Innovative forum for debates celebrates 20 years in Brazil

The World Parliament of Ecumenical Fraternity, the LBV’s ParlaMundi, is part of the ecumenical complex of the Temple of Good Will (TGW), located in the capital city of Brazil. It is a place destined to serve as a fraternal forum of conferences and debates between all people on Earth. Since its inauguration on December 24, 1994, it has played host to important international events such as the 1st World Forum of Ufology; 60 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, organized by the Commission on Human Rights and Participative Legislation (CDH) of the Federal Senate; the LBV’s Spirit and Science World Forum; the LBV’s 2nd Meeting of Lusophones; The Utá Festival, of Japanese origin, organized by Oomoto International; among many others.

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• With more than 100,000 people filling the Alziro Zarur Square and around the Temple of Good Will, the leader of the Organization (highlighted) inaugurates the LBV’s World Parliament of Ecumenical Fraternity in Brasília/DF (Brazil) on December 25, 1994, the day of Jesus’ birth.

To explain the mission of this forum, its founder, the President of the Legion of Good Will, José de Paiva Netto, says: "In this Parliament, discord, radicalism, hostilities of all types must remain distant from religious, philosophical, political, scientific, economic, artistic, sporting, and all other debates and propositions, because human beings are born on Earth to live in society, a Solidary, Altruistic, and Ecumenical Society." 

+ Read the speech made by the founder of the ParlaMundi when it was inaugurated in the article " Believing in the Human Being ".

The LBV’s ParlaMundi building covers an area of 3,500 square meters and is comprised of five floors: three basement levels, a mezzanine, and an upper level. It also has three auditoriums with seating capacity for 500, 300, and 150 people, which along with the Noble Room make up the areas that are reserved for holding debates and universal cultural events. Another important environment is the always busy Students Area.

SEE PHOTOS OF THE MAIN EVENTS

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• 1) In the auditoriums of the ParlaMundi, through the radio, on TV, and via the Internet, thousands of people followed the discussion on the topics dealt with in the first session of the Forum. 2) Paiva Netto opens the second session by reading his article “A Question of Death or Life?”, which was addressed to the event’s participants.

LBV’s Spirit and Science World Forum — the brainchild of Paiva Netto, in its two plenary sessions held in 2000 and 2004 the Forum brought together renowned scientists, researchers, philosophers, and religious people from all over the world. The purpose was to create an interchange between scientific knowledge and the religious traditions that were represented there with civil society.

1st World Forum of Ufology — this event took place in December 1997 and was organized by the Brazilian Committee of Ufologists. It was the biggest event of its type held up until that date and brought together specialists from more than 30 countries. The central objective of the seminar, which put Brazil in the forefront of international ufology studies, was to draw the attention of government entities to the subject.

• Foto: J. A. Parmegiani
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60 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the signing of this important world document, the Commission on Human Rights and Participative Legislation (CDH) of the Federal Senate and the Legion of Good Will held an event on December 10, 2008, in the Noble Room of the LBV’s ParlaMundi.

LBV’s 2nd Meeting of Lusophones — the event took place in April 1999 in the Austregésilo de Athayde Auditorium and brought together non-governmental organizations from Lusophone countries and Portuguese-speaking people to create, together, common social and educational programs and to recognize the importance of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries.

• Foto: Fernando Franco
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Utá Festival — the Oomoto International (a Japanese religion with a Shinto ritual founded in 1892) organized in 2010 the Utafesta, a large Japanese festival, with the illustrious presence of the Fifth Spiritual Guide of Oomoto, Mrs. Kurenai Deguchi, a descendant of the founders of the institution. Approximately 500 people took part in the event, including teachers, Esperantists, scientists, philosophers, supporters of the international language Esperanto, and authorities from every region in Brazil.

• Foto: Vivian Ribeiro Ferreira
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