On 11 November 2017, the Buddhist College of Singapore and The Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies (SRP) programme, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) co-hosted a seminar titled “Buddhism and Religion in Society: Conflict and Peace”. The seminar aims to address issues related to religion, conflict, and peace to provide a better understanding of issues affecting society in Singapore today. About 60 guests from various Buddhist organizations in Singapore attended the seminar.
Venerable Dr. Chuan Sheng, Vice-Rector of Academic Affairs (BCS) first delivered the opening remarks. Following that, Ambassador Mohammad Alami Musa, Head of SRP Programme, gave a short introduction of the SRP Programme and elucidated the aims of the day.
As the keynote speaker, Professor Emeritus Julius Lipner, Professor of Hinduism and the Comparative Study of Religion at the University of Cambridge, addressed the relation of religion to politics and secularism and how the different religions and societies manage these issues. Dr. Paul Hedges spoke on religious fundamentalism and violence, and inter-religious dialogue as a solution. Mr. Kelvin Ng, Dr. Mohamed Bin Ali, and Dr. Lee Foong Ming shared on this topic from the perspectives of Christianity, Islam and Buddhism respectively. A lively panel discussion followed with participants engaging the speakers in discussions on the different ways of resolving conflicts in the various religions.
As the discussions drew to a close, Venerable Dr. Chuan Sheng presented tokens of appreciation to all speakers. Certificates of participation were given to all participants as well. Lastly, a group photo was taken to commemorate the successful conclusion of the seminar.
