Buddhists and Christians Engaging Structural Greed Today: A Consultation Addressing a Spiritual and Moral Crisis Chiang Mai, Thailand, 22-26 August 2010

A Buddhist and Christian interfaith meeting on the theme of "Engaging Structural Greed" was held under the auspices of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the World Council of Churches (WCC). The local host for this consultation in Chiang Mai, Thailand, was Payap University, an emerging Christian higher education institution in Thailand. The consultation lasted from 22 to 26 August 2010. They concentrated on issues such as economic justice.

The consultation included thirty leaders, scholars, economists and activists from fourteen countries, including Buddhists from Theravāda and Mahāyāna countries and Christians from Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican, and Roman Catholic traditions. It was attended by a distinguished group of scholars and practitioners from both Buddhist and Christian traditions. Local Buddhist activists such as Sulak Sivaraksa as well as one leading NGOs from Sri Lanka participated in the consultation representing Buddhists. Other Buddhists were Bhiksuni Chuehmen Shih (South Asian coordinator of Buddha's Light International Association), Dr. Mahinda Deegalle (Bath Spa University), and Professor Padmasiri de Silva (Australia). Key thinkers included Professor Paul Knitter (Union Theological Seminary, USA) and Professor Ulrich Duchrow (Mission and Oekumene, Germany).

Reverend Dr. Shanta Premawardhana, programme executive for the WCC's unit for Inter-Religious Dialogue and Cooperation, Rev. Dr. Martin Sinaga, secretary for theology and the church at the LWF Department for Theology and Studies (DTS), coordinated and organized the consultation. Key supporters from Payap University's Institute of Religion, Culture and Peace were Dr. Mark Tamthai and Dr. John W. Butt.