The city of Barcelona is holding a world culture conference in 2004. As one part of this event, there will be an interfaith dialogue with the heads of many religious traditions and youth from around the world discussing the issues of clean water, 3rd world debt, religious violence and support for refugees. The Dalai Lama has already accepted an invitation to be one of 400 participants at one dialog. Other dialogs will include up to 800 participants. Click here to see a list of the full list of dialogues taking place at Barcelona 2004.

Glen Sebera is part of the core design committee brought in for intercultural consulting while designing the dialogue process. One aspect he brought to the design is the need for the facilitators to proportionately represent the cultures of the participants from Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America. 

The planning group is currently looking for 40-50 skilled facilitators and graphic recorders to assist with the actual events next summer and may also participate in the test runs of the process in Israel and Kenya in the spring with smaller groups of 100. He is also looking for individuals with whom to discuss ideas of intercultural design of this magnitude with a high potential for both learning and conflict. 

The facilitation committee is accepting applications for volunteers on a rolling basis with phone interviews being held each month and decisions being made at the beginning of each month until the positions are filled. If you are interesting in volunteering for this interfaith dialog project please contact Glen Sebera at glen@rencongroup.com and he will help you get in touch with the facilitation committee.

Please look at the web links in the invitation below to see if there is an interest in this project. We are currently looking for large group and small group facilitators, graphic recorders and logistics people. If you are not personally interested or available, take a few moments to think of whom in your network might be interested and capable of this work.

The SIETAR Europa office suggested that we contact you to tell you about possible involvement on a project with the Council for the Parliament of World's Religions. There will be an international meeting in Barcelona, Spain in July 2004 that many are supporting with our large group design and process skills.

You are part of a small universe of people with very particular skills who are invited to think about joining a group of awesome facilitators, graphic recorders and logistics people who will be supporting an even more awesome group who will attend interfaith dialogs through the Parliament of the World’s Religions between July 7 and 13, 2004. 

The Council is a group of people who have committed to supporting and expanding interreligious communication as a way to create a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world based on the teachings of their religious / spiritual traditions.  It is not a group representing established religious organizations, although many individuals from established religious groups participate in the work.

You can learn about the Parliament and its history from the The Parliament website:

There will be two events in Barcelona where our skills are needed:  The Assembly, a meeting of 400 invited participants from various sectors around the world, and The Parliament, an open gathering of 8,000-12,000 people.  There will be five gatherings—The Assembly (held July 5-7, before the Parliament) and 4 gatherings during the Parliament. Within the Assembly, there will be 4 groups of 100 people each, and in the Parliament, there will be 400 in each gathering.  We are also testing our dialog design before July in Israel and Kenya.

Each gathering will explore one of the following critical issues: access to clean water, religious violence, cancellation of third-world debt, and supporting refugees. Participants will be asked to create and commit to simple and profound acts to be carried out in their home communities, and will learn ways to promote the involvement of their communities in order to sustain action over time.  

You can find more information about the intention and background of this work in a draft Concept Paper and learn about possible volunteer opportunities, the time commitment, and what you can do if you are interested in getting involved, at the CPWR Assembly Volunteers website.

If you decide to fill out an application, please answer the question "How did you find out about this site?” with my name and contact me to let me know you have applied.  Anyone whom you refer should answer the question with both my name and the SIETAR office.

The facilitation committee will be reviewing applications on the first of each month.  Each volunteer is interviewed before mid-month. You will hear from the facilitation committee around the first of the following month.

We hope that you will seriously consider participating and letting others know about this opportunity who may be interested.  We are particularly interested in facilitators from Africa, India, Latin America and South East Asia.  We are currently looking for ways to fund people from those areas who otherwise could not attend. Matching the geographic and cultural diversity of the Parliament participant group is a high priority for us.

Please consider participating in this international team. 

If you have specific questions, you may reply directly to:

T. Glen Sebera
Design Team
cpwrglen@yahoo.com