#RfPWomenFaithDiplomacy
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I-1 | Annette Schavan: “Strengthen the commitment of women at all levels”
The future of religions will be determined by how they integrate women, says Annette Schavan, former Federal Minister for Research and Education. The committed Catholic was also the Federal Republic’s ambassador to the Apostolic See.
I-2 | Margot Käßmann: “Real encounters are often a mutual encouragement”
Margot Käßmann has retired from many offices. Her engagement with Ring for Peace is an exception. Alexander Görlach talks with the former regional bishop about peace, women, fundamentalism and why the assembly in Lindau can make a difference.
I-3 | Margrit Wettstein: “All the women here have done something about it, something that has made a difference”
Margrit Wettstein works for the Nobel Prize Museum in Stockholm. Only few people know better than her, which women ever received the Nobel Prize and which fates are behind these women. Alexander Görlach asked Margrit Wettstein to tell us, who she thinks are the most important award winners.
I-4 | Azza Karam: “Working with religious actors makes sense”
Learn why Prof. Azza Karam thinks that it is inevitable for the UN to work with religious leaders and movements. And find out what challenges Azza Karam identifies for women, if they pursue religious leaderships.
I-5 | Gunnar Stålsett: “Rights of women is a religious, moral, and political imperative in the 21st century”
The ecumenical unity of the churches depends in particular on the question of the extent to which women and men are equal, explains former Bishop Gunnar Stålsett. Stålsett believes that for women in the Orthodox Church to have more rights, a religious leader is needed who is willing to risk his own future for the future of the Church.
I-6 | Sima Samar: “I believe women are one of the main reasons for continuation of humanity”
She was the first Minister of Women’s Affairs in Afghanistan after the Taliban lost power in 2002. Ever since, for many women in Afghanistan almost everything changed, as Sima Samar recapitulates in this interview.
I-7 | Antje Jackelén: “Too many people are drinking from a very poisonous cocktail”
Learn, what’s behind the five Ps that make the poisonous cocktail too many people are drinking of right now. The Archbishop of the Church of Sweden also explains, why she recommends cultivating resilience, coexistence and hope to deal with this poisonous cocktail.
I-8 | Sharon Rosen: “Collaborating side by side on a joint problem provides religious actors with a sense of purpose”
Read, what Sharon Rosen thinks is the difference between practical work and dialogue. And what is necessary for a fruitful conversation between religions.
I-9 | Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati: “I used to think God only lived in the mountains”
Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati tells us, why she moved to India and why she thinks that the situation of women in India has improved in the past 25 years.
I-10 | Rachel Rosenbluth: “I call on men to speak less and to listen more”
Rachel Rosenbluth is one of the first Jewish women to be ordained as a rabbi by an orthodox institution in Israel. Read why she sees herself as a bridge builder and how she accepted the invitation to participate in a ten-day Sufi pilgrimage festival in India.
I-11 | Ani Zonneveld: “Universal human rights values and true Islam is one and the same”
She is the first Malaysian Grammy winner and founded the non-profit organization Muslims for Progressive Values. This organization calls for Muslim societies to pay more attention to human rights. Learn why many young Muslims like Zonneveld believe Islam needs reform.
Issue I - Transforming Tomorrow
Ring for Peace published a digital magazine accompanying 1. Assembly on Women, Faith & Diplomacy. A new interview appeared every week.
- Antje Jackelén, Lutheran Archbishop of Uppsala; Primate of the Church of Sweden
- Sharon Rosen, Global Director, Religious Engagement, Search for Common Ground based in Jerusalem
- Rachel Rosenbluth, Graduate, Beit Midrash Har El, RfP Regional IRC – Middle East & North Africa Council of Religious Leaders, Spiritual leader, educator and artist
- Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, President, Divine Shakti Foundation; Secretary-General, Global Interfaith WASH Alliance
- Michael Louis Fitzgerald, Archbishop emeritus and diplomat of the Holy See
- Suphatmet Yunyasit, Representative of Thailand to the ASEAN Women of Peace Registry; Human Rights and Peace Studies, Faculty, Mahidol University; Secretary-General, Religions for Peace Interreligious Council of Thailand; Member, RfP International Women’s Coordinating Committee
The interviews were conducted by Alexander Görlach. He is a senior fellow to the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs in New York and serves as a honorary professor of ethics and theology at the University of Lüneburg, Germany.