From July 7 to 9, the Asian Conference of Religions for Peace (ACRP) held a training program titled “Training of Trainers: Advancing Shared Sacred Flourishing (SSF)” in Kathmandu, Nepal. From Religions for Peace Japan, Rev. Yoshiharu Tomatsu, Board Chair, and Rev. Yasuko Miyoshi, Director of General Coordination Department, attended the event. Approximately 25 religious leaders from seven countries across the Religions for Peace network in Asia participated.

“Shared Sacred Flourishing (SSF)” is a global initiative promoted by Religions for Peace and serves as a visionary framework that embodies the unique identity developed through its 56 years of activity. By re-examining the common values cultivated across various religious traditions throughout history and consciously putting them into practice in modern society, SSF aims to overcome the violence, conflict, and division spreading throughout the international community.

The purpose of this training was to enable participants to deepen their understanding of the SSF concept while learning practical knowledge and methodologies to apply it to their work.

In one of the workshop sessions, participants engaged in dialogue on how to interpret and perceive “Shared Sacred Worldview (SSW)” and “Shared Sacred Flourishing (SSF).” To begin, they shared how concepts such as “Sacred” and “Flourishing” are expressed in their respective religious traditions. Furthermore, in a workshop designed to review existing projects through the lens of SSF, participants worked to identify underlying root causes of issues, providing a valuable opportunity to uncover new challenges and possibilities.

Through this workshop, my understanding of SSF crystallized around two core insights: first, that each religious and spiritual tradition holds a perspective that recognizes the sacredness within all life and honors its intrinsic worth (“Sacred”); second, a deep awareness that human beings are interconnected and coexist together on Mother Earth (“Shared”). This notion of “Sacred” is not an exclusive value held only by religious leaders; it encompasses the fundamental values that every individual—regardless of religious faith—cherishes in life and shares as human beings. It can also be expressed through terms such as respect, dignity, trust, and well-being. Built upon this foundation of the “Sacred,” the core concept of SSF is to envision and act toward a future where all life on Earth is respected and thrives together (“Flourishing”)

At the 10th Religions for Peace World Assembly held in Lindau, Germany in 2019, Religions for Peace Japan shared a quote by Japanese poet and author Kenji Miyazawa (1896–1933) with religious leaders from around the world: “Individual happiness cannot exist until the whole world is happy.” This message conveys the idea that individual well-being is inseparable from the happiness of others, society as a whole, and the entire planet—a view that succinctly encapsulates the essence of SSF.

Reflecting on past activities through the lens of SSF provided a meaningful opportunity to recognize that Religions for Peace Japan’s long-standing initiatives in peacebuilding and humanitarian assistance have indeed been a continuous journey of putting the SSF vision into practice. Moving forward, Religions for Peace Japan remains committed to deepening its understanding of “Shared Sacred Flourishing” and steadily advancing peacebuilding practices grounded in this principle.

Reported by: Yasuko Miyoshi