Beirut Symposium Recommendations

19 Apr Beirut Symposium Recommendations

The Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue in collaboration with the Syriac League of Lebanon recently organized a roundtable titled “Religious and Ethnic Diversity in the Arab world, Richness or Disintegration Factor?” which was held April 8-9, 2009 in Beirut, Lebanon.

The main session titles were;
– Is there really a religious or sectarian conflict?
– Eastern Christendom, its future role and the Western influence
– Nationalities in the ME region
– The ways of the proposed solutions to diversity?

The intensive sessions at the symposium resulted the following recommendations being made:

1 – The need for joint interreligious initiatives to ensure that the Arab region becomes an oasis of diversity, free from clashes and hatred.

2 – Recruitment, adoption and promotion of religious teachings and values that are common to the culture of tolerance and difference.

3 – Revision and improvement of current curricula and educational programs to ensure the support of diversity, in line with the methodology of dialogue and respecting other opinions.

4 – Stimulation of national and global media and the setting up of initiatives that promote the practical coexistence amongst nations and communities.

5 – Devoted studies for setting up the principles of full citizenship.
6 – Call upon the Arab world to consider the benefits of diversity of religious and ethnic richness and not see it as a factor leading towards disintegration.

7 – Focusing on the coherence and resilience of nations and territorial integrity.

8 – Conscious and peaceful deterring and removal of internal and external factors and preventing all violations of internal affairs of countries in the Arab world.

9 – Reliance on development and democracy, eradication of poverty, marginalization.

10 – Striving to stem violence and the rejection of the other using educational programs and the media.

11 – Prevent the exploitation of any religion as a means of creating disorder.

12 – Setting up a joint agreement based on the principles of tolerance and coexistence in peace and security.