Sant Egidio Community to hold first international meeting in US

This year, the Sant Egidio Community will hold its first international meeting in America. The event will take place at Georgetown University, Washington from 26-27 April in collaboration with the rector of the university Prof Jack de Gioia and presided over by Cardinal Theodore Mc Carrick archbishop of Washington. The theme for reflection will be Religion and Cultures: the Courage of Dialogue. Twelve panel discussions will focus on practical and theoretical paths to overcome the ideology of "clash" in a common effort - without confusion - to outline a plan for 'globalisation with a human face' - dialogue between religions today, religions and terrorism, the challenge to uproot poverty in the 21st century, religions and pluralism in democracies, culture of life and threat of world pandemics, religious freedom a right to rediscover, the role of sacred books to build a new humanism, secular cultures, great religious traditions and globalisation, prayer, consumerism and loss of roots. These themes will be treated in public by leading members of various world religions. Participants will include Yona Metzger Chief Rabbi of Israel, Ahmed Al-Tayyib rector of Al-Azhar University in Cairo, many cardinals and bishops, Sunday Mbang chairman of the World Council of Methodists, Jean-Arnold de Clermont president of the Conference of European Churches and personalities of different cultural and religious worlds and the University of Georgetown, from over 30 different countries including 'frontier' countries such as Israel, Pakistan, and other countries of the Middle and Far East and the Mediterranean area. Source: Fides