Leaders of the world’s representative religions are in Seoul to pray for world peace and harmony between religions.
Some 30 representatives from international religious groups arrived on Wednesday to participate in the 2006 World Religious Leaders’ Conference, starting today and running until June 14.
Hosted by the Korean Buddhist group Manhae Foundation, the event aims to promote mutual understanding between various religions such as Buddhism, Catholicism, Christianity, Islamism and Hinduism.
“It’s very unique that so many different religions co-exist peacefully without big conflicts in South Korea,’’ Yeun Kee-young, chairman of the conference’s organizing committee said. “We hope that the event will help build human networks among different religious groups from all over the world.’’
Yeun hopes the conference will grow into a big, influential international event like the Davos Forum in economic circles.
International guests include Meyer Abich, professor at Essen University in Germany; Sirisena Banda Hettiaratchi, president of the International Buddhist Research Center in Sri Lanka; Kong Deban, Confucius’s 77th descendent from China; and Fisher Barry, vice president of Human Rights Advocates in the United States.
Along with some 200 domestic religious leaders they will participate in a series of sessions and forums and visit churches and temples.
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama is unlikely to join the event as the South Korean government has rejected visa applications from the Tibetan guru to avoid diplomatic friction with China.
Although he has long expressed his willingness to visit Korea and many local religious groups have attempted to bring him here, their efforts have fallen short due to concerns about a diplomatic conflict arising as Beijing denies Tibetan sovereignty.
The opening ceremony starts at 3 p.m. today at the fencing arena in Seoul Olympic Park, southern Seoul.
At the ceremony, guests will issue a joint statement to help enhance harmony between different religions.
The following day, they will begin visiting 13 religious institutes and headquarters in order to try to understand each other better.
Some of the places they will visit include Chegidong Catholic Church, Myongdong Catholic Church, Kyungdong Presbyterian Church, the Anglican Church of Korea, Kwanmunsa Temple in Seoul, Hainsa Temple in South Kyongsang Province and Sokgulam Cave Temple in Kyongju, North Kyongsang Province.
On June 9 and 10 there will be international forums on religion and peace at Chamsil Lotte World Hotel in southern Seoul.
