Alison Atkinson-Phillips
The inaccurately named Parliament of the World’s Religions held in Melbourne recently was not a parliament in the sense of a decision-making body, or even in terms of having actual representatives from all the world’s religions — although organisers claimed to have 220 religions and spiritual traditions represented.
In most sessions, there was a domination of local (Australian) and North American voices, perhaps reflecting the fact that the Parliament’s headquarters is in Chicago, where the first Parliament was held over 100 years ago, and the first modern Parliament held in 1984.
Voices from Africa and Europe were conspicuous by their absence.
So, can an event so clearly dominated by whoever could afford to be there do any real good in addressing the big problems facing our world: poverty, food shortages, a global recession and climate change?
Perhaps that’s not quite the right question.
While the name suggests a formal decision-making body, that’s only because we’ve forgotten its old French beginning as “parlement” — the action of parler (to speak). A parlement is a discussion, and the big value of the Parliament was in the conversations that happened both within the formal sessions and outside of them — on the steps outside, over lunch, and at the late night coffee house.
In particular, the parliament allowed some groups of people who are often disempowered to come together.
Over the few days I attended the meeting I managed to hear from Leo Killspack, an Northern Cheyenne indigenous man who is a lecturer at the University of Arizona, on the topic of sustaining spiritual practices, and Robert Houndohome Hounon, the spiritual leader of the great council of the Vodun Hwendo tradition of Benin in western Africa. I also saw an truly moving film called Dhakiyarr vs the King, about the Yolngu people for northeast Arnhem land and their journey towards closure and healing following the disappearance of their leader Dhakiyarr Wirrpanda.
An ‘Indigenous Assembly’ gathered within the main Parliament, allowing people from these and many more of the world’s indigenous faith traditions to come together and share their common ideals and practices and common struggles. Bringing those people together doesn’t solve their problems, but it does give them a shared voice that may be louder than they could hope to be alone.
Apart from the usual problem in religious — and many other circles — of the over-representation of middle-aged white men amongst those leading discussions, organisers had tried hard to represent a diversity of voices, and particularly worked to include the input of young people.
Although I didn’t get to have many inter-faith conversations that stretched beyond the passing of business cards at the end of a session, I did have many ecumenical conversations, having bumped into a group of young Catholic women who had all been sponsored to attend.
As someone steeped in the reformed tradition of the Methodist and then Uniting Church, I was a bit bemused at constantly finding myself surrounded by young Australian Catholics. It was reminder that there are as many differences within our faith traditions as between them.
So what was encouraging, as the week progressed, was that more and more conversations, particularly with people at the younger end of the age spectrum, were about ‘how do we work together to make the world better’ rather than, ‘lets talk some more about what we believe in.’
I’ve come away inspired about the interfaith movement — not about interfaith dialogue but about actions. Projects like the Interfaith Youth Core and the Hartley Film Foundation in the US and InterAction in Australia are all about doing real concrete activities — whether watching a movie or planting a tree — to make the world a better place together. Yes they’re based in the developed world, and have a particularly Western approach to interfaith. But since I’m a Western woman, maybe that’s just where I’m at.
During the closing ceremony, the Dalai Lama offered a gentle reminder that actions are what’s needed, not more words, as he talked about the level of war and conflict around the world, how some of the most ‘advanced’ countries have high levels of people suffering from depression, and how the planet is suffering because we take more than we need.
“So obviously,” he said, “Without development of our inner values, such as compassion, such as our inner sense of wellbeing, these crisis which humanity is facing will not stop.”
As an example of how inner spirituality and action in the world must be in harmony, you don’t get much better than the Dalai Lama. He exudes a gentleness that wins respect from religious and non-religious people from many walks of life.
He continued with a challenge, delivered with great gentleness: “I came here just to thank what you are doing. But sometimes I feel like such a big gathering is a social gathering, lots of talking not enough action... Must be active.”
Of course, this was met with a standing ovation, because we all love to be told to do more. Then participants crowded out onto a footbridge for a photo to be sent to Copenhagen?
Can an interfaith talk-fest change the world? Probably not. But the power of the relationships, ideas and projects that come out of one might just.
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written by keith mcdonald , December 16, 2009
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I was there for the last three days and had mixed feelings. I went to some fabulous sessions but also to some stultifying ones. Yes, white middle-aged men and North Americans + Australians seemed to be a dominating presence. Youth were sadly under-represented too. My overriding feeling is that at the very highest levels of the faiths and denominations, there isn't a real deep-hearted commitment to inter-faith activity. The best session I went to was a youth session about the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Team that a Jewish woman in Sydney organised to take part in the AFL International Cup. All five speakers (they included the co-captains) talked from the heart without notes and it was genuinely inspiring. Could it be that inter-faith is at its best when hearts are opened like this and that we spend too much time in our heads? You're right that a talkfest is unlikely to change the world but, as you say, it's the networking we all do and the friends we make at forums like this that are important and valuable.
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