Advocating for Women
Historical gender inequities have favored and promoted men in leadership roles, and as a result, institutions and organizations have often lacked the balanced perspective which would result from greater contributions by women. Qualities such as nurturing, empathy, and compassion are antidotes to today’s divisive politics and cynicism.
It is important to understand the beliefs and traditions that have historically excluded women from equal representation and positions of leadership. We look to advocate for women rising up worldwide against oppression and exploitation.
Christopher Peters (Puhlik-lah/Karuk)
Prof. Dr. Azza Karam is Secretary-General of Religions for Peace and holds a Professorship of Religion and Development at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. Dr. Karam has an extensive diplomatic and interreligious background and she has held several positions at the United Nations since 2004, and other inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations for close to 30 years.
Christopher Peters (Puhlik-lah/Karuk)
Prof. Dr. Azza Karam is Secretary-General of Religions for Peace and holds a Professorship of Religion and Development at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam. Dr. Karam has an extensive diplomatic and interreligious background and she has held several positions at the United Nations since 2004, and other inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations for close to 30 years.
Gender Equality Episode 3 - Made in the Image of God: The Role of Sacred Texts in Helping or Hindering Gender Equality
Gender Equality Episode 3 - Made in the Image of God: The Role of Sacred Texts in Helping or Hindering Gender Equality
Watch on External WebsiteWatch on External WebsiteWe Can Prevent the Bankruptcy of the Sacred – Dare we Try?
The UN High Level Political Forum (HLPF) came to a conclusion on July 15th. Another HLPF, another series of declaration, and commitments and concerns articulated by governments. And the results of this High Level Political Forum? Not the dramatic changes that our planetary existence cries for. Not even the radical introspection about each of the governance and civic responsibilities attested to by various human rights and humanitarian catastrophes in almost every corner of the world. In fact, the HLPF, like so many other summits and consultations between and among governments, has ended with more of the same.
ReadReadA Narrative of Love: Dr. Azza Karam on Religion, Dialogue and Love
Spirit of Humanity Forum. A Narrative of Love is a series of conversations with thought-leaders and spiritual teachers about their understanding of the significance of love in our personal and public lives hosted by Dr. Scherto Gill - In this conversation Dr. Scherto Gill talks with Prof. Azza Karam, Ph.D. Secretary General, Religion for Peace.
WatchWatchViolence Against Civilians in Gaza and Jerusalem is … Failed Leadership
The violence against civilians in Gaza and in Jerusalem must stop. This violence is – further and deadly – evidence of failed leadership, in every sense.
Read on External WebsiteRead on External WebsiteKeeping Faith in Interfaith Dialogue: Hans Küng and Global Religious Collaboration for Positive Peace
Prof. Dr. Azza Karam shares her perspective on the works of Hans Küng, and the belief she shares that alteration in consciousness is reached through living one’s faith in actions of service beyond self and without discrimination and distinctions.
Read on External WebsiteRead on External WebsiteFaith, Sport, and Love, actually (with guest, Dr. Azza Karam)
Sport for Humanity combines the passion for sport with the values of faith to serve humanity. In this episode, David explores the relevance of Faith and Sport, and Faith in Sport, with Dr. Azza Karam.
Listen on External WebsiteListen on External WebsiteOPINION: A Counter-Narrative? Ruminations Around Holocaust Awareness Day
For more than two decades, the mantra was “PVE” (preventing violent extremism) and/or “CVE” (countering violent extremism).
Read on External WebsiteRead on External WebsiteA Dialogue of Love: Interreligious Cooperation and Global Well-Being
In the Annual John Paul II Lecture on Interfaith Understanding, Professor Azza Karam, secretary general of Religions for Peace International, discusses how multi-faith alliances can further peace and well-being in our fractured world.
WatchWatchEco Justice for All
The Temple of Understanding hosted a conversation on Facebook with Prof. Dr. Azza Karam, secretary general of Religions for Peace and she discusses the interconnectedness between human rights and a thriving ecosystem.
Watch on External WebsiteWatch on External WebsiteMulti-Faith Actions: The Tipping Point for 'Peace'
This presentation addresses key questions that include: What do we mean when we speak of “religions” in the nexus of peace, human rights and security? How has the United Nations, engaged ‘religions’ in its own peace efforts? What are the implications of this on the work of the UN of religious institutions?
WatchWatchEducation as the Pathway towards Gender Equality
Gender-based discrimination in education is, in effect, both a cause and a consequence of deep-rooted differences in society. Disparities, whether in terms of poverty, ethnic background, disability, or traditional attitudes about their status and role all undermine the ability of women and girls to exercise their rights.
Read on External WebsiteRead on External WebsiteChristopher Peters (Puhlik-lah/Karuk)
Audrey E. Kitagawa, J.D., is the President/Founder of the International Academy for Multicultural Cooperation, the President of the Light of Awareness International Spiritual Family, the former Advisor to the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict at the United Nations.
Christopher Peters (Puhlik-lah/Karuk)
Dr.Sakena Yacoobi is Founder and Executive Director of the Afghan Institute of Learning, which provides teacher training, education, and health education; and Founder and Executive Director of Creating Hope International, which supports communities in Afghanistan and India in providing food, shelter, healthcare, employment, and education services. Dr. Yacoobi has received numerous awards for her international humanitarian works.
16th Annual Mahatma Gandhi Day Celebration and International day of Nonviolence
The Gandhi International Institute for Peace and Still and Moving Center present the 16th Annual Mahatma Gandhi Day Celebration and International day of Non-Violence with featured speakers Audrey E. Kitagawa, J.D. and Tushar Gandhi.
RegisterRegisterGender Equality Episode 3 - Made in the Image of God: The Role of Sacred Texts in Helping or Hindering Gender Equality
Gender Equality Episode 3 - Made in the Image of God: The Role of Sacred Texts in Helping or Hindering Gender Equality
Watch on External WebsiteWatch on External WebsiteVOICES for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons; "Deep Dive" with Audrey Kitagawa, J.D.
The majority of the world’s population adhere to some faith tradition or belief and represent a huge resource that can be mobilized to address two of the largest existential threats posed to human existence: environmental degradation and nuclear weapons. Communities of faith represent the moral, ethical voices that have been increasingly moving into action to address our global challenges.
ReadReadFEEDING THE FUTURE: The Story of the Smallholder Farmers Alliance
Smallholder farmers comprise one-third of the world's population and hold the key to food security and reversing environmental degradation. The film will show the remarkable reforestation of Haiti through the use of trees as "currency" which smallholder farmers plant in exchange for better quality seeds, equipment, and training, and the regeneration of cotton production in Haiti, at one time one of the world's largest exporters of cotton.
WatchWatchThe Crisis of Loneliness Among Young Americans
Recent studies have revealed some truly alarming trends among young Americans: one-third of undergraduates wrestle with some kind of mental health issue, more than one-third of young adults are now disaffiliated with religion, and according to one global health service company, the loneliest generation in America today are between 18-22 years old. Whereas previous generations might ask, "How should I live?" they are now more likely to ask, "Why should I live?" Where they used to talk about hope and meaning; now they grapple with hopelessness and meaninglessness. And while it may be too early to say for sure, it's almost certain that almost a year of quarantine and social distancing has only made matters worse. In other words, young Americans are facing a spiritual crisis of loneliness.
WatchWatchHans Küng, Thought Pioneer in Religious and Secular Spaces
In an article published by Georgetown University's Berkley Center, Audrey E. Kitagawa, J.D., President and Founder of the International Academy for Multicultural Cooperation discusses Hans Küng's pioneering vision of the human condition in the perpetual dynamics of dualism in which we appear to exist.
Read on External WebsiteRead on External WebsitePower Dynamics In The Perpetuation of Gender Inequality
Audrey E. Kitagawa, J.D., President/Founder of the International Academy for Multicultural Cooperation and member of the G20 Interfaith Forum Gender Equality Working Group discusses the power dynamics of relationships, which can be used negatively or positively to determine the nature of human interactions.
Read on External WebsiteRead on External WebsiteA Conversation with Dr. Monica Sharma and Audrey Kitagawa
Audrey Kitagawa and International Academy for Multicultural Cooperation Advisor Dr. Monica Sharma discuss Dr. Sharma’s book, Radical Transformational Leadership, and her philosophical and spiritual approach to her works.
WatchWatchA World of Faith: Audrey Kitagawa, and Imam Sayed Ali Abbas Razawi
From the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University, Sayed Ali Abbas Razawi, Audrey Kitagawa, and Harvard student Michel Nehme discuss the philosophy undergirding interfaith dialogue.
WatchWatchDemocratic Republic of Congo
Audrey Kitagawa, accompanied by Dr. Mutombo Nkulu-N'Sengha, visited Kinshasa, Lubumbashi and Kamina in the Democratic Republic of Congo, September 9-18, 2012.
View GalleryView GalleryMyanmar
With almost five decades of world isolation and military control, much of the country’s culture, ecology, and archaeological sites were unaltered.
View GalleryView GalleryVietnam (2008)
Audrey Kitagawa returned to Vietnam July 12 to July 17, 2008 to bring charitable goods, medical supplies, and to spread the Aloha spirit, Love.
View GalleryView GalleryUN Day of Vesak, Vietnam
The United Nations General Assembly, at its 54th session, on Dec. 15, 1999, adopted Resolution 115, "International recognition of the Day of Vesak at United Nations Headquarters and other United Nations Offices."
View GalleryView GalleryCalifornia State University Northridge (2008)
The Program, “Weapons of Mass Destruction: Religious, Ethical and Legal Dimensions of An Un-Ignorable Imperative” was held on April 29, 2008.
View GalleryView GalleryGlobalization as the Fuel of Religious and Ethnic Conflicts
We live in an interconnected world, and the degradation of one human being is the degradation of us all. Wherever human rights abuses occur, wherever humanitarian relief is needed, wherever human suffering exists we must not turn a blind eye. We should tell the stories of truth that we may learn the ways of truth, and grow in the wisdom of humility, which would turn the suffering that arrogance, greed, and self-interest have wrought into lessons of equity and justice.
ReadReadCrossing World Views: The Power of Perspective and the Hawai'i Japanese American Experience
Published in "Learning in the Light: Multicultural Communication and Asian American Women", Audrey E. Kitagawa shares the Power of Perspective and the Hawai'i Japanese American Experience.
ReadReadChristopher Peters (Puhlik-lah/Karuk)
Dr. Manulani Aluli Meyer is the fifth daughter of Emma Aluli and Harry Meyer who grew up on the sands of Mokapu and Kailua beach on the island of Oʻahu and along the rainy shoreline of Hilo Palikū. The Aluli ʻohana is a large and diverse group of scholar-activists dedicated to Hawaiian education, restorative justice, land reclamation, ʻohana health practices, cultural revitalization, arts education, prison reform, transformational economics, food sovereignty, and Hawaiian music. Dr. Aluli Meyer works in the field of indigenous epistemology and its role in world-wide awakening. Professor Aluli Meyer obtained her doctorate in Philosophy of Education from Harvard (Ed.D. 1998). She is a world-wide keynote speaker, writer, and international evaluator of Indigenous Ph.D.s who now works at the University of Hawaiʻi West Oʻahu campus.
Christopher Peters (Puhlik-lah/Karuk)
Dr.Sakena Yacoobi is Founder and Executive Director of the Afghan Institute of Learning, which provides teacher training, education, and health education; and Founder and Executive Director of Creating Hope International, which supports communities in Afghanistan and India in providing food, shelter, healthcare, employment, and education services. Dr. Yacoobi has received numerous awards for her international humanitarian works.
Aloha & Pono with Dr. Manulani Aluli Meyer 日本語訳下にあります
Exploring Aloha and Pono: Aloha is the intelligence with which we meet life. It was in our culture from thousands of years ago that Aloha is our true intelligence. Pono for us is that complementarity to Aloha. For me, Pono is a synonym for Truth.
WatchWatchLiving in Harmony with Dr. Manulani Aluli Meyer 日本語訳下にあります
Dr. Aluli Meyer discusses harmony and how can we attain it. We are experiencing our own evolution through conflict and this is how we wake up. In this chaotic world we have the birthing of our own collective consciousness. The first medicine is forgiveness and Aloha and Pono are at the center of forgiveness. She shares about her relationship with her sister and through their conflict there is now forgiveness and harmony. She explains further that Aloha is the primal source of our collective emergence.
WatchWatchSpiritual World with Dr. Manulani Aluli Meyer 日本語訳下にあります
Dr. Aluli Meyer shares that experiences in our spiritual realm are very intimate. She elaborates on some of her experiences on many islands in Hawaiʻi. These experiences come and we are students to these lessons that we learn from the trans-spatial world of mystery of the unknown of our ancestral connections.
WatchWatchHolographic Epistemology: Native Common Sense
We communicate through our world view shaped within knowledge systems prioritized by the needs of people and the lessons of place. This article simplifies indigenous epistemology with the latest insight of post-quantum sciences. Holographic principles and practices are used to design a (k)new understanding of the philosophy of knowledge inclusive of all three aspects of nature: physical, mental, and spiritual.
ReadReadChristopher Peters (Puhlik-lah/Karuk)
Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, Ph.D. is a renowned spiritual leader and author who has done extensive work on the upliftment and empowerment of women, as well as numerous humanitarian projects. She is Secretary-General of the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance, an international interfaith organization dedicated to clean water, sanitation & hygiene, President of Divine Shakti Foundation, a foundation which runs free schools, vocational training programs and empowerment programs, and Director of the International Yoga Festival at Parmarth.
Christopher Peters (Puhlik-lah/Karuk)
Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, Ph.D. is a renowned spiritual leader and author who has done extensive work on the upliftment and empowerment of women, as well as numerous humanitarian projects. She is Secretary-General of the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance, an international interfaith organization dedicated to clean water, sanitation & hygiene, President of Divine Shakti Foundation, a foundation which runs free schools, vocational training programs and empowerment programs, and Director of the International Yoga Festival at Parmarth.
Gender Equality Episode 3 - Made in the Image of God: The Role of Sacred Texts in Helping or Hindering Gender Equality
Gender Equality Episode 3 - Made in the Image of God: The Role of Sacred Texts in Helping or Hindering Gender Equality
Watch on External WebsiteWatch on External WebsiteGender Equality Episode 1: The Impact of COVID-19 on Women
"Covid has been a global catastrophe, wreaking havoc upon our economies, infrastructure, health, education and every thread of the tapestry of our lives. The impact upon women is especially profound as they are so frequently the caretakers, homemakers, health care workers and the ones playing such multifaceted roles in both families and communities. As we plan and implement the rebuilding of our community structures, we must do so with deep awareness of and attention to revitalizing our commitments and engagement around gender equality and ending violence against women." ~Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati
WatchWatchMenstruation & the Divine Worshipable Shakti
Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, Ph.D. shared important insights about Menstrual Hygiene Management - perhaps one of the most-important and least-discussed health issues facing so many women across India and around the world and an important element in so many of the United Nations' sustainable development goals.
WatchWatchThe Annual Kofi Annan Faith Briefings - July 15, 2019
Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, Ph.D., Secretary-General of Global Interfaith WASH Alliance and President of Divine Shakti Foundation, speaks at the The Annual Kofi Annan Faith Briefings. Multi-Religious Perspective on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) Panel 2: Discussion on good practices and evidence on actions taken by religious leaders to safeguard children’s rights. Prof. Dr. Azza Karam is the moderator of this panel.
WatchWatchScience Meets Spirituality with Sadhvi Bhagawatiji and Dr. Bruce Lipton (March 2018)
Parmath Niketan -- In this question-and-answer session, Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji and renowned scientist Dr. Bruce Lipton share their profound wisdom about transformation of cells in our body through yoga, and beautifully explains the connection between science and spirituality.
WatchWatchThe Role of Women in Peace
Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, Ph.D. discusses the nature of the feminine in society, and how embracing and focusing the positive aspects of that nature have the power to bring people together and manifest beneficial changes at home and world-wide.
WatchWatchFrom Hollywood to Holy Woods | Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati | TED Talk
Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati shares the story of growing up in Hollywood, graduating from Stanford then having a spiritual awakening on the Ganges River while on a backpacking trip to India. She provides the powerful insights and simple lessons that have transformed her life from pieces to peace. Formation of the WASH alliance.
WatchWatchChristopher Peters (Puhlik-lah/Karuk)
Dr. Monica Sharma, author of the award-winning book “Radical Transformational Leadership” is a trained physician and epidemiologist who worked for the United Nations for over 20 years. Dr. Sharma has redefined “Development” of the individual and the collective to include the further reaches of human and cultural capabilities, to discover a deeper engagement with our humanity and nature, our Being, intellect and emotion, our inner and outer worlds with its invisible norms and patterns.
Christopher Peters (Puhlik-lah/Karuk)
Dr.Sakena Yacoobi is Founder and Executive Director of the Afghan Institute of Learning, which provides teacher training, education, and health education; and Founder and Executive Director of Creating Hope International, which supports communities in Afghanistan and India in providing food, shelter, healthcare, employment, and education services. Dr. Yacoobi has received numerous awards for her international humanitarian works.
A Conversation with Dr. Monica Sharma and Audrey Kitagawa
Audrey Kitagawa and International Academy for Multicultural Cooperation Advisor Dr. Monica Sharma discuss Dr. Sharma’s book, Radical Transformational Leadership, and her philosophical and spiritual approach to her works.
WatchWatchRadical Transformational Leadership - Our Perspective
Radical Transformational Leadership is about becoming the change agent the world needs today, through a type of leadership that can transform societal patterns to create a world that works for everyone. It is based on the three human attributes of compassion, dignity and equity.
WatchWatchAhimsa Conversation # 28 Monica Sharma
Ahimsa is made possible by the innate capacity of human beings to care beyond the self. Dr. Monica Sharma has developed a process for enabling people to tap into this capability. She did this over three decades of work in diverse contexts across the world.
WatchWatchProsperity and Wellbeing – Beyond Money and GDP
In this program Hazel Henderson explores with Dr. Monica Sharma, author of Radical Transformational Leadership (2018). How the worship of money and the fetishism of measuring national progress by GDP-growth can be clarified.
Watch on External WebsiteWatch on External WebsiteEmpowering Our Personal and Professional Journeys
In this program Hazel Henderson explores with Dr. Monica Sharma, author of Radical Transformational Leadership (2018) her personal story growing up in India. How she practiced medicine there and grew to understand the importance for human health of looking at her patients' life circumstances and their environments. Dr. Sharma became a leader in many United Nations health initiatives and her leadership style can inspire and empower many others.
Watch on External WebsiteWatch on External WebsiteRadical Transformational Leadership
Radical Transformational Leadership describes how we can source our inner capacities and wisdom to manifest change that embodies universal values of dignity, compassion and fairness, and simultaneously transform unworkable systems and norms in order to solve problems.
Read on External WebsiteRead on External WebsiteChristopher Peters (Puhlik-lah/Karuk)
Dr.Sakena Yacoobi is Founder and Executive Director of the Afghan Institute of Learning, which provides teacher training, education, and health education; and Founder and Executive Director of Creating Hope International, which supports communities in Afghanistan and India in providing food, shelter, healthcare, employment, and education services. Dr. Yacoobi has received numerous awards for her international humanitarian works.
Christopher Peters (Puhlik-lah/Karuk)
Dr.Sakena Yacoobi is Founder and Executive Director of the Afghan Institute of Learning, which provides teacher training, education, and health education; and Founder and Executive Director of Creating Hope International, which supports communities in Afghanistan and India in providing food, shelter, healthcare, employment, and education services. Dr. Yacoobi has received numerous awards for her international humanitarian works.
What Happens Now? Women, Peace & Afghanistan
Dr. Sakena Yacoobi, President & Executive Director of Creating Hope International, President & Executive Director of the Afghan Institute of Learning, and an International Academy for Multicultural Cooperation Advisory Council member, hosts a webinar, “What Happens Now? Women, Peace & Afghanistan” on June 21, 2021.
WatchWatchDr. Sakena Yacoobi Awarded 2017 Sunhak Peace Prize
It is a great honor to be chosen as a 2017 Sunhak Peace Prize Laureate. This year the Sunhak Peace Prize focuses its attention on the global refugee crisis. It is a privilege to be recognized along with Dr. Gino Strada as someone who has contributed to helping refugees and helping in their resettlement.
Read on External WebsiteRead on External WebsiteDr. Sakena Yacoobi - Opus Prize 2013
Sakena Yacoobi, founder of the Afghan Institute of Learning, is the winner of the 2013 Opus Prize. The Opus Prize honors unsung heroes of any faith tradition for efforts to solve today's most persistent and pressing global issues, including poverty, illiteracy, hunger, disease, and injustice.
WatchWatchDr. Sakena Yacoobi on Educating Women and Girls in Afghanistan | Independent Lens | PBS
Dr. Sakena Yacoobi has made a difference in the lives of around 8.5 million people through the operation of learning facilities in Afghanistan over the course of twenty years.
Watch on External WebsiteWatch on External Website