Program and topics

The program focuses on key issues related to peace and security, human rights and also development. The program will include interactive interviews and panels with prominent representatives from multiple faiths, politics and the media.

Day 1: Tuesday, 10 November 2020

Master of Ceremonies: Mirian Akuaba De-Souza, Member, International Youth Committee 

Moderator: Prof. Azza Karam, Secretary General, Religions for Peace 

Opening remarks:

• Kosho Niwano, President-Designate, Rissho Kosei-Kai, Co-Moderator, Religions for Peace, JAPAN
• E. Metropolitan Emmanuel Adamakis, Metropolitan of France, Ecumenical Patriarchate; Co-Moderator, Religions for Peace

Videomessages to participants:

• Angela Merkel, Federal Chancellor, Federal Republic of Germany
• E. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations
• E. Michelle Müntefering, Minister of State for International Cultural Policy at the Federal Foreign Office, Germany

Keynotes

• E. Mr. Salim Al-Malik, Director General, ISESCO
• E. Ms. Gillian Triggs, Assistant Secretary-General, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 
• E. Mr. Ib Petersen, Assistant Secretary-General, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
• Renz Argao, Director, Argao Center for Psychological Services; Coordinator, Religions for Peace International Youth Committee, PHILIPPINES
• Agatha O. Chikelue DMMM, Nun of the Daughters of Mother Mary of Mercy; Co-Chair Nigerian & African Women of Faith Network; Executive Director Cardinal Onaiyekan Foundation for Peace (COFP); Chair, Religions for Peace International Women’s Coordinating Committee 

Moderator: Prof. Azza Karam, Secretary General, Religions for Peace

Panellists:

• Mary McAleese, Former President of the Republic of Ireland
• Bishop Margot Käßmann, Former Chairperson, Evangelical Church of Germany; Co-President, Religions for Peace
• Musimbi Kanyoro, Board Chair of Women’s Learning Partnership, Former CEO of Global Fund for Women 
• Rabbi Rachel Rosenbluth, Graduate, Beit Midrash Har El, RfP Regional IRC – Middle East & North Africa Council of Religious Leaders, Spiritual leader, educator and artist  

Moderator: Ms. Mahnaz Afkhami, Founder and President of Women’s Learning Partnership 

Panellist:

• Humberto Carolo, Executive Director, White Ribbon Campaign Canada, MenEngage Network 
• Aruna Abhey Oswal, Vice President, World Jain Confederation, Co-President, Religions for Peace, INDIA 
• E. Archbishop Dr. Antje Jackelen, Lutheran Archbishop of Uppsala; Primate of the Church of Sweden, SWEDEN
• Clara Mayer, Spokesperson, Fridays for Future Germany, Feminist and Environmental Activist 

Day 2: Wednesday, 11 November 2020

Rissho-Kosei Kai, Japan

Interviewer: Mr. David Eades, Journalist, BBC 

Interviewee 1: Ms. Düzen Tekkal, Journalist, Filmmaker, War Reporter, Human Rights Activist, Founder, Hawar Help and German Dream, GERMANY

Interviewee 2: Mr. Jama Egal, National Peacebuilding Coordinator of Somali Government

Interviewee 3: Dr. Mary McAleese, Former President of the Republic of Ireland 

Moderator: Dr. Alexander Görlach, Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs 

Panellists:

• Irmgard-Maria Fellner, Deputy Director-General for Culture and Communication, Federal Foreign Office, Germany
• Sima Samar, former Minister of Women’s Affairs in Afghanistan; Winner of the Right Livelihoods Award 
• Lilian Sison, Chair, Asia and the Pacific Women of Faith Network, PHILIPPINES 
• 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, THAILAND 
• Nihal Saad, Chief of Cabinet and Spokesperson to the High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilization (UNAOC)

Moderator: Bishop Margot Käßmann, Former Chairperson, Evangelical Church of Germany, Co-President, Religions for Peace, GERMANY 

Speaker 1: Prof. Azza Karam, PhD., Secretary General, Religions for Peace

Speaker 2: Dr. Kezevino (Vinu) Aram, President, Shanti Ashram, Co-Moderator, Religions for Peace, INDIA

Speaker 3: Ms. Emina Frljak, Program Coordinator, Youth for Peace, BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA

Speaker 4: Ms. Laura Anyola Tufon, Coordinator, Justice and Peace Commission, CAMEROON 

Speaker 5: Ms. Sharon Rosen, Global Director, Religious Engagement, Search for Common Ground based in Jerusalem

Guided Meditation Lead by Grandmother and Grandfather

Interviewer: Mr. Thomas Sparrow, Political Correspondent, Deutsche Welle

Interviewee 1: Rabbi David Rosen, KSG, CBE, International Director, Department of Interreligious Affairs in the American Jewish Committee; Co-President, Religions for Peace, ISRAEL

Interviewee 2: Ms. Lucy Calladine, Government Affairs and Public Policy Manager, Countering Extremism, Google, UNITED KINGDOM

Interviewee 3: H.E. John Cardinal Onaiyekan, Archbishop of Abuja, Archdiocese of Abuja; Honorary President, Religions for Peace

Moderator: Ms. Manal Omar, Founder and CEO, Across Red Lines 

Panellists:

• Karima Bennoune, UN Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights; Homer G. Angelo & Ann Berryhill Endowed Chair & Martin Luther King Jr. Professor of Law at UC Davis School of Law
• Ela Gandhi, Trustee, Gandhi Development Trust and Religions for Peace Co-President, SOUTH AFRICA
• Prof. Cornelius Omonokhua, Executive Secretary, Nigeria Inter Religious Council (NIREC), NIGERIA 
• Lejla Hasandedic-Dapo, #Speech4Change; Liaison Officer, United Religions Initiative (URI) Europe; European Interfaith Youth Network (EIYN) Religions for Peace, BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA 

Moderator: Prof. Azza Karam, Secretary General, Religions for Peace

Music

Greeting: Dr. Claudia Alfons, Mayor of Lindau

Peace and Light Ceremony: RfP Augsburg-Schwaben, Germany (Female led Initiative)

Day 3: Thursday, 12 November 2020

Led by the RfP International Youth Committee (IYC)

Interviewer: Mr. David Eades, Journalist, BBC 

Interviewee 1: Ms. Ani Zonneveld, Founder and President, Muslims for Progressive Values

Interviewee 2: H.E. Bishop Elias Toumeh, Orthodox Bishop of Purgou-Syria, SYRIA

Moderator: Prof. Dr. Riem Spielhaus, Professor for Islamic Studies and Education, Georg-August University Göttingen 

Panellists:

• Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh, OBE KSG, Chairman, Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha, UNITED KINGDOM 
• Anantanand Rambachan, Professor of Religion, St. Olaf College; Co-President, Religions for Peace, INDIA/USA
• Nayla Tabbara, Co-Founder, Adyan Foundation; Co-President, Religions for Peace, LEBANON
• Bishop Munib Younan, Bishop Emeritus President; Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land; Honorary President, Religions for Peace, PALESTINE

Film Title: Wells of Hope

Moderator: Dr. Thoraya Obaid, Former Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund, Saudi Arabia

Guest: Lia Giovanazzi Beltrami, Director and CEO, Aurora Vision; Film Director

Interviewer: Mr. David Eades, Journalist, BBC 

Interviewee 1: Ms. Blanca Lucía Echeverry, Country Facilitator, Interfaith Rainforest Initiative, COLOMBIA

Interviewee 2: Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, Ph.D, President, Divine Shakti Foundation; Secretary-General, Global Interfaith WASH Alliance 

Moderator: Grand-Mother Marie-Josée Rankin-Tardif, President, Kina8at Together; Elder from the Anicinape (Algonquin) tradition, CANADA 

Animation Video: Interfaith Rainforest Initiative Colombia (IRI)

Panellists:

• Laura Vargas, Inter-Religious Council of Peru – Religions for Peace, Interfaith Rainforest Initiative, PERU 
• Mary Evelyn Tucker, Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecolog
• Audrey Kitagawa, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Parliament of the World’s Religions
• Musonda Mumba,Chief of Terrestrial Ecosystem Unit, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Chair of the Global Partnership on Forest and Landscape Restoration, KENYA

Moderator: Rev. Susan Hayward, Fellow in Religion and Public Life, 2020-2021; Senior Advisor, Religion & Inclusive Societies, U.S. Institute of Peace

Panellists:

• Sonya Elmer-Dettelbacher, Program Manager, Religion, Politics, and Conflict, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
• James Alexander, Policy Advisor, Strategic Religious Engagement, US State Department
• Ulrika Sundberg, Special Envoy to the OIC, Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue, Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs
• Merete Bilde, Senior Policy Advisor, European External Action Service

Day 4: Friday, 13 November 2020

• Ravinder Kaur Nijjar, Chair of Religions for Peace UK Women of Faith Network
• Maureen Sier, Director, Interfaith Scotland
• Lakshmi Vyas, President Hindu Forum of Europe
• Karen Maxwell, Board of Deputies of British Jews

Interviewer:  Mr. David Eades, Journalist, BBC 

Interviewee 1: Prof. Evelin Lindner, Founding Director and President, Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies, GERMANY 

Interviewee 2: Prof. Takaaki Ito, Professor of Spiritual Care, Program in Death and Life Studies, Graduate School of Applied Religious Studies, Sophia University 

Interviewee 3: Ms. Fatima Hallal, Alumni Fellow, Hartford Seminary-Interreligious Relations; Member, International Youth Committee 

Berlin Oriental Quartet, Music 

Moderator: Prof. Dr. Azza Karam, Secretary General, Religions for Peace 

Panellists:

• Kezevino (Vinu) Aram, President, Shanti Ashram; Co-Moderator, Religions for Peace, INDIA
• Rabbi David Rosen, International Director, Department of Interreligious Affairs, American Jewish Committee, ISRAEL 
• Maria Cristina Kaveri Cantoni, Chair, Tathata Vrindham International, President, European Women of Faith Network, Religions for Peace, ITALY 
• Bishop Margot Käßmann, Former Chairperson, Evangelical Church of Germany, Co-President, Religions for Peace, GERMANY 
• Agatha O. Chikelue, Chair, International Women’s Coordinating Committee, Nun of the Daughters of Mother Mary of Mercy; Co-Chair Nigerian & African Women of Faith Network; Executive Director Cardinal Onaiyekan Foundation for Peace (COFP), NIGERIA 

Youth Transforming Tomorrow

• Lydia Funck, General Secretary, Church and Peace; and Member of RfP Youth Media Team
• Ana Maria Daou, Community Engagement Senior Coordinator, Adyan Foundation; Deputy Coordinator, International Youth Committee 
• Fadila Grine, Senior Advisor, Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF)

Final Words / Closing by Prof. Azza Karam, Secretary General, Religions for Peace