FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU TO ADDRESS
2014 PARLIAMENT BID TEAM

Chicago, Illinois (May 20, 2010) – Archbishop Desmond Tutu will deliver a special address on Thursday, May 20 at 1 PM CST to the bid/audit teams for the 2014 Parliament of the World’s Religions, welcoming them to the bid process and emphasizing the dramatic impact that hosting the Parliament can have on their cities. Reverend Tutu will appear from Cape Town, South Africa, via live-stream video, as that city marks its 10th anniversary of hosting the 1999 Parliament of the World Religions and celebrates the Parliament’s enduring legacy on the city, its institutions and its people.

Archbishop Tutu’s address takes place as part of the Cape Town Interfaith Initiative and the launch of the Charter for Compassion in South Africa. Karen Armstrong – renowned religious scholar and featured speaker at the 2009 Parliament in Melbourne, will also speak via a pre-recorded address from Cape Town.

Rev. Dirk Ficca, Executive Director of the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions, reflecting on Desmond Tutu’s long-standing support of the Parliament, observed, “Since his extraordinary leadership in the effort to dismantle Apartheid in South Africa, Archbishop Tutu has been an icon of the interreligious movement. With the election of Nelson Mandela in 1994, Desmond Tutu has been in the forefront of the ongoing task to create a more just and equitable society in South Africa. Like Archbishop Tutu, we are immensely proud of the role the 1999 Cape Town Parliament played in this historic process of national reconciliation.”

The Council is pleased to announce the three participating bid cities: Brussels, Belgium; Dallas, Texas, USA; and Guadalajara, Mexico. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada was present to audit the bidding process.

UPDATE: Archbishop Tutu’s address was recorded and will be available through PeaceNext.org. If you haven’t joined already, sign up to PeaceNext today to receive up-to-the-minute postings and updates on the 2014 Parliament and the work of the Council.

http://www.peacenext.org/

Contact: Alisa Roadcup, Communications Director
(312) 629-2990 x. 237
alisa@parliamentofreligions.org

Every five years, the world’s greatest interreligious event welcomes thousands of people to see the world through different eyes. People of different faiths come together to learn, grow and celebrate their diversity. They realize that despite their religious differences, they share a similar calling to build a more just, sustainable and peaceful world. Friendships are made. Wisdom is shared. Lessons are learned. Souls are touched.

Why wait another five years?

The Council of the Parliament of the World’s Religions is pleased to announce the creation of PeaceNext, our very own social network that will bring together the global interreligious community in dynamic and far-reaching ways.

Share a reflection.

Post a photograph.

Pass along a link.

Celebrate your community’s accomplishments.

Share your city’s interreligious concerns.

Find a friend you met at the Parliament on the other side of the globe.

Meet a new friend who lives on the other side of town.

PeaceNext is not the Parliament, but it’s the digital extension of the event. Friendships are made. Wisdom is shared. Lessons are learned. Souls are touched.

Not every five years, but every single day.

The Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions was proud to send representatives to the launch of the Center of Spiritual Enlightenment in San Jose, United States on November 12th. Board Chair Rev. Dr. William Lesher and Partner Cities Director Ms. Zabrina Santiago attended and spoke at the inaugural event, along with Mayor Chuck Reed of San Jose.

The Center offers worship services, adult education classes in spiritual philosophy and practice, healthy living, Hatha Yoga, retreats, leadership training, spiritual direction and counseling, children’s education and a thriving spiritual community. For more information on the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment, click here.

The Tri-City Voice has written a nice article on San Jose’s admission to the Partner Cities Network.  According to the report, “a delegation from Santa Clara County will travel to Melbourne, Austrlia to receive the award at the World Parliament in December 2009.”  To read the full article, click here.

The Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions is proud to announce that the San Jose has been selected as the Inaugural City for the Partner City Network.  San Jose joins the ranks of legacy Partner Cities Chicago, Cape Town, Barcelona, Monterrey, and Melbourne who have each hosted or will host the Parliament of Religions.

To learn more about the Partner Cities Network, click here.

The Parliament of Religions is an intentionally international event. Including Melbourne 2009, the event will have been hosted on four continents, and the Parliament brings together religious adherents from dozens of different faith traditions.  It makes sense that our registrants would be equally diverse.

The registration analysis isn’t complete, but we have already confirmed attendance from over sixty different nations.  From Malaysia to Canada, from Zimbabwe to Iran, from Nepal to Guatemala and of course Australia, the Parliament has found its way across the breadth and width of the world.  This is seen in a variety of programming, from our many Pre-Parliament Events to the Partner Cities Network.

As our registration increases, the world grows closer and closer.

The world will come together in Melbourne this December.

We hope to see you there!