The United Religions Initiative, based in San Francisco, promotes interfaith cooperation and ending religiously motivated violence. It has “cooperation circles” around the globe.

The Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions, based in Chicago, sponsors interfaith dialogue and encourages cooperation among religious and spiritual communities and institutions.

The Interfaith Center of New York is an educational nonprofit dedicated to understanding and cooperation among faiths. The center works with a wide variety of religious leaders.

The Rev. Shanta Premawardhana is president of SCUPE, based in Chicago. Previously, he served as associate general secretary for interfaith relations at the National Council of Churches. The NCC represents Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, historic African-American and Peace churches and engages in interfaith dialogue.

Ron Young serves as staff consultant for the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East, a national organization of 2,500 American Jews, Christians and Muslims. The committee carries on programs nationwide on dialogue, education and advocacy in support of U.S. policies in the Middle East.

Sheila McLaughlin is director of the Bernardin Center for Theology and Ministry at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.

Scott Alexander is director of the Catholic-Muslim Program and associate professor of Islam at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.

Michael T. Shelley is the director of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago’s Center of Christian-Muslim Engagement for Peace and Justice.

Christopher S. Queen is a lecturer on the study of religion and dean of students for continuing education at Harvard University in Boston, where he teaches courses on Buddhism in America and Buddhism and social change. Read a June 18, 2004, interview he did with the Echo Chamber Project, in which he discusses Buddhism, war, peace and […]