Namaste!  I hope all is well with you and your loved ones.

Our Philippine contingent, Trustee Marites Africa and I, have recently returned from Melbourne, Australia from an exhilarating experience at the Parliament of World’s Religions, December 3-8. Five thousand people attended the world’s largest inter-religious gathering with participants coming from over 80 countries and over 100 faith and indigenous traditions. The colourful array of costumes of different cultures and religions was a microcosm of the world!

Interfaith Power and Light, a Cooperation Circle based in San Francisco, is launching a new program: Carbon Covenant. This program links up congregations and people of faith in the U.S. with faith communities on the front lines of climate change in the developing world.

Melbourne, Australia. The Parliament of the World’s Religions, the world’s largest interreligious gathering, will convene in Melbourne, Australia, from December 3-9, 2009. The Parliament  will offer more than 500 programs including dialogues, workshops, symposia, performances and exhibits, featuring programs on religion and the environment, Aboriginal and Indigenous leaders from around the world, as well as religious leaders from all the world's religions.