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Main speakers will be present at

DAILY PRESS BRIEFINGS

7-9 June 2005, at 13:00-13:30

at the Ecumenical Centre, 150 route de Ferney

Addressing some of the critical issues facing interreligious dialogue today, the 7-9 June "Critical moment in interreligious dialogue" conference will attempt to make a critical assessment of dialogue, identifying what has been learned from past experience in interreligious dialogue "so that we might begin to imagine the future".

More than hundred participants of diverse faiths and traditions, including many prominent voices in interfaith dialogue, academics, religious scholars, humanitarian workers, activists and journalists will attend this event.

Schedule of press briefings with conference speakers:

Tuesday 7 June:

H.H. Aram I, WCC central committee moderator

Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, WCC general secretary

Prof. Wande Abimbola, chief of African religion

Dr Heba Rauouf Ezzat, Muslim political scientist, lecturer

Wednesday 8 June:

Swami Agnivesh, Brahmin Hindu leader and activist

Rev. Valson Thampu, minister of the Church of North India (CNI)

Dr Asghar Ali Engineer, Muslim scholar and recipient of the Right Livelihood Award

Rabbi Naamah Kelman, dean at Hebrew Union College

Dr Vinu Aram, Hindu medical doctor

Dr Parichart Suwanbubbha, Buddhist staff member of Mahidol University Research Center of Peace Building

Thursday 9 June:

Rabbi Ehud Bandel, vice president of the International Council of Christians and Jews

Dr Marion Best, vice moderator of the WCC central committee

Prof Tarik Ramadan, Muslim author and university lecturer

Prof. Anant Rambachan, Hindu scholar and professor at St Olaf College

Ven. Bhiksuni Chuehmen Shih, South Asian coordinator of Buddha's Light International Association

French interpretation will be provided.

Plenary sessions are also open to press, and French interpretation will be available.

Speakers' biographical information as well as the conference programme are available at:

www.oikoumene.org/interreligious.html