Date:30/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/30/stories/2008083053230300.htm

New Delhi

Spotlight on religion, creating peace

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: Bharat Soka Gakkai and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts organised a seminar on “Harmonising religion, creating peace” here earlier this week.

The seminar was based on Dr. Daisaku Ikeda’s 2008 Peace Proposal submitted to the UN.

The opening address was delivered by IGNCA Joint Secretary Aditi Mehta and the chairperson was former Attorney-General of India Soli Sorabjee.

Mr. Sorabjee emphasised that reforms in the social justice system, increased tolerance and a more equitable distribution of resources was the need of the hour.

Economic disparities

He said even 60 years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, India was far short of its goal and that violence and conflict find root in the glaring social and economic disparities between the haves and the have-nots.

Former Indian Police Service officer Kiran Bedi and Indira Gandhi National Open University Vice-Chancellor V. N. Rajshekharan Pillai were among those who took part in the event.