Father Joseph Varghese is leading the seminar at the Parliament of the World Religions in Chicago-2023.

The Parliament of the World Religions will be held on August 14-18, 2023 in Chicago at the McCormick Convention Center. Father joseph Varghese will be leading the seminar and presenting a paper on “Inter Faith Peacemaking in South Asia- a Christian Perspective.” Those who present papers include scholars from Islam, Hindu, Sikhism and other religions to present papers on their religious perspectives. This theme is part of an overall subject on how to make peace in South Asia. The perspective of all religions is essential for a just peace and religious coexistence and harmony among various religions in South Asia.

The Parliament of the World Religions was founded on a mission to cultivate harmony among the world’s religious and spiritual communities and to foster their engagement with the world and its guiding institutions to address the critical issues of our time. The Parliament was incorporated in 1988 to carry out a tradition and legacy that dates back to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, where the historic first convening of the World’s Parliament of Religions created a global platform for engagement of religions of the east and west. Swami Vivekananda’s address to this Parliament of World Religions was an historic and remarkable event.

Since the historic 1893 World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago, modern Parliament Convenings have attracted participants from more than 200 diverse religious, indigenous, and secular beliefs and more than 80 nations to its international gatherings in Chicago (1993), Cape Town (1999), Barcelona (2004), Melbourne (2009), Salt Lake City (2015), Toronto (2018) and virtually (2021). These Parliament Convenings are the world’s oldest, largest, and most inclusive gatherings of the global interfaith movement. Nearly 60,000 people across the world have convened in an enduring commitment to justice, peace, and sustainability through the lens of interfaith dialogue and cooperation. Global leaders such as His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, UN Messenger of Peace Jane Goodall, Nobel Peace Laureates Desmond Tutu and Shirin Ebadi, and President Jimmy Carter have addressed the Parliament Convenings throughout their history.

The Parliament of the World’s Religions is the world’s premier interfaith convening of civic, spiritual, and grassroots changemakers.

Father Joseph Varghese is having the long-time experience in Inter-faith relations and serving in various capacities to the larger body of Inter-Religious organizations in the United States. Currently, he is the Executive Director for Institute for Religious Freedom and Tolerance (IRFT), New York.

Also serving as the Executive Council Member for Religions for Peace at the United Nations Headquarters.

Father Varghese is the Co-Convenor for Inter-Religious Dialogues of National Council of Churches, USA. He is the Member of U.S. Consultation of Oriental Orthodox - Catholic Churches' dialogue.Also serving as a Delegate of the Standing Conference on Oriental Orthodox Churches (SCOOCH).and Currently served as the Vicar of the St. Mary’s Syrian Orthodox Church in South Florida.

Varghese.Father Varghese is the Adjunct Professor of Liturgical Studies at Holy Sophia Coptic OrthodoxSchool of Theology.