During The Second Week Of October , women religious and spiritual leaders from around the world met in Geneva, Switzerland, to explore ways in which they can—specifically as women—bring their varied experiences to bear on peace efforts around the world.

The event was organized in response to the United Nations-sponsored Millennium World Peace Summit, held in New York two years ago. At that conference, only 15 percent of the delegates were women. The organizers of this Geneva conference recognized the need for women to play a greater part in the peace process.

Although the Geneva conference featured women from all walks of life—business, government, and religious institutions—the foundation of the conference was dedicated prayer, individually and as a group. This acknowledgment that God—by whatever name, in whatever faith tradition—is a universal presence and a "very present help in trouble," brought those of vastly different religions, ethnic backgrounds, and life experiences into a circle of understanding that crossed the lines of color, language, and culture.

Among the many representatives of religions and faith traditions who were invited to speak at the conference, Virginia Harris and Mary Ridgway, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Clerk of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, respectively, delivered talks to the delegates, as did spiritual healer and Christian Science teacher, Dorothy Maubane of Pretoria, South Africa.

Along with these speakers, Marta Greenwood, a Christian Science practitioner from London, England, and Shari Hunnicut, a Christian Scientist from Stockholm, Sweden, also attended the conference and sent the Sentinel their "dispatches"—personal impressions and experiences from their four days in Geneva. We hope you enjoy their "on-the-ground," first-hand accounts of this landmark event.

Opening thoughts

Today is the official opening of the peace summit in Palais des Nations, Geneva. The participants are all wearing their colorful silks and bright fabrics that reflect their individual religious and cultural backgrounds—vibrant reminders that we are one global family.

The sun is shining brightly on this glorious early fall day, sparkling on the trees, which are changing into their autumn colors. The United Nations Palais des Nations, where the general assembly is held, stands on a hill with breathtaking views. The surrounding grounds embrace incredible, stately old cedar trees. But after bus arrives, bringing all the participants to the assembly.

As we sit in the Assembly Hall, there's a spirit of unity and common purpose. You feel the world has received the blessing of the prayers these women from all points on the globe undertook all day yesterday.

Throughout the day various religious leaders pray for the peace initiative. The Rev. Joan Campbell, Director, Department of Religion of Chautauqua Institution and the Co-Chair of the Global Peace Initiative, is the first clergywoman to serve as spiritual leader and General Secretary of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the US. She talks about building the inner foundations of peace, which begin in the heart of each individual.

Rabbi Nelly Shulman reads Psalm 34, and there is a recitation from the Qu'ran.

For me, one of the most touching speeches is by Her Royal Highness, Princess Rattana-Devi Norodom, from the Kingdom of Cambodia. Yesterday, at the candlelight vigil for peace, she was one of the speakers who advocated for world peace. She wore her country's traditional costume, a long bottle-green dress. She said her country had used prayer to recover from the effects of war. Cambodia was the first country in her region to abolish the death sentence. Today she speaks for the voice of youth. For one so young and privileged, she is highly in tune with the world's cry for peace. She says, "You are all my mother, and I thank you for what you are doing for me and my generation, and for praying for peace to help our world."

Several nights ago, when I arrived in Geneva, I found a crowd of people lining the entrance to the hotel and the street outside, all waiting for the arrival of someone named Amma. Soon, a slight woman walked into the hotel while the people outside clapped in respect.

Today I see her again. She is accepting the Gandhi-King Award for Non-Violence, given by the World Movement for Non-Violence. Her full name is Holiness Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi. Amma, which means "mother," has dedicated her life to working for peace in the world.

In Amma's acceptance speech she says: "The love of awakened motherhood is a love and compassion felt not only toward one's own children, but toward all people, animals and plants, rocks and rivers—a love extended to all nature, to all beings. Indeed, to a woman in whom the state of true motherhood has awakened, [to this woman] all creatures are her children. This love, this motherhood, is divine Love—and that is God."

Virginia Harris, Chairman of the Board of Directors of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, is another speaker today. She tells about the Founder of the Church of Christ, Scientist, Mary Baker Eddy, and of her commitment to a world that cries out for peace. And she shows that Mary Baker Eddy's work continues to influence generations of men and women through her writings. Looking around, I see that Harris' inspiring talk on the yearning for universal peace and the place of women in linking communities together resonates with this diverse gathering of spiritual and religious leaders from around the world.

As the day closes, I am once again moved by the transforming power of prayer and the unity of so many women, coming from so many different disciplines and teachings, as we all find our common ground—the universal desire to experience a world at peace.

Conference continues

Today at 3:00 p.m. they ask all of us to go outside to the lakeshore. We are going to form the letters P-E-A-C-E, and a helicopter will take a photo of us for a film about this summit. It is the most beautiful day. As we stand in our places and wait for the helicopter, we see above us, on the roof of the hotel, a nun standing there with her white habit waving in the wind as she waves her hands to us.

The helicopter is late, so everybody starts to sing "Amazing Grace." I can't stop crying. Doesn't that sound silly?

But then I look around and see that others are just as moved as I. And I realize that it doesn't matter where each one of us is coming form, or what our standpoint of spirituality or spiritual understanding is. We just have one goal—to pray together, to share our life stories, and to know each other. From these small seedlings bigger and wider things will grow. The atmosphere of love is just incredible.

When we return to the hotel, I meet a couple, John and Carrie Schuchart, who run a peace movement of their own called "The House of Peace." They have come all the way from Ipswich, Massachusetts, just for this peace initiative. John says he was inspired by Virginia Harris's talk in the general assembly session, especially when she told the story of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Harris said, "[It began when] thousands came with candles and prayers.... Years later ... an East German police officer ... said, 'We were prepared for everything except candles and prayers.'

"'Candles and prayers' helped move the largest totalitarian system into obscurity," she went on to say. He wants this talk to be given again, in Washington, D.C. He says, "Tell her to give that talk in Washington, and let us set those candles and prayers in motion instead of war."

Mary Ridgway, Clerk of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, also gave a talk to a packed room. She talked about Mary Baker Eddy as an example of what women can do in leadership and peacebuilding in the spiritual life of the community. Ridgway pointed out that if Mary Baker Eddy could launch an international newspaper at the age of 87, then all things are possible for women.

Another spiritual healer who spoke was Christian Science teacher and public speaker Dorothy Maubane, from South Africa. The sessions kept getting cut shorter, so Maubane didn't have the full time she'd been given. Yet it was enough for her message.

She gave a beautiful example of the power of our prayers. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. She said, "By flying in 'V' formation, the whole flock adds at least 71 percent greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own." Everyone there looked inspired by this concept. Because we all realized that by praying together we were bringing about powerful change for good.

Closing day

This conference has shown me what women are capable of achieving. I have met so many Eastern and Asian women who have achieved what at one time seemed impossible. As an Eastern woman myself, I wish I had known about Christian Science when I was young. Because I believe that what I've since learned about God's provision of infinite possibilities could have led me to achieve as much in my country as these women have achieved in theirs.

As a young woman in Iran, I never had the courage to stand up and speak for myself, never mind trying to defend others, as these women have done. I've always thought that women such as my mother, sister, and I were just victims of the society into which we were born. But then I see so many of these women, who come from similar societies, and who have managed to break through barriers of oppression. Before this event, I had never seen Eastern women capable of such effort and zeal. Watching these brave and resourceful women, I know all is well.

For example, I met Justice Nasira Iqbal, one of the three women judges in the Pakistani judiciary. Another woman, Jebeer Kaur Singh, is a Sikh from India. She has visited many temples, churches, mosques, and other places of faith, to find common ground in order to bridge the separation between peoples. She even managed to talk the Australian government into supporting a conference next October—a global peace initiative for religious, academic, and political leaders. She feels strongly that the more we learn about each other, the more peace will come to the world.

When I leave this conference, I shall be going home with a different way of seeing my role in my community. Part of my community work must be to connect with people of other faiths to find ways to work and pray with them for our communities. This will help break down misunderstandings about who we all are.

The whole message of this peace initiative, I have discovered, is love. Unless I love, I can't see true peace in my community or in the world. Judging another, seeing only from my own standpoint, leads to misunderstanding. Believing that I have the only correct point of view, that no one else has the right beliefs, breeds mistrust. But if I love more, then my love will support, not threaten, my neighbors on their journey, and everyone can be blessed.

This conference has confirmed to me that God, who is our Mother, doesn't judge or condemn. The more we love each other, the more our community will become open to the possibilities of peace.