Botswanan Baha'i Participates in Parliament on International Advisory Committee

July 14, 2004

Source: Baha'i World News Service

http://www.bahaiworldnews.org/story.cfm?storyid=310

On July 14, 2004 the Baha'i World News Service reported, "The high point of 20 years of interfaith activity by Lally Lucretia Warren, a Baha'i from Botswana, came this week when she chaired a session at the 2004 Parliament of the World's Religions. The Parliament, a major interfaith conference, drew more than 8,000 people from 75 countries to this Mediterranean city 7-13 July. Acting as master of ceremonies, Ms. Warren steered a plenary session through the granting of a new international award for interreligious dialog, speeches by prominent Jewish and Muslim leaders, and prayers from representatives of various religions. Ms. Warren, a nurse and midwife, began her involvement in interfaith activities two decades ago by being one of the organizers of local observances of World Religion Day. 'Baha'u'llah said "Consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship,"' said Ms. Warren. 'So that is what we tried to do.' Ms. Warren attended the Parliament in her capacity as one of 15 members of the Parliament's international advisory committee -- a group that includes such figures as the Dalai Lama, Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, and Ela Gandhi, the granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi...More than 20 Baha'is were involved in panel discussions, speeches or other events at the Parliament, and another 80 Baha'is attended as participants, coming from more than a dozen countries."