Remarks by the High Representative
1st International Conference on Preventive Diplomacy in the Mediterranean
“Conflict Prevention and the UN Agenda”
Alicante, Spain | 30-31 May 2016
Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue in the Mediterranean
Excellencies,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am pleased to be addressing this important panel discussion on Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue in the Mediterranean. I would like to thank H.E. Mr. Jose Manuel Garcia Margallo y Marfil, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain for convening this timely meeting . I take this opportunity as well to thank the Government of Spain, a co-sponsor of UNAOC for its political and financial support of the Alliance.
In 2010, at the World Summit of Religious Leaders, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said, “We live in a changing and interconnected world, where local events can have an impact globally and international events can also have a local impact. Globalization continues to transform our societies, bringing gains for many but leaving too many others untouched and discontent. These 21st-century facts compel us to strengthen cooperation – to expand the space for dialogue.”
Today’s topic demands that we consider how best to create this expanded space that the Secretary-General describes.
It must begin by understanding the term. Dialogue is conversation. It allows people to talk. They can talk about those matters that unite them as well as those that divide them. They can talk about those values they share as well as those they do not.
In the context of interreligious and intercultural dialogue, this ability to talk represents a most powerful tool. It is the singular tool that leads from conversation to understanding. And a lack of understanding may be the most crucial gap among parties in conflict. So, you see, dialogue may not be the antidote to conflict, but it most certainly represents the path, the vehicle, that leads us in that direction.
As Pope Francis has written:
“Interreligious dialogue is a necessary condition for peace in the world, and so it is a duty for Christians as well as other religious communities. This dialogue is in first place a conversation about human existence or simply, as the bishops of India have put it, a matter of ‘being open to them, sharing their joys and sorrows’. In this way we learn to accept others and their different ways of living, thinking and speaking.”
Just last month, I convened the 7th UNAOC Global Forum in Baku. The overarching theme was “Living Together in Inclusive Societies: A Challenge and A Goal. One of the break out sessions at the Forum was entitled Religious Leaders and Violent Extremism: The Challenge of Prevention. During that session, it was recognized that peace is a fundamental value of all religions and that a clear distinction must be made between religion and extremist fundamentalism. Panelists stressed the importance of sharing these messages widely, as well as accurate information on different religions, encouraging the world to learn more about different religions. Religious leaders should also work against the spread of erroneous interpretations of other religions, which are used to provoke dispute and manipulate populations. This, they claimed, was especially true of Islam, often misconstrued as a religion of hate, when in reality it calls for peace, equality, and the use of dialogue and debate to resolve differences. It was also recalled that the Muslim community has rejected violent extremist groups and that Muslims are among the first victims of violent extremism.
Respect for Diversity: this is indeed an integral value that we should all embrace.
An essential starting point for promoting the concept of intercultural and interreligious dialogue is the recognition of the rights of others. Kofi Annan spoke of the overlapping identities that people of different religions and cultures enjoy. As he said, “We can love what we are, without hating what – and who – we are not. We can thrive in our own tradition, even as we learn from others, and come to respect their teachings.” It is that element of shared respect that makes interreligious and intercultural dialogue.
Pope Francis considers that dialogue must take place “with respect for the convictions of others, even those who do not believe, but we must have the courage and the patience to encounter and come towards each other as we are. The future is in respectful co-existence in diversity, not in the uniformity of a single theoretically neutral thought. “
One lesson I have taken from my work at the UN Alliance of Civilizations is that religious traditions share many of their values. Rituals differ, philosophies about the path to God differ, but the fundamental relationships between people – the way one person should treat his neighbor – they remain constant. At the 6th UNAOC Global Forum in Bali, the theme of the event was “Unity in Diversity”. I believe that unity is best expressed through the values we all share. These are the same, shared humanistic values that underpin the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In Baku, at our most recent Global Forum, the religious leaders taking part in our session on this issue also addressed the issue of diversity and tolerance. They concluded that all forms of intolerance must be combatted, not only violent extremism. In doing so, religions and societies must examine their theology, their religious habits, the education of priests, imams and children, and replace any form of intolerance with tolerance and openness.
Allow me to ask this question: What is the Role of Religious Leaders?
As we consider the use of the tools that are interreligious and intercultural dialogue, we must also address the role that religious leaders must play in the use of this valuable tool. Religious leaders play broadly important roles in many communities.
They do more than lead religious services. They are teachers and counselors; they are the trusted advisors that many fathers and mothers turn to when they need to speak to someone about their children. They are frequently the conscience of their communities.
In his 2010 speech to the World Summit of Religious Leaders the Secretary-General made clear that he believes religious leaders “have an essential role to play in ensuring that the values of equality, tolerance and mutual respect, which lie at the core of all the world’s greatest religions, are defended, promoted and used to truly enrich our societies.”
In April 2015, I convened, in conjunction with the Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly, a High-level Thematic Debate at the General Assembly. At that event we met with religious leaders from all faiths. I was struck by their unwavering support for the United Nations’ goals of peace and sustainable development. Regardless of faith, all of the religious leaders agreed that dialogues among people of different religions and cultures are the key to lasting peace. All reaffirmed the right to freedom of religion and all reaffirmed their commitment to the principles of the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Again, this sentiment was echoed at our Baku Global Forum last month, as panelists discussed the important role of religious leaders in fostering inclusivity, thus diminishing marginalization and opposition that feed violent sentiment. They recommended that religious leaders should encourage freedom of religion and belief, and that they should promote all religions as equal.
The UN Secretary General Plan of Action for Preventing Violent Extremism launched last January, identified religious leaders as one of the key players in the prevention of violent extremism given their outreach to the local communities. UNAOC which contributed to the POA and will continue to strengthen its engagement with religious leaders.
Let me conclude by saying that today, the Mediterranean, from the Straits of Gibraltar to its Eastern shores, is a region where the tool I have described today, interreligious and intercultural dialogue, is sorely needed. They are the champions for peace .
At the Alliance of Civilizations, we are doing what we can to support the role of religious leaders in advancing this most important aim.
I thank you for your attention.