Church and Interfaith Leaders Gather for 2023 World Interfaith Harmony Week

Leaders of different beliefs and faith traditions joined to celebrate the 2023 World Interfaith Harmony Week on February 07, 2023, at Aurora Chapel, Project 4, Quezon City, Metro Manila.

As the religious leaders congregated, they discussed fostering safety, unity, and stability in neighborhoods, preserving the environment, and finding solutions to urgent problems and concerns. Atty Salma Pir Rasul, program director of the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy, facilitated the discussion and shared points to instill awareness about women, power, security, and an advocacy for conflict prevention and peacekeeping.

Atty. Rasul has furthered the comprehensive strategies and significant findings to advance knowledge, integrate their initiatives and programs within a broad policy framework, include and engage young people with a focus on their exposure to new risks like misinformation, cancel culture, the recruitment strategy used on the dark web, AI and deep tech, big data, and social media, and foster a political environment that is favorable to engagement in dealing with these risks.

Atty. Rasul has underlined that the regional vision of an inclusive community supports a high quality of life, gives equitable access to opportunities for everyone, and supports the preservation of human rights will be echoed by these strategies and routes, which will ensure their integration. 

On Human Rights and the Environment

The World Interfaith Harmony Week allows greater interfaith community involvement, leadership, and understanding. And raise the consciousness of the implications of inclusive governance for sustaining peace and security and encourage a whole-of-society approach to governance changes and peace and security decisions.

After the event, interfaith leaders commenced with an open forum to address global human rights and security, environmental and ecological issues, and challenges. 

The different Uniharmony partners included Fo Guang Shan, Imam Council of the Philippines, Pacific Dialogue Foundation, United Church of Christ in the Philippines, Charismatic Episcopal Church in the Philippines, Iglesia Filipina Independiente, Focolare Movement, Religions for Peace Philippines, Peacemaker's Circle, Immaculate Heart of Mary College Paranaque, Institute of Spirituality in Asia, Brahma Kumaris, Anawim Missions, and the Ministry for Ecumenical and Interfaith Affairs, Archdiocese of Manila, Roman Catholic Church graced the affair.

Leaders of different beliefs and faith traditions have been unified to foster relationships and create religious dialogue and harmony. It creates interreligious conversation and mutual understanding, two key components of a culture of peace in facing major concerns towards peace, sustainance, and success.

On Cultivating Interreligious Peace

The World Interfaith Harmony Week, organized by the United Nations, aspires to advance a culture of peace by cultivating interfaith understanding and discussion. Regardless of diverse faiths, it emphasizes unity between all individuals. It acknowledges that the potential and desire to live in peace and harmony with one another and the natural world are at the heart of all central religious beliefs and traditions. It encourages productive communication and involvement with the different religious denominations and faith traditions.

One of the key traits of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the appreciation for the various global religions' distinctive beliefs and contributions. The idea of religious freedom and tolerance has always been promoted, even in the early days of the Church: "We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may" (Articles of Faith 1:11).

Uniharmony Partners Manila and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hosted the event.