GENE RANDALL, CNN ANCHOR: Looking beyond religious and ethnic differences is at the heart of a unique gathering of spiritual leaders in New York this week. It is a meeting sponsored partly by CNN's founder, Ted Turner. CNN's Frank Buckley has more.</s>FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The victims of war can rightly claim, in some cases, that religion is at the heart of the conflict that caused their suffering.</s>PHRA RAJAVARAMUNI, BUDDHISM DELEGATE: There is nothing wrong with the faith; there must be something wrong with the faithful, who quote often from the scripture to support their idea of holy war, war in the name of religion.</s>BUCKLEY: But religious and spiritual leaders gathered in New York for the Millennium World Peace Summit hope a new dialogue will help to bring about change. The world's major faiths are represented. Kosovo among the specific spot where some believe religious leadership could make a difference. There an uneasy peace is presided over by U.N.-led troops.</s>RABBI ARTHUR SCHNEIER, JUDAISM DELEGATE: But you cannot just depend on the military presence. You have to build. And the religious leaders have to, above all, transform the hearts and minds of the people. Otherwise, you have hatred that is going to linger.</s>BUCKLEY: Organizers of the summit envision an advisory council of religious and spiritual leaders working to support the United Nations in years to come. Attendees are also being asked to sign a commitment to global peace. What difference any of it will make in the future is still in question.</s>LAWRENCE SULLIVAN, HARVARD UNIVERSITY: A great deal of success will depend on what kinds of plans for action and follow-up that are agreed on.</s>BUCKLEY: The challenge ahead for the religious leaders gathered here: to go beyond high ideals, to translate them into action, a point acknowledged by one speaker, who said, "We are here not to preach to each other, but to reach for each other. " Frank Buckley, CNN, New York.
Looking Beyond Religious and Ethnic Differences at Heart of Gathering of Spiritual Leaders