Seven of the world's major religions were represented yesterday at the first ever inter-faith service to be held at St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin.
They were gathered to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. Each representative - Hindu, Jewish, Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Baha'i - took part in the service.
A message was read out from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs Mary Robinson. She said that 50 years ago a group of men and women from different cultures, traditions and faiths offered us all a remarkable vision of how the world could be when they drafted the Universal Declaration.
They did so, she said, in the aftermath of the second World War, which had claimed 50 million lives, including six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust together with others whose lives were taken because of their political opinions, sexual orientation, cultural tradition or other supposed imperfections.
Too many people, she said, in too many places, were denied their most basic rights.
"We must work to make the vision of the Universal Declaration a reality for all, as it is a shared responsibility in our global village. And we must recognise that all states have human rights problems; and that no person or state can be complacent," Mrs Robinson said in her message which was read out by Ms June Lambert, vice-president of the World Federation of United Nations Associations.
The 50th anniversary year has particular significance and reason for celebration for Ireland, said Mrs Robinson, as it saw the adoption of the Good Friday peace agreement.
At the beginning of the service former soldiers who had served with the UN carried the UN flag as part of the opening procession. The Dean of St Patrick's, the Very Rev Maurice Stewart, said the signing of the declaration was one of the more significant events in history and now was a time to renew our loyalty to defend and uphold it. "How honoured we are by the presence together of so many of the religions of the world," he said.
The service was attended by a number of diplomatic representatives including the British ambassador, Dame Veronica Sutherland, and Mr Zvi Gabay, the Israeli ambassador.