Cities around the world are providing living examples of how interreligious encounter and dialogue can weave together the fabric of human community in new and enduring ways. There is the need to foster and enhance a rich and vibrant local grassroots interreligious movement, in order to promote harmonious and cooperative relationships between these communities, and to support their efforts in working with other sectors of their community in creating a more just, peaceful, and sustainable city.
CPWR created its Partner Cities Network to support this need and foster social cohesion and harmony.
- The Partner Cities Network is a program developed by CPWR that seeks to build and connect the interrelgious movement worldwide. It honors the past Partner Cities initiatives with the Goldin Institute, while embarking out on its own with new initiatives.
- The inaugural Partner Cities were announced at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Melbourne, December 2009
- Interested cities must complete a Profile in order to be considered for the Partner Cities Network
- An annual membership fee will be in the range of $2,000-$3,000 USD per year; cities defined as United Nations Lesser Developed Countries are invited to apply for a shared- membership fee scholarship program currently being designed. The fee is waived for the first year of membership for all Partner Cities accepted into the program.
We will be officially accepting Profile submissions from Applicant Cities beginning in May 2010. In the meantime, any interested cities should contact, Zabrina Santiago, Partner Cities Director, to obtain preliminary information and resources. Partner Cities through the network with the Goldin Institute are encouraged to apply for fast tracking application. These applications will be made available by May 2010 as well.
On an on-going basis, CPWR will then select interested communities for inclusion in the Partner Cities Network. These cities will be encouraged to take action to bring the efforts, goodwill, and wisdom of religious and spiritual communities around the world to bear on local and cross-regional issues and concerns. Ultimately, each participating community enriches and informs a growing body of stories and methodologies in service to the grassroots interreligious movement worldwide.
The Partner Cities Network serves to create a global dynamic that that will bind cities together and form of a network that facilitates the sharing of best practices and inspires opportunities for cooperative action between cities.
