PARTNERSHIP

1. PARTNERSHIP Partner City Application for CPWR

2. Invitation to Join the Network This is an invitation for the interreligious movement in your city to join the Partner Cities Network of the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions.

3. What is a Partner City Today, in cities around the world, diverse local religious and spiritual communities reside side by side. Because of this, there is the need to foster and enhance a rich and vibrant local grassroots interreligious movement, in order to foster harmonious and cooperative relationships between these communities, and to support their efforts in working with other sectors of their community in creating a more just, peaceful and sustainable city. Our strategy in partnering with these cities is to create a network that facilitates the sharing of best practices and opportunities for cooperative action.

4. Why Become a Partner City? Becoming a Partner City provides your local interreligious movement with the following opportunities: • To enter into aconsultative relationship to assist in organizing or enhancing your local metropolitan interreligious movement • To join a networking relationship with local movements in other Partner Cities • To make visible the collective efforts of local interreligious movements in the world • To take part in a collaborative relationship to make the 2009 Parliament event (and future Parliament events) a catalyst for your local interreligious movement

5. Why Become a Partner City? • To leverage the name, offices, resources and expertise of the Council and its partners for the enhancement of the interreligious movement in your city • • To promote encounter, dialogue and cooperation among diverse religious and spiritual communities in each Partner City in ways that are appropriate to the local context • • To share the learnings, methodologies, and experience from each site with other Partner Cities • • To facilitate and encourage interaction between Partner Cities to uncover shared aspirations and create opportunities for collaborative action on issues of common concern.

6. What Constitutes a Partner City? Partner Cities have a local interreligious movement that can demonstrate the following: • Capacity of a partnering organization, either existing or emerging, to effectively promote the interreligious movement in their locale • Participation of a wide variety of religious and spiritual communities and their leaders, civic leaders, young people and other peace activists in the agenda-setting and decision-making processes • Sensitivity to diverse constituents and the other interreligious efforts in their locale • Compatibility between their vision and values and the vision, mission and values of the Council

7. What Constitutes a Partner City? Commitment to building relationships characterized by understanding and trust within and among religious and spiritual communities as a whole (along with leaders, interested individuals, denominational structures, affiliated organizations, etc.) • Interest in sharing their learnings, expertise and models with the Council and other Partner Cities • Willingness to seek joint funding for collaborative projects with the Council and other Partner Cities.

8. What is Partner City Process? There are four steps involved in the Partner City process: Belong…to the Network Engage…in local and global interreligious activities Serve…the Network with your local expertise Achieve…the designation of an interreligiously harmonious city It is understood that in some cities, the Partner Cities process would be used to initiate a local interreligious movement. In others cities, there is already a local interreligious movement that could be further enhanced by participating in the Partner Cities process.

9. Belong to the Network • A city comes to belong to the Partner Cities Network when it completes a self-assessment of its local interreligious movement, or the need to establish such a local interreligious movement. • The Council provides a series of questions to help a city conduct such an assessment, in order to explore the following areas: • History and Demographics • Community Dynamics • Current Activities • Vision for the Future • Evaluating Progress Once a city successfully completes this self-assessment, it formally becomes a part of the Partner Cities Network. Belonging to the Network does NOT require a certain level of interreligious organization or activities. Belonging to the Network happens when a city has brought all the relevant parties to the table to assess their current situation and envision the future.

10. Engage in Interreligious Activities • A local interreligious movement in the Partner Cities Network would engage in interreligious activities, that might include: • Exchanges between local communities of worship and practice; • Educational forums; • Public celebrations and forums; • Joint service projects and programs; • Networking with interreligious movements in other cities; • Joint projects and programs with interreligious movements in other cities; • Participation in activities of international interreligious organizations; • Hosting of a Pre-Parliament event (for the 2009 Parliament); • Participation in the 2009 Parliament in Melbourne (December 3 - 9 , 2009). • Current activities, and a vision for future activities, would both described in the assessment process.

11. Serve with Your Local Expertise The local interreligious movement in a city may have a particular expertise that could be shared with other cities in the Partner Cities Network. For instance, the Consortium for Interfaith Education in New York City is comprised of educational and community-service organizations that promote interreligious education in communities, educational institutions, and among the general public. The UNESCO Centre of Catalonia, which serves the local interreligious movement in Barcelona, has a long history of research and advocacy concerning religion, spirituality and human rights. Through the Network, local interreligious movement would have an opportunity to share their expertise in services to both local and global activities, programs and projects. This expertise would be identified through the self-assessment process and made available to the Network by the Council.

12. Achieve Designation as an Interreligiously Harmonious City • The Council is seeking to develop a criteria and process by which a city would be designated as “interreligiously harmonious.” Drawing on the expertise of existing interreligious movements, and other international interreligious organizations, the Council will establish such a criteria and develop a process by which cities could receive this official designation. • The criteria would necessarily include the following: • Wide and diverse participation by communities and organizations in a vibrant and active local interreligious movement; • Harmonious and engaged relations between diverse communities; • Effective engagement and partnership between the local interreligious communities with other sectors of society (education, business, government, media, organizations of civil society) in promoting the good of the wider community. • An local expertise put in service of the global interreligious movement.

13. Self-Assessment The self-assessment process consists of the five steps listed below which are explained in more details on the following slides Step One: History & Demographics Step Two: Community Dynamics Step Three: Current Activities Step Four: Vision for the Future Step Five: Evaluate & Measure

14. History & Demographics Provide a brief history of your area — highlighting its character, community assets, and struggles — that would inform your involvement with the Council. Describe the demographic trends of your city, your region and your nation with particular reference to: • Religious and spiritual diversity • Ethnic and cultural diversity • Economic diversity • Political diversity

15. Your Team • How did you select your team? How does your team effectively reflect your local community, region and nation? Please identify participants. Why are they participating? • Are there groups, communities or organizations you have attempted to engage in this process that are not participating? Why?

16. Community Dynamics How are religion and spirituality viewed and valued in your community? Describe the dynamics — interactions, tensions, issues and opportunities — that emerge from your local, regional and national diversity with particular reference to: • Religious and spiritual diversity • Ethnic and cultural diversity • Economic diversity • Political diversity How do these dynamics reflect current and historical realities? How are people engaging and addressing these dynamics?

17. Current Activities - Locally • Describe your current activities locally…. • What are the formal or organized interreligious organizations and projects currently active in your local community? • Who is involved in these structures and movements (i.e. religious and spiritual communities, civic leadership, ethnic and cultural groups)? • Are there other informal interreligious initiatives and activities in your metropolitan area? If so, please describe. • What are the relationships between and among these interreligious organizations and projects? • How does the broader public view these organizations and efforts? • What resources currently support your local interreligious movement? Where do these resources come from?

18. Current Activities - Globally • Describe your vision for the future globally… • What is the nature of your current involvement with interreligious dialogue and cooperation with other cities around the world? • How do your city’s religious and spiritual communities and the local interreligious movement engage with or address regional, national or global issues? • What is the awareness of the Council in your area? How would a relationship with the Council be perceived?

19. Vision for the Future - Locally • Describe your vision for the future locally… • What is your vision of the ideal relationship between religious and spiritual, ethnic and cultural communities in your local area, region and nation? • What do you see as the most beneficial relationship between religious and spiritual communities and the broader society? • How might these visions be expressed in future relationships, activities, and expressions of common concern, cooperation and affiliation?

20. Vision for the Future - Globally • Described you vision for the future globally… • How might your local efforts serve as a model for the worldwide interreligious movement? • What local projects or initiatives might usefully be linked to efforts to address global concerns and issues? • What role would you like to see the Council play in connecting your interreligious movement to movements in other cities? • What new outcomes are likely to emerge from the realization of your vision for your local interreligious vision and your partnership with other cities?

21. Vision for the Future - Resources • Described the resources available to support the local and global vision… • What resources and relationships would be required to realize this vision for your interreligious movement? Where might these resources come from? • Would you be interested in pursuing joint fundraising activities with the Council? What might these activities include? What might joint proposals focus on?

22. Reflecting on Your Progress • Describe how you will reflect critically on the progress of your local interreligious movement: • How can you successfully measure the impact of the partnerships and coalitions you will foster and enhance amongst your goals? • What are successful techniques that you have identified for measuring and reporting your efforts amongst the larger global community and network? • How will you share what you have learned and accomplished as a Partner City? • What is you process for taking what you have learned and continually improving your role as a Partner City amongst the CPWR global network?

23. What is the Partner Cities Criteria? • Compatibility between your vision and values, and the vision, mission and values of the Council. • Capacity of your city and partner organizations realizing your vision. • Commitment to partnership. • Process by which your proposal was developed as indicative of how you might collaborate with the Council and other partners.

24. Consultative Services The Council will provide a variety of levels of consultative services to cities and their local interreligious movements. General In general, the Council will provide consultative services for a city as it undertakes the self-assessment process by which it will come to belong to the Partner Cities Network. Once a part of the Network, the Council will provides consultative services as these cities engage in activities, seek to serve the Network, and aspire to be designated as an interreligiously harmonious city. These services will be primarily provided through the Council’s website, by email and phone, and in some instances, through site visits.

25. Consultative Services Targeted The Council is willing to enter into a more direct and structured consultative relationship with a city that may include a formal agreement for targeted services such as on-site assessment, visioning, training and organizing. These services would be provided on a fee-for-service basis. Comprehensive The Council is also able to provide a city with a comprehensive, 18 month organizing process that would engage the local interreligious movement and wider community at all levels, and culminate in a major local interreligious event. Such a comprehensive approach would be provided on a fee-for-service basis.

26. Next Steps • The next steps in embarking upon the Partner Cities Process are as follows: • Complete and submit the Partner City Application. • Upon review and acceptance of your Partner City Application, our Partner Cities Director will consult with your local team about your application. • Once a city has entered the self-assessment process, it will receive a page on the Council’s website to chart its progress. • If negotiated, the Partner Cities Director can make a site visit to further evaluate your potential status as a Partner City and look for opportunities to strengthen your local and global network.

27. Partner Cities Webpage PhotoAlbum Partner City News City Profile: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, rutrum id, quis magna. Amet faucibus volutpat. Ut quam hendrerit convallis, et accumsan vulputate, laoreet nullam ultricies justo. Integer congue sed vestibulum cras blandit, platea justo tristique porta ultrices magna mauris, fermentum fusce nec aliquet velit fringilla, nunc leo eget suscipit, risus eget mattis vitae tortor quis. Pellentesque et. Posuere vitae, sollicitudin leo mollis ante mattis, tempor lacus pellentesque feugiat aptent. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, rutrum id, quis magna. Amet faucibus volutpat. Ut quam hendrerit convallis, et accumsan vulputate, laoreet nullam ultricies justo. Integer congue sed vestibulum cras blandit, platea justo tristique porta ultrices magna mauris, fermentum fusce nec aliquet velit fringilla, nunc leo eget suscipit, risus eget mattis vitae tortor quis. Pellentesque et. Posuere vitae, sollicitudin leo mollis ante mattis, tempor lacus pellentesque feugiat aptent. Sed aliquet sed adipiscing egestas tempus nisl, est mi sit sem porttitor suspendisse mi, ornare rutrum, vestibulum eu commodo donec. Vitae vivamus, eleifend posuere, diam vestibulum pede. Mattis amet dolor, ut ac ac suscipit. Tempor et consequat felis, ut pellentesque luctus vitae ligula at, dui natoque nec ut imperdiet lectus, pretium nam cursus placerat pellentesque vel, erat donec mi vitae. Luctus pellentesque posuere condimentum et cum wisi, id eget velit magna tristique rutrum, venenatis tempus auctor lorem vitae pede. Commodo platea in ad purus ac, dictumst massa vestibulum sit sit, tristique vel. Sint eu quis scelerisque sollicitudin ullamcorper amet, eleifend ante volutpat, delectus mollis aliquam convallis venenatis mauris, et tortor lobortis gravida porttitor proin, donec hymenaeos ac egestas sem. Semper mauris mollis, molestie neque, a imperdiet libero pulvinar. Consequat malesuada imperdiet phasellus suspendisse, tortor quam, et vulputate commodo, odio vehicula magna erat scelerisque. Duis nibh tristique quisque nullam nulla dignissim. Partner City 1 Partner City 2 Partner City 3 City Contact(s): John Q. Address Email Click here to see full photo album… • Links to Partner Organizations: • XYZ • XYZ • XYZ • Document Archive • Partner City Proposal and Report