Buenos Aires, Argentina - A fraternal environment prevailed during a lunch organized at the restaurant-bar of the Jewish Museum of Buenos Aires on Sept. 29, 2014, with the participation of spiritual and community leaders from diverse organizations of civil society.
Diego Elman, director of institutional relations at Templo Libertad, welcomed the guests who, at intervals, expressed deep concepts about different subjects, especially related to coexistence and peace. The gathering was an initiative of Alicia Maciel, a UPF Ambassador for Peace.
During the meeting, Fray Jorge Bender, from the Saint Francis of Assisi’s Abbey, introduced the expression “Ubuntu” from African philosophy to emphasize the importance of others: “I am because we are.” Rabbi Damián Karo, from Templo Libertad, focused on an understanding of “power as service,” while Pastor Raúl Radakoff, from the Evangelical Pentecostal Ministry “Way of Life,” made a comparison between the movement of tectonic plates in an earthquake and the friction that occurs between different cultural movements. He also criticized the “useful idiots” that exist in the different communities, because with their extremism they end up affecting the whole.
Dr. Julio Schlosser, president of the Delegation of Argentine Jewish Associations, briefly shared some concepts from his message at the UPF World Summit and the World Jewish Congress, recently organized in Seoul and Berlin, respectively. He also mentioned his recent meeting with Pope Francis, who was mentioned by many participants. Horacio Daboul, from the Arab Cultural and Social League Association, pointed out the importance of the work of different communities, while Alejandro D’Alessandro talked about some of his experiences as a union activist, the importance of communication, and his impression about the meeting he had with the Pope.
The gathering, that was graced by a musical number by the duet Gefilte Fish, also included Carlos Ramiro Martínez Alvarado, Guatemala’s ambassador to Argentina; David Frol, from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a member of Argentina Council for Religious Liberty; Miguel Werner, secretary general of UPF-Argentina; and representatives from the fields of art, journalism and business.
Translation: Yamila Gómez