The conference as a whole started last week, with the opening of a Photo exhibition of Rune Eraker in Church House, which will be open until Saturday 18th June, 09:00-15:00. Hans Küng will be taking part in the seminar organized in collaboration with the faculty’s own research project Religion in a Globalised Age taking place at the Nobel Institute Wednesday and Thursday, 15th and 16th June, from 09:30-16:00. Professor Küng will be speaking on Thursday morning on the topic "Global Politics and Global Ethic: A New Paradigm of International Relations". Other guests include Clare Fischer from USA, Werner Jeanrond from Lund, Mary Rute Gomez Esperandio, from Brazil, Sigurd Bergmann of Trondheim, as well as the faculty’s own Notto Thelle, Kjetil Hafstad, Sturla Stålsett, Jone Salomonsen, Berge Furre, and Oddbjørn Leirvik.
Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) and the Church Academies of Norway are also collaborating in this international seminar week, which has been developed in cooperation with The Centennial Anniversary Norway 1905-2005. The NCA will be hosting a further seminar day on the subject "Religions for conflict transformation and peace building" on Friday 17th June, 09:30-16:00. Again taking place in the Nobel Peace Institute, this seminar will be receiving contributions from Ms. Hilde Frafjord Johnson, Norwegian Minister of International Development, Munawar Rumalshah, Bishop of Peshawar, Church of Pakistan, Hanif Jallandhry, Secretary General of the National Madras Network, Pakistan, Anne Sofie Roald, Associate Professor, Malmö University, and Rev. Enock Tombe, General Secretary Sudan Council of Churches.
This seminar will be followed up by a celebration in the evening (starting 18:00) at the new Nobel Peace Centre, arranged by the Norwegian Church Academies, who will award the prestigious award, the Bridge Builder’s Prize, this year going to Namibiaforeningen.
On the Saturday (18th June), the conference will bring its reflections on peace after the dissolution of the union to a climax, in a meeting of researchers for an open public discussion around the subject "Religion in Norwegian: Between National Identity and Global Change" (in Norwegian). To address the subject of "Religion in Norwegian?" Gunnar Stålsett will be speaking, with comments from Kåre Willoch and Ole Henrik Magga. Further discussion of the new meeting of religions and cultures will be addressed by Nina Witoszek, Hadia Tajik, and Arne Grønningsæter, with musical contributions from Andreas Ljones, Rune Tylden, and Aliou Cissoko.
The conference will be concluded with a seminar group in Church House on Saturday 18th June, 14:00, where thinkers will look to the future, and take up the theme "Religion and the Future of the Globe: Perspectives for Hope" (in Norwegian). Speakers will include the faculty’s own Sturla J Stålsett, as well as the General Secretary for the Norwegian Church Aid, Atle Sommerfeldt, together with music from Carl Petter Opsahl, and photos from Rune Eraker.