compiled by Imam Ilyasi, Chief Imam of India

The Quran says (what means): "We sent down water from the sky, blessed water whereby We caused to grow gardens, grains for harvest, tall palm-trees with their spathes, piled one above the other - sustenance for (Our) servants. Therewith We gave (new) life to a dead land. So will be the emergence (from the tombs)." [Quran 50:9-11]

And (what means): "We sent down water from the sky in measure and lodged it  in the ground. And We certainly are able to withdraw it. Therewith for you We gave rise to gardens of palm-trees and vineyards where for you are abundant fruits and of them you eat." [Quran 23: 18-19]

And (what means): "We sent forth the winds that fecundate. We cause the water to descend from the sky. We provide you with the water - you (could) not be the guardians of its reserves." [Quran 15:22]

"Have you observed the water you drink? Do you bring it down from the rainclouds? Or do We? If it were Our will, We could make it salty. Then why are you not thankful?" [Quran 56: 68-70]

The Most Reverend Dr Thabo Makgoba, Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town:



While we should not sentimentally allegorise every aspect of water, there are parallels from Christian tradition which can inform and energise our attitudes towards its use.  Jesus says that streams of living water will flow from those who have faith.  Therefore our blessings, of whatever sort, are meant to be shared, for Christians are called to be bearers of his gospel (that is, his ‘good news') for all people.  All our resources are to be shared - whether material, financial, intellectual, or any other sort.  Christ's spiritual well, said to be bottomless, nourishes our commitment to act responsibly in response to the risks of, for example, climate change, pollution, urban and peri-urban construction and the safeguarding and sharing of our finite supplies.  Right stewardship of creation is a central spiritual value, as is ensuring justice, especially for the poorest of the poor.


And while faith communities generally do not share all the presuppositions that underlie human rights language, we nonetheless would concur that access - free access - to adequate clean water is something which should be guaranteed for every single human person on our planet.  For not only did Jesus say that whoever is spiritually thirsty should come to him and drink, he also cautioned that we shall all be judged on whether we have fed the hungry, welcomed the stranger, sheltered the homeless, tended the sick, clothed the naked, visited the imprisoned - and given the thirsty something to drink.  It is a warning none of us, whatever our beliefs, are at liberty to ignore.

"All Praise be Yours, my Lord,

through Sister Water,

so useful, lowly, precious and pure",

St. Francis of Assisi



"In Saint Francis' Canticle, as in nature, everything is connected and interrelated. Water, like blood in a living organism, seems to be the element that connects all creatures. Water is in all forms of life. Water is the true source of life.



Whenever we look at water, we admire its beauty and are enchanted by it. We try to understand its mysteries and recognize its importance. We also realize that we need to stop degradation, pollution and the waste of water. We need to reject without compromise the act of transforming water into a consumer product because water is a gift of God and a precious common good. We are called to guarantee access to water.



We should call on governments and institutions to do their part. But we must all do our part. Even small daily actions will add up in the fight to protect water resources and to guarantee life now and tomorrow. The key word is shared responsibility. In the struggle to protect water, not only do we have to keep in mind waste, deterioration, pollution and consumption, but also other dangers such as privatization and the interest of transforming water into merchandise."



by Pilato Pereira OFM Cap

Water and Dignity for All: A challenge for All Nations,

In: World Poverty - Franciscan Reflections, 2007.

The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace is honored to send to Mr. Michael Slaby «statements, quotations and passages from our traditions and holy scriptures on the sacredness of water and relevant documents on the need to provide universal access to uncontaminated water for all» as requested by Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp. Please download these statements here.

Dr. Onno Ruding, former Dutch Minister of Finance participated in the Wings for Water Multi Stakeholder Dialogue on March 21 as a special representative of the Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace. During the Conference that took place in the historical Peace Palace in the Hague he was called to respond to the key note speech on "inclusive finance for water cooperation" and report on the dialogues that emerged around his table.

Please download here the notes that he prepared for his intervention.

The Soetendorp Institute endorsed the petition "Rights at Risk at the United Nations" that criticizes the attempts of some western governments to weaken or outright elimiate from the Rio + 20 outcome document all references to human rights and agreed upon equity principles such as the precautionary principle, the polluter pays principle, and the common but differentiated responsibilities. 

Please find the full text of the open letter that has been signed by over 1.000 organizations here.

The Jacob Soetendorp Institute for Human Values gladly presents the revised version of the interreligious statement "Towards Rio + 20 and Beyond - A Turning Point in Earth History". We thank everyone who participated in the international consultation and sent in some suggestions.

During the "Wings for Rio + 20" Leadership Forum that the Soetendorp Institute co-hosted in The Hague on May 22 and 23, a one-page summary of the statement was created and endorsed by the particpating spiritual leaders, including Dadi Janki, the spiritual head of the Brahma Kumaris,  Rvrd. Thabo Makgoba, Archbishop of Cape Town, Imam Ilyasi, Chief Imam of India as well as the Maori Elder Pauline Tangiora. One day after the forum, His Holiness, the XIVth Dalai Lama honoured the statement with his endorsement.

Please join these esteemed leaders in calling on the world's governments to seize the historic opportunity provided by the Rio + 20 Conference to bring the world on a sustainable course by signing the statement here.  

We will take the statement with us to Rio to present it as a strong and unified message of the world's religious and spiritual traditions to the Rio + 20 summit. The statement is also being used as a background document to inform the process of drafting a Rio + 20 Peoples Treaty on Ethics and Spirituality for Sustainable Development. More information can be found at http://sustainabilitytreaties.org/

Please find the one page summary statement here.

The longer, carrying document can be found here.

The network Vitae Civilis in Brasil released a report that summarizes the most relevant information about Rio + 20, a "must read" for everyone who wants to get involved!

Please download the "Rio + 20: The Essential Information"-Report here.

The Soetendorp Institute supports the Call on Governments issued by members of the Forum of Ethics & Responsibilities to start up a process toward the creation of a Charter of Universal Responsibilities as a complement to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Call on Governments has been initiated by Earth Charter Commissioner Pierre Calamé and offers striking convergences with the interreligious statement towards Rio + 20.

Peoples all around the globe expect governments to respond to the current crises by overcoming national interests and creating an international reference text pertaining to the obligation to assume responsibility to the human family, forthcoming generations and the environment, to evaluate the impacts of far-reaching decisions and to account for the consequences of actions.

Please find the Call on Governments and a draft Charter of Universal Responsibilities here.

On January 11, the yearly Earth Charter meeting in the Netherlands took place. Active members of the Earth Charter network gathered in Amsterdam, facilitated by ECI Affiliate NCDO. Alide Roerink, coordinator of the NCDO Earth Charter programme and ECI Council member interviewed Commissioners Ruud Lubbers and Awraham Soetendorp, who were the key inspirational speakers. The relevance of the Earth Charter for Rio+20 was the topical issue. 


Rabbi Soetendorp quoted the interreligious statement "Towards Rio + 20 and beyond - A turning point in Earth History". He then facilitated a moment of silent prayer and reflection and shared his dream that the Rio + 20 summit itself would start with such a moment of silence, in which the assembled heads of state would meditate about their essential role of shaping a sustainable future for many generations to come. 


Please watch a video about the event here:

The Elders - an independent group of global leaders, urge political, business and civil society leaders

After intensive consultation of governments, international institutions and civil society organizations, the the first "zero" draft of the Rio + 20 Outcome Document has been published. It has been published on the Rio + 20 website.  We encourage you to send messages to your country's delegation to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (also called Rio+20) as they refine the content of this outcome document.

Based on our analysis, here is some suggested input.

1.The Zero Draft should affirm the need for a shared vision and common ethical framework to inspire and guide actions towards sustainable development among all stakeholders across sectors. The current draft appropriately emphasizes the need to integrate the three  pillars of sustainable development, and to make this integrated framework central to the many structures and activities of the United Nations. It should also affirm a strong definition of sustainable development with a fourth (first) pillar that is a shared vision of ethical and spiritual values that inspires and guides cooperative action for change.

2.The Zero Draft recommends Ombudspersons for future generations and sustainable development goals, and new measures of GDP. It should also include implementing the Precautionary Principle, a Corporate Sustainability Responsibility Convention, Millennium Consumption Goals, and a mandate of trusteeship for global common goods on behalf all peoples, the greater community of life, and future generations.

Please write to your delegation to include these elements which would boost the transition to a sustainable future!

The Earth Charter International Council, in collaboration with the Jacob Soetendorp Institute for Human Values, the Interfaith Consortium for Ecological Civilization and the Center for Ecozoic Societies, hosted a discussion on December 14 focused on strengthening ethical and spiritual input into Rio+20. 

Hundreds of organizations sent in their recommendations for the outcomes of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (also called Rio+20).  These recommendations have been put into a Compilation Document. You can review these submissions here. Around 75 of these contrbutions deal with values, ethics and the Earth Charter. 

In the meeting that was joined by around 50 representatives of different organizations and networks we shared our various organizations' input into the Compilation Document, identified common priorities, and strategized as to how we can work most effectively on the Road to Rio+20 to ensure that our policy priorities are included in the Zero Draft, and in the final outcome document.

"The Spiritual Dimensions of Sustainable Development" is the title of a project launched by the Earth Charter Task Force on Religion, Spirituality, and Ethics and the Jacob Soetendorp Institute for Human Values. The purpose of this project is to bring together a global alliance of religious, spiritual and ethical organizations to deepen the understanding, public awareness and practical application of the ethical and spiritual foundations of sustainable development. 

The inspiration for the Spiritual Dimensions of Sustainability Project crystallized at the Earth Charter +10 Conference in Ahmedabad, India, which called for deepening the general understanding of sustainable development that considers sustainability based on distinct but interrelated ecological, social and economic dimensions. The former Dutch prime minister Ruud Lubbers stated: "We may even begin to speak about four ‘P's: People, Planet, Profit and ‘Pneuma' "

Earth Charter International Council Co-Chair Steven C. Rockefeller commented: "There is a fourth pillar - the global ethical and spiritual consciousness that is awakening in civil society around the world and that finds expression in the Earth Charter. This global ethical consciousness is in truth the first pillar of a sustainable way of life, because it involves the internalization of the values of sustainable human development and provides the inspiration and motivation to act as well as essential guidance regarding the path to genuine sustainability."

On Monday, 12 December 2011, the Soetendorp Institute organized an interreligious solidarity march that connected different houses of worship. Oranizing partners were the Islam and Dialogue Foundation and Stek (the Foundation for City and Church).

The march started at the Liberal Jewish Synagogue, then stopped at the Protestant Kloosterkerk (Cloister Church) and ended with a meal at the Al Aqsa Mosque, which belongs to the Islamic Foundation of the Netherlands. 

The theme of this walk was "finding each other" - In this time of crisis and rising tensions there is a need for acts of solidarity between the different faiths. In each house of worship, the participants were introduced to the history of the building and the background of the religious community that is using it. 

The march created space for meeting people of other faith traditions, listening to their stories and experiences and creating relationships beyond religious and cultural boundaries. 

After the walk, Rabbi Soetendporp explained: "With the march, we gave the term "interreligious movement" a whole new, literal sense. Indeed, we were praying with our feet, expressing our solidarity with one another, receiving hospitality at the different houses of worship and had a chance to interact with people of other traditions we did not know before. I hope this model and gesture of interreligious solidarity will spread to other cities in the Netherlands and around the world."

(Picture from Yorgos Manousakis)

In his role as Earth Charter Commissioner, Rabbi Soetendorp spoke at the Eco Schools National Operator meeting held in Krakow, Poland that was organized by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and signed a Memorandum of Understanding and Collaboration between Earth Charter International and FEE. In this meeting, which took place from 27-30 October, representatives from over 47 countries heard about the Earth Charter and how compassion can be the driver for working together to ensure a sustainable world for the coming generations. 

Rabbi Soetendorp spoke passionately about the Earth Charter background and purpose; about what we have in common and how our shared values, as expressed in the Earth Charter's 16 ethical principles, can underpin any organizations vision and planning. He then shared about the diverse educational projects he is involved in, especially the Day of Respect that is celebrated annually in over 3.000 primary schools all over the Netherlands, as well as the intergenerational Feather Project. 

The main purpose of the MoU signed by ECI and FEE is to spread information and knowledge about the Earth Charter across the Eco-Schools network, providing Eco-Schools with another theme or project through which they can implement their activities. 

To find out more about the eco schools network please visit their website here.

As a contribution to the "Spiritual Dimensions of Sustainability" Project launched by the Soetendorp Institute and the Earth Charter Task Force on Religion, Spirituality, and Ethics, Rabbi Soetendorp has drafted the interreligious statement "Towards Rio + 20 and Beyond - A Turning Point in Earth History". The statement is geared at enabling spiritual and religious communities to speak in a unified voice for providing a spiritual input into the major UN Rio + 20 Conference that will be taking place from June 20 - 22, 2012.

A draft version of the statement signed by religious leaders of different traditions with input from an international steering committee has been sent to the United Nations for inclusion into the Compilation Document for the "Zero Draft" of the Political Outcome Document of the Rio + 20 Conference.

The statement is currently being revised in an interreligious consultation process. Our vision is that many different religious and spiritual leaders and their institutions will share their perspectives and then endorse this statement as a powerful and unified message from the world's religious and spiritual traditions to the Rio + 20 Conference. We hope to present the statement in a joint assembly of the world's faiths during the Rio + 20 Conference.  

The Day of Respect that was initiated by Rabbi Soetendorp in 2006 was celebrated for the sixth time on 10 November, 2011. More than 3.000 schools participated in the programme that centered on the theme "Respecting Myself". The schools addressed this topic in guest lectures, public events, discussions, music performances and a dance "flash mob" in the city center of Rotterdam.

After a period of intensive planning and conceptualization, the Soetendorp Institute has launched the Faith and Leadership Seminar that is being supported by the municipality of The Hague.

15 young leaders aged 18 to 30 from diverse cultural and spiritual backgrounds participate in the course that includes ten sessions from September to December 2011.

The seminar aims to promote intercultural understanding by giving emerging leaders the chance to gain valuable new perspectives through interaction with peers from different cultures and religions.

It is Martin Buber who describes in I and Thou the unique relationship to a tree. The tree in its encounter is not as an object but the embodiment of our deepest emotions and dreams. Wangari has planted these trees in Kenya and all over the continent of Africa.

They sustain life now and will continue to carry her dream of a peaceful and just future for the whole human family and Earth community for ever and ever. I met her for the first time in 1988 in Oxford at the formative meeting of the Global Forum of Spiritual and Parliamentary Leaders for Human Survival. She was a power of strength, so full of joy that no adversary could quench.

Rabbi Soetendorp took part in a ceremony celebrating the unveiling of an Anne Frank statute in Oranjestad, the island's capital. Upon his arrival on the Caribbean island on June 9, Rabbi Soetendorp was welcomed by the Prime Minister Mike Eman and had several meetings with governmental representatives including Dr. Dowers, Minister of Justice and Education, to whom he introduced the Day of Respect that he initiated in the Netherlands in 2006.

Other speakers at the unveiling of the statute included Martin Luther King III, eldest son of the civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., former director of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam Dr. Hans Westra, and Aruba's Prime Minister Mike Eman.

Click here for reading more about the event.

To support the work of OneVoice Israel (OVI), Rabbi Soetendorp signed a letter to the members of the Knesset to applaud the launch of the Two-State Solution Caucus, taking place at the Knesset’s Jerusalem Hall on Monday, Jan. 17, 2011, at 12 pm.

The caucus was conceived and co-created by OneVoice Israel (OVI) and MK Yoel Hasson, chair of the Kadima coalition and himself a former OVI youth leader. Among its 18 other members are MK Zeev Bielski, Shlomo Molla, and Nachman Shai. It’s the first time Knesset members unite under a non partisan body to advance a direct political solution with the Palestinians.

OVI is holding the event to bolster the existing political will in Israel to end the conflict, witnessed most recently by the meeting held between a delegation of 100 leading Israelis and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. Opposition leader MK Tzipi Livni (Kadima) and several other Israeli and international dignitaries will be in attendance; the event will be televised.

Please find more information about the activities of the OneVoice Movement here.

On 27 November, 2010, the International Student Chaplaincy as well as Islam & Dialogue hosted the one day international student conference “From Crisis to Hope – the Challenges of the Earth Charter” in the Institute for Social Studies in The Hague. The event brought together some 100 students from different universities, nationalities, and faith traditions. After last year’s conference focused on the Charter for Compassion, this year’s theme centered on the Earth Charter as a shared ethical framework that inspires and challenges people from different cultural, religious and spiritual traditions.

Rabbi Soetendorp participated in the 8th Annual Doha Conference on Interfaith Dialogue that took place in Doha, Qatar from October 19 to 21, 2010. The conference was hosted by the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue (DICID) and brought together some 220 leaders from Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities from 58 countries. 

On December 6, Rabbi Soetendorp participated in a high-level gathering of European Muslim and Jewish Leaders in Brussels organized by the New York-based Foundation for Ethnic Understanding as well as the Jewish World Congress (JWC) that brought together some 50 leaders of Jewish and Muslim communities in Europe.

The group discussed a common statement which calls for closer cooperation between the two communities in Europe and steps “to ensure that Jews and Muslims are able to practice our respective faiths fully and unimpeded by intrusive, discriminatory and unfair governmental regulations.” It urges “cooperative projects to succor the poor and homeless of all backgrounds, to help protect new immigrants who are threatened by hatred and xenophobia, and to heal the environment, bringing together Muslim and Jewish youth for joint programming.”

It is time to add a new chapter to the Feather Project – the Feather Project’s tour to India! For two weeks (from 24 October - 5 November) Rabbi Soetendorp, Michael Slaby and Ashley Young traveled through India to record Feather messages of moral and spiritual leaders, young activists and visionaries, and to take part in the Earth Charter + 10 “Framework for a Sustainable World” Conference held in Ahmedabad.

This conference concluded with a “threads of sustainability” ceremony organized in Mahatma Gandhi’s historical ashram in Ahmedabad where Gandhi’s hand-spun cotton was passed from speaker to speaker. Participants included His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, His Holiness Vishwaguru Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda, Sr. Valeriane Bernand of the Brahma Kumaris, Rabbi Soetendorp and several young people from India and Bangladesh.

Find more pictures of the journey here.

The Charter for Compassion is a cooperative effort to restore not only compassionate thinking but, more importantly, compassionate action to the center of religious, moral and political life.

The Charter, crafted by people all over the world and drafted by a multi-faith, multi-national council of thinkers and leaders, seeks to change the conversation so that compassion becomes a key word in public and private discourse, making it clear that any ideology that breeds hatred or contempt ~ be it religious or secular ~ has failed the test of our time.

Rabbi Soetendorp participated in the Council of Conscience – the drafting council of the Charter and helped organize the Charter for Compassion launch in Amsterdam.

Watch the video of the Charter for Compassion here:

The Soetendorp Institute actively promotes the Charter for Compassion and invites everyone to make a lifelong commitment to live with compassion.

“EcoPeace – Environmental Peacemaking in the Middle East” was the title of a conference exploring the Jordan River Rehabilitation Project of Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME) took place in Amsterdam on June 30, 2010. After having met leading representatives of FoEME at the 3rd Annual Conference of the Forum of Israeli and Palestinian Peace NGOs in Florence, Italy in February 2010, Rabbi Soetendorp promoted the idea of hosting a conference on the work of this special organization that brings together Jordanian, Palestinian and Israelis environmentalists and helped to find partners and sponsors for the event.

“I am very pleased that together we were able to organize a very successful meeting, which put emphasis on turning the Jordan river into a living source of water to all who live in the area.”, said Rabbi Soetendorp after the conference.

The event brought together experts, professionals and policy makers in the field of water, environment and the Middle-East and discussed strategies for sustainable regional development and collaborative water management as a necessary condition for lasting peace.

The April 2010 issue of National Geographic showed the work done by FoEME concerning the rehabilitation of the lower Jordan River that once carried an average of 1.3 billion m³ of fresh water to the Dead Sea annually. Today this figure has been reduced to just 20 – 30 million m³ per year due to the diversion of 98% of the River's flow by Israel, Jordan and Syria. The primary goal of the Jordan River Rehabilitation is to both identify the means by which water transfers to the Lower Jordan River could take place and help create the political will to make them happen.

More information on the Project can be found here.

At the Earth Charter + 10 Conference in the Peace Palace in The Hauge on June 29, the Soetendorp Institute launched the Feather Project, which is a collaborative effort to build intergenerational dialogue and collaboration between elders and youth, and to draw upon the wisdom of the world’s spiritual traditions to address the major global challenges humanity is facing.

Watch the Feather Trailer on YouTube:

 

Rabbi Soetendorp took part in the World Economic Forum in Davos end of January 2010 and joined around 2.500 leaders of business, government, and civil society and discussed issues around the theme "Improving the State of the World - Rethink, Redesign, Rebuild".

Please watch his message to WEF's Youth Task Force below where he stresses the need for a collaboration among the generations :

At the Parliament of the World's Religions in Melbourne, Australia, Michael Slaby was interviewed about the Feather Project that the Jacob Soetendorp Institute for Human Values intends to realize in 2010. The project that was suggested by Chief Oren Lyons, Faith Keeper of the of the Turtle Clan of the Onondaga Nation and involved the production of video documentaries with moral leaders of our time, asking the simple question: "Based on your life experience, what lesson would you like to share with the next generation?". Please send an e-mail to Michael Slaby if you are interested in the concept paper of the Project. 

From December 3 to 9, 2009, around 6.000 people from 220 different faiths and all corners of the world celebrated the Parliament of the World’s Religions 2009 in Melbourne, Australia. Michael Slaby, Program Coordinator at the Jacob Soetendorp Institute for Human Values participated in the celebrations and helped to organize two panel events on the Earth Charter that were attended by around 50 and 150 participants respectively.

           The Jacob Soetendorp Institute for Human Values gladly presents the second, revised edition of the Earth Charter Guide to Religion and Climate Change that has been produced by Earth Charter Program Coordinator Michael Slaby in a two-year process of research and consultation with scientists and experts in the Earth Charter Initative and the larger interfaith community. 

The Guide presents some core facts about climate change and its interrelated social, environmental, political, economic and ethical challenges; provides an overview of good practice examples of religious engagement on global warming, and suggests a methodology for integrated ethical reflection on climate change.

Earth Charter UK Affiliate Rabbi Jeffrey Newman and Michael Slaby, Earth Charter Coordinator of the Jacob Soetendorp Institute for Human Values, participated in the Faith and Climate Change Conference hosted by the Faith Regen Foundation and the Commonwealth Foundation. The two-day conference brought together over 100 representatives of different faith communities in the UK and abroad to discuss and exchange about their responses to climate change. It was launched on Tuesday, 27 of October, 2009 with a House of Lord’s reception hosted by Lord Sheikh, the founder of the Conservative Muslim Forum.

Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp was among 1,400 leaders from 85 countries that participated in the World Economic Fourm on the Middle East that closed on May 17, 2009 with a commitment to show leadership for change and development in the region.

The Forum put a special focus on the action items of 
Energy - increase conxervation; deveop alternative energies; and utilize smart grids.
Youth - with 65% of the Arab world’s population under the age of 25, the region must develop this bulge by “providing them with education and developing, retaining and attracting talent,” said Samir Brikho, Chief Executive Officer, Amec, United Kingdom, and Co-Chair of the meeting. He also called on participants to be role models to the youth. Please watch out for Rabbi Soetendorp's report that will be coming soon.

On 6-7 April 2009, the second Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (AoC) was held in Istanbul, Turkey. The Forum is the world’s premier event aimed at advancing intercultural understanding. Michael Slaby, Program Coordinator at the Jacob Soetendorp Institute for Human Values participated in the Forum and reached out to the assembled global leaders, heads of international organizations, media representatives, civil society and youth groups. Please find his report below.

For the ninth time, Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp participated at the World Economic Forum that took place in Davos end of January, 2009, and interacted with many world leaders from the fields of government, business, and media. Around thirty other religious leaders took part in this year's WEF and exchanged on a variety of topics such as the strategies to revive the peace process for the Middle East. 

Consider Forgiveness features interviews with leaders and scholars from the Sikh, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, and Christian traditions. Watch Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp speak at the Fetzer Institute about the Holocaust, forgiveness as a moment of the heart and the difficulties of forgiving by clicking on the image below:

                                                                       


This project was filmed in Amritsar, India, at Sharing Wisdom: The Case of Love and Forgiveness, a meeting of the Elijah Interfaith Institute's board of religious leaders. One of the mandates to come from this meeting reads “We wish to call upon all our religions to offer their finest teachings as resources to guide humanity to safe harbor, and to identify the teachings they can jointly offer a suffering humanity.”

View the clips listed on the site to learn more about each faith's approach to forgiveness and how it relates to justice, love, compassion, retribution, revenge, and empathy.

In June 2007, HRH Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan and Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp adopted the following joint statement for peace in the Middle East that suggests the creation of dialogue centers for reconciliation and healing where Jews and Muslims can come together to exchange their inherited experiences. The statement was published as a joint contribution to the book "Die Macht der Würde" edited by Christoph Quarch, Silke Lechner and Peter Spiegel.

Reconciling a Painful Past with a Hopeful Future

To Download the statement click here

As members of the faith community we salute the uniqueness of every human being and celebrate our manifold differences. We believe that all of creation is organically and spiritually interconnected, as expressed in the Islamic concept of Tawhid, or the essential Unity of Creation – a fundamental tenet of the Muslim faith - and by the whole and perfect circle of God’s creation - Kalil, in Judaism. We are one human family, bound by mutual responsibility towards one another. When one bleeds, we all feel the pain; when one suffers privation, we are all deprived.

Yet despite all that binds us and all that should obliterate division, we have failed to stand together in affirmation of the sanctity of life. We have failed to unite to eliminate the poverty that afflicts so many millions of our fellow human beings, depriving them of any possibility to assert their right to human dignity.

There are indeed many causes of this failure, but we must be careful where we lay blame. Neither religion nor globalisation should be made scapegoats for the dire state of relations between sections of our world community. Globalisation as a process does not operate independently of either state or non state actors. It can be a positive force, improving education and eliminating hunger and despair. Similarly, religion should inspire our humanitarian agenda while religious texts should enrich this process, if only the reader will enrich the text by placing it in context. The true challenge facing us all is not a revival of genuine religious faith, but a frightening rejection of our religions’ norms and ethics.

Rabbi Soeptendorp explains in an audio interview why religious leaders need to be present at the World Economic Forum. To listen to the podcast, click here...

The Alliance for International Conflict Prevention and Resolution presented its Peacebuilders Award 2005 to Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf and Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp for their tireless work in bridging the gap between the Abrahamic Faiths. The Award Ceremony was held in Washington DC in April 2005. The event symbolically took place on the 100th anniversary of Norway and Sweden's peaceful separation, but it also honored the bloodless "Velvet Divorce" in which the former Czechoslovakia peacefully dissolved into the Czech and Slovac Republics. The event was co-sponsored by all four embassies and featured speeches from the Abassadors of all of these countries. 

Rabbi Soetendorp closed his message to the Ambassadors by saying: "Let us celebrate that reason and friendship, and reason and trust have entered into people who were adversaries and that we are part of this hope, and will jubliate and thank God."

Download the AICPReport Vol. 3, June 2005, that covers the award ceremony.

Learn more about the Alliance for International Conflict Prevention and Resolution

Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp joined Bishop Desmond Tutu in speaking to over 10.000 people about the “Power of Dignity” at the German Protestant Church Congress ("Kirchentag") in Cologne, 6 – 10 June, 2007. Speaking against the backdrop of the majestic Cologne Cathedral, Rabbi Soetendorp opened his moving speech by quoting the Earth Charter’s call to create a global partnership to care for Earth and one another. He then read parts of a statement on peace in the Middle East that he drafted with Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan. The statement had been prepared for the main publication of the Kirchentag, a book in which religious leaders, Nobel Peace Laureates and Heads of State expressed their visions for a humane and just economic order that builds on the power of dignity instead of the power of financial capital.

Rabbi Soetendorp concluded by sharing his life story - a story of being rescued by a German-born woman who opened the door for a baby in a suit-case. “Looking at the millions and millions of children, women and men that are enduring hunger and poverty and that are looking at us in despair, I feel that we are holding the door in our hands. Will we be able to open the door and achieve the Millennium Development Goals to feed those who are in need?”

Touched by this moving testimony, the audience thanked him with standing ovations and spontaneously began singing the Hebrew song of peace and reconciliation, “Shalom Aleichim.”

Read more...

On 1st of November, 2007, the International Council of Christians and Jews awarded Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp with the prestigious Interfaith Gold Medallion “Peace Trough Dialogue”. The award was presented to him by the Dutch Minister of Justice, Dr. Ernst Hirsch Ballin. Around 50 national and international guests attended the ceremony in the historic synagogue of Soetendorp’s liberal Jewish congregation in The Hague.

With the award, the ICCJ honours Soetendorp’s long standing commitment to promoting a culture of peace and tolerance among people of different faiths. The jury’s official award announcement states: “In recognition of his long standing commitment, born from the experience of personal history, to give reality to what he once termed genuine dialogue as the better means fo communicating rather than just speaking at conferences. This award particularly recognizes that he carried on the work of his father in rebuilding Dutch Jewry after the Shoa, at the same time realizing the need for genuine Dialogue between Jews and Christians. This led him to be among the first to seek dialogue with Muslims and peoples of other faiths. The award is also given in recognition of his early promotion of understanding, through the Earth Charter, that our traditions enjoin us to give credence to our obligation to care for the health of our world so that people of all faiths and cultures can live in peace and prosperity.”

Watch the Award Ceremony on Video:

 

Sharing Wisdom: The Case of Love and Forgiveness

The Third Meeting of the Elijah Board of World Religious Leaders took place in India, November 26-30, 2007. Following the tradition of previous meetings, it was hosted by local religious leaders in Amritsar, India.  Delegates were welcomed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Birmingham based Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha in collaboration with Guru Nanak Dev University.

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The Third Congress of Imams and Rabbis for Peace, held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, focused on the Israel-Palestine confict and was entitled "The Sacredness of Peace." Following the Congress, a final declaration was issued, together with an action plan that formally engaged the participants to work in depth and tangibly for peace. Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp participated in the Congress. During the course of the event, he was interviewed by Al Jazeera Europe where he shared his vision for peace and reconciliation. The interview received very positive reactions from the Muslim participants at the Congress.

To learn more about the Congress of Imams and Rabbis for Peace and to read the action plan, click here


Watch Imam Umair Ahmed Ilyasi, secretary general of the All India Organization of Imam's and Mosques giving an interview during the event and telling about his work of averting anti-Muslim backlash after the recent Mumbai attacks: Click here...

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Additional Activities

European Region of World Union of Progressive Judaism
The European Region of the World Union for Progressive Judaism works to promote the development of Progressive Judaism in Central, Western Europe and Israel, to encourage and facilitate the formation of Progressive Jewish communities; and to stimulate and encourage the study of Judaism and a recognition of its place in modern life.
There are progressive communities in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
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An International Earth Charter Network Meeting has taken place on 1 and 2 December, 2008, in Amsterdam at the Royal Tropical Institute. The event that was chaired by Former Dutch Prime Minister and Earth Charter Commissioner Ruud Lubbers and was being hosted by NCDO and Earth Charter International. Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp welcomed the international guests on behalf of Green Cross Netherlands. 

The read the transcript of his speech click here...

More than 1.000 people attended the Uppsalla Interfaith Climate Conference that was held in Uppsala, Sweden, on 28 - 29 November, 2008. Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp was among a selected group of 30 internationally recognized policy makers invited to sign the inspiring manifesto which was done at an interfaith ceremony in conducted in the Uppsala Cathedral led by The Most revd. Anders Wejryd, Archbishop of the Church of Sweden. Rabbi Soetendorp addressed the Conference at the opening seminar panel with EU Commission Vice Chair Margot Wallström and NASA’s leading climatologist James Hansen.

Developing Just, Sustainable Societies


Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Ambassador
At the Millennium Summit in September 2000, the largest gathering of world leaders in history adopted the UN Millennium Declaration, committing their nations to a new global partnership to reduce extreme poverty and setting out a series of time-bound targets, with a deadline of 2015, that have become known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Read more about the Millennium Development Goals

Read the text of the Millennium Declaration

Human Rights Defenders Tulip Awards
“Anyone who keeps up with the news knows that respect for human rights is not something that can be taken for granted. All around the world, people fall victim to extreme violence, cannot freely develop their potential or live in degrading conditions. Although states all over the world are party to a wide range of human rights instruments, those rights often still have to be fought for.
And that is what human rights defenders do. They are often exposed to danger and meet with a great deal of opposition. Defending human rights takes considerable courage. To emphasise the importance of the work of human rights defenders and to provide moral support to one of them each year, the Dutch government has established the Human Rights Defenders Tulip.

A special focus on human rights defenders is part of a new strategy formulated by the Dutch government in its policy document ‘Human dignity for all’, published in November 2007.”

Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp is a member of the jury who selects the Human Rights Defender who will be honored with the award each year. Read more...

10 December, 2008: On the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Justine Masika Bihama was awarded the Human Rights Defenders Tulip. For more information about the Ms. Bihama and the award read more...

Club of Budapest
Founded in 1993, the global Club of Budapest is an informal international association dedicated to developing a new way of thinking and a new ethics that will help resolve the social, political, economic, and ecological challenges of the 21st century. With its roster of internationally renowned members the Club initiates a dialogue between different belief systems and world views in order to co-create and develop effective strategies for responsible and sustainable action with a global focus.
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Rabbis for Human Rights
Rabbis for Human Rights' mandate is twofold. Alongside efforts to prevent human rights abuses, Rabbis for Human Rights endeavors to introduce an authentic and humanistic understanding of Jewish tradition and sources into Israel’s public discourse. … Rabbis for Human Rights gives voice to the tradition’s concern for the stranger and others vulnerable within society.
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Purpose:
To call to the attention of the world, it leaders, opinion makers and people, trends and events which have the potential to, or are already, threatening the lives, rights and/or well-being of members of the earth community and urge them to immediately address the situation, preventing continuation, escalation or even from beginning.

Goals:

1. Call to the attention of the world “hidden conflicts/ abuses” which escape the attention of the media and public awareness.
2. Encourage people to take action in a positive and constructive manner to prevent or halt situations of abuse of rights and/ or threats to life and well-being.
3. Highlight trends in social and legal frameworks that are potentially harmful to societies, their members and particularly the most vulnerable.
4. To mediate where possible and facilitate solutions or means of addressing problems, in a manner that enables all involved to realize their rights fully.
5. To facilitate the work of communities and countries in bring people together as a force for good to address these situations and thereby engaging in the tikkun olam,  helping to repair and improve our world.

Read more about the program...

Protect and Restore the Environment

Earth Charter Commissioner
The Earth Charter is a declaration of fundamental principles for building a just, sustainable and peaceful global society in the 21st century. It was drafted in an unprecedented international consultation process involving thousands of experts and citizens from all walks of life. Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp was part of the Earth Charter Commission of highly respected leaders that was formed in 1997 to oversee the drafting process. In the year 2000, the final version of the Earth Charter was launched  at the Peace Palace in The Hague. Since then, the Charter and its integrated ethical framework for sustainable development has been endorsed by around 5.000 NGOs, educational institutions, religious communities, businesses and governments including UNESCO and the World Conservation Union IUCN.

Read more about the Global Earth Charter Initiative and its programs: www.earthcharter.org

1 – 2 December, 2008: The Earth Charter Network Meeting was held in Amsterdam, chaired by Ruud Lubbers. Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp welcomes the participants on behalf of Green Cross Netherlands. Read more about the meeting...

Green Cross Netherlands
Green Cross Nederland aims to raise awareness about the overlap between sustainable development and security in the Netherlands and worldwide. Using the holistic message of the Earth Charter as its starting point, Green Cross Nederland aims to provide tools for the betterment of the living environment, to combat poverty and to improve the standards of safety and peace worldwide, recognised as the challenges of humankind in the 21st century.
Initially Green Cross Nederland will focus on energy, water, climate and the legacy/effects of armaments on human life and the environment.
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Interfaith Climate Summit
“The purposes of the summit were;
• to communicate an urgent, hopeful, ethical-religious message to the global community about the need – especially for the developed countries – to slow down global warming, and to prevent and alleviate the effects of droughts, flooding, storms and other serious effects of climate change;
• to pledge commitment to the necessary, radical and far-reaching climate policy goals and measures in the “Post-Kyoto Process” , that the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) determine, should be realised after 2012;
• to affirm this commitment in the Uppsala Manifesto 2008, and deliver the Manifesto to; the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), as well as to the Swedish government – prior to its Presidency of the European Union in 2009 – and to the world’s governments, and to different church networks and other religions.”

Read the Uppsala Interfaith Climate Manifesto 2008: Faith traditions addressing Global Warming

Interfaith Dialogue

Community of West and Islam Dialogue (C-100)
Heightened tension between the West and the Islamic world stands in the way of true collaboration and mutual understanding. The C-100 is a community of business, political, religious, media and opinion leaders that promotes dialogue and understanding across different segments of society in the West and Muslim world. It is a multistakeholder community that provides a unique platform to:
- Act proactively as a global citizen in promoting harmony, mutual respect and shared values
- Improve knowledge and understanding across cultures and civilizations
- Gain new insights into the opinions of peers and global leaders involved in West–Islam dialogue
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Read the Charter of the Community of West and Islam Dialogue (C-100)


The Elijah Interfaith Institute is a multinational organization dedicated to fostering peace between the world's diverse faith communities through interfaith dialogue, education, research and dissemination. Our unique programming generates interfaith dialogue at the highest levels, bringing together world religious leaders and renowned scholars the world over, through research projects, public conferences and community-based initiatives.

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Faith & Leadership: Training for Religious Leaders

Purpose:
To develop a cadre of informed civic-oriented volunteer and professional leaders of faith-based communities who are interested in helping to work as forces for good for their local communities, the country, Europe and the world.

Goals:

1. To train a cadre of religious leaders in The Netherlands in understanding and responding to key international issues covered by the Earth Charter and the MDGs, including, for example, climate change, poverty and hunger, the situation in the Middle East, the conflict in Dafur, and the international water crisis.
2. To provide leaders of faith communities with skills necessary for responsible leadership and constructive dialogue both within their faith community and between communities of different faiths.
3. To enable leaders of faith-based communities to promote understanding between faiths, between communities of faith and civil society, government institutions and the public generally.
4. To facilitate the work of communities of faith in bringing people together as a force for good and in building a better world (in Hebrew “tikkun olam”, which is the imperative to “repair/improve the world”).
   

Read more about the program...

Internationalization of the Inter-Spiritual Opening of Parliament

Background:

About 45 year ago a prayer was organized by either the Protestants or Catholics and said in parallel and prior to the opening of Parliament. About 10 years ago, Rabbi Soetendorp suggested that the group be broadened to include many religious traditions, which was adopted by the organizers. Now, each year since 2000, the opening of the Dutch Parliament is preceded by a festive ceremony that includes the blessings and prayers of the key religious and humanistic traditions in the Netherlands. It has proven to be a very successful and inspiring event that provides a gravity and spiritual background to the beginning of the parliamentary sessions and serves as a vital sign of the magnificent cultural and religious diversity in Dutch society. Especially in times of growing tensions between the different cultures and religions in the Netherlands, the ceremony is a testimony of peaceful collaboration and shared values among the different communities of religious and secular faith. It is a means for providing social cohesion, inspiration and hope to the Dutch as they embark on a new year of governance. 2009 will be the 10^th anniversary of this spiritual opening.

Purpose

To invite others to join the Dutch in this tradition.

To find our more about introducing an inter-spiritual opening event to your local, regional or national government This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Millennium Development Goals (MDG)
At the Millennium Summit in September 2000, the largest gathering of world leaders in history adopted the UN Millennium Declaration, committing their nations to a new global partnership to reduce extreme poverty and setting out a series of time-bound targets, with a deadline of 2015, that have become known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp serves as an international ambassador for the MDGs. In this function, he raises awareness and support for the MDGs and speaks out for them on many occasions. In 2005, he launched the statement "A prophetic time path" that was co-authored by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf and published by Justicia et Pa in the booklet "Act now for the Millennium Development Goals - Appeals from Religious Leaders and Scholars", which holds:

"Our prophets teach us not only to give our bread to feed the hungry, but to give our own bread. We must show by personal example, by sharing more of our material wealth, by rescuing our planet from pollution, by giving more of our time and energy to help meet these goals in time." Please read the full statement here:

A Prophetic Time Path

By Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf and Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp, 2005

,,We stand at a critical moment in Earth’s history, a time when humanity must choose its future….The choice is ours: form a global partnership to care for Earth and one and other or risk the destruction of ourselves and the diversity of live”. This is the challenge, awesome in its simplicity posed by the Earth Charter, written in a remarkable collaborative effort by hundreds of thousands all over the world and presented to the Queen of the Netherlands in the Peace Palace in The Hague in June 2000.

Statement on Faith in Human Rights
“…We recognise our responsibility towards our believers and to the world at large and reaffirm our intention to take all necessary steps both within our communities and in co-operation with others to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms for each and every person, irrespective of religion or belief.”

10 December, 2008: In presence of her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp signs the Statement Faith in Human Rights. To read the text of the Statement click here.

Rabbi Soetendorp serves as one of the senior international advisers of the OneVoice  Movement, which is an international mainstream grassroots movement with over 640,000 signatories in roughly equal numbers both in Israel and in the Palestinian Territories, including 1,800 highly trained youth leaders. It aims to amplify the voice of the overwhelming but heretofore silent majority of moderates who wish for peace and prosperity, empowering them to demand accountability from elected representatives and work toward a two-state solution guaranteeing an end to occupation and violence, and a viable, independent Palestinian state at peace with Israel.

On January 18, only hours after the Gaza Ceasefire was announced, OneVoice brought Palestinian youth leaders to the University of Tel Aviv and engaged them in a vivid and open exchange with Israeli student. One student in the audience is reported to have said that if it was between he and the OneVoice Palestine leaders, the conflict could be solved in one hour.
Read more…

Human Rights Defenders Tulip Awards
“Anyone who keeps up with the news knows that respect for human rights is not something that can be taken for granted. All around the world, people fall victim to extreme violence, cannot freely develop their potential or live in degrading conditions. Although states all over the world are party to a wide range of human rights instruments, those rights often still have to be fought for.
And that is what human rights defenders do. They are often exposed to danger and meet with a great deal of opposition. Defending human rights takes considerable courage. To emphasise the importance of the work of human rights defenders and to provide moral support to one of them each year, the Dutch government has established the Human Rights Defenders Tulip.

A special focus on human rights defenders is part of a new strategy formulated by the Dutch government in its policy document ‘Human dignity for all’, published in November 2007.” (photo credits: http://www.humanrightstulip.org)

Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp is a member of the jury who selects the Human Rights Defender who will be honored with the award each year. Read more...

10 December, 2008: On the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Justine Masika Bihama was awarded the Human Rights Defenders Tulip. For more information about the Ms. Bihama and the award read more...

The Earth Charter is a declaration of fundamental principles for building a just, sustainable and peaceful global society in the 21st century. It was drafted in an unprecedented international consultation process involving thousands of experts and citizens from all walks of life.

Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp was part of the Earth Charter Commission that was formed in 1997 to oversee the drafting process. In the year 2000, the final version of the Earth Charter was launched at the Peace Palace in The Hague. Since then, the Charter and its integrated ethical framework for sustainable development has been endorsed by around 5.000 NGOs, educational institutions, religious communities, businesses and governments including UNESCO and the World Conservation Union IUCN. Rabbi Soetendorp promotes the Earth Charter wherever he can. All activities of the Institute are geared to putting the Earth Charter into action and make its inspiring vision a felt reality in the Netherlands and throughout the world.

Since January 2009, Rabbi Soetendorp co-chairs the Earth Charter Task Force on Religion, Spirituality, and Ethics that engages a broad range of individuals, institutions, and organizations concerned with religion, spirituality, ethics, to use the Earth Charter in their efforts toward creating a just, peaceful, and sustainable future and coordinates a network of around 600 religious and spiritual communities that have endorsed the Earth Charter.

Read more about the Global Earth Charter Initiative and its programs: www.earthcharter.org

Since its inauguration in 2001, Rabbi Soetendorp has participated in the World Economic Forum's Community for West-Islam dialogue, a dynamic community of business, political, religious, media and opinion leaders engaged in dialogue to promote understanding across different segments of society in the West and Muslim world. 

It is a multistakeholder community that provides a unique platform to:
-  Act proactively as a global citizen in promoting harmony, mutual respect and shared values
-  Improve knowledge and understanding across cultures and civilizations
-  Gain new insights into the opinions of peers and global leaders involved in West–Islam   dialogue


The current work of the Faith Communities at the World Economic Forum has expanded beyond the focus on interfaith dialogue, embracing a broad agenda that explores the interactions between faith, religion, business, society and politics. The religious perspective is now integrated in a structured manner into the majority of the World Economic Forum's core work through the following workstreams:

Community of Global Religious Leaders
This influential global community engages leaders from the world's major religions in dialogue with each other and other stakeholders shaping the global agenda, such as political leaders, business leaders, Young Global Leaders and NGO leaders.

Global Agenda Council on Faith
The Global Agenda Council on Faith is a community of thought leaders and experts exploring the challenges that lie in the interactions between religion and society, religion and peacebuilding, and religion and business, and works on identifying the most efficient and actionable solutions to these challenges.

Faith Communities Annual Report
In 2008, the first in a series of annual publications focused on the state of dialogue between the Islamic and Western worlds. The 2009 report compiles editorials on the topic of “Values in the Post-Crisis Economy” from over 15 global Religious Leaders and faith organizations, and contains a unique public opinion poll on values which points to a trust deficit regarding values in the business world. In 2010, the report will continue to explore public opinion on the role of faith in global affairs.

Find more information here. 

 

The Institute is actively supporting the Convoy for Peace: Sderot to Gaza. The project was developed in the follow-up of the Third Congress of Imams and Rabbis for Peace, held at Unesco headquarters in Paris, from 15 to 17 December 2008, where Rabbi Soetendorp participated. A committee of congress participants, led by the Hommes de Parole Foundation is currently on the ground in Israel. Rabbi Soetendorp played a leading role in developing the plan and spreading the idea, but was unable to join the group due to his already fixed speaking obligations in Bad Honnef, Edinburgh, and Davos.

Here is what Alain Michel, Secretary General of the Hommes de Parole Foundation has reported about the progress achieved so far:

"The First Convoy for Peace organised by the Hommes de Parole Foundation with the support of the World Congress of Imams and Rabbis for Peace reached Gaza on Monday, 19 January at 4 p.m.

The convoy, composed of 10 semi-trailer trucks, brought in 220 tons of staple foods (flour, sugar, rice) and goods specifically for children. The entire load was stored in the Palestinian Red Crescent warehouse.
Alain Michel and a member of the Hommes de Parole Foundation will be on site at Gaza to participate in the distribution of the goods direct to the families as of Wednesday, 21 January and, with the Foundation’s partners, to identify the most pressing needs.

Our activities are focused around the five thematic areas:

Peace and Reconciliation
Convoy for Peace
OneVoice Movement
World Congress of Imams and Rabbis for Peace
Joint Peace Statement with Prince Hassan bin Talal

Social and Economic Justice
MDG Ambassador
Council of Conscience
Human Rights Defenders Tulip Awards Jury
Statement of Faith in Human Rights
Club of Budapest
Rabbis for Human Rights

Protect and Restore the Environment
Earth Charter Commissioner
Interfaith Climate Summit
Green Cross Netherlands

Interfaith Dialogue
Faith and Leadership: Training for Religious Leaders
Internationalize the Inter-Spiritual Ceremony Preceding the Opening of Parliament
Community of Islam and the West Dialogue Group (C-100)

Realize the Rights of Children
Day of Respect
Hope for Children Fund


Additional Activities

The Day of Respect is a project co-developed by Rabbi Soetendorp to give young people an awareness of the meaning of respect. In 2006, the first Day of Respect was organised, which focused particularly on 11 and 12 years-old, in grades 7 and 8. As part of the Day of Respect program, from the beginning of the school year, students were asked to think about the term 'respect' using interactive material. On the actual 'Day of Respect,’  well-known Dutch personalities from all sectors of society, sports, music, politics, arts, and so forth, were invited to give a guest presentation at a school.

The guest participants focus on the idea of respect which is further reinforced throughout the year by the teacher who has also been trained in the Day of Respect curriculum. By repeatedly introducing the idea of respect into regular lessons taught by their teachers, a dialogue between the children and the idea of respect will take place and will extend as well to conversations about respect between the children and their parents. By repeatedly reinforcing the subject of 'respect' throughout the year, the idea will gradually take hold. The foundation also hopes that young people will identify themselves with these pop ‘heroes’ who speak at the participating school, so that it becomes 'cool' to be respectful.

The reactions of the media, guest speakers, teachers, but above all, the children and their parents, were overwhelming. On this basis, the Foundation has continued to organise annual Day of Respect events and has proceeded to expand its program. Now, (guest) talks are held in the morning, and during the afternoon 'Programs of Respect' are organised, in collaboration with other local organisations to engage society more broadly in the idea of respect. The program has grown from an initial 120 speakers volunteering at 120 schools in 2006, to over 2.500 participating schools in 2009. Pilot events have been initiated in a small number of secondary schools.

Watch a video on the Day of Respect:

23 – 25 January, 2009: Vision, Values, and Action Youth Future Forum, Bad Honnef, Germany: http://www.bpb.de/veranstaltungen/TZGODP,0,Vision_Values_and_Action.html

26 January, 2009: Edingburgh Interfaith Association Holocaust Memorial Day Civic Commemoration
http://www.eifa.org.uk/72.html

Charter of Compassion:
http://charterforcompassion.com/about/soetendrop

Declaration on Global Spirituality:
http://www.eh-kultur.ch/redaktionsteam.htm

 

 

The following peace statement of major religious institutions in the Netherlands was co-authored by Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp

To synagogues, churches, and mosques in the Netherlands

Now that the two parties stated their willingness to cease firing their weapons, we jointly face the task of embarking on the path of peace, both in the Middle East and in our own country. The Hebrew word for Peace and the Arabic word are based on the same group of consonants. There is the same desire for ‘shalom’ and ‘salaam’, for ‘peace’ and ‘wholeness’.

After so many years of suspicion, insecurity, searching, hesitant attempts at living and working together across the demarcation lines, there have been many acts of violence and we see with dismay the shattered face of the other in Sderot and Gaza.

On 13 November, 2008, the Day of Respect, initiated by Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp and the Day of Respect Foundation, was celebrated for the third time since its launch in 2005. More than 2000 schools in the Netherlands participated at the event that included the invitation of famous personalities of the Dutch public life to come into schools and engage students around the meaning of respect for oneself and others.  

To read a one page summary of the background and history of the the Day of Respect, click here...