CONVENTIONOVERVIEW

OnAugust30–September1,2019,theBuddhistChurchesofAmericaFederationofBuddhistWomen’sAssociations(BCAFBWA)willhostthe16thWorldBuddhistWomen’sConventionattheSanFranciscoMarriottGrandMarquisinSanFrancisco,California.

Approximately2,000womenandmenofmanygenerationsareanticipatedtogatherfromJapan,Canada,Brazil,Hawaii,andthroughouttheUSmainlandtoexploreandexperiencetheConventiontheme:“LivetheNembutsu.”

TheWorldFederationofJodoShinshuHongwanji-haBuddhistWomen’sAssociationheldthe1stWorldBuddhistWomen’sConventioninKyoto,Japanin1961,andsincethen,thevariousmembercountrieshavehadthehonorofhostingtheconvention,heldevery4yearsorso.

TheConventionisanopportunityforJodoShinshufollowerstogathertogetheronaninternationallevel;meetnewpeople,learntogether,shareexperiences,andspreadthecircleofDharmafollowerstodayandforgenerationstocome.Originally,theConventionwasheldforwomenonly;however,overtheyears,ithaswelcomedall,menandwomen,intheJodoShinshuSanghaorspiritualcommunity.

TheWorldFederationofJodoShinshuHongwanji-haBuddhistWomen’sAssociation

TheobjectiveoftheWorldFederationisbasedonthedoctrineofJodoShinshuasitsprinciple:• TopromotecloseliaisonamongallmembersoftheBuddhistwomen’sassociationsthroughouttheworld;• Toawakentheself-consciousnessofBuddhistwomen;• ToadvanceaworldwideBuddhistwomen’smovement;and• Toworktowardsthewelfareandpeaceamongallmankind.

Themembersare:• JodoShinshuHongwanji-haBuddhistWomen’sFederationofJapan;• HonpaHongwanjiMission,HawaiiFederationofBuddhistWomen’sAssociations;• BuddhistChurchesofAmericaFederationofBuddhistWomen’sAssociations;• SouthAmericaHonwanjiBuddhistWomen’sFederation;and• JodoShinshuBuddhistTemplesofCanadaWomen’sFederation