Philippines kicks off forum to spur interfaith dialogue and coexistence
April 3rd, 2006 by sfuqua
Following on last year’s ground-breaking conference on Interfaith Cooperation for Peace at the UN, which brought together members of governments, the UN, and NGOs, the Phillippine Mission announced last week the creation of the Tripartite Forum on Interfaith Cooperation for Peace. The launch event was attended by representatives from more than 60 nations, UN departments, and civil society groups, including the five officers of the Committee of Religious NGOs (Soak Gakkai International, Temple of Understanding, Religions for Peace, Baha’is of the USA, United Religions Initiative).
UNITED NATIONS, March 24, 2006 (AFP) - Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto
Romulo on Friday launched a partnership of governments, UN agencies and
civil society to back UN programs promoting interfaith dialogue and
peaceful coexistence.
Speaking at a luncheon attended by the president of the UN General
Assembly, Jan Eliasson of Sweden, Romulo told the new tripartite Forum
aimed to vanquish intolerance by building on the increasing momentum behind
interfaith cooperation for peace.
"We must complement and mutually reinforce other initiatives, particularly
the Alliance of Civilizations," he told a luncheon also attended by several
ambassadors to the UN and officials of UN specialized agencies.
The Alliance of Civilizations is a 2005 initiative by UN chief Kofi Annan
and the prime ministers of Spain and Turkey aimed at bringing together
institutions and civil society to bridge prejudices and misunderstandings
between peoples of different cultures and religions.
"Many of us have seen and felt the tragic consequences when terror and
conflict are fueled by those who exploit differences in faiths and
beliefs," Romulo said.
"But increasingly, all of us are fighting back, armed with the profound
resolve to build peace, understanding and tolerance by fostering dialogue
and cooperation among faiths, cultures and civilizations," he added.
The apolitical forum is an outgrowth of a conference on Interfaith
Cooperation for Peace that was held here last June.
The June parley was attended by representatives of 16 countries –
Argentina, Bangladesh, Ecuador, Gambia, Germany, Indonesia, Iran,
Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Morocco, Pakistan, Philippines, Senegal, Spain,
Thailand and Tunisia.
It was also attended by the World Bank, UNESCO and religious
non-governmental organizations.
Romulo said the Forum would hold a ministerial session on the sidelines of
the General Assembly session here later this year.
