Chennai remembrance on Hiroshima-Nagasaki Day 2012
International Peace Symposium
Organised jointly by the Department of Human Rights & Duties Education of Ethiraj College for Women, and IARF-SACC-RFYN, Chennai.
Mr. Hiroo Iso, an official Hiroshima survivor (Hibakusha), landed in Chennai, India on 10th August 2012…
The program is part of a tour of Mr. Iso in India organised by the Hiroshima Peace Foundation and our South Asia regional office.
Co-ordinators: Mr. Ramachandran, Nithya R., Anbumani Arumugam
Report (PDF, 2 pages)
Photos (link to Picasa)
See also the related events in Bangalore, Mysore and Tamil Nadu.
EME Region Conference 2012, Netherlands
IARF Europe and Middle East (EME) Conference held at the Mennorode Conference Centre, Elspeet, the Netherlands on 19-22 July 2012
– Dorle Gehrmann
THE CHAPEL AT MENNORODE
by Richard Boeke, UK
The worshippers face a wall
Which is a window
From floor to ceiling
Looking out to the garden
Of small pebbles..
To the left of centre
In the sea of pebbles
Is a wooden sculpture
Like the stump of a tree
With a tiny bubbling fountain.
The theme was Liberal Religion on ‘hold’, ‘play’, or ‘fast forward’? with a focus on leadership.
Some 70 plus people of 12 nationalities from 10 different countries, affiliated to 18 different groups, took part in what was a highly successful international gathering, hosted by our Dutch Chapter (NLG) and offering a mix of lectures, workshops, devotions, and social events.
At the bottom of the post you can see a slideshow of selected photos, here a Photo set (on Flickr) from the event, and here read a full Report (PDF, 6 pages illustrated; 3.5mb).
This is one of the reactions we received as follow-up. For Libref. – the Swiss Liberal Reformed Association – the following points were important:
- Our communication with IARF is more direct and personal now due to the very well- organized meeting.
- IARF has now gained the nature of a community for us. We feel well that IARF has and is a body.
- We are informed in the matters of positive and negative liberty, risks, and splits. We learnt the human being is a kind of “split” (Martin Heidegger), that presence is an attitude of attendance.
- We are informed in procedures of human rights (the Council in UN Geneva) by Morse Flores
- We will discuss further on the role of libref. and IARF as one of leadership in public opinion.
- The excursion to Schokland showed that nature has a fragile balance, that manipulations of procedures needs enormous efforts. We saw very directly that water is chance and risk as much in the Mountains (sources of fresh water and torrents) as in Nether-Lands. Learning from nature might signify that liberty is a voluntary enlightenment by nature?
- The new internet platform of IARF reminds us that worldwide the first religious freedom as a (personal) right was articulated in 1524/-26 in a constitution which is vigorous still today in Ilanz, Switzerland (source of the Rhine as an important European storm). This religious freedom was the outcome of a conference between a protestant reformer called Comander, the bishop of Chur and the political authority of the ‘Freistaat der Drei Bünde’.
- We are looking forward to working with IARF and its members in the future.
We thank the organizing team of IARF for all their efforts.
– Jean-Claude Cantieni, Andreas Peter – libref. Switzerland
Selected photos from the event:
All-Religions Conference, Manujoti Ashram
Manujothi Ashram, Sathianagaram, Tiruneliveli, Tamilnadu (India)
19th July 2012
IARF leaders were invited to join the 43rd Kalki Jayanthi Celebrations of Manujothi Ashram, as a fellowship day of world religions to promote universal brotherhood and unity of India.
Manujothi Ashram was founded by Lord Lahari Krishna as a place for worship, living and meditating together.
Rest of report: All-Religions Conference, Manujothi Ashram (PDF, 4 pages, illustrated)
Derek McAuley meets David Cameron
News from UK member group
Shortly after attending our EME region’s 2012 conference (19-22 July) in the Netherlands, Derek McAuley – Chief Officer of IARF member group the GAUFCC (UK Unitarians) – had a chance to raise current LGBT issues with the British prime minister at a Downing St. reception on 24 July.
…and more detail on campaigning for equal marriage, from Derek’s blog
SACC chairman attends Rio+20
Dr. Thomas Mathew, Chairman of our South Asia regional body, represented IARF in the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), held in Rio de Janerio from June 20-22, 2012.
IARF attended the original 1992 Rio conference, and this was an opportunity for him to represent IARF as one of several religion-based voices on Earth issues.
His report of the event is here (GoogleDoc, 7 pages).
International RFYN Conference 2012, Madurai
|
Time |
Day One |
Day Two |
Day Three |
Day Four |
Day Five |
|
7.00am |
Arrival & Registration |
Morning Prayer |
Meditation |
Yoga |
Morning Prayer |
|
8.00am |
Breakfast |
|
|||
|
9.00am |
Inaugural Celebration |
Recalling Yesterday Activities |
|||
|
10.30am |
Introductory and Ice-breaking Sessions |
Session Four:- Leaders for the New Century for peace activities |
Visiting Various Interfaith Centers Madurai, Rameswaram |
Session Nine:- UN Human Rights Mechanisms |
Future Action Plan (GD) |
|
11.00am |
Break |
|
|||
|
11.30am |
Session One -: History of IARF and RFYN and its Objectives and Goals |
Session Five: – Many Faces of Peace (Documentary Presentation) |
Session Eight: Dialogue for peace and harmony |
Session Ten:- Peace and Harmony through Human Rights Education – 1 |
Presentation & Future Action |
|
01.00pm |
Lunch |
|
|||
|
2.00pm |
Session Two: – The Role of IARF to promote Peace and Harmony |
Session Six: – Cultivating Creativity for peace activities |
Visiting Various Interfaith Centers, Rameswaram |
Session Eleven:- Peace and Harmony through Human Rights Education – 2 |
Preparation for Final Celebration |
|
3.00pm |
Session Three: – IARF activities to UN |
Session Seven: – Role of UN for World Peace |
Interaction with Physically imbalanced children |
Session Twelve:- Peace and Harmony through Human Rights Education -3 |
Valedictory Celebration |
|
4.30pm |
Break |
|
|||
|
6.00pm |
Open Discussion: (peace activities through RFYN) |
Group Discussion: the source of peace and harmony |
Visiting Various Interfaith Centers Madurai |
Open Discussion: Human Rights Issues and stories |
Good Bye |
|
7.30pm |
Dinner |
|
|||
|
8.30pm |
Recreation |
Cultural Program |
Sharing experience |
Role Play (Stories of Religious Freedom) |
|
|
10.00pm |
Good Night |
|
|||
Pakistan Chapter – Hiroshima & Nagasaki Peace Exhibition 2012
For Hiroshima Day 2012 (6 August)
Sargodha, Pakistan
As a contribution to awareness-raising on nuclear issues in the 2012 approach to the annual international remembrance day for the atomic holocaust, our Pakistan chapter launched an awareness-raising exhibition in its home city of Sargodha, titled ‘Never again Hiroshima, Nagasaki never again‘.
Guests at the opening, which took place during Ramadan, included Muslims as well as Christians & Bahais. For brief comments from guests (in Urdu), see these videos (YouTube link).
Exhibition opening photos (Facebook)
This event was made possible by support from our member group the Hiyoshi Shrine, Nagoya, Japan.
Rakhi festival at Tirunelveli branch
HRET Program, Erode, TamilNadu
Human Rights Education & Training (HRET)
@Infant Jesus School, Budapadi, Erode, TamilNadu, India
21 – 22 June 2012
Facilitators: Bro. Albert Xaviour and Bro. Britto
Report (PDF 2 pages, illustrated)
Human Rights trainings, India – January to April 2012
1. Ravi Junior College, Nagpur, Maharashtra (January 12‐14, 2012)
2. KLE Society’s Law College, Bangalore (February 21‐22, 2012)
3. Banipure Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Banipure, West Bengal (April 21‐22, 2012)
4. Govt. Zirtiri Residential Science College, Aizawl, Mizoram (April 24‐25, 2012)
HRE Program report, June 2012 (PDF illustrated, 23 pages)
