Press Release

Bangalore Initiative for Religious Dialogue (BIRD)
Apt. 501, Indira Residency, 167 Hennur Road, Kalyan Nagar, Bangalore 560 043
Tel. 080 25435716, Mob. 097311 82308 e-mail: benjaminpn@hotmail.com


PRESS RELEASE

Dr. Stanley Samartha Memorial Lecture


The Bangalore Initiative for Religious Dialogue (BIRD) is a low-key organisation of theologically and socially interested people, which has attempted to be a forum for people of different religions to talk things over in times of strife and peace over the last decade.

The BIRD has an annual lecture series named after its inspiration, the late Dr Stanley Samartha, an ordained priest of the Church of South India and theology teacher from Karnataka (born in Karkala), who lived his Christian faith and practice in harmony with his Hindu tradition and culture during his ministry.

Samartha was the first director of the Inter-Faith Dialogue Program of the World Council of Churches in Geneva (1970-81). Earlier he was the Principal of the Karnataka Theological College, Mangalore and also the Serampore College, West Bengal. He was a professor at the United Theological College, Bangalore in 1960s.

Samartha is known as a the “Christian prophet of religious pluralism”, who famously declared himself "a Hindu by culture, Christian by faith, Indian by citizenship and ecumenical by choice".

I am happy to inform you that the 9th Rev. Dr.Stanley Samartha Memorial lecture organized by the Bangalore Initiative for Religious Dialogue (BIRD) will be delivered by Sir Mark Tully on 7th October 5 pm. at the Rotary House of Friendship, Lavelle Road, Bangalore.

Sir Mark Tully, KBE is the former Chief of Bureau, BBC, New Delhi. He worked for BBC for a period of 30 years before resigning in July 1994.He held the position of Chief of Bureau, BBC, Delhi for 20 years. Since 1994 he has been working as a freelance journalist and broadcaster based in New Delhi

The lecture last year was delivered by Arun Shourie on ‘Rethinking Religions’. In years before that, we have had M.J.Akbar, Justice K.T.Thomas, Metropolitan Philipose Mar Chrysotom of Mar Thoma Church, Dr. Hans Ucko of World Council of Churches, Dr. M.V. Nadkarni, Dr. C.T.Kurien and Francois Gautier.



BIRD is entirely dependent on small contributions from people of diverse faiths who are strongly convinced about the dire need to preserve inter-faith amity in the true and abiding traditions of India, which is a living symbol of religious diversity and inclusiveness.


P.N. BENJAMIN
Coordinator-BIRD
Apt. No. 501, Indira Residency,
167 Hennur Road
Kalyan Nagar
Bangalore 560 043
INDIA
Mobile: 09731182308
Res. 090 25435716