Earth Charter presented at Second World Summit of Women Spiritual Leaders in India
The Global Peace Initiative of Women convened its second global summit of women spiritual leaders in Jaipur, India on March 6-10. Several hundred leaders from over 50 countries participated in Making Way for the Feminine for the Benefit of the World Community. The goal was to explore how the leadership of women, and particularly the feminine principles, can bring benefit to the world community, helping to create the platform for global transformation. The gathering was designed as a global reflection, opening with seven hours of prayer, sacred song and meditation. This created a sacred space in which dialogue could take place.
Earth Charter Commissioner Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp and ECI Program Coordinator Michael Slaby participated at the Summit and reached out to the assembled leaders and participants. The circle discussion on „Restoring the Environment – Changing our Relationship with the Natural World“ provided some space to discuss the Earth Charter and was led by an old friend of the Earth Charter Initiative – Mrs. Hanne Strong, wife of Earth Charter Commissioner Maurice Strong.
As part of the journey to Jaipur, many of the participants, and particularly those from conflict areas, gathered at the Gandhi Smriti in New Delhi on the day before the Summit's opening for reflection and prayer and to view the journey of Gandhi's life. From there, the group moved on to the Summit in Jaipur.
Prior to the Summit, GPIW also held a youth training in New Delhi led by Dr. Monica Sharma, Director of Leadership and Capacity Development at the United Nations that was attended by 60 youth from over 40 countries. After the summit, GPIW gathered 40 young people from Iraq and held a five-day workshop on peace education. The Earth Charter was used as a background document for both workshops.
During the Summit, delegates from Iraq, Israel and Palestine, Afghanistan, Cambodia and Burma, Kenya, Burundi and South Africa shared experiences of their communities' struggles as the spiritual leaders discussed ways to deepen the practice of Ahimsa (nonharm) and Satyagraha, how to break the cycle of violence and penetrate to the roots of conflict, and how to foster the spiritual process of healing and reconciliation.
The Summit provided an ideal platform to brief high-level religious leaders on the Earth Charter, including H.H. Sri Mata Amritanandaymayi Devi (Amma), as well as Imam Hazrat Maulana Jameel Ahmed Ilyasi, Secretary General of the All India Organization of Imams and Mosques that is said to represent 500.000 Imams of India, reaching out to millions of Muslims in India.
After the summit, Rabbi Soetendorp presented the Earth Charter to several Indian parliamentarians and political leaders, while Michael Slaby met with key religious and environmental organizations such as the TESI Environmental Awareness Movement in Dharamsala.
For more information on the Jaipur Summit, please visit the website of the Global Peace Initiative of Women