Dialogue and Interreligious dialogue Interreligious dialogue is a conversation and exchange of valuable ideas between religions and faiths for the purpose of discussing the subject of love, non-violence, and solutions to problems and ills of the present world. Renown personalities who have advocated this noble work, such as Thich Nhat Hanh, Thomas Merton, the Pope, and other religious personalities, renounced violence, injustice, and human rights. However, most of these religious personalities like Nhat Hanh and Merton are apolitical or they don’t indulge or involve themselves in political issues. Nhat Hanh for example, when he was advocating for the end of the war in Vietnam, did not want to take sides, that’s why he was constantly misunderstood by the communist government, making his life in danger. He was merely advocating for the end of the war by suggesting peaceful means, i.e. talk or dialogue between opposing parties with contrasting ideologies. He suggested that interreligious dialogues could do this, and people in different religions could lead an open communication so that political leaders don’t need to propose war and instead advocate peace. Moreover, Buddhist monks in Vietnam during the war proposed another alternative to the result of the war, other than what North and South Vietnam wanted, and that was to submit to what the majority of the people really wished for (Queen and King, 1996, p. ix). As we later came to know, no side would give in, and so the war continued. Interreligious dialogues have been conducted by Buddhist and Christian monks purposely to talk about religion, peace, and love. A historic event on the subject of interreligious dialogue occurred in 1978 when the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue was convened, which started a series of meetings and fruitful discussions between Buddhist and Christian monks. Thomas Merton and Thich Nhat Hanh were both active participants to this kind of dialogue. The duo’s first meeting was in 1966 in the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani in Kentucky. This was a memorable event for the two and for their supporters who saw in the meeting the start of further religious dialogues amongst the various religions which have fostered love and non-violence. Further progress on the subject of interreligious dialogue was promoted by other well-known personalities on non-violence, for example the Dalai Lama, who suggested a convention for various religious orders to be conducted in Gethsemani. This was participated in by monks and nuns from the Buddhist traditions and from the Benedictine orders of the Catholic religion. Thomas Merton was honored in this interreligious meeting as a memorial when he died in an accident years before. 1 Interest in interreligious dialogue has been promoted in major religions throughout the world because of the positive results it has brought about for the cause of peace, considering that war is instigated by various groups or countries with different religious orientations. In 1962, the Catholic religion through Pope John XXIII proposed more meetings with the different religions. This was enhanced with moves made by the World Council of Churches, a union of different Protestant denominations, in promoting dialogues and cooperation amongst different faiths. Up to now, interreligious dialogues serve its purpose of promoting peace and non-violence in a