WUNRN
http://www.parliamentofreligions.org/index.cfm?n=35&sn=9
The Parliament of the
World’s Religions
Invitation to Attend
The First Inaugural Women’s Assembly and
Program Initiative for Global Advancement at the 2015 Parliament October 15
-19th in Salt Lake City, Utah
19
women addressed the first Parliament of the World’s Religions in 1893. Today
women comprise over 60% of the 2015 Parliament’s registrants! The Women’s Task
Force
aims to promote and continue this movement ensuring that women throughout the
world have a voice in important interfaith dialogue. Our Women’s Initiative for
Global Advancement at the 2015 Parliament offers five days of special
programming devoted to women, religion and spirituality, beginning with the the
Inaugural Women’s Assembly on October 15, 2015 and continuing with the Women’s
Program Initiative from October 16 - 19th. Join us in making women’s history!
The
Women’s Assembly
is an historic opportunity for women of diverse religious and spiritual
traditions to gather to address two critical areas:
- the responsibility of the
world’s religions to affirm women’s dignity and human rights, &
- share sources of religious and spiritual inspiration
for women’s empowerment.
Esteemed women- religious, spiritual and
global leaders, will address the Assembly on these two primary themes which
will be further explored by attendees in small group discussions with
opportunities to engage with one another as well as the keynote speakers,
explore emerging priorities and best practices and create cooperative
frameworks for committed action.
The Women’s Assembly will take place on October
15, 2015, at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah, for the full day, and
immediately prior to the official opening of the Parliament later that evening.
The
Women’s Initiative will provide an esteemed and global platform for women
from diverse religious and spiritual traditions to:
- address the critical intersection
of women’s dignity, human rights and religion,
- celebrate women’s religious and
spiritual engagement, inspiration and leadership,
- share best practices that
address women’s challenges,
- build interfaith networks of
mutual support and cooperative action, and
- expand the transformative impact women have on religion
and the modern world.
The Women’s Program Initiative will continue
throughout the duration of the Parliament from October 16-19, with diverse
programming that shares and celebrates the value of feminine wisdom, inspires
with feminine principles in action, strengthens women’s spiritual engagement
and leadership and nurtures a global root system of women’s spirituality.
Programming
will include panels, presentations, best practices, discussions, academic
papers, sermons, prayers, rites, meditations, and other celebratory, innovative
and creative expressions of women’s spiritual engagement, interest and concern.
Some programs may be for women only.
How
do I register to participate? And will I be able to attend the rest of the
Parliament?
To register for the Women’s Assembly you must
register for the overall Parliament. Registration will entitle you to
attend all or part of the Women’s Assembly and Program Initiative as well
as the entire Parliament. Register here to participate in the Women’s
Assembly, Program Initiative and overall Parliament here.
Will
women have opportunities to worship, pray, meditate, celebrate and ritualize
together?
Yes!
A
Women’s Sacred Space will be available on-site for women’s faith and
interfaith religious services, spiritual observances, rites and ceremonies,
meditation, reflection and prayer throughout the duration of the Parliament.
How do I submit a proposal for a women’s
interfaith or faith service or celebration, sermon, rite, meditation,
reflection or other observance?
Women
are encouraged to submit a proposal to host a religious or spiritual event in
this Space during the Parliament by visiting rfp.parliamentofreligions.org
Why should I register and will I be able to
attend the overall 2015 Parliament if I do?
The
Women’s Initiative is anticipated to be a truly historic gathering.
When
the 2015 Parliament convenes, thousands of people will converge in Salt Lake
City to seek and share spiritual inspiration and practical solutions for
the urgent and unprecedented crises our planet faces. Increasingly,
people recognize that these challenges are the consequence of a world radically
out of balance and that meaningful and tangible solutions will only emerge
through women’s wisdom and leadership. But at the same time, the most serious,
pervasive and ignored violations of basic human rights are those against women,
due in part to distorted religious texts and extremism and the devaluation of
the feminine.
It
is crucial that women from around the world, representing diverse religious,
spiritual and cultural traditions, have the opportunity to address the vital
nexus of women’s issues and religion, to share and strengthen their
wisdom and work, and to have their voices heard and their presence visible to
inspire the world with new models of spiritual engagement and leadership. It
is especially important that they have the opportunity to do so from the
Parliament’s esteemed platform. It is important that YOU have that
opportunity.
And
we believe that the participation of women from the world’s faith and spiritual
traditions is essential to achieve the Parliament’s all-inclusive mission to
cultivate harmony among the world's religious and spiritual communities to
achieve a just, peaceful and sustainable world. The Women’s Task Force is
responding to this challenge by ensuring that women’s voices are heard at the
2015 Parliament, and therefore throughout the world. We hope yours will
be one of those voices.
Registering
for the Women’s Initiative means registering to make history! And yes,
you must register for the 2015 Parliament in order to attend the Assembly.
Registration entitles you to attend the entire 2015 Parliament, including
the Assembly and the Women’s Program Initiative which will be an integral part
of the 2015 Parliament.
Are there other ways to get involved?
- Pre-Parliament Women’s Events - These
are events to bring women together in their local communities, to explore,
celebrate, educate and engage.
- A Pre-Parliament gathering of
60 religiously diverse women convened in Fall, 2014 in Salt Lake, and
this group is continuing to meet to help bring the Parliament and the
Women’s Initiative to Salt Lake City.
- Check the PWTF page for listing
of future events.
- A second SLC Women’s
Pre-Parliament event will be held in April, 2015.
- The Women’s Task Force will
host a parallel event on Women’s Rights and Religion at the United
Nations CSW, NYC March 17, 2015. Check the PWTF page for more
information about time and location.
- If
you are interested in planning a Pre-Parliament Event , contact PWTF
here: women@parliamentofreligions.org or preparliament@parliamentofreligions.org
- Post-Parliament Gatherings and
Actions – Events to sustain and support social justice and interfaith
engagement on behalf of women.
Can I volunteer to make
the Women’s Initiative a success?
Yes! There are plenty of volunteer
opportunities before, during and after the Parliament. If you’re interested in
helping out, please get in touch with us at: women@parliamentofreligions.org
Are there any local Salt Lake City Women’s Initiative programs or events?
What if I need financial assistance in order to participate?
- Elder (ages 60 and over) and
young women (ages 16-30)
- Indigenous and First Nations
women
- Low income women