Dossier Buddhism and Global Religions in Dialogue: Paths to Social Justice Extends Article Submission Deadline

The dossier Buddhism and Global Religions in Dialogue: Paths to Social Justice has extended the deadline for article submissions until October 15, which should be sent to the section bearing the same name. The dossier's thematic scope addresses the following focus:

Śākyamuni, the historical Buddha (5th century B.C.E.) is renowned for his actions and teachings promoting social justice, advocating for equality and transformative change in Ancient India. Since then, Buddhist traditions have engaged in diverse ways to follow the Buddha’s footsteps, addressing societal inequities through wisdom and compassion. Similarly, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, African and Indigenous religions have each fostered social justice as a central objective, rooted in the teachings and examples of their foundational figures. These traditions offer profound resources for creating a shared sense of harmony and justice in an increasingly fragmented world.

This dossier aims to foster interdisciplinary and interreligious dialogue, highlighting how diverse religious and philosophical traditions can collaboratively address pressing social, economic, and environmental injustices. It seeks to explore the widening gap between the Global North and South, the rise of extreme right-wing ideologies and religious fundamentalisms, through the intersections of gender, race, class, language, and hermeneutics in shaping religious responses to injustice. While the dossier engages with contemporary challenges, it also invites critical reflections on historical events and their relevance to present-day struggles.

In an interconnected yet divided world, religious traditions provide unique frameworks for envisioning and enacting justice, equity, and compassion. Buddhism, with its emphasis on interdependence, non-violence, and ethical living—exemplified in movements such as Humanistic Buddhism and Engaged Buddhism—offers significant contributions to global and local conversations on social justice.

Likewise, other traditions, such as Christianity’s Liberation Theologies, Hinduism’s vasudhaiva kuṭumbakam (the world is one family), Islam’s emphasis on social welfare (zakat), Judaism’s principle of tzedek, as well as the Bantu Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu (a person is a person through other persons), and Indigenous cosmologies of relationality, bring rich histories, teachings, and practices to the table. This dossier seeks to investigate how these traditions can engage in meaningful dialogue, learn from one another, and work together toward transformative action through interdisciplinary and intersectional approaches.

The dossier will accept original contributions in Portuguese, Spanish and English languages. 

Articles may be submitted until October 15.