The Week of Prayer for World Peace was started as a Christian initiative in 1974. It soon became an interfaith activity, and now welcomes everyone, of all faith traditions or none. Our first Chair, the late Dr Edward Carpenter, former Dean of Westminster Abbey, established the guiding principle of the Week in the words “The peace of the world must be prayed for by the faiths of the world”, and this continues to be the basis of our work today.

In 1974, those proposing the WPWP said “Patience will need to be an essential feature of this united act of prayer so that we may all not only learn from the past errors but also be open to fresh insights which the unprecedented modern situation demands”. Sadly, these words are still pertinent today, in the third decade of the 21st century.

We are convinced that there is only one humanity praying to one supreme Creator, with whatever different opinions we may have on what that may be. We recognise that interfaith partnership does not in itself imply agreement. WPWP invites all people to join in praying for peace on our shared earth under one sky.

The things we agree on are many and precious. What we disagree on is precious too. We stand alongside all who pray for peace with us as partners and friends.