Dear Friends,

At an international confernce brought together by the World Council of Churches under the theme "Critical Moment in Interfaith Dialogue," an important perspective had to do with how interfaith dialogue needs to be "oriented towards and lead to concrete cooperation on issues of common concern in specific contexts."

Public policy (political, economic and other justice) concerns have become critically important in the interfaith conversations. International issues such as the rioting in Paris, July bombings in London, Israel/Palestine, Anti-conversion legislation in Sri Lanka; and domestic issues such as questions of torture (in Guantanamo Bay for one), immigration reform, the Living Wage campaign that NCC Poverty Mobilization group is working on, and even questions of how we respond to natural disasters like Katrina and Rita, have interfaith implications.

A participant in a recent workshop suggested that rather than call what we do "Interfaith Dialogue" we need to call it "Interfaith Negotiation!"

This blog will contain my reflection on this growing new understanding of interfaith relations. I hope you will regularly read it and comment on it, so that my work and our work together will be enriched.

Thank you.
Shanta Premawardhana