High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations
Beyond War and Toward Reconciliation
Second Multi-Religious Peace Roundtable
18-22 February 2024, Tokyo – Japan
Excellencies,
Eminencies,
Distinguished participants,
Warm greetings from New York.
The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations is pleased to be co-hosting the second Roundtable “Beyond War and Toward Reconciliation: Multi-Religious Peace” with Religions for Peace.
I followed with much interest the outcomes of your first Roundtable in September 2022.
I truly believe that this initiative launched by Religions for Peace is a valuable platform for advancing dialogue across the faith spectrum.
I would be stating the obvious when I say that the current geopolitical scene is bleak and chaotic.
Wars and conflicts continue to rage in different corners of the world.
Polarization has reached dangerous heights.
Hate speech, xenophobia and religious intolerance is on the rise.
Vulnerable communities are being demonized and dehumanized , especially on account of their religion, belief, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation.
This fuels hatred, triggers fear and drives a wedge among communities.
Dialogue is absent.
Peace seems elusive.
People are desperate and fear for their lives and the lives of their families.
This is where your dialogue today comes into play.
Religious leaders and faith actors have always been in the forefront serving their communities to the communities in times of war and peace.
The Roundtable would look beyond the cycles of violence and the finger-pointing. Instead, the focus would be to assess, together would focus on exchanging good practices and practical narratives of building social cohesion, mutual respect as well as protect human rights and human dignity in different conflict settings.
I wish you all fruitful discussions.
Thank you.