WIE sent its staff to Barcelona, Spain to attend the 2004 Parliament of the World's Religions. First held in 1893, this periodic gathering brings together thousands of religious leaders, teachers, activists, and scholars from every corner of the globe in a veritable explosion of dialogues, seminars, panel discussions, and presentations. WIE went to get the inside scoop on just what the future of the world's religions might be.

Jane Goodall, at 70, is ever the soft-spoken, independent woman who set off to do field research with chimps in Africa and never came back, allowing her work to consume her life forever. Dr. Goodall's accomplishments are renowned, not merely for the influential body of scientific work she produced, but in having single-handedly caused an entire species—homo sapiens—to reconsider and actually redefine its relationship with the animal world.

At the Parliament of World's Religions, WIE managing editor Craig Hamilton spoke with Dr. Goodall about the maze of challenges facing us today, not only as human beings in the 21st century, but as the caretakers of a complex, living entity called Earth.

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