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Dialogue and Globalization
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[Seikyo
Shimbun] |
On October 7, the IOP sponsored with Harvard University's
Yenching Institute and Center for the Study of World
Religions (CSWR) a symposium entitled "Perspectives on
Religion and Globalization." Some 50 scholars participated
in a discussion of the role of religion in coping with
various issues affecting the global community, such as the
growing disparity between the haves and have-nots, the rise
in international terrorism and environmental degradation.
Referring to the contemporary social relevance of Buddhism
in Thailand, CSWR Director Donald Swearer cited the
importance of maintaining a dynamic interaction between
efforts for inner-directed reform and efforts to change
society for the better. He stressed that the bodhisattva way
is found in this vital balance. Renowned Confucian scholar
and director of the Yenching Institute, Prof. Tu Weiming
urged that a dialogical civilization, grounded in an "anthropocosmic"
perspective, is essential to fostering public intellectuals
and global citizens in the age of globalization. IOP
Director Yoichi Kawada introduced the Buddhist stance of "biospherical
egalitarianism," within which humans have the opportunity to
deepen our awareness and to choose how we want to contribute
to the cause of compassion in the universe.
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