Vienna, 16 March 2015: Experts from one of the world’s oldest interreligious platforms, the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions (CPWR), visited KAICIID headquarters on 16 March 2015. The CPWR delegation, including the Chair of the Board of Trustees, Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid, and the Executive Director, Dr. Mary Nelson, met KAICIID Secretary General Faisal Bin Muaammar and KAICIID project leaders.

The two organisations met to develop a collaboration plan to support the global interreligious and interfaith movement, with an initial focus on the next Parliament of the World Religions to be held in Salt Lake City (USA) between 15 and 19 October 2015.

The first Parliament of the World Religions, held in 1893, marks for many the birth of the modern interreligious dialogue movement. Following a centenary celebration held in 1988, the Council for a Parliament of World Religions was established to “cultivate harmony among the world’s religions and spiritual communities and to foster their engagement with each other.”

The Parliament of the World’s Religions has convened every five years since 1988. The meeting in October 2015 will be the seventh Parliament.

Speaking of the importance of the Parliament of the World’s Religions, Imam Mujahid said: “The global interfaith movement is often disconnected: there is a need to convene them, for these people to be able to connect in a non-threatening, inclusive way.” KAICIID Secretary General Bin Muaammar expressed the Centre’s willingness to support the global interfaith movement, and stated that “one of KAICIID’s core missions is to act as a hub to foster interreligious dialogue in an atmosphere of mutual respect and openness.”

At the October 2015 Parliament of the World Religions in Salt Lake City,  KAICIID will provide interreligious dialogue training at the meeting, where over 10,000 experts and practitioners from the global interreligious dialogue movement will gather. These trainings will include a session on social media as a space for dialogue, as well as an intensive course on Interreligious Dialogue and Conflict Resolution.