The purpose of the various ecumenical and interfaith activities and organizations I have been developing over the past forty years has been the realization of a world of peace that God and human beings have been longing for. A vision for peace is the heart of any interfaith activity. In the 20th century humankind has suffered two devastating world wars, and experienced confrontation and conflict for seventy years under the oppression of the atheistic communist ideology and the Cold War era. When that came to an end, the world drank a toast in celebration of peace, albeit briefly. All too soon we came to learn that the end of the Cold War era did not lead automatically to a time of peace.
Violent conflicts continue to occur throughout the world today.
Even now, massacres are being perpetrated in Yugoslavia, the Middle East, Sudan, South Asia, and elsewhere. It is common knowledge that many such disputes have behind them deep-rooted religious conflict. These are only some examples that awaken us to the importance of dialogue and cooperation among religious orders. Often, in the modern era, religions work toward the realization of their ideals while keeping a certain distance from the realms of worldly power. This is generally accepted as the norm.