INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF WORLD RELIGIOUS LEADERS TO DISCUSS TEEN SUICIDE AND FAITH CRISIS

(PRLEAP.COM) The conference, the second meeting of the Board of World Religious Leaders of Elijah, will enable a worldwide network of religious leaders to offer strategic solutions, tackling the new issue of increasing rates of youth suicide, while developing efforts - begun at the first conference in Seville, Spain, in 2003 - to coordinate responses to the increasing secularization of society.

• In response to the global increase in suicide rates among adolescents and young adults, the Board of World Religious Leaders seeks strategic solutions for dealing with this serious issue. Globalization trends, population and economic pressures, the breakdown of families, social alienation and lack of sustaining human relationships have contributed to young people lacking a sense of meaning and purpose in life. (Note: This forum will not deal with suicide bombers, but rather the taking of one’s life by individuals without intention to physically harm others.)
The conference in Taiwan will offer a presentation of the results of a questionnaire distributed to religious leaders to help raise awareness of this problem in religious institutions and find strategic solutions to address this growing crisis.
• The other key issue that to be addressed is ‘The Crisis of the Holy’, with sessions on strategic problem-solving and networking to understand how each religion can utilize its own strengths to provide leadership, to maintain authority, and to properly serve society.

The conference will also launch Elijah’s Rapid Response Process, which will create an infrastructure through which the leaders of the five main world religions can respond immediately to international issues and crises as they arise. The meeting will also present plans for the formation of an inter-religious university.

The confirmed participants include (complete list available on request):

Buddhists - Dharma Master Hsin-Tao, Taiwan; Ven. Bhikkhuni Kusuma, Sri Lanka; Ven. Jan Chozen Bays, United States; Ven. Khandro Rinpoche, India

Christians - Archbishop Boutrous Mouallem, Israel; Patriarch Mesrob II, Armenian Patriarch, Turkey; Therese Andrevon, France; Bishop Hilarion, Austria; Josef Thomas Götz, Germany; Rt Rev Bishop Lennart Koskinen, Sweden; His Eminence Nikitas Lulias, Hong Kong; His Eminence Paul Cardinal Shan, SJ., Taiwan

Hindus - H.H. Sugunendra Theertha Swamiji, India; Maureen Goodman, Great Britain; Sister Rajni, Japan; Swami Jitatmananda, India; H.H. Sri Rishi Prabhakarji, India

Jews - Chief Rabbi Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron, Israel; Chief Rabbi Menachem Hacohen, Israel; Chief Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen, Israel; Rabbi David Rosen, Israel; Rabbi Naftali Brawer, Great Britain; Rabbi Richard Marker, United States; Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp, Netherlands

Muslims - Dr. Mustafa Ceric, Bosnia; Sheikh Muhammad Nur Abdallah, United States; Dr. Adamou Ndam Njoya, Cameroon; Dr. Y. Mossa Basha, United States; Nadeem Kazmi, Great Britain

Sikhs - Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh, Great Britain