We, the undersigned, are astounded and deeply disappointed by the banning of Ajahn Brahm's paper on gender equality at the 2014 United Nations Day of Vesak (UNDV) conference in Vietnam.

The paper was clearly aligned with the UN’s Millennium Development Goal 3 (Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women), which the UNDV is committed to uphold through its connection with the UN. Moreover, Ajahn Brahm's paper had already been approved for presentation when it was suddenly banned 36 hours before its scheduled presentation.

We value free and open dialogue. We therefore ask that the UNDV, in accordance with Millennium Development Goal 3, promotes dialogue about the participation of women in contemporary Theravada Buddhism by inviting Ajahn Brahm to publicly present his gender equality paper at the next UNDV conference in 2015.

Ajahn Brahm's paper can be read here: http://tinyurl.com/n22lcnv

(To view signers, go to www.petition2014.org. This petition will remain open until 1 Oct 2014. The petition can be read in Chinese (petition2014.org/2001325991.html), Thai and Vietnamese (http://petition2014.org/3616363436253634365236073618-vi7879t.html), and Sinhala (petition2014.org/35233538345835243517.html).