DICID participates at UN Alliance of Civilizations Forum in Brazil

03 Jun DICID participates at UN Alliance of Civilizations Forum in Brazil

In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, between 27-29 May, a network of over 3,000 political and corporate leaders and civil society activists gathered for the third UN Alliance of Civilizations Forum and agreed on joint actions to improve relations across cultures.
Professor Ibrahim Saleh al-Naimi, chairman of the Doha International Center for Inter-faith Dialogue, attended a three-day Forum.
Brazilian President Lula opened the session. The main aim is to support projects building bridges between cultures and communities, to improve understanding and cooperation among nations peoples and religions, helping to combat polarization and extremism.
Delegates from all over the world analyzed the problems of bridging the gap between different cultures, and reinforcing human rights. Issues discussed included the roles of media and new media, democracy and good governance and empowering women through education.
The President of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez De Kirchner was also at the Forum. She believes that respect for human rights is key: “Human rights are a fundamental policy for us; I mean that the physical and psychological integrity of people is sacred in all religions, in the Koran, the Talmud, and the Bible. It is a set of common, universal values which cross all religions: respect for the person. If we take that as a base, we should have fewer problems with living together.”
Young people from all over the world presented projects to build associations, schools for children, websites, and media platforms, sometimes running serious risks.