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J. Rambaran: Address to International Leadership Conference 2018
Written by Rev. Johanna Rambaran, President, United Religions Initiative, the Netherlands
Monday, February 19, 2018
Address to International Leadership Conference 2018, Seoul, Korea, February 18-22, 2018
I thank the organization of the Universal Peace Federation for the invitation to join this conference. I got this invitation only 10 days after I accepted the position of president of United Religions Initiative, the Netherlands.
A brief introduction about myself
I am the daughter of the first reverend of Indian origin of the Moravian Church in Suriname, which is in South America. Suriname used to be a Dutch colony. When we moved to the Netherlands I became the chairman of the Moravian church in The Hague.
After some time I decided to join politics. I served as a council member of the Christian Democratic Party in The Hague. When that time was over, I was invited to become a member of United Religions Initiative (URI), the Netherlands.
Perspectives on “Building a World of Lasting Peace”
Religion must be a source of peace. Religion must be a messenger of peace. Religion must be an inspiration to harmony. Contrary to this, many unseen evil forces are using religion in spreading hate and violence.
As you may know URI envisions a world at peace, sustained by engaged and interconnected communities committed to respecting diversity, nonviolent resolution of conflict, and social, political, economic and environmental justice.
At this moment I am working on a novel that is an eye-opener to all lovers of peace. This creative work addresses the extreme danger of radical behavior in religions. This work makes us aware that poison in religions can bring nations to nuclear conflicts. And nuclear conflict can remove any sign of life and civilization on Mother Earth. We all know the stories of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This work is about the future: the Himalayan region is hit by a nuclear missile fired from India that was actually meant for Islamabad. The poster I present to you is showing a nuclear explosion in the Himalayas that is destroying the life line and ecology of our world.
Role of Religious Leaders
In order to prevent such a disaster, religious leaders must play their role to influence people, especially young people and their parents. They must work together with politicians in solving conflicts. Religious Leaders must seek each other through dialogues and cooperation in building a sustainable peace.
To go to the International Leadership Conference Schedule 2018, click here.