAME STREET The Temple of Understanding is developing a CITY presence in the United Kingdom, India, Japan, STATE/PROV. Argentina, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, South ZIP/MAIL CODE. Korea, Ecuador and Brazil. COUNTRY The Temple of Understanding is registered in the PHONE United States as a not-for-profit educational corporation and is a Non-Governmental Organization Membership categories are: General, $35; Participating, $75; in Consultative Status with the United Nations Supporting, $150; Contributor $500 Economic and Social Council. Donor, $1,000; Patron, $5,000; Benefactor, $10,000; Student and Monastic, $15; The Very Rev. James Parks Morton, President; His Thanks to Fifi Oscard and Juliet Hollister . J Holiness, The Dalai Lama; and Juliet Hollister, Founder for making this booklet possible