Who We Are

ACWR - An Interfaith Peace Organization combining meditation practice, dialogue and a concrete peace and social justice agenda

A Spiritual Agenda for World Peace

From a new international, decentralized security concept to massive disarmament to development for all

Invitation, Programme, RSVP

A Centre for the World Religions An NGO in Consultative Relationship with ECOSOC OF THE UNITED NATIONS Saegestr. 37, D 79737 Herrischried, Germany ● 626 Riverside Dr, 4-O, NY, NY 10031, USA Tel: (0049)-2253-930279 or 1-212-283-7569 ● Web: www.centreworldreligions.org Email: steea@t-online.de or Nyinfo@centreworldreligions.org

“A SPIRITUAL AGENDA FOR PEACE”

May, 11^th, 2007 --- 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS - Conference Room E

1st Avenue at 46th St., New York, NY 10017, USA

Dear Friends,

A Centre for the World Religions is happy to now give you a clear picture of the purpose and programme of the conference to which you are invited to or in which you have already agreed to participate.

Much of the day will be devoted to small workshops or group discussions that will deal with one major aspect of the SPIRITUAL AGENDA FOR PEACE that we have submitted to you. The themes and questions listed below will give you a taste of what the meeting is about. In this way, we hope to benefit the most from YOUR contribution. There will be no long-winded papers or speeches. Instead we will engage in dialogue in an attempt together to shape an initiative that addresses mundane problems from a spiritual perspective.

Following you will find an outline of the programme and details of the format. We ask you and all attendees to:

1. Come prepared by familiarizing yourselves with the ACWR “Spiritual Agenda for Peace” prior to the meeting (go to http://www.centreworldreligions.org/ and click the „Agenda“ link);
2. Review and reflect on the questions below and Choose one of three discussion groups in which to participate, to maximize your contribution based on your interests and expertise;
3. Discuss the discussion group subject(s) you are interested in with friends and colleagues prior to the event, if possible; and
4. Decide how you would like actively to support this initiative after the meeting, in preparation for a major follow-up conference in 2008. (If you can, we invite you to meet informally with us on May 12, the day following the meeting, to further discuss follow-up plans, including a first distribution of responsibilities, the invitation process, time-frame, PR, fundraising efforts, etc.

In the final days before the May 11 conference we will contact you to find out which discussion group you will participate in and to confer final details. We eagerly await your feedback!

Yours truly,

Anke Kreutzer, CEO; Leonard Burg, VP

PROGRAMME

GROUP ONE

SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION - Meditation and Discourse on the Sacred Scriptures

Religions are among the most serious divisive forces in the world, and religions could and should be the strongest uniting force in the world – how to overcome the former and to strengthen the latter?

Meditation

Questions to be discussed:

1. How to bridge the gap between purely individual, subjective experience and today’s scientific demands of objective verifiability?
2. How to compare methods of meditation?
3. How do methods of meditation relate to the faith traditions in which they are rooted?
4. How could meditation practice affect mainstream religions? (Practical self experience versus dogma?)
5. What does meditation teach us about our common humanity irrespective of cultural background?
6. What are the criteria for the effectiveness of meditation?
   1. Outer: (e. g. kindness, compassion, „perfection in wisdom and action“ [Patanjali] etc.)
   2. Inner: (e. g. mystical experience as sacred scriptures testify – hence peace, serenity, bliss)
7. What do the scriptures say about meditation or revelation?

Discourse On Sacred Scriptures

Questions to be discussed

1. To what extent are the scriptures mystical testimonies?
2. According to sacred texts, what types of revelations can one experience through spiritual practice (e. g. visions of light; hearing of divine speech, music etc.; guidance for proper action)?
3. How would a mystical reading of the sacred scriptures contribute to interfaith harmony?
4. How would interfaith dialogue benefit from an unbiased study of the esoteric messages?
5. How would interfaith dialogue help overcome divisive dogmas?
6. How could the common findings be publicized for broader discussion and for a snowball effect?

GROUP TWO

SPIRITUALITY IN POLITICS - Empowering The Meek and The United Nations

Spirituality in politics is as yet an unfamiliar notion. As ordinary citizens, we are ALL affected by political decisions or the lack of them: we fear a climatic catastrophe, a nuclear escalation, a violent struggle for resources, or war.

Many of us on this globe right now struggle with actual violence, hunger, poverty, insecurity, insufficient income, untreated illness and death; with cruel, corrupt and inhuman regimes and an absence of law and order; or with racist, religious and other discrimination. Politics, therefore, are very much our business.

Those of us privileged to live in democracies may regard it as our duty to raise our voice on behalf of those who can’t. If we are impatient with the self-interest and lack of vision in office bearers we should use the great strength of civil society, as we are the majority – always!

If practical experience teaches us that meditation is a strong source of peace and compassion - of wisdom and right action - then the question is how can decision-makers be inspired to draw on that same source as do those of us who experience the practical benefits of mediation?

This is not as far-fetched as it may sound: In old times, the elders, the elder-statesmen, the „wesirs“ (helpers) or the famous wise “fools” were deemed necessary to provide a perspective beyond government or legislation in, a single nation and generation.

Those who tap the source of divinely inspired wisdom inside will be guided by what is good for all mankind – not wars but disarmament; not national chauvinism but international cooperation; not ignorance but education; and not intolerance but i9ntercultural acceptance.

What is spirituality in politics

Questions to be discussed:

1. What role does spirituality play in politics?
2. How to steer clear of the trap of „theocracy“ and self-styled interpreters of the Almighty?
3. How to close the gap between values and day-to-day practice?
4. How can timeless spiritual values inform institutions?
5. How to create, reform or empower international institutions so that they effectively defend the interests of mankind as a whole?
6. How can we – NGOs and individuals – incorporate spirituality to help change the political arena ?

Reform and Empowerment of the United Nations

Questions to be discussed:

**ACWR has submitted a detailed proposal as to how the original vision of a United Nations global security system might effectively be revived. We invite you to discuss and critique that proposal which you can look up at http://www.centreworldreligions.org/, under “AGENDA”, with an emphasis on:

How might the following propositions included in the ACWR “A Spiritual Agenda for World Peace” help the UN fulfil its original founding mandate to free mankind from the scourges of war and poverty?

1. Security Council Reform:
   • From exclusive, monolithic, central body to inclusive, decentralized, locally informed presence and authority for quick intervention
   • From being at the mercy of national interests to becoming the legitimate, globally trusted agent to enforce international law
   • From lessee faire to quick, reliable, mutually binding military assistance of member states to end violent conflict
   • From centralized control to regional self-management and the principle of de-escalation, with no intercontinental intervention.
2. Disarmament:
   • Massive, globally negotiated disarmament on the basis of an effective UN security system
   • Creation of joint defence systems region- or continent wise
   • Fund flow into poverty relief and social justice initiatives as most effective pre-emptive strike against social upheaval, migration and other causes for friction
   • Arms production control

GROUP THREE

SPIRITUALITY OR LOVE IN ACTION - Solidarity Against Extreme Poverty And Social Injustice

While the need to overcome the obscene imbalance in the distribution of wealth need not be argued, the crucial question is what can be done effectively and in a comparatively short period of time to raise the living standards of the poor to a degree that they are able to participate in the market

It has been amply proven that the poor, particularly women and small village communities, will use modest funds very wisely so that they do raise the family’s living standards in a very short period of time (e.g. the success of micro-credit system!)

Distribution and effective use of funds apparently are easy to handle. So far, totally inadequate funds have been the real problem. The 0.7 % of annual GNP pledged by the North for development has never gone beyond 0.2 % in real terms.

$ 70,000 per capita per annum for approximately. ten years will be needed to eradicate extreme poverty. With 1.1 billion extreme poor worldwide, 77 billion per annum will suffice to raise them all above the critical poverty line. Worldwide military expenditures amount to more than $ 1 trillion. Only about 8 % cuts would be sufficient to eradicate extreme poverty.

We invite conference participants to discuss Point V. of the ACWR Spiritual Agenda for Peace: “Peace and Security Through Development”.

Spirituality Or Love In Action

Questions to be discussed:

1. New concepts of security: How to promote a shift in consciousness that gives priority to long-term conflict prevention in the shape of social uplift, education, esp. intercultural, and fair market conditions to military arming?
2. Eligibility: Should developing countries - especially threshold countries - deflect part of their own military budget to develop their own country?
3. The overwhelming majority of citizens worldwide reject war. There will be the least resistance to saving the necessary funds for sustainable development from military budgets. What does it take to launch a campaign powerful enough to oblige office-bearers to consider such a proposal?
4. What are the prerequisites for its success?
5. What would be reliable long-term structures suitable to create trust and acceptability?
6. Which role should the UN with its various agencies/ programmes (e.g. UNDP) play in handling those funds?Which role would best be assigned to governments? How could governments and UN best cooperate?

RSVP

Thank you for taking the time to fill in this form and to facilitate our preparations!

With best wishes,

Leonard Burg, VP, Anke Kreutzer, CEO ACWR, US