If the future lies within the four walls of a school, can conflict and its elimination be possible through education? Can hearts be changed by proactively sowing the seeds of love from the youngest ages so that when children grow up, they cannot think of conflict and war? Can the diverse views and peoples unite to work together for the common cause – betterment and progress of humankind?

Reverend Hans Kung, Professor of Ecumenical Theology and President of the Foundation for a Global Ethic, said in 2005, "There will be no peace among the nations without peace among the religions. There will be no peace among the religions without dialogue among the religions."

Located in the city which relies on co-existence of several faiths, City Montessori School has for the past 50 years created a climate of peaceful coexistence and also succeeded in diffusing tensions and violence whenever the misunderstandings have cropped up. The school with its multi-faith events organized on a daily basis such as the All Religions Prayer has striven to create appreciation and respect for all religions in the minds of children right from their formative years.

CMS efforts have demonstrated that a school can indeed bind the hearts together from diverse faiths, countries and nations and germinate the seeds of love in them.

The goals of this conference are both academic and practical. We seek to identify successful strategies, learn from mistakes, and find ways to replicate positive results of interfaith dialogue in other contexts. On the academic side, we intend to make a contribution by publishing the findings and the plan of future action from the conference in a volume. Our contribution is expected to integrate theoretical and practical approaches to interfaith dialogue in a single anthology.

India and Lucknow particularly, is the ideal setting for such a conference. India is consistently pointed to as an example of a vibrant multi-faith democracy, and Lucknow lives an interfaith existence daily. Participants from around the world will benefit greatly from the ability to carry on these kinds of discussions in such a supportive environment as well as learn first hand about India's own experiences with religious pluralism and tolerance.

Religion should unite all hearts and cause wars and disputes to vanish from the face of the earth; it should give birth to spirituality, and bring light and life to every soul. If religion becomes a cause of dislike, hatred and division, it would be better to be without it, and to withdraw from such a religion would be a truly religious act. For it is clear that the purpose of a remedy is to cure, but if the remedy only aggravates the complaint, it had better be left alone. Any religion which is not a cause of love and unity is no religion.

— Bahai writings

The problems of human life, individual and social, are so inconceivably complex that the ordinary human intellect is not capable enough to solve them. Thus, the Omniscient guides us about the purpose of our creation and how to achieve that. Through His prophets and messengers, God shows us the true goal and the right path of progress. Building up of a true civilization depends upon faithful adherence to the guidance of Prophetic Revelation.

Prophets have preached, poets have sung and saints from time immemorial have prayed for the oneness of mankind, for strengthening the bonds of affection and unity among all human beings. But diversities of religion have not ceased nor have bloodshed and discord been annulled. What is the hope for humanity to accomplish this miracle?

Religion, if understood and practiced in true spirit can be the greatest instrument for the order of the world and the tranquility of all existent beings.