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Background
Diapraxis or
dialogue in life can be identified as essential for living in a religiously
pluralistic context. It is involved with overcoming economic, ethical,
political, social and religious injustice, and more importantly, with healing
injustice through common action. The consultation will identify the need to
develop human relationships seeing ‘the other’ from the standpoint of their need
as human beings. Interfaith diapraxis is aimed at building communities of
solidarity and mutual interest across faith boundaries by promoting practical
cooperation on matters of common concern. It is also intended to reduce
fundamentalism and enemy images that promote conflict within the human family
based upon exclusive religious identities.
Dialogical
relationship of practical cooperation or diapraxis between people of different
faiths may be considered as one of the new ways to respond to the challenges
faced by the Asian communities in their religiously plural context. In a
diapraxis approach people begin to respect and value other faith-traditions as
equal contributors to a harmonious diversity. It calls for positive relations
between the different world faiths. It recognizes the reality of many
faith-traditions and their significant and potential contributions to human
life.
Objectives
·
To promote
positive relationships between adherents of different world faiths
·
To improve
and plan diapraxis approach that can develop living, working and
celebrating
together among religious communities for the coming three years 2010-
2012.
·
To improve
relations between ICP Secretariat and Regional centers.
·
To
explore new and creative ways of living in multi-faith/multicultural contexts in
the
region.
Methodology
& Implementation Strategy
A two-day
planning session will be held from 14 to 16 July in 2009 in Hyderabad (arrival
July 14 and departure July 16 afternoon). Representatives from regional centers
of ICP is invited to participate in the planning session. Estimated
participants: 22 people (men, women and youth).
Plenary and small
discussion groups will be the main fora. Participants will receive the following
presentations:
● Orientation
to the program
● ICP Programs
on Inter-religious relationship
● KEYNOTE
ADDRESS:
“Freedom
of Religions and Recognition of others”
● New and
creative ways of strengthening inter-religious relations and cooperation
● The role of
religious leaders in enhancing commitment to respect and value people of
diverse
faiths.
There will be
four small groups to discuss different issues reflecting the concerns of
inter-religious relationships and cooperation in the region.
Group
discussion 1. All groups will discuss about:
● Actual
situation and challenges for inter-faith relations and cooperation in the
religiously pluralistic context in India today
● Specific
responses to the challenge of religiously pluralistic context in India today
Group
discussion 2. All groups will discuss about:
● To formulate:
-
Principles of inter-religious dialogue
- Action
plan for Inter-religious relationship and cooperation
- Specific
about diapraxis actions.
The program will
provide space and create platforms for dialogue, exchange, accountability and
mutual sharing. Opportunity will be provided for participants to visit a field
with a view to closely learning interfaith in action
Implementation responsibility
The ICP desk and
Regional Office in Hyderabad and the Henry Martyn Institute will coordinate and
facilitate the consultation in cooperation with local committee members in
Hyderabad.
List of
Participants
ICP Members:
1.
Dr. Zafar Mahmood,
President
2.
Rev. Dr. Packiam
Samuel, Secretary/Treasurer
3.
Sardar Nirmal
Singh, Vice President
4.
Dr. Deepali Bhanot,
Member
Invited
Regional Coordinators
1) Ms. Awala Longkumer, Nagaland
Present
2) Ms. Tajamul Ara, Ladakh
Absent
3) Mr. Usman Ghani Razvi, Gujarat
Present
4) Mr. Gold Smith, North East
Present
5) Mr. S. S. Akhtar, Jharkhand
Present
6) Mr. Akshay Kumar, Orissa
Present
7) Maj. K. Ibraine, Calicut, Kerala Present
8) Dr. Hussain Madavoor - Calicut Absent
9) Rev. Bharat Patta - Nagpur
Present
10) Mr. Daniel P. Das - Punjab
Absent
11) Mr. Jilani - J & K
Present
12) Rev. Sharma Nithiya – Tamil Nadu Present
13) Mr. Arshid - J & K
Present
14) Swami Sahanand, Karnataka Present
15) Fr. George Daniel, Mumbai
Present
16) Mr. Vinod Kumar, Andhra Pradesh Present
17) Ms. Sribala, Andhra Pradesh Present
Day 1: 15 July 2009
Began the day
with Interfaith Devotion by
Rev. Sharma
Nithiya, Christian
Dr. Deepali
Bhanot, Hindu
Sardar Nirmal
Singhji, Sikh
Mr. Arshid
Rasool, Muslim
Fr. Dr. Samuel
Packiam introduced all participants and also Dr. Zafar Mahmood the ICP President
in great detail and welcomed everyone to Triennial Planning Session on
Interfaith Diapraxis: Creative co-operation
ICP Dr. Zafer
Mahmood
(President)
Started with
small prayer
Then he inspired
the entire group by giving beautiful example by a talk
* Adam& Eve –
one pair, one word
“God” is a very powerful word, out of all creatures the God is the only One
Only
human being He has given with special qualities and attributes. Then Dr. Zafar
went on to say What is the purpose of a being? What is the motivation?
* All Creatures
are reflections of God, Entire existence belongs to God
* Human being –
Best creation has the ability to (his/her)to differentiate between right or
wrong . God gave the Wisdom to human beings
* Purpose of
creation - relationships
Why different
colors, shapes God ? God could have made similar but He had some purpose for the
human beings.
* God doesn’t
see outer appearance but what is there in the heart.
Rather, a TEST
How the human
being behaves and act
* Religions –
political scapegoats
We are very
unfortunate to have the “Religions – politics”
* Lack of
understanding because of “lack of reading” of scriptures
* Alas!
Mostly, have not studied religion
Bread/butter
* Lets send best
brains – fulltime
Each one of us should start studying religious studies
Dr. Zafar said
that he himself practiced and started studying the religion. He expressed that
every one should start within
ICP’s Vision and Mission
Dr. Zafar
Mahmood asking us to start thinking
How to make
the interfaith Relations more successful.
1.
Suggest
designation for yourself
2. Suggest names for Local units / institutes – He / She should be very
powerful in connecting/networking with people. If you wish you can indicate the
persons
* 4/8
devoted persons (Major religions: 4 religions – if it is 2 from each religion)
* having
institutional support
*25% women
3. Can you try
to put up Sign Board of ICP – something is unique
4. Let’s involve
our families – take forward seriously: example “as daughter’s marriage”
5. Mail to us a
good recent photo of your for ICP website
6. Let us study
our own Scriptures and find positives for “other faiths”(universal faces)
Do not
differentiate between various messengers. There is no way where we have to find
negatives – look for positives (where there is a will there is God)
7. We can meet
quarterly hosted by State Units and exchange notes. Be positive.
Ask yourself
questions:
If I was born
ten thousand years ago at a distance source what would have been my religion?
What answer to
my question for my scripture
8. Hosting is
not only the final
9. We wish to
contribute to ICP’s books:
1. for Children
(Inputs and contributions of each religion)
2. for Adults
(Glossary of various terminologies)
(Obama’s
Statements Shall we say Yes, We can)
10. Lets publish
our inputs half yearly – leading towards convergence
11.
Identify
religious leaders: keep them on your side invite them for your program
12.
Organize
trips to places of religious significance, like ICP wants Golden temple,
Madurai, madrasas, mosques and churches.
13.
Interfaith
journey to Ayodhya --note down experiences / inputs from these trips.
14.
Identify
volunteer families for festival hosting (4 or 8) – one should be able to
accommodate other religions on the festival of other religions
15.
Involve
volunteers district / local level (purpose has to be feeling pleasure of God.)
16. Educational
institutions, organizations, inter-school meets: (interfaith level)
17. Rope in
State Governments and district officials
18. National
Harmony Units National Communal Harmony units
20. Encourage
cultural programs (Dramas, Theatre, Street shows
21. Junior and Senior – poetic competitions interfaith thematic, mushaira, kavi
sammelan, antakshari
22. Task force on employment and training (reading news papers, state
subscribing employment news paper, web site, find jobs for poor and needy
people. Continuous work can be done there will be wonderful result of it. We
should identify “Potential beneficiaries”.
23 Study – Gov. Schemes (for needy people) our duty is to take it to HRD,
Social Justice, and minority. Potential people never get (out of 25 lack. Gov.
Scholarship 13 lakhs people only avail) we can do this by sitting at home. Most
of the time beneficiaries are not women.
24. Please prepare your action plan monthly/ quarterly/annual/ 3 yearly – Make
it very practical/realistic actions plan/ a small one/this will be put up in to
Assembly
25. Please give
it to us possibilities
26. Kindly email
your MPR (Monthly Process Report) to ICP on 3rd of every month.
-
How to tap
the resources from the Government make it known to common people
-
punchayat –
level
-
Social level
-
should be
time bound but it is movement.
-
through
NGO/Media
Comments by the
participants: Very attractive simple and double plan, sign board, monthly
report, involving media in all our programmes
The whole group
had a sumptuous lunch and lot of interaction took place.
Dr. Deepali
Bhanot gave pp presentation on Interfaith Coalition for Peace about Goals,
Objectives, Activities and upcoming events.
Rev. Dr. Samuel
Packiam has proposed that participants should form into 4-groups divided in
zonal wise i.e. south, north, west, and east to work out the programmes to be
conducted with action plan in their regions.
Dr. Zafar
Mahmood was kind enough to offered to city tour, shopping and finally the whole
group to a sumptuous Dinner at the 5-star Hotel Taj Deccan.
Day Two 16
July 2009
Began the day
with Interfaith Devotion by
Rev. Bharat
Patta & Rev. Sharma Nithiya - Christian
Mr. Akshay
Kumar, Hindu
Major Ibraine,
Muslim
Time for the
4-group presentations:
Issues &
Suggestion by Regional groups
Violence and
conflict
Fundamentalism
Poverty
Land and
identity
Discrimination W
Integral
teachers
Conversion to
conversation
Peace in my
dream
Cricket coffee
Class room
activities (how to be a peace class room
Mediation
Yoga
Weather
Interest free
loans
Awareness
theatre message communal harmony
Living together
Blood donation
Religions
festival (Onam, Ramadan, X-mas etc….)
Game of Tug of
war – between two mixed religious groups
Essay
competition towards communal harmony
Lectures on
interfaith dialogue – commonalities in religions, school dropouts, early
marriages
Peace &
valuation education centre
Conflict
transformation / Resolution programme
Building
Relations
Dialogue
Poverty
Sensitivity
Issue of land
Women upholding
Uses of
teachers, formers, institutes, women
Awareness
building
Networking
Cultural events
Seminar/consultants
Inter nation
pilgrimage
Exchange and
exposure programmes
Educating people
Research on
peace
Musical
competition
Networking with
like minded organizations
Trail – 33
T- Time
R- Resources
A-Assets
I- Income
L- Love
Rev. Dr. Samuel
Packiam appreciated the above ideas and suggestion at the same time he clarified
about the pre-planed programmes for 2009 they are:
August
- Vellore
September
- Kolkotta
October
- Ahmadabad
November (7th
– 8th) - New Delhi, National Regional Leaders Meeting + General
Body Meeting
November - ICP along with 10 students visiting all religious
places in all the regions. This Dr. Packiam is going to inform Regional
Coordinators to arrange the logistics.
Ended the sessions by Interfaith closing prayer led by Swami Sahananda, Dr.
Deepali Bhanot Mr. Vinod Kumar, Sardar Nirmal Singhji, Mr. S. S. Akhtar.
On the whole, it was a very enriching and fruitful experience to all the
participants. |
