1st Meeting 2018 : Religions
On Thursday March 15, the gorgeous Bascala Conference Hall in Toulouse-Bruguières hosted an exceptional evening event addressing the bonds between religions for a world in Peace: the Oath of Humanity© was launched before a large and distinguished audience. The pact of alliance has been signed by many religious and lay personalities of all countries. After His Holiness the Dalai Lama was presented the document, he officially gave his support to the noble goals of FIMB for a better world.
The objective was to gather great spiritual leaders for a shared cause, outside their usual activities. The event is the first in a long series. The honorary Chairman was Sheikh Khaled Bentounes, Spiritual leader of the Alâwiyya Sufi Order, Founding President of AISA ONG Internationale and of the Muslim Scouts of France (among the eminent guests of the evening), and Initiator of the International Day of Living Together in Peace (JIVEP – every May 16).
Femmes Internationales Murs Brisés (FIMB) who instilled the project, welcomed renowned speakers:
- Mgr Samir Nassar: Maronite Archbishop of Damascus, bravely in the field in Syria
- Imam Sayed Hassan Qazwini: Founder and Spiritual Leader of the Islamic Institute of America is one of the most open and influent religious personalities in the US
- Rabbi Mendel Samama: Rabbi of Strasbourg. Representative of the Conference of European Rabbis to the Council of Europe, of the Lubavitch community
- Venerable Dagpo Rinpoche: Tibetan Buddhist Master, founder of the Buddhist Congregation Ganden Ling Institute and of the Charity Association Entraide Franco-Tibétaine (first Buddhist congregation of Guelugpa obedience - to which belongs the Dalai Lama - legally recognized in France)
With the messages of:
- Bhai Sahib, Bhai (Dr.) Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia OBE KSG: Spiritual Leader and Chairman of the Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha (GNNSJ), Chairman of the Nishkam Group of Charitable Organisations
- Swami Veetamohananda: President of the Ramakrishna Vedanta Centre, President of the Vedic Federation of France
Evelyne Mesquida, Founding Director of FIMB, concluded the speeches by addressing her vision of the possible solutions for the betterment of the world. She took up the fundamental ideas of the evening about the concept of bonding and acting in synergy.
Accompanied by Karim Rahhaoui, honorary consul of Mali for Toulouse-Midi Pyrénées-Occitanie, Mintou Traoré Doucouré, former First Lady of Mali and today an Ambassadress of the FIMB movement, came to support this outstanding action. Marie-Josée Allen, Deputy Mayor of Bruguières and Eliane Cubero-Castan, Deputy Mayor of Saint-Orens de Gameville were also present.
With Mgr Samir Nassar, Maronite Archbishop of Damascus, the audience turned to the Syrian tragedy with great emotion. The Middle Eastern Christian priest gave a heartbreaking account of the situation with words of a terrible simplicity…
Donate for Syria: www.theoathofhumanity/15-mars-2018
We were pleased to have the company of loyal partners like Father André-Marie, the Tariqa Tidjaniya community who came from Marseille, Culture Sport Plus International from Togo with Ezechiel Zossou, Executive director, and Marie-Thérèse Kwadzo, Coordinator, and Dieyenaba Sene, Member of Parliament from Senegal and president of ADP.
The evening also offered the opportunity to welcome Losang Gyaltsen, Director of Nalanda Monastery, François Lecointre, Director of Vajra Yogini Institute, Rabbi Naïm Doron of the Consistory of Toulouse who came with Rabbi Yossef Matusof, Regional chaplain attached to prisons and hospitals.
The evening would not have such an impact without the partners of the event: ABC TALK Productions and his manager Marc Leval who brilliantly moderated the lectures, AISA ONG Internationale, Artas and Reflets.
The convention ended with a performance by The Blue Swan Guild, FIMB’s company of artists for non-violence.
The grandiose finale masterfully directed by the young and inspired choreographer Sarah Mesquida, was much appreciated.
A Truly Memorable Evening!
The Oath of Humanity
The path to new possibilities
