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G8 Religious Leaders Summit to be held in city
Up to 100 religious leaders from diverse faiths including Christianity, Judaism, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Muslim, Indigenous Spirituality and Shinto traditions will gather in Winnipeg in late June 2010 at the invitation of U of W president Lloyd Axworthy, and the Canadian Council of Churches.
It is the first time Canada will host the G8 Religious Leaders Summit which, for the past five years, has been organized to complement the meeting of G8 political leaders, U of W said.
The G8 leaders meet in Huntsville, Ontario in 2010.
Participants will travel to Winnipeg from G8 members France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Russia, as well as Africa for three days of dialogue devoted to advancing the Millennium Development Goals adopted by the G8 countries in 2000.
The goals encompass pressing global concerns ranging from eradicating extreme poverty to combating HIV and malaria to ensuring environmental sustainability.
"Winnipeg is recognized as a centre for human rights in Canada,"said Axworthy. "Through our Global College we are actively nurturing the kind of broad, ethical citizenship epitomized by the G8 Religious Leaders Summit. We are honoured to host this important event on campus."
U of W's dean of theology is thrilled about hosting the religious leaders.
"For the first time in recorded history, the religious and political leadership of G8 nations have a common language, for a common agenda, for the advancement of the whole human community rather than for sectarian or political goals," said dean James Christie, Secretary General of the G8 Religious Leaders 2010 Summit. "This is extremely encouraging as we move from theory to practice in attaining the Millennium Development Goals."
The G8 Religious Leaders Summit began as a virtual meeting in Scotland in 2005, with the first actual conference taking place in Russia in 2006, followed by Germany in 2007, Japan this year, and Italy next year.
One of the unique contributions of the Winnipeg Summit is the potential for engaging Aboriginal Elders in both the planning and the execution of the Summit, said U of W.
The summit is self-financing as each partner undertakes fundraising activities. The Canadian Council of Churches, founded in 1944, is the national ecumenical fellowship of Canadian churches. It provides an agency for consultation, planning and common action.
Source: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/story/4223181p-4860550c.html