Diverse Religious Communities Come Together: Keynoter Paul Simon 'Our Best Hope Is Understanding' New International Award to be Announced

Updated: Fri, Nov 30 11:30 AM EST

CHICAGO, Nov. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- The Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions (CPWR), Chicago-based interreligious Organization annual dinner event of the city's foremost interreligious organization is expected to draw 700 people.

The keynote address will be delivered by former U.S. Senator Paul Simon (D-IL). Senator Simon will discuss issues and leadership by ordinary people regarding religious, racial, cultural, and ethnic diversity, in the post- September 11 world.

Members of Chicago's Bahai, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Muslim, Native American, Sikh, and Zoroastrian communities will be present at the event.

CPWR will also be announcing the creation of the Paul Carus Award, a major international award given in recognition of an individual, community or organization doing extraordinary work to advance the worldwide interreligious movement for peace and justice.

The Paul Carus Award has been established in honor of the Carus family's multigenerational contribution to the international, interreligious movement. The Carus family publishing house, Open Court Publishing based in La Salle, Illinois since 1887 now specializes in scholarly and trade non-fiction.

The Carus family has made a $1 million contribution to the Council to help fund the groundbreaking work it is doing for the interreligious movement worldwide.

An International Advisory Committee membership for the award includes Nobel Peace Laureate Mairead Corrigan-McGuire of Ireland; H.H. Dalai Lama from Tibet; Ela Gandhi and Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu of South Africa; Rabbi David Rosen of Israel and others.

The Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions was founded in 1988. CPWR's work is centered around promoting interreligious dialogue and cooperation in metropolitan Chicago and around the world. Through events, projects, programs and exchanges, CPWR promotes understanding and collaboration among local and international religious communities around the world.

The December 2nd dinner is open to the public. Tickets are $100 per person. All proceeds from this event will go to the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions.

WHEN: Sunday, December 2, 2001, 5:30-8:30 P.M.

WHERE: Chicago Hilton and Towers, Grand Ballroom, 720 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago