We face a crisis which could bring about the suicide of the human species or bring us a new awakening and a new hope. We believe that peace is possible. We know that religion is not the sole remedy for all the ills of humanity, but it has an indispensable role to play in this most critical time. We are aware of the world's cultural and religious diversity. Each culture represents a universe in itself and yet it is not closed.
Cultures give religions their language, and religions offer ultimate meaning to each culture.
Unless we recognize pluralism and respect diversity, no peace is possible. We strive for the harmony which is at the very core of peace. We understand that culture is a way of seeing the world and living in it. It also means the cultivation of those values and forms of life which reflect the world-views of each culture. Therefore neither the meaning of peace nor of religion can be reduced to a single and rigid concept, just as the range of human experience cannot be conveyed by a single language.