The International Conference on Religious Cooeration

9/22/2001

The International Conference on Religious Cooperation was held at the Grand Hotel in Taipei from September 18 to 20. The aim of the conference was to promote world peace through strengthening the mutual understanding and cooperation among all religions. More than one hundred delegates from 29 countries, representing 19 religious traditions, attended the conference. The conference was organized by the Buddhist Association of the Republic of China in Taiwan (BAROC) and the World Chinese Buddhist Sangha Congress, and was hosted by Venerable Ching Hsin, President of the BAROC.

Three major topics were discussed in the conference: religious conflicts and solutions, religious cooperation and common aspiration, and religious research and bio-technology. Delegates from all background were able to exchange their views,  enhanced their understanding of each other, and made new friends. A declaration of common commitment was produced at the end of the conference, denouncing any form of violence in the name of religion.

Master Sheng-yen, founder of the Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Foundations, gave the concluding speech at the closing ceremony of the conference, offering his insights on interreligious respect, understanding, and cooperation.