Interfaith & Thanksgiving Dinner

Please do take a look at 'Aliston' singing in the link below. He is not Julio Englesias, but he is getting there obviously. It is such a joy to see, for me atleast. He is singing at an 'interfaith dinner' in a Christian perspective, as becomes clear at the end of the song. So, a lot of good things are going on in the world, and we are not indespensible to that process (which is nice, if not disconcerting) !

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDi2J7aEVY8

I have always been interested in interfaith work (from university days) from a view of 'Wholeness' or a cosmology of 'Oneness'. But I also know that we have to find both the inner and outer peace from our own traditions, and give people of the various faith communities 'space' & 'privacy' to be themselves and grow. That's how I grew up. It is a colossal crime against humanity to invade that 'space', and there is some of that going on.

Looking at the video, I realized that 'food' takes on almoat a spiritual meaning in Third world countries, and 'song' is an important way to communicate and form relationships & 'closeness'.

I remember many of us always carried a 'mouth organ' - that is a musical instrument, in case you are wondering - (along with a comb) in our pockets. And if you played guitar, or trumpet, everyone adored you. I played clarinet, which many think is a sissy instrument, until they hear the sounds it can make.

I have visited India only thrice in 30 years, so with all the fast food etc, I have lost much of that - I notice. With internet, I am becoming like a 'homing pigeon' from afar.

I am working toward creating a world-class Interfaith Institute in Goa, India, to be run primarily by local people there, in their traditions. I have already chosen the location, and have been in discussions, and am contributing to the over-all design of the 'theoretical' structure and context of dialogue, i.e., from a mental health/well-being approach primarily, so that 'theology' does not put us all in a 'straight-jacket' of talking past each other.

I am writing interfaith high school curriculum units for St. Joseph's in Bangalore, India, where I went to school and for a peace institute in the Middle East. I have co-authored two interdisciplinary curriculums. The one for the Ottawa Board of Education is 2000 pages in 3 volumes. The English/Language Arts curriculum for Kahnawake Survival School, an independent Mohawk high school, was particularly satisfying, spiritually & emotionally, as it dealt with fundamental questions of a people reviving their culture and language, and developing 'community' as a member of the family of nations - and a lot of my university studies dealt with 'development issues' in that light.

I also would like to support the project of Fr. David to build a high school in Uganda in a property he inherited. See www.fecucharity.org I try and publicize it whenever I have an opportunity. He left recently for Uganda for 2 months.

If my business grows, as I would like it to, I would be able to play a more significant role financially, and not just in the area of ideas and convincing others.

So, I wish you all a great long holiday weekend (as we have in Canada), and as we prepare once again for the Fall & Winter.

God Bless !

Ivan D. Pereira

Posted By : Mr. Ivan D. Pereira, Canada on 04/09/2007