It is with deep sadness that Religions for Peace learned today of the passing of its Co-President, Dr. Nirmala Deshpande, at the age of 79 in New Delhi, India. Dr. Deshpande was affectionately known to those who worked with her as “Didi.” She was an early member of Religions for Peace in India.

Senior religious leaders of diverse faiths from around the world—Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, and Christian—launched the groundbreaking Religions for Peace Inter-religious Council (IRC)–Sri Lanka in Kandy and war-torn Trincomalee on 28 April and 30 April 2008, respectively.

As crises continue in the three Southern provinces—Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat—Religions for Peace in partnership with World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB) and Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), organized a high-level multi-religious delegation to the Southern Thailand on 22–23 April 2008.

Senior leaders of different faiths from Religions for Peace joined an international movement to help ban cluster bombs, which—like landmines—kill and maim innocent civilians indiscriminately.

Leadership from Religions for Peace will be among the multi-faith delegations visiting with Pope Benedict XVI on his mission to the United States.

Leaders of different faiths in Religions for Peace joined together with members of the international women’s and development communities to launch a new initiative that places women and girls at the center of the fight against global poverty.

Leaders of different faiths in Religions for Peace hailed Saudi King Abdullah’s powerful plea for dialogue among Muslims, Christians, and Jews.

Chiara Lubich, Honorary President of Religions for Peace, was founder and head of the Focolare Movement.

Leaders of different faiths in Religions for Peace joined together today to decry the death of Most Rev. Paulos Faraj Rahho, the Chaldean Catholic archbishop who was kidnapped after he left mass in Mosul, Iraq, on 29 February.

The European Council of Religous Leaders, supported by The Very Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky, addressed building peace in Kosovo at their meeting on 5 March 2008 in Berlin.