Address to Interreligious Leadership Conference 2017
Seoul, Korea, November 10 to 14, 2017
Talofa (“hello” in Samoan) and kia ora tatou (“hello all” in Maori).
Ask yourself: What is the purpose of your life today? Why are you here today? Time and tides wait for nobody. Do you see what I see? Do you hear what I hear?
God wants you and me today to develop a vibrant, sustainable, peaceful world where people live for the sake of one another and live well in dignity and prosperity.
We are here to foster partnership and provide a unified platform addressing the critical challenges of our time and promote interreligious, innovative approaches to peace.
We must respect and promote human rights and social justice.
We should develop and implement strategies that are holistic; activities and practices that promote individual and collective human rights, including the right to development, with dignity, decent work, social justice and equality for all people.
We must develop and implement priorities and approaches that promote environmental sustainability for present and future generations, including urgent responses to climate crises.
Are we ready to hop on the canoe? Hold up the resolution in your right hand, the resolution for the formation of the Interreligious Association for Peace and Development (IAPD) which was signed at this Interreligious Leadership Conference (IRLC). It has been a blessed morning. Are you willing to go all the way?
You have been given something to take home with you, so you can say to yourself, “peace to the world.” I will end by saying: In Tuvalu, we lift the canoe, we paddle it to reach our destination.
Hiki Ko Te Vaka
Hopo Ki Luga
Alo Ki Mua
God bless you all. Peace, shalom and assalamualaikum.
To go to the Interreligious Leadership Conference Schedule 2017, click here.