Greetings and Welcome

An Inter-faith Perspective on Globalisation

for the Common Good

The Annual International Conference Series,

Inaugural Conference, Oxford, 2002

An Introduction and Mission Statement

Dr. Kamran Mofid, Founder Convenor

The Children of Adam

Are limbs of one another,

In terms of Creation,

They’re of the self-same Essence.

Sa’adi.

What is to be done, O Moslems? For I do not recognise myself.

I am neither Christian, nor Jew, nor Gabr, nor Moslem.

I am not of the East, nor of the West, nor of the land, nor of the sea;

I am not of Nature’s mint, nor of the circling heaven.

I am not of earth, nor of water, nor of air, nor of fire;

I am not of the empyrean, nor of the dust, nor of existence, nor of entity.

I am not of India, nor of China, nor of Bulgaria, nor of Saqsin;

I am not of the kingdom of ’Iraqian, nor of the country of Khorasan.

I am not of this world, nor of the next, nor of Paradise, nor of Hell.

I am not of Adam, nor of Eve, nor of Eden and Rizwan.

My place is the Placeless; my trace is the Traceless;

’Tis neither body nor soul, for I belong to the soul of the Beloved.

I have put duality away; I have seen that the two worlds are one;

One I seek, One I know, One I see, One I call.

He is the first, He is the last, He is the outward, He is the inward;

I am intoxicated with Love’s cup, the two worlds have passed out of my ken;

If once in my life I spent a moment without thee,

From that time and from that hour I repent of my life.

If once in this world I win a moment with thee,

I will trample on both worlds; I will dance in triumph for ever.

Rumi.

Background and Introduction

These days, we hear a great deal about cultural conflicts and the clash of civilisations taking form in religious extremism, terrorism, and the victimisation of innocents on all sides. Such acts deform religion and degrade us all. In human history wars fought in the name of religions have not brought peace and happiness to any society or nation.

The wish that a new century would usher in a world transformed as if by magic lies in ruins. Cycles of violence and countermeasures have brought destruction, anger and fear in their wake. Communal hatreds have led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent victims. Mismanagement of the global economy leaves millions in abject poverty. There is an urgent need for integrity in human relationships, in economic life, in public governance. There is an urgent need for a dialogue of communities and civilisations, across cultures, religions and economic divides.

There is an equal need for an inner journey of the human spirit, towards eternal spiritual values. This journey, beginning with us as individual people, can affect families, neighbourhoods and even the world. Hope is restored when individuals, groups and communities take courageous action to right wrongs and reach out to others. The course of history can change when the causes of desperation are recognised, justice is honestly pursued and hates are healed.

This series of annual conferences was developed so that we, the peoples of the world, could travel together in a healing journey, moving from conflict to community and the common good in our global home. The economic vision behind the series is the development of globalisation as if people really mattered – an honest debate and analysis on integrity, responsibility, accountability and spirituality for the common good. This series of conferences is an attempt to provide answers to questions such as: What role must the various sectors of society, business, labour, media, government, religion, academia, and local and global activists – play together in order to ensure a just globalisation for the common good.

The theological, religious and spiritual vision for the conference is based on the understanding that a transformation is taking place in our societies: after centuries often marked by conflict, rivalry mistrust and ignorance, the world’s religions are working together as partners for peace and the common good. Can believers apply in their own lives the ‘golden rule’ that all religions and philosophies have in common: “Do not do to others what you would not like done to you”? During these conferences we will hear about initiatives already being taken by representatives of religions and other people of humanitarian commitment, and seek to promote this important transformation in our secular societies. Participants will have a chance to share their fears and their faith and explore ways of supporting one another.

This series of conferences seeks to widen vision and deepen hearts. Inter-faith dialogue is a path to reqpect and constructive co-operation for a peaceful, just and sustainable future. It is grounded in the belief that religion is religion only when it reconciles and unites, not when it divides.

Looking into the future, the 2005 conference, Africa and Globalisation for the Common Good: The Quest for Justice and Peace Will take place in Kericho, Kenya in April 2005 (see further the conference announcement and call for papers later in this booklet). The fifth annual conference will be held at Chaminade University of Honolulu, Hawaii, during 16-21 May 2006 while the sixth annual conference will be held in India in 2007. Other venues for future conferences are currently under consideration.

Finally, as all we have done and achieved so far has been based on a teamwork spirit, I want to thank you all for travelling together for Globalisation for the Common Good.

Kamran Mofid

Founder Convenor

Greetings, Welcome and Thank You

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

It is my pleasure and honour to welcome you to the conference. In these global and too often troubled times, we need new perspectives and models so that we can find humane answers to the challenge of globalisation, based on a profound respect for the diversity of cultures and religions in our world community. As global events demonstrate, there is a desperate need to reintroduce spirituality, ethics, morality and faith into the debate on globalisation.

Looking at the conference programme, without doubt and hesitation, we can see that our accomplished speakers have risen well to this challenge. The conference is truly privileged to have speakers of this calibre, sharing their views with us. Without them there would have been no conference, and with them, I hope we can travel together to mend the troubled and torn cultures of our time and pave the way to global justice, peace, harmony and healing. I wish to express the conference’s respect and sincere gratitude to each of our presenters for their extraordinary commitment in being a part of this vital effort by giving their time and expertise freely. Each one of our speakers brings a missing and essential piece that completes the process, leading to a better understanding of what globalisation is all about. Hopefully, together, we can clearly argue for and insist on social and economic alternatives that address the roots of global injustice and inhumanity.

I am also grateful to and thank all the conference delegates who have come from near and far to be with us. It is wonderful for academics and non-academics to get involved and engaged with one another, so that we can all share each other’s varied experiences. All of us must be given a voice to be heard.

I would also like to thank my co-convenor, Dr. Raymond Hamden. Without his support, love and hard work there would not have been a conference in this vitally important region of the world. Raymond has cheerfully, with much spirituality, given much to make this possible and for this I convey my gratitude to him and all his staff at the Comprehensive Medical Centre in Dubai. It was during my second visit to Dubai in November 2003 that I met Mr. Abbas Bolurfrushan, President, Iranian Business Council (IBC) of Dubai. Abbas has proved to be a formidable friend and a great supporter of Globalisation for the Common Good and a source of inspiration to me. At this point I would like to thank him, the Iranian Business Council and all the members of its Board of Directors, in particular Mr. Nasser Hashempour for organising and sponsoring a special session, Iran and Globalisation for the Common Good on the evening of 28^th March(see further the programme). I want to also pay a special tribute to another good friend of Globalisation for the Common Good, Mr. Brian LaBelle, Vice President, Skywards at Emirates Airlines and Chairman, Canadian Business Council, Dubai. As some of you may know the Honourable Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, the former Canadian Foreign Minister had kindly accepted our invitation to deliver a keynote address at the conference in Dubai. However, in January 2004 Dr. Axworthy was appointed by the United Nations Secretary General as his Special Envoy for the two Horn of Africa countries, namely Eritrea and Ethiopia. Given the urgency of what needs to be done there, Dr. Axworthy with great regret had to cancel his participation at the conference at the last moment so that he can devote all his time to much needed peace work there. Although I was very disappointed that Dr. Axworthy could not join us, I know that his work in the Horn of Africa is a true example of common good in action and I am sure you will all join me in wishing him good luck. Brian LaBelle was instrumental in facilitating and sponsoring Dr. Axworthy as well as Mr. David Choi, President and CEO, Royal Pacific Group and Special Advisor to Dr. Axworthy to come to Dubai. Here I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Brian and all his colleagues at Emirates Skywards and the Canadian Business Council, and also at Lufthansa Airlines.

It is also necessary to thank the Sikh community in UAE for their generous hospitality by inviting the conference to attend their Gurudwara in Dubai on the evening of Friday 26^th March. They have arranged for hundreds of their fellow Sikhs to travel to Dubai to be with us during our visit (for more details see the programme). I would now like to thank Ms. Priya Sridharan, our conference secretary. I am sure you agree that she has worked very hard, diligently and efficiently. Special thank is also due to the Rotana Hotel Group in Dubai for so cheerfully assisting us with all that we have required. I am sure, knowing their standards well, you will all have a very good and welcoming time here. I am grateful to Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha for sponsoring the production of this booklet. Thanks also to my friend and colleague Dr. Josef Boehle for his continuous hard work in maintaining the commongood website and help in developing the conference programme. I must thank my wife and my sons for their support and help.

Finally, and hopefully for future conferences, as I have been saying since our first conference in Oxford that hopefully one day soon people of goodwill can translate their words of praise into action by helping us more fully so that a permanent home for Globalisation for the Common Good can be established. We have to prove St. Francis of Assisi right in that it is in giving that we receive!

In all, it has been a wonderful experience for me to get to know so many people of good will from different cultures and nationalities in Dubai. I am grateful to all of them, especially to the Persian, Canadian and the Sikh communities and people.

This week, all of us, experienced and newcomers, young and old, students and teachers together will form a community, committed to exploring and debating visions and ideas for celebrating diversity, appreciating uniqueness, enabling us to transform disagreements into understanding and mutual respect.

In addition to plenary sessions and workshops, there will be opportunities for informal spontaneous meetings and dialogue between participants all through the week. This, I sincerely hope will result in invaluable collaborative learning experiences and networking as well as rich personal interactions. Please try to participate also in the cultural and social activities to cement further the newly formed friendships. I hope you will take full advantage of all these activities.

In conclusion, I invite you to share a common belief in the potential of each one of us to become self-directed, empowered, and active in defining this time in the world as opportunity for positive change and healing and for the true formation of a culture of peace by giving thanks, spreading joy, sharing love, seeing miracles, discovering goodness, embracing kindness, practicing patience, teaching tolerance, encouraging laughter, celebrating diversity, showing compassion, turning from hatred, practicing forgiveness, peacefully resolving conflicts, communicating non-violently, choosing happiness and enjoying life.

Have a wonderful conference.

Have a wonderful time.

Kamran Mofid

Conference Founder Convenor

www.commongood.info

Organising Committee in Dubai

What could be more flattering than being selected to serve as conference co-convener on the theme of Globalization for the Common Good with Founder, Dr. Kamran Mofid In the 30+ years of studying and practicing psychology, I find this opportunity one of the highlights of my career.

Today, people worldwide need to re-think globalization as a significant part of daily life. As experts in various fields of study and the applied professions, we have emerged from academic theorist to practitioners without compromising our growing academic significance.

This conference further awakens more of our world’s population to the Middle East region. Professionals from the Gulf States, and internationally, cover topics of essence to academics, practitioners, and the public-at-large. This is the third conference. Hopefully it will cultivate an emerging international consciousness of this region, as it has for the others communities, and more areas to come…Africa, Asia, and the western hemisphere.

Globalization for the Common Good is of the essence in everyone’s daily life: work, play, relationships, health, technological, spiritually as well as psychologically and economically.

The goals of the Globalization of the Common Good Conference are, in part, commitment to working in partnership and friendship with others, individuals and organizations worldwide; To develop the theory and practice of the “common good” concept and interventions, in order to significantly improve its effectiveness; To identify and develop Leadership drawn from men and women committed to the concept of the “Common Good”.

On today’s world we can expand our global awareness, international understanding, and manage diversity of multicultural dimensions, with the sophistication of communications and transportation. The world is open to most of us with the click of a button on the computer and air travel to just about any place on the planet.

The ultimate goal: to enrich each of us individually and enhance our knowledge in developing and sustaining peace in all communities by fostering effective communications, mutual understanding, and increase cooperation among all inhabitants of this planet earth.

Dr. Raymond H. Hamden

Co-convener, and Director, Comprehensive Medical Centre, Dubai

List of Speakers

Dr. Maher Abu Munshar	Al-Maktoum Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies, Dundee, Scotland, UK.
Dr. Yousif Asfour	Chair, Department of Information Technology, American University of Dubai, UAE.
Professor Hooshang Amirahmadi	Director, Middle East Centre, Rutgers University, USA and President, American-Iranian Council, USA.
Dr. Josef Boehle,	Research Fellow, Department of Theology, University of Birmingham, UK.
Agnetta Borgman	Research Social Worker, Dubai, UAE.
Rev. Michael Bos	Director, Al Amana Centre, Sultanate of Oman.
Dr. David Coleman	Associate Professor of Religion, Chaminade University of Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
Professor Suleman Dangor	Professor of Islamic Studies, University of Durban-Westville, South Africa.
Ann-Katrin Elis	Post-graduate student, Geography, Heinrich-Heine University, Duesseldorf, Germany.
Mag. Markus Glatz-Schmallegger	Senior researcher, Catholic Social Academy of Austria (ksoe), Vienna, Austria.
Wayne Green	Founder-Proprietor, Global-Affairs.co.uk
Najdia Diane Hamden	Leadership programmes, USA.
Dr. Raymond Hamden	Director, Comprehensive Medical Centre, Dubai, UAE and the Co-Convenor of the conference.
Dr. Christopher Houghton Budd	Director, Centre for Associative Economics, Canterbury, UK.
Hazar Ibdah	Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, American University of Sharjah, UAE. Iranian Business Council (I.B.C), Dubai.
H.E. Dr. Ahmad Jalali	President of 31^st UNESCO General Assembly (2001 – 2003) and President of the World Heritage General Assembly.
Dr. Judith Jensen	Director, Educational Solutions, Oregon Institute of Technology-Office of the Assistant Provost, USA.
Dr. George Katodrytis	Assistant Professor of Architecture, American University of Sharjah, UAE.
Jim Kenney	Executive Director, Interreligious Engagement Project(USA) and Co-Editor, Interreligious Insight: A Journal of Dialogue and Engagement.
Dr. Kathleen Kevany	University of Western Ontario, Canada and United Nations University, Japan.
Fazlun Khalid	Founder Director, Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Birmingham, UK.
Dr. Mahmood Khalil	Head, College of Sakhnin for Teacher Education, Israel.
Audrey Kitagawa	Advisor, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict, United Nations, UN, New York, USA.
Rev. Dr. William Lesher	President emeritus of the Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago and the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions.
Mandana Manoochehri	Iranian Business Council, Dubai.
Bernard Margeuritte	President, The International Communications Forum, Paris, France.
Sr. Beatrice Mariotti	Headmistress, St. Mary’s Catholic High School, Dubai, UAE.
Professor Fr. Peter Milward SJ	Emeritus Professor and Director, Renaissance Institute, Sofia University, Japan.
Dr. Kamran Mofid	Founder Convenor, An Inter-faith Perspective on Globalisation for the Common Good.
Dr. Athar Murtuza	Seton Hall University, USA.
Ali Owliaei	Senior Consultant, Crisis and Conflict, and a Managing Partner, Office for Project Development and Strategic Planning, Tehran, Iran.
Rev. Alan Race	Rector, St. Andrews Church, Leicester, UK and Editor-in-Chief, Interreligious Insight: a Journal of Dialogue and Engagement.
Robert Radin	Businessman & Social Activist, Calafornia, USA.
Jane Samuels	Cultural Development Consultant, UK.
Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh	Chairman, Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha, Birmingham, UK.
Jeffery Smith	Editor, The Geonomist and President, Forum on Geonomics, USA.
Professor Tara Stuart	Professor of Education, Keene State College, USA.
Professor Toh Swee-Hin	Director, Multi-Faith Centre, Griffith University, Australia.
Dr. Keyvan Tabari	Attorney at Law, San Francisco, USA
Jakob von Uexkull	Founder and Chairman, The Right Livelihood Awards, London and Co-ordinator, The World Future Council Initiative.
Dr. Marie France Waxin	Professor Adjoint, HEC Montreal, Canada.
Annick de Witt	Social Environmental Sciences, University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Dr. Lawrence Woods	Associate Professor of Political Science and International Studies, American University of Sharjah, UAE.

Friday, 26^th March

	Registration
	Registration will take place throughout the day at the following hotels: Al-Bustan Towers Rotana Jumeirah Rotana.
5.45-9.00 pm	Visit to the Sikh Gurudwara in Dubai
5.45 pm 6.00 pm 6.30 pm 7.00 pm 8.00 pm 9.00 pm	All visitors to arrive at the Al-Bustan Hotel Leave Al-Bustan Hotel by coach Arrive at the Sikh ‘Gurudwara’ (Sikh place of worship) The Sikh community will be giving this visit special status, and will arrange for all five Sikh Gurudwaras in UAE to come together for this special occasion. About 2000 members of the congregation may be present. As we arrive at the Gurudwara ‘Kirtan’ (Sikh form of devotional singing), will be in progress. Words of welcome and vote of thanks Langar (sharing of food) Coach leaves for hotel

Saturday, 27^thMarch

8.00 am	Welcoming Reception and Breakfast
9.00 am	Welcome And Opening Remarks
	Dr. Kamran Mofid and Dr. Raymond Hamden
9.45 am	Opening Addresses
	Chair: Dr. Kamran Mofid Reverend Dr. William Lesher Pathways to Peace: Overview and Preview of the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh The Contribution of Interfaith Work to a More Just and Peaceful World A Perspective from Sikhism
10.45 am	Morning Tea / Coffee

11.15 am	Session 1 Muslim - Christian Dialogue for the Common Good: A View from the Gulf
	Chair: Dr Josef Boehle Dr. Maher Abu Munshar The Qur’anic Framework concerning Muslim Treatment of non-Muslims Rev. Michael Bos Shaping Religious Communities for the Common Good: the Gulf Experience Sr. Beatrice Mariotti Globalisation and Christian - Muslim Spiritual Dialogue in Dubai
12.45 pm	Lunch Break
2.00 pm	Session 2 Religions and Social Justice
	Chair: Prof. Tara Stuart Mag. Markus Glatz- Schmallegger Religions Acting for “Bridging and Linking Social Capital” in the Context of Globalisation Dr. Judith Jensen Introducing a Powerful Website to Encourage Grass Roots Inter-faith Dialogue on Economic Social Justice Dr. Athar Murtuza Inter-faith Values as the Foundation for Dialogue to achieve International Economic Social Justice
3.30 pm	Coffee / Tea Break
4.00 – 5.30 pm	Session 3 An Interactive Public Forum: Profit and the Common Good: Conflict or Convergence?
	Chair: Rev. Alan Race Dr Kamran Mofid “Businesses do not have a natural propensity to do good. What is natural for them is to minimise costs and maximise profits”. Editorial, The Economist, 24 June 1995.
7.45 pm	Welcoming Dinner by the Pool

Sunday 28^thMarch

8.00 am

Welcoming Reception and Breakfast

9.15 am

Session 4 Religions and the Common Good

Chair: Jim Kenney

Dr. Josef Boehle

Religions and Cooperation for the Common Good

Prof. David Coleman

Leadership for Community and the Common Good

Dr. Kathleen Kevany

Compassion for the Common Good: Building the Requisite Leadership and Stewardship Capacity

Prof. Suleman Dangor

Can Religion give Globalisation a Human Face?

11.00 am

Coffee / Tea Break

11.30 am

Session 5 Urbanisation and Cities in a Global Age

Chair: Dr. Lawrence Woods

Ann – Katrin Elis

Dubai- on the Way to a Global City? An Analysis from View of Geography

George Katodrytis

Hybird Urbani

Wayne Green

The Middle East and Lebanon: To What Extent if any did Urbanisation Contribute to Confessional Consciousness

1.00 pm

Lunch Break

2.00 pm

Session 6 Globalisation and Civilisations

Chair: Rev. Michael Bos

Fazlun Khalid

Globalisation, Modernity and Tradition

Jim Kenney and Rev. Alan Race

Globalisation and a Dialogue of Civilisations

Dr. Lawrence Woods and Hazar Ibdah

Al- Andalus and Contemporary Globalisation

3.30 pm

Coffee / Tea Break

6.30pm

Persian Evening

An Inter-faith Perspective on Globalisation for the Common Good

Conference Announcement

and

Call for Papers

The 4th Annual International Conference on

An Inter-faith Perspective on Globalisation

Africa and Globalisation for the Common Good: The Quest for Justice and Peace

Kericho, Kenya, 21-24 April 2005

(Thursday to Sunday inclusive)

Convenors:

Dr. Kamran Mofid, Founder-Convenor

and

Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh,

Chairman and Spiritual Succesor of

Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha (Birmingham) UK

In association with:

Nishkam Puran Institute (NPI), Kericho

In these global and too often troubled times, we need new perspectives and models so that we can find humane answers to the challenges of globalisation, based on a deep respect for the diversity of cultures and religions in our world community. There is a desperate need for new and practical ways of reintroducing spirituality, ethics and faith into the debate on globalisation. Africa has suffered slavery, colonialism, and now is struggling along the path of neo-liberal globalisation. We know that slavery and colonialism dealt Africa a bad hand. Are the same tragedies visiting Africa again? Has globalisation dealt Africa once again a bad hand?

Papers, panels, and roundtable submissions are invited from observers, commentators, academics and NGOs to address issues related to globalisation within the identified theme of the conference, including : Strategies to overcome poverty and the promotion of sustainable development, traditional and modern methods of development, African religions, cultures, traditions, spirituality and globalisation, human right issues, citizenship issues, constitutional matters, law, development and gender issues, Resource entitlement, rights to health, education and intellectual property, the cost &benefits of shadow economies, the costs of militarization, arm conflicts and child soldiers, health crises, Aids, the IMF, the World Bank and Africa, debt and it’s consequences in Africa, food crisis, hunger and famine, sustainable tourism, food export, cash crops and food- import dependency, African oil and globalisation.

Specifically welcome would be papers from economists, businessmen / women, philosophers, theologians, historians, political scientists/international relation, sociologists, psychologists, medical profession, peace researchers, conflict resolution specialists, lawyers, environmentalists and geographers as well as those engaged in inter-faith in action projects. Please also note that the Conference is not only on Africa, but it is fully inclusive of other regions. You are invited to send a one page abstract which should include a working title, the authors discipline and field, address, institutional affiliation and email address by 15 December 2004 to either of the conference convenors at: commongoodKericho@gnnsj.org, should your proposal be accepted you will be notified by 15 January 2005 about the conference programme, registration, social and cultural activities, costs and other particulars.

The 2005 conference on Globalisation for the Common Good will be held in the town of Kericho, 260km from Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. Kericho is the gateway to Western Kenya and is well known as a tea growing area.

It is home to the largest Gurudwara (Sikh place of worship) in Africa. The conference will take place at Nishkam Puran Institute (NPI) in Kericho.

Conference International Advisory Council:

Rev. Dr. Sabina Alkire, Global Equity Initiative, Harvard University, USA

Dr. Josef Boehle, Department of Theology, University of Birmingham, UK

Rev. Marcus Braybrooke, President, World Congress of Faiths, Oxford, UK

Prof. Kevin Clements, Director, Australian Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Queensland, Australia

Dr. David Coleman, Chair, Humanities and Fine Arts, Chaminade University of Honolulu, USA

Dr. Margarete Czerny, East-West Cooperation, Austrian Institute of Economic Research, Vienna, Austria

Prof. Suleman Dangor, Islamic Studies, University of Durban-Westville, South Africa

Ms.Diane Goldin, Founder, Goldin Institute for International Partnership & Peace, USA

Dr. Raymond Hamden, Director, Comprehensive Medical Centre, Dubai, UAE

Dr. Sr. Anele Heiges OP, Mount St. Mary College, New York, USA

Dr. Christopher Houghton Budd, Director, Centre for Associative Economics, Canterbury, UK

Dr. Kathleen Kevany, University of Western Ontario, Canada and United Nations University, Japan

Ms. Audrey Kitagawa, President, Light of Awareness International Spiritual Family, USA

Dr. Jeannie Lum, College of Education, University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA

Dr. Eleanor Nesbitt, Institute of Education, University of Warwick, UK

Rev. Alan Race, Editor-in-Chief, Interreligious Insight

Prof. Mahmoud Sadri, Texas Woman's University, USA

Prof. Toh Swee-Hin, Director, Multi-Faith Centre, Griffith University, Australia

For frequently updated information on the conference please visit the website:

http://www.commongood.info

For an introduction to Kericho and Nishkam Puran Institute see:

http://www.commongood.info/kericho.html

The speech of Dr Kamran Mofid on Globalisation for the Common Good, delivered during the Persian Evening

(sponsored by the Iranian Business Council) on 28 March 2004, is online at:

http://www.commongood.info/ibcspeech.html

You are welcome to forward this announcement.

2.00 pm	Session 9 Diversity and The Need for Understanding
	Chair: Najdia Diane Hamden Bernard Margeuritte The Media : from Understanding to Mutual Understanding Ali Owliaei and Mandana Manoochehri Globalisation and Political, Religious and Social Transformation in Middle Eastern States Robert Radin We Are in Paradise: Shall We All Participate. A Perspective from Jainism
3.30 pm	Coffee / Tea Break
	Gala Dinner
7.30 pm 8.00 pm	Arrival Dinner Master of Ceremonies Dr. Raymond Hamden

2.00 pm	Pre-Parliament Forum The Middle East, Islam, Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions and Globalisation for the Common Good
	Chair: Audrey Kitagawa Panellists( in alphabetical order) Dr. Josef Boehle Dr. Raymond Hamden Rev. Dr. William Lesher Dr. Kamran Mofid Bhai Sahib Bhai Mohinder Singh Prof. Toh Swee-Hin
3.30 pm	Coffee / Tea Break
4.00 pm	Session 12 Science and Technology in a Global Age
	Chair: Dr. Keyvan Tabari Dr. Mahmood Khalil STEPS:- Technology-Environment-Peace- Society Approach Dr. Christopher Houghton Budd Money, Bookkeeping and Inherent Ethics of Accounting Dr. Raymond Hamden Tawhid III : Practical Understanding of God and Science Dr. Yousif Asfour Information Technology and Globalisation

Inaugural Conference, Oxford, 2002

Background and Introduction

Sponsored by the Iranian Business Council (I.B.D.), Dubai

An Inter-faith Perspective on Globalisation for the Common Good