Dena Merriam is founder of the Global Peace Initiative for Women, a former member of the board of Harvard University Center for the Study of World Religions and the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy. She is co-chair of the Millennium World Peace Summit, the first summit held at the United Nations General Assembly for more than 1,500 of the world’s religious leaders.

“There is no greater need now than cultivating a global understanding of human unity. Faith communities should lead this effort as our spiritual values, such as compassion, love, and peace, are universal and can bring us together as a human community. Why then is this so problematic for many religious leaders today? Why is religious identity more important than human identity at a time when the problems we face, such as climate change and growing economic inequity, are global and can only be solved through collective efforts? “