On Dec. 12, 2016, the 2016 International Conference on Religious and Sustainable Development, the Second Cross-Strait Religious Charity Forum and the Third Jiangsu Religious Charity Training Class is inaugurated in Nanjing, Jiangsu. Discussions around the role of religions in harmonious development of society, development of religious charities and communication and cooperation between international religious charities will be held.
More than 200 people from 15 countries and areas, including the official leaders and international partners of the Amity Foundation, attend the conferences that have been co-sponsored by the Institute of World Religions (IWR) of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the Foundation and the Chinese Christianity Cross-Strait Communication Association.
Qiu Zhonghui, vice president of the board and general secretary of the Amity Foundation, states that we begin to focus on how to give play to the larger part of religions in the promotion of social harmony in the recent years, owing to the attention on the topic, the wars in the world and refugee issues.
Li Guohua, Vice Director of United Front Department of Jiangsu Province and Director of Jiangsu Provincial Religious Affairs Bureau, introduces that there are over 100 charitable organizations in Jiangsu and millions of religious volunteers. "I hope the participants can explore the responsibility and duty of the religious community in promoting sustainable development of human society...... They can forge the International Conference of Religions and Sustainable Development as an open high-end platform." Declares Li.
Speeches are addressed by Prof. Zhuo Xinping, Director of WRI, Dr. h.c. Cornelia Fullkrug-Weitzel, President of Bread for the World, Rev Paul Wei Ti-Hsiang, General Secretary of Chinese Christian Cross-Strait Corporate Exchange Association and Dr. Ulrich Nitschke, Head of Sector Program Values, Religion and Development and the Head of PaRD Secretariat, respectively.
Besides, the Chinese version of a new book is launched, which tells how different religions across the world and aborigines understand sustainable development and their contributions to the development.
After the opening ceremony, the 2016 International Conference and the Second Charity Forum are held at the same time, divided into four subforms. The conferences will proceed on Dec. 13 and 14, whose schedule will include visits to some religious venues and organizations with religious backgrounds.
Translated by Karen Luo
