Leaders seek ways to prevent wars

Leaders seek ways to prevent wars
REUTERS

UNITED NATIONS, AUG 29: Thundering drum rolls, prayers and benedictions in the UN General Assembly hall ushered in the millennium peace conference that is exploring ways for religion to help prevent wars and support the UN's quest for global peace.

"Never before has the world's religious leadership gathered at the United Nations to give their blessings and support to the enormous and challenging undertakings of this vital institution," Bawa Jain, secretary-general of the `Millennium World Peace Summit', said at Monday's opening.

Wearing turbans, saffron robes, American Indian feathered headdresses, black rabbinical coats, more than 1,000 leaders filed into the hall to proclaim Monday the "Day of Prayer for World Peace".

The event, which ends on Thursday, is organised by a coalition of non-governmental religious groups, with coordinating help from the United Nations. Half of the conference will be held at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel.

One of the main goals of the gathering is to create an advisory council to the UN Secretary General and build "an interfaith ally", to work within the UN system, Jain said.

"There are so many regions with their own doctrines, we need to talk and create a dialogue to soften conflicts," said Eshin Watanabe, the 225th supreme priest of the Tendai School of Buddhism in Japan.

The conspicuous absence of the Dalai Lama, one of the world's most well-known spiritual leaders and 1989 Nobel Peace Prize winner, overshadowed the event even before it started.

China put pressure on the United Nations and organisers to exclude the Dalai Lama from the UN compound because they view him as a political leader.

He then declined a belated invitation to the summit's closing ceremony at the Waldorf.

The Dalai Lama, speaking from his home in India, said he did not "want to create any embarrassment". But he told CNN

in an interview he turned down a last-minute invitation, calling it "not smooth".

Jain, nevertheless, highlighted the breakthrough of allowing the Dalai Lama's representatives, Tibetan Buddhist monks, to take part in Monday's opening prayer ceremony and to address the delegates in the General Assembly on Tuesday.

"I've negotiated at length with the Chinese authorities and I have them understand clearly that this is a world peace summit of religious and spiritual leaders, this is not political leaders," said Jain, a US Citizen born in India. He is of the Jain faith.

Bishop Gunnar Stalset, a Norwegian Lutheran and deputy leader of the Nobel Peace Prize committee who voted for the Dalai Lama in 1989, said: "It would have been an historic occasion for the Dalai Lama to have been here in his own right as a spiritual leader."

"I'm happy for the compromise, but disappointed he's not here," Stalset said. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who has said the United Nations had to abide by members' wishes, told reporters on Monday, "It would have been preferable if everyone were here."

The Chinese Government has sent a delegation made up of individuals representing Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and Taoism.