At the Rashtrapati Bhavan on June 15, 2004 the President of India Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam officially launched the Foundation for Unity of Religions and Enlightened Citizenship in the presence of different religious leaders. Dr Homi Dhalla spoke on a road map for cohesive action of the Foundation and was requested to present this to the President on behalf of the religious leaders of India, notes a press release.
After the other leaders spoke on various facets of the Foundation, the President related his experiences at several religious sites in India and emphasized the need for communal harmony and the role of youth in shaping the India of tomorrow. The visitors were then invited to lunch with the President.
Dhalla (right) presenting road map to Kalam
The previous day the assembly of leaders decided on the necessary infrastructure to implement the Surat Spiritual Declaration which they had decided on last year. To sustain the human spirit on the basis of acceptance and respect for all religions as well as the economic well-being of the citizens of India is the aim of the Foundation. Some of the objectives of the Foundation are: to provide for interfaith dialog and a common platform for various religions to work together for interfaith harmony and socioeconomic development, to encourage and popularize multi-religious prayers and festivals, to foster awareness of social justice and ecological concerns, to publish and generate audiovisual material, organize seminars and conferences, and to arrange for financial assistance to achieve the objectives.
With key resource persons and training institutes identified, they hope the implementation of the program will commence in 50-60 villages by November 15, 2004, adds the release.