For DoJae NamGung, it was the first time the Buddhist monk from South Korea had shared the same meeting room with a rabbi from France or a Zoroastrian high priest from Iran. It will enhance our mutual understanding. Outside the UN's walls, religious leaders around the world are watching the summit to see just how spiritual leaders like NamGung mingle with others faiths. Rev. Robert Thompson, chair of the Chicago-based Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions, said he hopes the attendees discuss ways of stopping ethnic and religious conflict. It captures attention and it captures the imagination.
People can see the kind of coming together that has been absent in the public eye.