Autumn 2020, Volume 47
Features
Religion’s Role in Building an Inclusive Society
“Inclusive society” has long been a buzzword in the world of politics, education, not to mention the field of social welfare.
Although it may seem self-evident, what exactly is an inclusive society? According to the Raoul Wallenberg Institute, an academic institution affiliated with Lund University in Sweden, “An inclusive society aims at empowering and promoting the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, economic, or other status. It is a society that leaves no one behind.”
Building an inclusive society is an important objective for people of faith. The Vienna Declaration of Religions for Peace states: “While we recognize that some religious believers betray the peace teachings of their faiths, we continue to commit ourselves—and our communities—to a culture of Peace that advances shared well-being, grounded in common healing, common living, and shared security.” Religions for Peace made clear that “common living,” or building an inclusive society, is a basis for the cultivation of peace.
However, while religions proclaim universal love and work toward liberation and hope for those who suffer, on occasion they have unfortunately also served to increase human agony. Religion has sometimes become the basis of prejudice, discrimination, and confrontation, and religious tenets have provided doctrinal grounds for a discriminatory social structures.
The international community has been taking steps toward building an inclusive society through such measures as concluding treaties to abolish various kinds of discrimination, and prompting national governments to establish legal systems to enhance human rights. Discrimination remains in many aspects of life, but we trust that humanity is moving toward realizing “a culture of peace,” a goal established by religious leaders in the Vienna Declaration.
How can religions develop a strategy for building an inclusive society? How will they collaborate with people of other walks of life, including specialists in welfare, law, and education, to sustain a movement to achieve these goals? At Dharma World we will consider religion’s role in creating a society in which every individual is ensured of the dignity of life and has an active role to play.
Religion’s Role in Building an Inclusive Society
by Masashi Hashimoto
Let us consider . . . the [Perfection of Wisdom Sutra], which says, “Eliminate differences of color among the people,” and whose twelfth and thirteenth vows declare that there should be “no distinctions of varna [skin color] nor distinctions between upper, middle, and lower sentient beings.”
COVID-19 Challenges: Reaching Those Left Behind
by Katherine Marshall
Inclusion as a foundation for social cohesion means acceptance of the idea that pluralism and diversity are fundamentally beneficial to the society; it also demands a robust acceptance of the idea that all human beings are equal in dignity and rights.
Social Inclusivism and Religious Altruism
by Keishin Inaba
Religious altruism is a form of altruism that is rooted in religious ideas, and the burgeoning research on the relationship between religious altruism and volunteerism suggests that people who are more religious than others engage more in volunteer activities.
Inclusivity in a Post-COVID World
by Larry Yang
When the defended heart is fearful, it is extremely difficult to manifest spiritual ideals of unconditional regard, kindness toward all beings, and the inclusion of all differences.
Religion’s Role in Building Inclusive, Peaceful Societies
by Sharon Rosen
COVID-19’s wake-up call is telling us not to return, when this is over, to the divisive and unjust ways of the past that hurt us and our environment but to take a different trajectory
toward building a fairer and peaceful world.
A Society Based on a Culture of Peace
by Kathy Ramos Matsui
Collaborative efforts of religious leaders and peace educators are required to build an inclusive society, that is, to establish a culture of peace.
A Just Heart
by Susan Frederick-Gray
We will never be profound, effective, or long-lasting leaders on the road of justice unless we also attend to the source of the fruitfulness of our work—and that means developing, maintaining, and nurturing a spiritual practice.
Social Inclusion for Muslims in the Arab World and Japan
by Makoto Mizutani
One can well say that a call for more mercy and spiritual care, with a heightened role of religions, has become a part of a modus vivendi in this twenty-first century. Hence, it may be
that Muslims in Japan hope for the inclusion of Japan in this new march in the international arena.
Essay
Violence in Buddhism
by Michael Zimmermann
The primary position of compassion trumps nonviolence. Nonviolent means is still something that is very much held in esteem, but as a moral guideline, compassion is the dominating factor. . . . Violence has been accepted as a necessity in light of a compassionate orientation toward the world.
Founder’s Memoirs
The Sixth World Assembly of Religions for Peace
by Nikkyo Niwano
Rissho Kosei-kai Buddhism
Affirming the Other: A Critical Issue for Today’s Society
by Dominick Scarangello
We can realize our potential as unique individuals only because we are supported by and learn from others, and the perspectives and insights they provide are crucial to the discovery of what we ourselves believe and want for ourselves.
