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1) His Eminence Francis Cardinal Arinze, President of the Pontifical Council for
    Inter-Religious Dialogue at the Vatican

Cardinal Francis Arinze was born in Eziowelle, Nigeria, on November 1, 1932, and ordained on 23 November 1958. He taught at the Bigard Memorial Seminary and then served as Regional Secretary for Catholic Education for Eastern Nigeria. Later he was named Auxiliary Bishop of the Onitsha Archdiocese. In 1979, Arinze was elected President of the Nigerian Bishops' Conference, and on April 8 of the same year, John Paul II called him to head the Vatican's Secretariat for Non-Christians. He was made a cardinal by John Paul II on May 25, 1985. On June 28, 1988, the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus renamed the Secretariat for Non- Christians the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue. Arinze stayed on as President. His duties are to promote and regularize relations with non-Christian individuals and groups, and with those who, in any way, are inclined toward religious belief.  Francis Cardinal Arinze is one of those rare persons who can communicate with others by simply looking at them. The first thing that impresses one about him is the smile in his eyes, a concrete sign of a life that is dedicated to sharing the love of Christ with people. Such a gift for communication serves the cardinal well in his work as President of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue, a post he has held since 1985—the same year in which he was named cardinal by Pope John Paul II.

2) Reverend Konrad Raiser, Secretary-General of the World Council of Churches

Reverend Raiser is the fifth General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), founded in 1948. The WCC has approximately 400 million Christian members represented through more than 330 churches, denominations and fellowships in 100 countries and territories throughout the world.  Founded in 1948, WCC works toward the universal calling: "one human family in justice and peace."  Reverend Raiser’s publications include To Be the Church, Challenges and Hope for a New Millenium (1997), and Ecumenism in Transition (1991). He earned his Ph.D. in Theology from the  Protestant Theological Faculty in Tübingen and has also studied sociology and social psychology at Harvard University.

3) Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson

The son of impoverished parents living in South Carolina, Jesse Jackson graduated from Chicago Theological Seminary in 1965 and was ordained a Baptist minister in 1968.  During the early years of his ministry he was a close associate of Rev. Martin Luther King, and following Dr. King’s assassination, became one of the leaders of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The Executive Director of Operation Breadbasket, Rev. Jackson founded and led Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity).  Jesse Jackson was the organizer of the Rainbow Coalition and has been a prominent figure in American politics for many years.

4) Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, Chief Rabbi of Israel

Rabbi Israel Meir Lau was born in 1937 in Pyotrekov, Poland. A survivor of the Buchenwald concentration camp, he lost both of his parents in the Holocaust.  In 1946 he immigrated to Israel, where he lived with his uncle and studied at a state religious school in Kiryat Shmuel. He then studied at three yeshivas: Kol Torah in Jerusalem, Knesset Hizkiya in Zichron Ya'akov and Ponovitz in Bnei Brak. In 1971 he was ordained a rabbi.  In 1993 he was elected Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel.  Rabbi Lau's publications include Yahadut—Halacha Le'maase (1975) on the practice of Judaism, and Yachel Israel (1993), two volumes on medicine, ethics and Jewish customs.

5) His Excellency Abdullah Salaih Al-Obaid, Secretary-General of the Muslim World
    League

Abdullah Al-Obaid is Secretary General of the Muslim World League (WML). The WML was founded in 1962 to promote Islamic unity, and to safeguard and advance the Islamic cultural and political world.  His Excellency Abdullah Al-Obaid has been especially vocal and active in identifying and publicizing tragedies that have struck the world’s Muslim population. Under his guidance, the WML has effectively mobilized the Islamic community as well as the broader international community into action.

6) Most Reverend Kuniaki Kuni, The Jingu Daiguji of the Grand Shrine of Ise

According to Shinto, the indigenous religion of Japan, the sacred is concentrated in select places and environments. There are more than 100,000 Shinto sanctuaries in Japan, which are at the center of spiritual  life. Historically, the Grand Shrine at Ise (simply called Jingu) has held the most honored place among all Shinto sanctuaries. It is considered to be the spiritual home of the Japanese people, most of whom wish to make a pilgrimage to Jingu at least once during their lifetime. In fact, more than six million pilgrims and worshipers come to Jingu every year.

7) His Eminence Sheikh Ahmad Kuftaro, Grand Mufti of the Syrian Arab Republic

His Eminence Sheikh Ahmed Kuftaro, the Grand Mufti of Syria, Head of the Supreme Council of Fatwa, was born in Damascus in 1915, son of Muhammad Amin Kuftaro (1875-1938), a great scholar of his day. Since 1938, at the death of his father, he has been the head of the Naqsha- bandi order, preaching and calling for the pursuit of the universal knowledge, freedom of religion, moral rearmament among the Muslims of the world, interfaith cooperation, and more recently, protection of the global environment and American moral leadership in the world.  The major commitment of Sheikh Ahmad Kuftaro throughout his life has been to interfaith understanding and cooperation in pursuit of peace - even at times when this commitment was not clearly understood or appreciated. In 1987, His Eminence Sheikh Ahmad Kuftaro held a summit meeting with Pope John Paul II in Malta and gave a lecture entitled "Co-Existence in the Mediterranean."  In 1981 he addressed the Academy of Science in Moscow on "Islam and Peace," and at the Inter- Religious Conference in May 1992 in Moscow he delivered an address on "The Principles of Peace in the World Religions."  The goal of this address was to increase awareness among the professional clergy of their unique responsibility in helping to avoid potential conflicts that can lead to war.

8) Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, Leading Talmudic Scholar

An original thinker, Rabbi Steinsaltz was born in Jerusalem and has written various works that have been translated into a number of languages. He is a leading scholar in the world of Talmud, having worked for the past decade on an edition of that classic work which is intended for the contemporary student.  Dr. Steinsaltz has been a member of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, and has been involved in interfaith activities for the realization of world peace.

9) His Grace Njongonkulu Ndungane, The Archbishop of Cape Town

In 1960, Njongonkulu Ndungane was involved in anti-apartheid demonstrations while a student at the University of Cape Town. In 1963, he began a three-year sentence on Robben Island as a political prisoner. "We have emerged from a crucible of fire where many people have been wounded  and scarred," the Bishop said. "An urgent task for the church is the transformation of agents of brokenness into angels of healing."  It is in this spirit that the Archbishop continues the work of Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

10) His Holiness Karekin II, Patriarch of the Armenian Orthodox Church 

His Holiness Karekin II is the 132nd Catholicos of all Armenians.  In 1965 he entered the Theological Seminary of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin and successfully graduated from the Seminary in 1971.  On October 23, 1983, he was ordained a bishop in the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. In November 1992, he was granted the rank of Archbishop. On November 30, 1998, upon the Pontifical order of His Holiness Karekin I, Karekin II was appointed the Vicar General of the Catholicos and served as the Vicar General till July 4, 1999.  His Eminence is a member of the Supreme Spiritual Council.

11) Venerable Samdech Preah Maha Ghosananda, Buddhist Nobel Prize Nominee

The Supreme Patriarch of Buddhism for the Kingdom of Cambodia has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize five times. He is famous for leading peace marches throughout Cambodia and former Khmer Rouge territory (where 17 of his brothers and sisters were killed), as a form of active reconciliation. He has been a scholar at Nalanda Buddhist University in India, and speaks fifteen languages. Maha Ghosananda is widely recognized for his efforts to safely remove the land mines which plague Southeast Asia.

12) The Venerable Master Sheng-yen

Ven. Sheng-yen is widely recognized as one of the foremost teachers in contemporary Buddhism.  The impact of his teachings, social engagement, writings and personal example has been felt throughout the Far East and increasingly in the West.  Born in Shanghai, Ven Sheng-yen was ordained at 13, and at 28 he had a deep spiritual experience after which he completed a six-year solitary retreat.  Master Sheng-yen has received Dharma transmission in the two major branches of Ch'an Buddhism, the Lin-Chi (Japanese Rinzai), and the Ts'ao-Tung (Japanese Soto). In Zen genealogical terms, Master Sheng-Yen is a seventy-second generation descendant of Bodhidharma (ca. 530), the First Patriarch of Ch'an, and the sixty-seventh generation descendant of Hui-Neng (638—713), the Sixth Patriarch of Ch'an. Within the Lin-Chi lineage, Master Sheng-yen is a sixty-second generation descendant of Master Lin-Chi (ca. 866), and a third-generation descendant of Master Hsu-Yun (1840—1959).  Master Sheng-yen is also the founder of the Chung-Hwa Institute of Buddhist Studies in Taipei, Taiwan.

13) Her Holiness Sri Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi

A renowned Indian holy Woman, "Amma" or "Ammachi" is known for her healing embrace. She is considered to be a "living Saint" (Washington Post) in her homeland. Amma has made a reputation as a "Mother Teresa-like" figure (ABC News) as a result of her personal compassion and the extensive charity institutions she has inspired to alleviate suffering and poverty. She was a featured speaker at the United Nations 50th Anniversary Commemoration, and was chosen to represent Hinduism at the Centenary Parliament of World Religions.

14) His Excellency Dr. Mustafa Ceric, Grand Mufti of Bosnia

Dr. Mustafa Ceric has been a strong voice for both the recognition of and forgiveness for the crimes against humanity that have occurred in the Balkans. He is also deeply concerned with creating a stronger, peaceful relationship between Islam and the West. In his words, "The threat is not in Islam but in our spiritual disability to meet the universal moral demands; the evil is not in the West, but in our cultural insecurity. It is time that Islam be seen as a spiritual blessing in the West and the West be seen as a call for an intellectual awakening in the Muslim East."

15) Chief Oren Lyons, Faithkeeper of the Onondaga Nation

Chief Oren Lyons is Faithkeeper of the Onondaga Nation of the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy, or the Haudeenosaunee. He is also Professor of American Studies at SUNY Buffalo. Lyons is an internationally recognized advocate for the rights of indigenous peoples. He has worked with the UN on indigenous peoples issues since the 1960’s, and is a principal figure in the Traditional Circle of the American Indian Elders and Youth. A graduate of Syracuse University, Chief Lyons was an All-American in lacrosse, and is also a well-known artist.

16) His Holiness Swami Dayananda Saraswati

Swami Dayananda Saraswati is a traditional teacher of Vedanta and an eminent scholar of Sanskrit. He was born into a traditional family in 1930 in a village in Thanjavur District, the cultural hub of Tamil Nadu. Swamiji has established three institutions of learning and culture: two in India and one in the USA. Swamiji’s teaching and scholarship have generated for him international recognition as one of the foremost authorities of Vedanta. Swamiji has conducted many courses and delivered countless public lectures throughout the world since 1976. It is through these media that he has made the wisdom of the Upanishads available to the modern world.

17) Honorable Coretta Scott King

Born in Alabama in 1927, Coretta Scott is the widow of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr..  Following his death she assumed a critical role in the leadership of the civil rights movement, and has been at the forefront of the campaign to deal with issues of poverty and race in America.

18) His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj

Swami Maharaj is the fifth spiritual successor of Lord Swaminarayan, the principal deity  and spiritual head of the Bochasanwasi Swaminarayan Sanstha (BSS). Even at the age of 78, he continuously travels, having personally counseled over 500,000 people and read and replied to 435,000 letters. Swamiji has also visited over 12,000 villages and 250,000 homes. His compassion for humanity, deep concern for its problems and conscious efforts to alleviate them have given rise to numerous international moral, social, educational, cultural and spiritual projects. Swamiji leads the austere life of a brahmacharya—celibacy, without personal wealth or comfort.

19) Venerable Eshin Watanabe

On 20 January 1997, the Most Venerable Watanabe became the 225th Tendai Zasu, the Supreme Priest of the Tendai School of Buddhism, and the Head Priest of Enryakuji Temple of Mount Hiei, which is the head temple of the Tendai Buddhist Denomination.  He also serves as President of the Tendai Association for Religious Cooperation toward World Peace, President of the Tendai Association for Japan-China Friendship, and Governor of the "Brighten Your Corner" Movement.  On 3 August, he took the initiative to hold the Tenth Anniversary of the Religious Summit Meeting on Mt. Hiei, "The Interreligious Gathering of Prayer for World Peace."

20) Dada Jashan P. Vaswani

Dada Jashan P. Vaswani is the spiritual head of Sadhu Vaswani Mission in Pune, India. Dada Jashan is endowed with the gift of oratory and eloquence. He was invited to speak at U.N.O. on universal peace and at the House of Commons, London, on world without wars. He spoke at the World Hindu Conferences in Sri Lanka and the United States. He was the keynote speaker at the Centennial Celebrations of the World Parliament of Religions in New York. His fiery, thought-provoking speeches have aroused a great deal of interest in Indian religion and culture.

21) Hans Kung

Hans Kung was born in Switzerland in 1928. After studying philosophy and theology, he was ordained as a priest in 1954. His doctoral thesis, Justification: The Doctrine of Karl Barth with a Catholic Reflection (1964), illustrates the similarities in the beliefs on justification held by the Protestant theologian Karl Barth and Roman Catholic doctrine. The work was widely acclaimed by both Roman Catholic and Protestant ecumenists. Hans Kung has published numerous articles and books, and holds honorary doctorates from over a dozen prestigious universities, including Loyola, the University of Glasgow and the University of Michigan. Hans Kung’s call for reform in both the Catholic and Protestant churches has sparked controversy as well as much needed dialogue.
 

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