World peace summit criticized as vague.New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of (ENI)--Prominent ecumenists have declared that the Millennium World Peace Summit of about 1,000 religious leaders, held in New York, may well have a good result. But they also said the event was too cumbersome and too vague. The unwieldiness of the Aug. 28 to 31 meeting held at the United Nations headquarters, was criticized by several high-profile participants, including Konrad Raiser Konrad Raiser (b. 25 january 1938) is a former General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC). Born in Magdeburg, Germany in 1938, Konrad Raiser studied theology and started working with the World Council of Churches, first in the department for Faith and Order. , general secretary of the World Council of Churches, for an overall lack of focus and depth. The religious leaders signed a Commitment to Global Peace, pledging to respect other religious traditions, condemn religious violence and work for more equality between women and men. Left unsettled was how the religious community would continue working with the UN, which did not formally sponsor the summit. Though the faith leaders resolved to create a religious advisory council for the UN, it was not clear how the group would work or be formed. Dr. Raiser mentioned existing "interfaith in·ter·faith adj. Of, relating to, or involving persons of different religious faiths: an interfaith marriage; an interfaith forum. networks focusing on the issues of justice and peace," including the World Conference on Religion and Peace and the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions There have been several meetings referred to as a Parliament of the World’s Religions, most notably the World's Parliament of Religions of 1893, the first attempt to create a global dialogue of faiths. , which, like the WCC WCC n abbr (= World Council of Churches) → COE m (Conseil œcuménique des Églises) WCC n abbr (= World Council of Churches) → Weltkirchenrat m , have formal links with the UN. "I'm not convinced forming another body will take us much further," Dr Raiser said. |
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