Multifaith responses to global risks

Since its inception at the first Parliament of World’s Religions in Chicago in1893, the multifaith movement has been highly responsive to global crises. This chapter examines how religious actors have reacted to risks such as terrorism, climate change and financial turmoil at the turn of the twenty-first century and transformed these crises into peacebuilding opportunities by drawing on the wisdom of multiple faith traditions. It briefly examines the history of multifaith engagement in western societies and describes more recent developments including the 2009 Melbourne Parliament of World’s Religions and the recent establishment of the progressive multifaith organization Groundswell. I argue that faith-based communities and state actors have much to gain from examining the multifaith movement’s approach to countering risks and advancing common human and environmental security.