CFP: The Role of Spirituality in Promoting Reconciliation

The Global Age of today brought a new and unprecedented situation at
community level (local or national) as well as for the most of us as
individuals. Our neighbors are no longer just our relatives or our
conationals, but people from different cultures and religions, coming
not long time ago. This is a situation of potential conflict,
tensions arising from different cultural and religious values, from
different understandings of the meaning of social and individual
life. And because this newcomers are not from long time in their new
place, they bring with them a stronger sense of traditional values
and they are preserving their identity through fervent practicing of
their religion. This situation can give rise to tensions, sometimes
very serious ones. The risks are very high and now there is a quest
for finding the best ways to reconcile people and communities.

Spirituality, understood as a practice following a particular
religious tradition and aiming personal and community`s betterment,
has the ability to provide empathy for the other, because somebody
having a spiritual practice can recognize a similar need of any other
human. But for this ability to be effective there is required an
understanding of self and of other, i.e. a form of philosophical
reflection, even if this is not formal or theoretical. To reconcile
can have many meanings, from reconcile individuals, to reconcile
neighborhoods, communities, entire countries, or even the
reconciliation with self (since we often have contradictory elements
in our formal instruction or in our thinking).

The aim of the seminar is to bring thinkers from around the world to
provide insights on how a spiritual practice can offer solutions to
various conflicts and to offer understandings of what is
reconciliation.

Application for Participation

Applications for participation in this seminar should be sent by
email by April 1, 2015, to Dan Chitoiu ([email protected]) and
[email protected]. Participants cover their own travel costs; the
seminar organizers provide simple room and board during the seminar.

Please enclose:

(1) a CV describing the applicant's education, professional positions
and activities;

(2) a list of the applicant's publications;

(3) a letter stating the applicant's interest and involvement in this
theme and its relation to his/her past and future work in philosophy
and/or related studies; and

(4) abstract of a paper the applicant's might want to be considered
for presentation during the Seminar and then submitted for eventual
publication.

Website of the seminar:
http://www.crvp.org/seminar/2015/summer-seminar-15.html