Rome mulls global challenges ahead of Baku Forum
By Nigar Orujova
Rome hosts a high-level preparatory meeting for Fourth Global Baku Forum, co-organized by the Italian Society for International Organization and Nizami Ganjavi International Center, on January 27-29.
The event brought together participants from over the world under the motto “Addressing radicalization and extremism with interfaith dialogue for peace”.
The event is focused on topical issues of the modern era, the role of interfaith dialogue in the prevention of radicalization, the women’s role in the establishment of interfaith dialogue and the factor of religion in the comprehension of common values of different nations and cultures.
The meeting was attended by Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev, President of the Italian Senate Pietro Grasso, former Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, former Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, former Romanian President Emil Constantinescu, former Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski, former Croatian President Ivo Josipovic and former Serbian President Boris Tadic.
Addressing the event, George Ivanov, President of Macedonia, pointed out that if “we want to have peace in the world we must build coexistence, mutually respect and accept own differences, and through the honest dialogue acquaint of and respect the diversities.”
Ivanov added that integration with assimilation, poverty and lack of deeper meaning and belonging to the West, are the three main reasons for modern radicalism and extremism, and what complicates interfaith dialogue is the abuse of religion by state actors who use their power for their positions to be accepted.
He went on to say that “contrary to our commitment to unity in diversity there are other who want unity through uniformity. Intolerance, xenophobia and exclusion in the world are drastically increased.” Hence, the need for dialogue is drastically higher, he stressed.
Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev in his speech emphasized that Europe is a space of sympathy towards those looking for protection, but also of shared rights.
In his statement, the Bulgarian leader put an accent on the ways of tackling the challenges connected with extremism and radicalization and the need to stay true to the values.
Plevneliev remarked that every religion preached and prayed for peace. “Terrorism is not a war of religions, it is not a war between civilizations, it is a war between human civilization and barbarity.”
Co-Chairs of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, Ismael Serageldin and Vaira Vike Freiberga also addressed the event.
Serageldin said the morality is more important in the world where all the resources and wealth is the criterion of success.
In her part, Vike-Freiberga emphasized that each religion has its special role in the search of the absolutism of mankind.
Dialogue, education, tolerance and respect for human rights are key weapons in the fight against terrorism and extremism. The role of religious leaders to defeat extremism is huget, she said.
Nizami Ganjavi International Center was created with the multiple aims of preserving the reach cultural heritage of the past as well as encouraging and fostering current scholarship, research, cultural activity and social outreach, with aim to be a center of excellence for the production of knowledge and to be a place of dialogue and understanding between cultures and people.
The 4th Global Baku Forum will bring together a number of heads of state and government, and well-known political figures on March 10-11.
About 300 representatives, including a number of influential political and public figures are expected to attend the forum, which will address ethnic, religious and political conflicts in the world, development of democracy, education, environment and energy security.
Albania, Latvia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Montenegro, Croatia and Georgia have already confirmed their participation at the fourth Global Baku Forum.
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Nigar Orujova is AzerNews’ staff journalist. Follow her on Twitter: @o_nigar
Follow us on Twitter: @AzerNewsAz