The mission of the World Sabbath is to teach our diverse population in Metro Detroit that the work of building a community of justice, equality, respect and peace is a calling that we all share – all of us, no matter what our faith tradition might be. But most important is the fact that we are impacting our children, our teens, and our young adults. Our World Sabbath processional includes children of many faith traditions, proudly waving the peace banners that they decorated themselves. These children come together to sing the song “We Are Children of Peace.” Every year we honor someone with the World Sabbath Peace Award – someone who is making a difference in the interfaith world, bringing people together to build community!! Clergy of many faiths have been invited to participate in the World Sabbath service, and all the clergy present get called up to read the Congregation Pledge together about building a world of tolerance, justice, faithfulness, and peace. What a wonderful lesson for our youth!!

On February 3rd, 2013, Sunday, at 2:30 PM the 9th Annual Interreligious Prayer Service for Peace and Justice celebrating World Interfaith Harmony Week was held at the Monastery Church of the Sacred Heart, in Yonkers, New York. Representatives from nine world religions offered prayers of peace from their religious traditions: Guru Dileepji, President International Gurukula Community, Inc., Hindu; Rev. Qalvy Grainzvolt, Shinnyo-En Buddhist Temple, White Plains, NY, Buddhist; Subodh and Trishala Feyler, Jain Meditation Int'l Center, NY, Jain; Mr. Jatinder Singh and his children Satleen Kaur, Dashmesh Singh, and Sundri Kaur, Sikh; Shaikh Waleed Elbatrawish, Imam Andalusia Islamic Center, Muslim; Rabbi Roger Ross, Chair of the Board of International Seminary of Interfaith Studies,NY, Jewish; Diane J. Pratt, Corresponding Secretary for the Yonker's Baha'i Local Spiritual Assembly, Baha'i; Fr. Maurice Moreau, OFM Cap., Pastor, Monastery Church of the Sacred Heart, Yonkers, Christian; Mr. George Stonefish, Board of Directors of American Indian Community House, Native American. Charles S. Chesnavage was the planner of the service, a doctoral student in the School of Religion and Religious Education at Fordham University. His dissertation will explore interreligious prayer as a form of religious education. Mr. Chesnavage gave a reflection at the service on the meeting between St. Francis of Assisi and Sultan Malik al-Kamil as an early example of interreligious dialogue. A reception followed the service for further fellowship and dialogue among the participants. Hindu artist Anand Patole displayed his artwork at the reception. Three proclamations were written for the service from the Mayor of the City of Yonkers, Michael Spano; the Westchester County Board of Legislators, Chairman Mr. Ken Jenkins; and, Westchester County Executive Mr. Rob Astorino. Mrs. Rosa Boone, Liaison for Westchester County Faith-Based Organizations was also present at the service. A DVD "New York City Spirit" by Muriel Stockdale, http://rasa.org.nycspirit/ was shown at the beginning of the service which showed many of the religious traditions present at the service in New York city during acts of prayer and worship. Participants were invited to bring can goods for the Sacred Heart food pantry.

Widely known as pioneer of the ‘New Dialogue’, Rashid Shaz has produced some ground breaking works on Islam from an interfaith point of view. His book ????? ?????? serves as an interfaith introduction to Islam in which he emphasises that the rabbania is the sum total of Islam, an ideological identity that embraces all the submitters to one God, especially the sublime souls among the people of the book. It was in this backdrop that in 2008 he released in Monaco an important founding document “Calling for a New Dialogue between Islam and Christianity”. Dr. Shaz has also revived and taken up further the long frozen debate on shibh-ahle-kitab. In his magnum opus ????? ????? ????? ????? (? ????) he takes up the issue from the point where Al-Baironi and Shahrastani had left. In 2004, he motivated many enlightened intellectuals in Abrahamic traditions to debate the common issues on futureislam.com.

Salams/Shalom/Peace, I am a Muslim who participated in this event,( I sent a photo, and links to more photos) the sponsors do not know I am entering this IFHW opportunity obviously if we won the proceeds would go towards the effort through education and faith events. Feb 9th evening’s schedule included: •5:30 pm Gathering in the nave of St. Mark’s Cathedral (1245 Tenth Ave E) for a Vigil of Prayer and Lamentation •6:00 pm March by candlelight south along Tenth Avenue, down Broadway, west on Madison and south on Ninth Ave. •7:00 pm Gathering in the nave of St. James Cathedral (804 Ninth Ave) for a call to action against gun violence. Sponsors of the march included St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, St. James Catholic Cathedral, the Church Council of Greater Seattle, First United Methodist Church of Seattle and Faith Action Network of Washington.(multiple faiths) article: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/connelly/article/Hundreds-march-on-Capitol-Hill-against-gun-4266235.ph facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/139550059537657/ Broader Community sponsors many faiths> http://standupwa.org/2012/12/20/sponsors/

February 9th 2013 5:30-8PM * St Marks Cathedral 1.8 mile candlelight vigil walk to St James Cathedral in Seattle. (I have mailed in before though have not seen posted to date). This was an Interfaith event with representatives walking in response for proactive change to the gun violence plagueing the United States at this time. This useless violence needs to end now, harmony needs to be nurtured through Interfaith dialog including community awareness with advocacy, we hope to see a positive change in our neighborhoods. More details found here: https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/139550059537657/ Photos and Article Seattle P-I 2 /10/13 here: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/connelly/article/Candlelight-march-between-cathedrals-4266235.php http://candlelightmarch.org/ more press details You will see more sponsors here > http://standupwa.org/2012/12/20/sponsors/ Thank you Salams/Shalom/Peace Janice Tufte Muslim Community Advocate Islamic Civic Engagement Project

0 Interfaith Harmony Week Wednesday, February 20th, 2013 Print this Article There will be a potluck dinner to celebrate Interfaith World Harmony Week on 12 March, 6.30pm, at St Andrew’s on the Terrace, Wellington. This event is brought to you by St Andrew’s on the Terrace and the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions, for all faith leaders and interfaith enthusiasts. Please bring a plate form your culture and wear your traditional clothing. Please contact Lachlan Mackay for more information

February 4 - February 8 Make Your Own Peace Flag Monday, February 4 - Friday, February 8 Sakowich Campus Center, Main Street Sponsored by the Interfaith Alliance Club Mandala Construction~Tibetan Monks of the Drepung Loseling Monastery Tuesday, February 5 - Friday, February 8 Sakowich Campus Center, 1st floor lounge Sponsored by Office of Student Involvement and Rogers Center for the Arts "Feast of Faiths" Student dialogue dinner Wednesday, February 6, 2013 Rogers Center Lobby, 5-7:00 p.m. Sponsored by the Center for the Study of Jewish-Christian-Muslim Relations "10th Annual Interfaith Celebration: Offering Abrahamic Hospitality to All God's Children" Wednesday, February 6, 2013 Cascia Hall, 7-8:30 p.m. Join us in Shalom, Peace, Salaam, Shanti! Free and open to the public. Sponsored by the Center for the Study of Jewish-Christian-Muslim Relations "Sacred Music Sacred Dance for World Healing" The Mystical Arts of Tibet Friday, February 8, 2013 Rogers Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m.

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UPF-Austria, Vienna - This age of globalization needs enlightened people in each faith who can examine their sacred writings and traditions and identify the aspects that can benefit all humanity as well as those that preserve each religion's identity. The UN designated the first week of February every year as World Interfaith Harmony Week. UPF and its network of Ambassadors for Peace celebrate this week each year, in a way that encourages understanding, respect, and cooperation among people of all faiths for the well-being of our communities and peace in the world. 150 people gathered on February 8th 2013 at the Vienna International Center (UN Headquarters in Vienna) to commemorate the World Interfaith Harmony week 2013. The half-day conference entitled “Cooperation among Religions for a Culture of Peace” was hosted by the Austrian Chapter of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) and the Liaison office of the Academic Council on the UN System (ACUNS) as well as the Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP) and the Earth Society foundation. Mr. Peter Haider, UPF Austria Secretary General, opened the commemorative event with remarks, welcoming the audience coming from diverse backgrounds such as diplomacy, media, religious communities and other areas of civil society. He highlighted that “today’s conference should contribute to exploring the role religious communities and cooperation between religions can play in creating a culture of peace.” Elder Ruben Silverbird, a long-standing ambassador for peace opened the conference with a Native American flute blessing, asking those present the say a prayer for peace in their heart. The prayer was followed by the video “Creating a Family of Faith” introducing UPF’s interfaith vision. Mrs. Zena Eggough, Vice-President of UPF Austria, read the Message of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on the occasion of the UN Interfaith Harmony week. The first speaker Dr. Walter Lichem gave a detailed insight in the start and the institutional development of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), where his diverse positions in the UN and the Austrian Foreign Ministry allowed him close insights. He encouraged the UPF in its attempt to build an Interreligious Council within the UN framework and advised UPF to learn from the informal path UNAOC has taken in its development. The Alliance was initiated by the governments of Spain and Turkey in response to the terrorist attacks of March 11th 2004 in Madrid. The former Ambassador emphasized the importance of words and concept, pointing out the UNAOC approach, which puts emphasis on the “citizen”, “societal” and “the capacity to engage with otherness.” Dr. Shantu Watt, active member of the UN’s women’s guild strongly urged people of faith to make sure that religions build a peaceful platform for people. Watt started out with sharing from her personal background growing up in Kenya, with Indian background and with the strong awareness “that we are part of nature with its physical and spiritual dimensions and its cycles of giving and receiving.” She spoke about her inner conflicts with some of the teaching of the Baghavagita and spoke out against an over simplified understanding of karmic cycle, seemingly backing injustice in society. Dr Watt described how she could find her peace of mind in Gandhi’s way of non-violence and standing up against injustice. She then elaborated on the work interfaith councils in the United Kingdom, which also provide locally peaceful platforms in time of tension. Dr. Michael Stöger, a trained physicist and now a filmmaker, said that “understanding and dealing with conflicts within oneself, helps to understand conflicts ‘outside’, in society.” In the work of creating documentaries, he had the chance to listen to many people of different cultures and religions. In this process Dr. Stöger could discover "a common heritage and destiny connecting humanity". He elaborated on a Native American prophecy, expressing the need of different cultures for each other and shared impressive pictures of the Ganges river, where at the moment the Kumbh Mela, one if the worlds largest religious gatherings, is taking place. The filmmaker closed by explaining his understanding that life is not going to an external but also inner evolution of consciousness, pointing out that he sees that humanity arrived now at a crucial point of decision. The panel closed with Rev. Fr. Kodom Patrick Kofi, SVD, who serves as immigrants and refugees pastor of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese Vienna. He stressed that when talking about interfaith harmony and a culture of peace, that it is important to talk about the migration and the millions of people, who are forced to leave their homes or decide to migrate in order to seek a better life for themselves and their children. The reverend shared from his work with refugees and how defining religion often is for their identity. “When someone after 7-8 years as an asylum seeker in Austria, has to return to the country he fled from and is brought to a deportation camp, there is nothing you can tell such a person, but you just have to listen”, explains the situation he often finds himself in and goes on to share moving stories of humanity among those deported, despite coming from very different backgrounds. Rev. Kofi concludes, with emphasizing that “peace is not something that is simply given, but something we have to achieve.” As the first speaker of the second panel Mag. Franz Nahrada, a sociologist and writer, started his speech by explaining about the Earth Day which is held every year exactly at the spring equinox in the Northern hemisphere. Its founder was John McConnell http://www.earthsite.org/. As a sociologist and environmental activist he quoted Douglas Engelbart: “We are not able to invent something meaningful as long as we’re not able to create social innovation.” Next, he explained shortly about the Global Village (http://globalvillages.ning.com/), where people would live in small villages, interconnected through Telematik (Telecommunication + Informatics), as a new form of environmental friendly living. His main point was the topic “Monasteries of the Future”: his vision is that people will use monasteries to retreat and also do study and research work together. He stated: “Any major revolution in the world looks back to retrieval. The monasteries of the 21st century will be places of cohabitation of culture and nature”. He invited everybody to attend a conference which he will organize on this topic in May in the famous monastery of Melk. Then Dr. Ulrike Kraus, a lawyer and sinologist, spoke about “Religions in Modern China”. She has always been fascinated by Chinese culture, that’s why she studied Chinese language. Through her studies and many excursions to China she has become an expert of Chinese culture. She stated: “The Cultural Revolution was a big cut in Chinese culture: so many temples, statues, books and other cultural items have been destroyed. It was a complete cut for them!” Now, as the Chinese people are somehow free again to practice religion, they had to learn religious behavior again. That’s why they pray to different gods and symbols. They became less conservative. Among today’s 55 different nationalities in China, we can find people believing in Daoism, Buddhism, Confucianism and local cults. You also find Muslims and Christians. Especially Confucianism has been rediscovered in the 80ies of the last century. At the same time, the ideas of communism lost their significance. Many Confucius Institutes have been established worldwide. Confucianism became a symbol for moral behavior again. Also, the Chinese understood that for Western people Confucianism is something they can relate to. The main thought in Confucianism is “Harmony”. Modern China adopted this idea and is promoting it. The next speaker was Mr. Fahat Al Rawi from the Islamic Community of Faith in Austria. There are 500 000 Muslims in Austria. Concerning their legal status there is a unique situation in Austria, because since 1912 (the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire) they are legally accepted and have the same rights as mayor Christian denominations. In Islam, peace is a very important concept. The word “Islam” has the same root as “Peace”. Mr. Fahat Al Rawi is a member of the Islamic Youth Organization. In Vienna the young Muslims engage themselves in various social activities, such as cleaning the city in spring, cooking for the homeless or visiting children in hospitals, cheering them up by dressing up as clowns. Also, they visited a refugee camp and brought them winter clothes. One of their main projects is “Don’t give poverty a chance! They cooperate with the NGO “Wiener Tafel” which collects food from supermarkets and re-distributes it to poor people. Another important activity of the Islamic Youth is their engagement in Interreligious and Intercultural dialogue, which gives them a chance to speak against radicalism. The last speaker of the conference was Dr. Jaan Karl Klasmann who represented Universal Sufism. He explained that originally the Sufi schools used to accept people from all religions. The International Sufi Order offers a variety of rituals by which they celebrate the underlying unity of all religions. Guest appreciated the variety of the views and approaches to religion presented in a very personal and authentic manner. As a conclusion of the program everybody was invited to listen to the “Te Deum” of Anton Bruckner, a powerful conclusion of the event.

Lunar New Year is the major holiday for many Asian countries. In conjunction with UN World Interfaith Harmony Week, GFLP works with its sister organization, Museum of World Religions to host an interfaith prayer. This prayer gathering has been held for almost a decade long. Each year different religious representatives conjure under the same roof to pray for world peace by its own ritual, language and prayer. There are more than 200 participants from all walks of life expected to attend the gathering.