= was founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1936 as an International federation of Jewlsh communities and organizations. According to its mission statement. tlie World Jewish Congress' main purpose is to act as "the diplomatic arm of the Jewish people." Membership in the WJC is open to all nepresentative Jewish gtonps or communities, irrespective of the social, political or economic ideology of the communitys host country. The World Jewish Congress is snpported by those communities and individual members who as concemed Jewish citizens want their voices to be heard on matters of concem to the Jewish people. The Worid Jewish Congress has special credentials and recognition at tlie United Nations and witliin many of its institutions, commissions and sub-bodies. Its headquarters are in New York City, USA, and the organization maintains intemational offices in Brnssels, Belginm; Jemsalem, Israel; Paris, France; Moscow, Rnssia; Buenos Aires, Aigentina; andGeneva, Switzerland. Activities:
- figlu anti-Semitism in all its forms. Laws against anti-Semitism and other forms of racism need to be adopted and enforced properly in every country. All forms and expressions of neo-Nazism, xenophobia and intolerance are unacceptable and have to be condemned, and tire fuli force of the law needs to be applied to those who are a danger to democracy liberty and Jewish communities.
- On tlie Middle East peace process, tlie WJC favore a two-state solution
- Tlie WJC also lobbies intemational oiganizations, notably the UN, to ensure that goveniments “apply tlie same standards to Israel wlien judging its actions compared with tliose of other countries."
- active in inter-religious dialogue and good relations with the Catholic Cliurch, considers dialogue witli representatives of moderate Islam
WJC have secured millions of dollars for the victims and survivors of the Holocaust in payments from Germany, Swiss banks, Insurances and other parties totaling $20 billion.
According to tlie Independent, a series of allegations about the organization s accounting practices and "unusual" money transfers, raised by Isi Liebler, the WJCs senior vice-president. led to a fuli scalę investigation of the finances of the Worid Jewish Congress.
Although most of WJCs income comes from thousands of smali donations, tlie oiganization is stmggling. A no the r investigation against tlie World Jewish Congress is still ongoing, tliis time by tlie federal Intemal Revenue Service.
d) European Buddhist Union : http://www.e-b-u.org/index.hmil
„Tlie European Buddhist Union is network of Buddhist Communities and Oiganizations in Europę. As a union it is broad. impartial and open to Buddliists of all schools and traditions. Its principal aims are "to promote the fellowsliip of and encourage co-operation between the Buddliists in Europę".’'
= is an umbrella organization of Buddhist communities and organizations in Europę founded in 1975. It is open to Buddhist organizations of all schools and traditions.
Encouragement of contact and co-operation between the Buddliists in Europę and the development of friendly relations between Buddhist organizations are its main object At present tliere are morę dian 50 member organisations from 16 European countries exchanging Information and experience. The Inter-Buddhist dialogue is one of the priorities of EBU. Tlie BTE (Buddhist Teachers in Europę) is one of the projects initiated by EBU to promote tliis dialogue between dharma-teachers active in Europę.
At present its executive board consists of Buddliists from France, Italy, Germany and Belgium, belonging to different schools of Theravada and Mahayana. A coiuicil of experienced Buddliists support the work of the board. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) attracts delegates from a dozen European countries.
The AGM 2004 was lield in Jagemdorf, Germany. The AGM 2005 was held at Szczecin, Poland; the AGM 2006 was held in Barcelona, Spam, the AGM 2007 in Cadzand, Tlie Netherlands, tlie AGM 2008 inArco(TN), Italy, tlie AGM 2009 in Bettisfield Shropsliire, U.K.
e) Worid Zionist Organization : http://www.wzaorg.il/home/P100.jsp
= was founded as the Zionist Organization (H ebrew: niran JlITTIlonn), or ZO. in 1897 at the First Zionist Congress, held from August 29 to August 31 in Basel, Switzerland It changed its name to World Zionist Otganization in January 1960.
The ZO served as an umbrella oiganization for the Zionist movement, whose objective was tlie creation of a Jewish homeland in The B ritisli M andate of Palestine. Theodor Herzl, who with Max Nor da u and Zvi Shimshi, oiganized tlie first Congress, later wrote in his diary: "If I were to sum up tlie Congress in a word - which 1 sliall take care not to publish - it would be tliis: At Basie I founded tlie Jewish State. If I said tliis out loud today I would be greeted by universal laughter. In five years periiaps, and certainly