부처님탄생지 ‘룸비니AJA포럼’ 이슬람도, 기독교도 ‘하나’

*’아시아엔’ 해외 필진 기고문 한글요약본 및 원문

[아시아엔=비쉬누 니스트리 AJA 네팔 지부장] 아시아기자협회 네팔지부(AJA 네팔)는 2008년 수도 카트만두를 본부로 네팔 언론인들이 언론자유, 민주주의, 인권증진을 위해 설립한 비영리 언론단체다. 우리는 평화, 청년선도, 여성인권 강화, 인본주의, 민주주의, 언론자유, 정보와 환경 문제를 해결하기 위해 노력해왔다.

AJA 네팔은 2014년 3월7일부터 사흘간 ‘미디어와 평화’를 주제로 국제회의를 열었다. 회의를 개최한 배경은 평화에 방해되는 장애물들을 헤쳐나가고, 대화를 통해 해결책을 모색하고자 함이다. 사실 룸비니의 고고학,역사적 중요성은 아직까지 부각되진 않았다. 룸비니에는 싯다르타 고타마(Siddharta Guatama) 이전에 카낙마니(Kanakmani)와 카커찬다(Kakurchhanda) 두명의 부처가 있었으나, 이들에 대해 그리 알려진 바 없다. 우리의 목표는 룸비니를 불교의 중심지로 널리 알려, 전세계 사람들이 불교를 배우고 실천하러 오게끔 하는 것이었다. 사람들은 불교가 이상을 좇아 광신도를 만드는 종교라 오해한다. 하지만 불교는 실생활에서의 실천을 중시한다. 현대사회는 ‘서로의 다름’을 존중하지 못한다. 이에 대한 해결책은 간단하다. AJA 네팔은 종교를 초월한 대화가 해결책이라 생각한다. 부처는 항상 종파와 신조를 초월하는 평화에 대해 역설했다. 이를 위해 우선 내면의 평화를 찾기를 권고했다.

청년선도와 여성인권 강화도 중요한 주제다. 미국 시인 앨런 긴즈버그(Allen Ginsberg)는 “나는 내 세대의 고고한 정신이 분노로 인해 파괴되는 것을 보았다. 극도의 분노에 사로잡혀 발가벗고 굶주린 채..”라는 시를 썼다. 애석하게도 이런 현상은 우리의 청년들에게도 나타난다. 우리는 청년들이 역량을 발휘할 수 있는 곳에서 일하길 바란다. 실업은 빈곤으로 이어지며, 빈곤은 마약중독과 폭력으로 이어진다. 이런 구조적인 문제로 인해, 아름다운 인격체가 폭력에 물든다. 국제회의를 개최함으로써 전도유망한 청년들의 잠재력을 일깨우는 것이 우리의 또다른 목표다. 내년 3월에 열릴 룸비니 국제회의는 청년선도와 여성인권 강화를 다루며, 이는 다양한 가능성에 대해 고찰하고 국가정책에 영향을 미치는 기회가 될 것이다.

이상주의에 가깝지만, 인류는 평화를 사랑한다. 그러나 인류는 때론 그른 행동을 하기도 한다. 하지만 부처가 2600년전 말했듯이, 인류는 삶에 대해 걱정하지 않아도 될 미래를 맞이할 것이다. 세상은 극심한 고통을 겪어왔다. 이젠 이런 악들을 물리쳐야 할 때다. 다른 이들을 편협한 시선으로 바라보지 않는 것이 중요하다. TS 에리엇은 ‘황무지’라는 시를 쓰며 “평화, 평화, 평화. 세상을 하나된 지구촌으로 만들자”고 했다. 이에 따라 AJA 네팔도 룸비니국제회의를 통해 평화를 추구할 것이다. 세계평화는 오랜 시간이 걸릴지 모르나, 결실을 맺기 위해 도전해야 한다. 또한 평화를 이룩하기 위해 인류의 도움도 절실하다. 번역 노지영 인턴기자

International Conference on Interfaith Dialogue

Introduction

Asia Journalist Association Nepal (AJA Nepal) is a media organization established by a group of professional journalists and media activists in Nepal fully dedicated to press freedom, democracy and human rights. The key members of the organization have a history of involvements in press freedom and democratic movements and had led the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), the umbrella organization of the Nepalese journalists, at the time when Nepali media went through critical and hostile period of conflict and the King’s autocratic regime.

AJA Nepal is affiliated with the Asia Journalist Association (AJA), a regional organization of the professional Asian journalists. Set up in 2005, based in Seoul, South Korea; AJA’s focal working areas are peace, press freedom, humanism, democratic ideas and environment. AJA Nepal is a non-partisan and non-governmental social institution registered with Nepal Government as a non-profit organization to work even for peace, youth mobilization and women empowerment, humanism, democratic ideas, press freedom, right to information and environment, especially the climate change issues as well. Based in Kathmandu, AJA Nepal is established in 2008 with a mission of working as a supporting agency to consolidate the relationship among media, people and the state.

Our Effort: United We Stand

AJA Nepal organized an International Conference on Media and Peace from March 7 to 9 in 2014. Providing the first-hand information to the journalists of Asia by bringing them to Lumbini was the major objective among others. We strongly believe that freedom of expression can only survive amidst peace and tranquility; so its importance has thrived and been felt day by day around the globe. Although AJA Nepal underwent several hardships to conduct it because managing all those active journalists from different countries was so challenging, it went well more than we had anticipated because of different helping hands. Our consistent endeavor was always there. We still hope the same effort from all sides, so that we would succeed in materializing this noble deed wisely. The whole world needs to realize the importance of Lumbini for peace and harmony.

Why AJA International Conference in Lumbini

Many people around the world mistake Buddhism as a part of merely religion henceforth creating several cults and creeds within its very ideal way. But Buddhism is a practice one should apply in a day to day life. Respecting differences has become a far cry among the people and the nation states. The solution is quite simple: Interfaith Dialogue. AJA Nepal strongly believes in Interfaith Dialogue; let’s make this world a better place where every person can live without fear. Let’s respect the voices of others. The conference aims to disseminate the true message of the Buddha – PEACE. Beyond any sects and dogmas, He always emphasized finding out the peace in the world; for that the Buddha strongly urged everyone to find inner peace.

What New This Year

This year our major concern behind organizing this kind of conference is to seek solution through peaceful dialogue in the country unearthing the obstacles invisibly imposed upon peace process. Nepal has long been suffering from chaos. We steadfastly believe unless peace prevails in the world, sense of brotherhood among the nations would become a terrible. Quite interestingly, the archeological and historical significances of Lumbini are yet to be explored. As a matter of fact, there are two more Buddhas–Kanakmani and Kakurchhanda–prior to Siddhartha Gautama. Nothing has been done to uncover about them. Moreover, our dream project is to make Lumbini an important spiritual hub where people from different countries come to learn and practice Buddhism.

Youth Mobilization and Women Empowerment

By writing poem like this, “I have seen the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked…” prominent American poet Allen Ginsberg has come to follow Buddhist ideas to seek permanent peace. Quite bizarre it may sound, the same thing has happened to our country. Youths of our nation have been stigmatized due to various factors: one is lack of proper leadership in the country among many others. We want to see youths in our country being capitalized according to their qualifications. Unemployment leads to poverty and poverty leads to drug addiction, violence are the two faces of the same coin. As a direct result, many beautiful minds have turned out to be violent because of this vicious problem. Engaging youths by exploring the possibilities through this kind of conference is our major concern. Our special session of talk on youth mobilization and women empowerment would help explore many possibilities giving enormous pressure to the state. We even want to see youths handling this kind of international standard conference by training them so that the country would seek a new way out.

Our Spirit: Let Peace Prevail on Earth

The above written sentence might sound so idealistic but we all human beings are peace lovers. Different factors sometimes provoke people to do naughty things; sometimes being influenced by different religious dogmas. But wait: If we follow the words what Buddha said 2600 hundred years ago, no human beings have to be worried about travelling, living, and spending her/his life in any nook and corner in this world. No human beings have to be worried about being kidnapped, tortured and murdered anywhere in the world. This world has already endured excruciating agonies; let’s root out all these heinous things. Let’s not consider other people by using the lens of religious, political, and cultural tenets. As TS Eliot ends his epoch making poem “The Waste Land by reiterating Shantih, Shantih, and Shantih which means peace, let’s work together to make this whole world as a global village”.We, AJANepal, are determined to continue series of campaign stobring back peace in this earth through this kind of conference.

Be a Part of This Noble Deed

It is not our private affair; rather, it is the need of the time. And it’s all about our joint venture that would yield fruitful results. It’s our great matter of honor for AJA Nepal to be a major role behind this venture. We would appreciate your support.