Today, December 9, 2009, marks the last day of the Parliament of the World’s Religions.
This event has a rich history stretching back to the original Parliament held in Chicago in 1893, which introduced the Indian sage, Swami Vivekananda, to the West. In 1993, the 100th anniversary was held, again in Chicago, and the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions (CPWR) has continued to hold these events every five years since then.
More than 10,000 religious leaders, scholars, and activists from all over the world convened in Melbourne, Australia, to explore the role that the religious traditions will play in addressing a variety of contemporary issues, from climate change to the reconciliation of science and religion.
EnlightenNext, a proponent of “evolutionary spirituality” created a special Parliament blog to chronicle, in words and pictures, events taking place.
When this many people gather to discuss environmental, cultural and spiritual issues, I’m inclined to call this “sacred” activism.
