Masophy Kengoo – Study Secretary Women’s Desk

The Student Christian Movement of India in collaboration with Visthar organized a Public Lecture as part of the International Harmony Week at the SCM programme Center on 4th February 2012.The International Interfaith Harmony Week was first proposed at the UN General Assembly on September 23, 2010 by H.M. King Abdullah II of Jordan. Just under a month later, onOctober 20, 2010, it was unanimously adopted by the UN and henceforth the first week of February will be observed as a World Interfaith Harmony Week. The World Interfaith Harmony Week extends the Two Commandments by adding ‘Love of the Good, and Love of the Neighbor’.

This formula includes all people of goodwill. It includes those of other faiths, and those with no faith.The world Interfaith Harmony week provides a platform – one week in a year- when all interfaith groups and other groups of goodwill can show the world what a powerfull movement they are.

The programme began with a word of Welcome and Introduction by Dr. David Selvaraj, Director of Visthar and the Inauguration of the 5th Edition of the School of Peace which was followed by a dance presented by the international participants of the School of Peace. Participants from different country, different faith and different organization participated in the programme.

Dr. Ratnagar Sadhananda, Professor and Director of Karnataka Theological Research Institute (KATHRI) Kannada University delivered the lecture on “Towards a Spirituality of Hope”. The lecture was divided into three parts namely Spirituality of Resistance is Spirituality of Hope, Spirituality of Crisis is Spirituality of Hope, Spirituality of Hospitality is Spirituality of Hope. He said that the Spirituality of Resistance, Crisis and Hospitality connect Hope with our involvement to bring changes. The task for us is to make music with what is left.

The programme came to an end with a Concluding Remark and Vote of Thanks by Rev. Raj Bharat Patta the General Secretary of the Student Christian Movement of India.

Source