Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs

A joint JLI – WFDD – Berkley Center Initiative on COVID-19

Each country faces different challenges as they confront the double crisis of COVID-19 infection and related economic and social shocks. In several East Asian countries this comes on top of tensions linked to rising nationalism and interreligious and interethnic divides. Religious beliefs and institutions are deeply engaged in supporting those directly affected by the pandemic, and in looking ahead towards recovery and promoting reforms as lessons from the crisis are learned.

Somboon Chungprampree (Khun Moo) is a Thai social activist working for peace and justice in Asia and supporting far-reaching religious and development networks, including by serving as executive secretary of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB). His colleague, K. V. Soon Vidyananda (Vidya), entrepreneur and Buddhist leader, and Khun Moo will join Berkley Center Senior Fellow Katherine Marshall in conversation to reflect on who is most vulnerable and what mechanisms are available, formal and informal, to support them. This webinar will explore the responses of religious communities in different countries, including how various communities have engaged with government authorities, the role of interreligious approaches, whether communities are responding with violence or peace, and how the politics and ethics of environmental challenges are affected by the crisis.

Please RSVP at least 24 hours in advance of the event start time to receive the Zoom Webinar link. This event will be recorded and the video will be posted to this page after the event date. Please RSVP to receive an alert once it is posted.

Click here to RSVP or send an email to [email protected]

Read more about the joint JLI-WFDD-Berkley Center COVID-19 and Faith Initiative here