UCI celebrates religious diversity on Sunday

‘Spiritual Journeys: A Day of Learning and Sharing” is the theme

for the ninth annual Religious Diversity Faire from 1 to 6 p.m.

Sunday at UC Irvine’s Student Center. This year’s event is designed

to provide multiple opportunities for participants to find out more

about the experiences that shape and mold the spiritual journeys of

our lives.

“We come from many religious traditions and cultural backgrounds,

we live and work side by side, and yet we still do not really know

each other very well,” said Prany Sananikone, president of RDF Inc.

“Perhaps sharing and learning about each other’s individual journeys

will help us live together in harmony and understanding while

teaching us new ways to listen and learn from each other.”

Sananikone is also director of diversity relations and education

in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity at UCI.

Panel discussions and presentations include the following topics:

How has Sept. 11 challenged you on your spiritual journey? How

central is ritual in your tradition, and what does it mean to you?

How do religious leaders translate their teachings into world

affairs? How do you relate to and use your scriptures? What can we do

to bring the Messiah and what happens when he arrives? What is the

role of the religious community when it comes to popular culture,

such as TV, music and film, and how does it influence our children?

Speakers include: Rabbi Allen Krause of Temple Beth El in Aliso

Viejo; Dr. Ananda Guruge, former ambassador to the United Nations and

professor at Hsi Lai University; Dr. Ben Hubbard, professor of

comparative religion at Cal State Fullerton; Sheik Yassir Fazaga,

Imam of the Mission Viejo Mosque; Father Rafael Luevano, officer for

inter-religious affairs, Diocese of Orange; Father Bishoy Kamel,

rector of St. Marina Coptic Orthodox Church in Lake Forest.

Registration begins at 12:30 p.m., the program begins at 1 p.m.

and ends at 8 p.m. Donations of $5 to $10 are suggested. Students

with current ID are free. While I won’t be there this year, I have

attended in the past. I found the program stimulating, insightful and

well worth the time. Come for an hour or come for the day.

LIONS INTERNATIONAL POSTER CONTEST: For the first year, the Harbor

Mesa Lions Club is sponsoring the Lions International Peace Poster

Contest for art students at TeWinkle Middle School. This year marks

the 15th year of the International Peace Poster Contest. Lions Clubs

International sponsors the contest to emphasize the importance of

world peace to young people everywhere. Some 325,000 entries are

submitted worldwide. The contest theme this year is “Dream of Peace.”

The Harbor Mesa Lions Club winner will continue on, and ultimately

one grand prize winner will be selected from 24 international

finalists. Local deadline for this year’s contest was Friday. After

judging, there will be a presentation night to announce the winner

and present honorable mention awards to all participants.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF SERVICE CLUBS: Kathy Blake, sponsored by

Ann MclLroy; and Debbie Jara and Delila Jara, sponsored by Olga Jara,

who joined the Harbor Mesa Lions Club and was inducted by District

4L4 Gov. Chuck Overby.

WORTH REPEATING

From the “Thought for the Day” provided by Greg Kelley of the

Newport-Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council: “The greatest weakness of

most humans is their hesitancy to tell others how much they love them

while they’re still alive.” -- O.A. Battista

SERVICE CLUB MEETINGS THIS COMING WEEK

MONDAY

6:30 p.m.: Harbor Mesa Lions Club meets the Costa Mesa Country

Club. Past District Gov. Ellen Liebherr will visit to inform the

members about Lion’s Club International Foundation’s Melvin Jones

Fellowship.

TUESDAY

7:30 a.m.: The 35-member Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary Club will

meet at Five Crowns for a program by John Voget on the YMCA.

6:30 p.m.: The 40-member Costa Mesa Newport Harbor Lions Club will

meet at the Costa Mesa Country Club for a business meeting.

WEDNESDAY

7:15 a.m.: The 20-member South Coast Metro Rotary Club will meet

at the Center Club (www.southcoastmetrorotary.

org) and the Newport Harbor Kiwanis Club meets at the University

Athletic Club.

Noon: The 35-member Exchange Club of the Orange Coast will meet at

the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club for a business meeting. Soroptimist

International Newport Harbor meets at the Santa Ana Country Club.

6 p.m.: The 60-member Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa will meet at

the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club for to celebrate the Rotary

International Foundation with Past District Gov. Jim Young appearing

as Paul Harris, the founder of Rotary International.

THURSDAY

7 a.m.: The 20-plus member Costa Mesa-Orange Costa Breakfast Lions

Club will meet at Mimi’s Cafe.

Noon: The 50-member Costa Mesa Kiwanis Club will meet at the

Holiday Inn for an Eagle Pride presentation.

(www.kiwanis.org/club/costa

mesa); the 50-member Newport Beach-Corona del Mar Kiwanis Club

meets at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club to hear John Moorlach,

Orange County treasurer and tax collector; the 80-member Exchange

Club of Newport Harbor meets at the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum

for a business meeting; and the 100-member Newport-Irvine Rotary Club

meets the Irvine Marriott Hotel to hear Dr. Larry Omo on the state of

the art in diagnostic testing for stroke, heart disease and cancer.

(www.nirotary.org).

* COMMUNITY & CLUBS is published Saturdays in the Daily Pilot.

Send your service club’s meeting information by fax to (949)

660-8667; by e-mail to jdeboom@aol.com; or by mail to 2082 S.E.

Bristol, Suite 201, Newport Beach, CA 92660-1740.