NYC Family Strengthening Coalition - Strategic Planning Session

On Wednesday, August 19, 2009, Alan J Inman Enterprises served part of its commission from several conference conveners to facilitate the meeting held in the President's office of York College.

Joyce A. Thomas, Regional Administrator (Region 2) of the Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families, Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith, Provost and Senior Vice President of York College, Lonnie McCleod, President of Exodus Transitional Community, and in absentia Ava Rice, President and CEO of the New York Urban League (with the support of AJIE) convened approximately 25 representatives from major services organizations and agencies to participate in a 4 hour session designed to explore the possibility of a coalition with the goal of strengthening families and communities as pressing in its own right, and in light of opportunities related to emphases and initiatives from the current US administration.

Frank Kaufmann, Joyce Thomas, Alan Inman

Present included leaders and reps from such groups as, The NYC Administration for Children's Services, Com Alert (Brooklyn DA), NYC Human Resources Administration, Coalition for Hispanic Family Services, Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, NYS Office of Children and Family Services, Project Head Start, and a good many others.

I served the conference as a session facilitator under the auspices of AJIE.

The conference was focused, rich in resources, and fruitful in its outcome.

United Nations Speech Announcement

Counter-Terrorism and International Organizations

July 22, 2009 • 4:00 PM ~ 6:00 PM
Hardin Room • 777 UN Plaza, New York, NY

How the Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee is working to bolster Member
States ability to prevent terrorist acts
Ahmed El-Dawla
Participating in his personal capacity, Judge on Leave

Can Religions Help Counter Terrorism?
Frank Kaufmann
Executive Director, Inter-Religious Federation for World Peace (IRFWP)

The entire announcement is here

Peace conference in Brno, Czech Republic

On Wednesday, March 11, 2009 I gave a morning and an afternoon presentation at the conference New Perspectives for the Development and Future of Europe and the World held in Brno, Czech Republic.

Presenters included Dr. Honoris Causa Professor Ing. Julius Alexy, CSc., professor of Economics at the University of Bratislava, and at Trencianskej University in Dubcek, Professor Dusan Luzny from the Religion and Philosophy faculty at Masarykovy University, Ing. Ivo Kaplan, from the UEF, and Ing. Zuheir Kotroch, and Dr. Juraj Lajda.

Professor Alexy presented an economic model that analyzes and responds to the current global, economic crisis, a model that properly takes into account dynamics unique to globalization. Professor Luzny in a tightly worked piece examined the shadows associated with religious identity from which violence can arise. Kaplan spoke on the role and relationship of spiritual and material dimensions of human social interaction, and posited ideas for a balance that can generate progressive and healthy societies. Kotroch detailed designs for interreligious cooperation from a Muslim perspective. Mr. Lajda presented a sweeping history, and rather large philosophical edifice for envisioning new directions for peace activisim.

My presentations also took up matters pertaining to religion and peace, and can be found here (<-- click) and here (<-- click). It was a joy and an honor to be present among influential leaders and thinkers from the region, sincere and devoted people who demonstrate strong commitment to virtue and to the ideals of peace. Here are a few pictures from this conference:

Interreligious Ceremonies in New York

In the final days of January, 2009 I worked together with both local and international leaders from the world's religions to support spiritually, ceremonially, and liturgically two major events on a single day in New York City

The first event was the celebration of Dr. Sun Myung Moon's 90th birthday. The religious leaders seen here in procession brought as gifts, the sacred scriptures from many of the world's major faith traditions:


The second event occurred later the same evening in which many of the same leaders and some new ones offered prayers of blessing on the international and interreligious couples:

London

These pictures and report in part show scenes from my professional activity and responsibilities. But they also touch upon time in which I was able to enjoy the beauty of London

The first three pictures in this slide show are from an orientation session with religious leaders as we prepared for the Ceremony for merging sacred waters, a part of the festival on the following day.

The next picture is with Julius Alexy with whom I collaborate for youth education in Europe. After that comes a picture of a steeple shot out of a bus en route to the convention center.

Three pictures are of a swan in the rivulet that flows beside London's Excel Center. Two pictures are with Maya and her mom (with whom I had the pleasure to meet and stay with throughout the festival).

The four most important pictures are from the sacred waters ceremony, and the final 4 are the young people celebrating during the music at the GPF.



For any interested, here is a video of the entire sacred waters ceremony, narrated by Mr. David Hannah:

Report on the IRFWP/NWE reception at the annual conference of the American Academy of Religion

The Inter Religious Federation and the New World Encyclopedia offered a top drawer, scholarly panel on a controversial, interesting, and relevant subject. We picked what we believed to be an ideal topic to address the challenges faced by religion scholars with a mission to teach at university and graduate school levels.

It was our hope that this presentation, could help those present recognize the unique value and importance of NWE. Such matters as the hotly debated interface between religion and science found in the article on Intelligent Design contain in microcosm questions facing religious scholarship today.

David Burgess, the editor for both literature and political science, drew from his expertise in each area to contextualize the special challenge presented when publishing articles on controversial subject matter such as Intelligent Design. He spoke of similar controversies in university literature departments, and spoke of the serious implications of the ID debate for contemporary society and culture. His job was to set the stage for the editor of this particular article, namely Rick Swarts, NWE editor for Life Sciences.

Rick Swarts followed with a second, commanding presentation, explaining his approach to the article and showing how the NWE version differs from that which appears in Wikipedia. Additionally, Dr. Swarts expanded through this particular subject to show how NWE life science articles communicate universal, ideal values along with just what many such values are.

The panel was followed by a pleasant and lively, wine and cheese reception.

New World Encyclopedia and Inter Religious Federaton - Meeting in Chicago

For 20 years the IRFWP has offered an evening of stimulating and relevant intellectual reflection on the eve of the annual conference of the American Academy of Religion (AAR). Our panels are vigorous and engaging, set in a warm collegial atmosphere, and our reception provides the chance to catch up with old friends and meet new ones If you are in Chicago this year, please come. We would love to see you! Sincerely Frank Kaufmann Inter Religious Federation for World Peace New World Encyclopedia About Us The Inter Religious Federation for World Peace (IRFWP) is a 25 year old initiative for world peace through interreligious dialogue and harmony. IRFWP has representatives in 192 countries and a database with thousands of active partners, religionists in the academy, clergy, and grass roots leadership. The New World Encyclopedia (NWE) is designed to organize human knowledge so the reader will learn information not just for its own sake, but for its value to the reader and the world as a whole. It is designed to provide the context and values of our social and organizational relationships, and our relationship with nature and the environment. The underlying goal of the encyclopedia is to promote knowledge that leads to human happiness, well-being, world peace. It is a useful tool for everyone, and an ideal resource for student research.