Interfaith Leaders to Pray and Rally for Nuclear Abolition at U.N.

On May 2nd, hundreds of religious leaders and peace activists will gather in New York City to call for nuclear disarmament in advance of the U.N. Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty conference.

WHEN: Sunday, May 2, 2010, 12:00 — 1:00 p.m.

WHERE: Interfaith Chapel to the United Nations, 777 U.N. Plaza (1st Ave. at 44th St.), NYC

WHO: Religious & Ecumenical World Leaders, including:

• Archbishop Joseph Mitsuaki Takami, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Nagasaki, Japan, and survivor of the 1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki
• The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop, The Episcopal Church
• Ms. Haruko Yaguchi, Coordinator, Japanese Religionists for Peace
• Rev. Michael Kinnamon, General Secretary, National Council of Churches of Christ, USA
• Swami Parameshananda, International Representative, Bharat Sevashram Sangha

“We find common ground in our steadfast commitment to abolish nuclear weapons,” said Mark Johnson, executive director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation. “From many religions, we come together for those who have been profoundly impacted by the deployment, testing, and storage of nuclear arms.”

Larry Bringing Good, a Cheyenne Arapahoe/ Otoe Missouria from Troy, N.Y., traveled hundreds of miles to get to New York City for this event. “Erosion is going to cause nuclear waste to leak into the Great Lakes and contaminate the water,” he said. Bringing Good participated in one of four interfaith peace walks during recent weeks. His group’s walk began near Buffalo at West Valley Nuclear Waste Site in Salamanca, New York.

“We are encouraged by President Obama raising the issue of the nuclear threat in this year’s State of the Union message, and we support his recent efforts with 40 other nations to work toward nuclear disarmament,” added Mark Johnson. “But we must abolish such weapons altogether. Millions of petitions will be delivered next month to the White House and U.N. calling for abolition; this convocation is an example of the religious community’s participation in the global disarmament campaign.”

Local faith communities everywhere are invited to utilize worship resources prepared for the interfaith convocation. A litany, a prayer, and a benediction are posted online, as well as more information about the “Disarm Now! For Peace and Human Needs” mobilization, on the international conference and rally web site.

Media Contacts:

• Mark Johnson, Executive Director, Fellowship of Reconciliation, 845-405-6470
• Ethan Vesely-Flad, Communications Director, Fellowship of Reconciliation, 510-701-5267

The Fellowship of Reconciliation, founded in 1915, is the oldest interfaith peace and justice organization in North America.