WIHW 2012 & All Partners:

It gives me great hope for the future as I watch and contribute among the numerous organizations working for harmony through interfaith understanding: WIHW being one expression of the global movement towards interfaith dialogue. I know that the coming years will continue to hold global tensions of daunting proportions, and the need for programs such as these is evident.

At no point in the world’s history have people of different faith traditions and cultures lived in such close physical proximity as is today. Unrealized Religio-cultural ignorances are, as a result, are becoming more and more obvious in the media, international politics, and everyday lives.

While this is a peculiar phenomenon, the times leave us with a peculiar opportunity. Now that humans have begun to realize how little our brothers, our sisters, and ourselves know about one another, the doors of learning about each other far wider opened. Only through dialogue can we gain appreciation for that which will inevitably lead to a world of harmonious coexistence.

In partnership, we must keep the doors of dialogue open. If we let the doors close, the wheels of progress on the road to harmony will slip back down the hill of ignorance.

Peace,

Nicholas J. Croce
Peace and Justice Studies / Religious Studies (Interfaith Studies)
Nazareth College
Rochester, New York

Country
United States

Organization
Center for Interfaith Studies and Dialogue

Title / Position