The Parliament of the World's Religions and the Importance of Place

​From August 14-18, 2023, The Parliament of the World's Religions convened in Chicago. There were 8,254 participants from 95 countries representing 210 religious traditions. Eugene Gussenhoven and I were credentialed members of the Press Corps. We interviewed presenters, agency representatives, and faith leaders who worked to counter climate change.
 
I spoke with Indigenous leaders. I interviewed faith leaders responding to climate change. I attended religious services and cultural events. However, before the opening of the Parliament and after the Parliament, I immersed myself in place. Place is important in healing a hurting planet, in focusing ritual, and in anchoring oneself. That place, for me, was downtown Chicago. It was a place of unceded land of the Council of the Three Fires, a confederacy of Indigenous Nations. It was a city founded by a Haitian immigrant Jean Baptiste Point du Sable. It was the site of the first Parliament of the World’s Religions in 1893 during the Columbian Exposition.
 
The Chicago Cultural Center, Millennium Park, Buckingham Fountain, Navy Pier, The Windy, the Field Museum of Natural History, and the Chicago Riverwalk all speak to the importance of place. The Chicago River, Lake Michigan, and the water of life speak to the importance of healthy ecosystems. After the Parliament my continued journey became a reminder that the rebirth of ecosystems and of the spirit are possible. This is the introductory video that will be followed by several videos connecting faith, climate change, Indigenous Peoples, and the 2023 Parliament of the World's Religions. This first video speaks of my love for this place, Chicago.
 

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