Thank You Friends

A Heart-felt Thanks to All Those Who Have Inspired Me“Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.”
- Helen Keller

“Without friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods.”
- Aristotle

“He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare, And he who has one enemy will meet him everywhere.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Every prophet sought out companions.
A wall standing alone is useless, but put three or four walls
together, and they’ll support a roof and keep grain dry
and safe.
When ink joins with a pen, then the blank paper can say
something.
Rushes and reeds must be woven to be useful as a mat. If
they weren’t interlaced; the wind would blow them away.
Like that, God paired up creatures, and gave them
friendship.
- Rumi

What is Happiness, What is Friendship?

For me, a path to true happiness is to have great friends, to be able to mentor them, to observe them and learn from them, to be stretched and challenged by them, and above all, through them to reach out towards the ultimate friend, the unconditional one, when and where, healing and the truest life begins. The world of mystical awareness is awesome indeed, when a human being can become a field of love, compassion, generosity, playfulness and hope. A true friend and a great friendship alone is the path to this mystical awareness, discovery and journey.

Since the founding of the Globalisation for the Common Good Initiative (GCGI) in 2002, I have been that happy man.

In many social movements of the last few centuries, people of faith, spirituality and mysticism have played an important role in building a world that is just, free and prosperous for all. Historically, elements of organised religions and spiritually motivated leaders have been at the centre of struggles for social justice, and many contemporary progressives of faith are drawing from the rich and varied tapestry of faith- based activism. Many people around the world have answered this call and have founded initiatives, programmes, projects and more, to change our world for the better. I salute them and acknowledge their countless contributions to the GCGI. Little do they know, perhaps, that they have been a true source of inspiration to me and the initiative that I founded in 2002 in Oxford.

Here, by mentioning their names, I wish to show my heart-felt love and gratitude to them. May God bless them for who they are and what they do for the common good.

  • Prof. Hooshang Amirahmadi, Director, Middle East Centre, Rutgers University, USA
  • Rev. Prof. J. Baitu, Director, Centre for Social Justice and Ethics, Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Kenya
  • Mr. Michael Blades, former Principal, Plater College, Oxford (Host of the First GCG Conference, 2002)
  • Dr. Josef Boehle, Research Fellow in Globalisation, Religions and Politics, Department of Theology, University of Birmingham, UK
  • Mr. Abbas Bolurfrushan, President, Iranian Business Council, Dubai, UAE
  • Rev. Dr. Marcus Braybrooke, President, World Congress of Faiths, Oxford, UK (Co-author, Promoting the Common Good)
  • Prof. Joseph Camilleri, Director, Centre for Dialogue, La Trobe University, Australia
  • Canon Peter Challen, Chairman, Christian Council for Monetary Justice, London, UK
  • Prof. Kevin Clements, Director, Australian Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Queensland, Australia
  • Prof. David Coleman, Dean of Humanities and Fine Arts and Professor of Religion, Chaminade University of Honolulu, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA (Co-convenor, 2006 conference)
  • Prof. Ulrich Duchrow, Professor of Systematic Theology, Heidelberg University, Germany
  • Dr Dietrich Fischer, Academic Director, European University Centre for Peace Studies, Austria
  • Dr. Mitra Forouhar, Attorney at Law, USA
  • Mr. Wayne Green, Director, Global Affairs Consultancy, UK
  • Dr. Raymond Hamden, Director, Comprehensive Medical Centre, Dubai, UAE (Co-convenor, 2004 Conference)
  • Prof. Philip Hanson, former Director, Centre for Russian and East European Studies (CREES), University of Birmingham, England (my PhD Thesis Advisor)
  • Rt. Rev. Richard Harries, Bishop of Oxford, UK
  • Dr. Farhang Jahanpour, PT tutor, Kellogg College, Oxford, and former BBC Editor, Near East and North Africa, UK
  • Prof. Yahya Kamalipour, Head, Department of Communication, Purdue University Calumet, USA (Co-founder and co-editor, Journal of Globalisation for the Common Good)
  • Jim Kenney, Executive Director, Interreligious Engagement Project (IEP), USA
  • Rabbi Michael Lerner, Editor, Tikkun and National Chair, The Network of Spiritual Progressives, USA www.spiritualprogressives.org
  • Rev. Dr. William Lesher, Chair, Board of Trustees, Council for a Parliament of the World Religions, Chicago, USA
  • Mr. Todd Lorentz, Information Coordinator, Centre for Global Negotiations, USA and Canada
  • Dr. Jeannie Lum, College of Education, University of Hawaii, Manoa, USA
  • Audrey Kitagawa, President, Light of Awareness International spiritual Family and Advisor to the world Federation of United Nations Association, USA
  • Rev. Prof. John Maviiri, Rector and Vice Chancellor, Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Kenya
  • Prof. Fr. Peter Milward SJ, Emeritus Professor and Director, Renaissance Institute, Sofia University, Japan
  • Dr. Jan Oberg, Director and Co-founder, The Transnational Foundation, TFF, Lund, Sweden
  • Rev. Dr. Ruwan Palapathwala, Melbourne College of Divinity, University of Melbourne, Australia
  • Prof. James Piscatori, Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies and Fellow, Wadham College, Oxford
  • James B. Quilligan, Managing Director, Centre for Global Negotiations, USA
  • Rev. Dr. Alan Race, Editor-in- Chief, Interreligious Insight, UK&USA
  • Dr. Keith J. Roberts, Vice President, Academics, Brigham Young University, Hawaii, USA
  • Dr Tatiana Roskoshnaya, Institute for Ecological Security, St. Petersburg, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia and the UN-habitat, Nairobi, Kenya (Co-convenor, 2003 Conference)
  • Prof. Ahmad Sadri, Chair, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Lake Forest College, USA
  • Prof. Mahmoud Sadri, Texas Women University, USA
  • Mr. Jehangir Sarosh, Moderator, World Conference for Religions and Peace (WCPR- Europe), UK
  • Kamala Sarup, Chief Editor, PeaceJournalism.com
  • Sidney Shipton, OBE, Co-ordinator, The Three Faiths Forum, UK
  • Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh, Chairman, Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha, Birmingham, UK (Co-convenor, 2005 Conference)
  • Sir Sigmund Sternberg, Founder, The Three Faiths Forum, London, UK
  • Dr. Keyvan Tabari, International Lawyer, San Francisco, USA
  • Mr. Peter Townend, Common Good Consultancy, Coventry, UK
  • Cemal Usak, Secretary General, The Intercultural Dialogue Platform, Istanbul, Turkey
  • Mr. Anthony Werner, Shepheard-Walwyn Publishers, London, UK (Publisher of my books on GCG)
  • Dr. Fred E. Woods, Richard L. Evans Chair, Religious Understanding, Brigham Young University, Utah, USA
  • Dr. Lawrence Woods, Department of International Relations, American University of Sharjah, UAE

On March 11th 1996 the Centre for the Study of Forgiveness and Reconciliation (for which I had worked tirelessly to found and establish) was inaugurated, when it’s distinguished patron, Mrs. Mary Robinson, the President of Ireland, delivered the inaugural lecture at Coventry Cathedral. The Centre was in association with Coventry University, Coventry Cathedral, City of Coventry and International Minds Forum. Here, I wish to pay a special tribute to those whom without their support, encouragement and trust in me, I could not have succeeded in founding this centre.

The Late George Bull, OBE, Director, Anglo- Japanese Economic Institute (London); President, International Minds Forum, and Editor, International Minds

Canon Paul Oestreicher, former Director of the International Centre for Reconciliation at Coventry Cathedral

Very Reverend John Petty, Dean Emeritus of Coventry Cathedral.

Through them I learned the beauty and significance of dialogue, forgiveness, reconciliation and Peacebuilding. They were my sources of inspiration, enabling and envisioning me to found the Centre at Coventry.

I also wish to remember others whose assistance and friendship were of essence: Cllr Joe Clifford, the Lord Mayor of Coventry and Mr. Ian Boxborough, the Chief Executive, Coventry City Council. Dr. Paul Hartley, Dr. David Morris, Mr. Oliver Furley and Prof. Bob Pryce (Coventry University).

Finally, my wife, Annie, has been a constant source of support, encouragement and joy. Her deep commitment to faith, compassion and justice has given me the inspiration to do what I do. Her daily care and the love of our children- Kevin and Paul- reminds me never to take lightly the issues explored at GCGI. Thank you Annie for all your love.

Web site acknowledgements

I would very much wish to thank Josef (Dr. Boehle) for hosting the commongood.info web page at his own web site, global-forum.org since 2002. This web site has been instrumental in introducing my work to a global audience, for which I thank Josef very much.

For this new web page I owe a debt of gratitude to Yahya (Prof. Kamalipour) and his technical support team, especially Chris Kosovich at Purdue University, for all their support, enabling me to have this wonderful web site for the common good.