Living Together Peacefully in a Diverse World

By an IPS Correspondent Reprint | | Print |

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN, May 31 2013 (IPS) - Although the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and many other international law instruments clearly prohibit discrimination on grounds of religion, race, gender and many other differences, “sadly we live predominantly in a world of intolerance, xenophobia, marginalization, tensions and conflict,” Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, the UN High Representative for the Alliance of  Civilizations (UNAOC) said, at the  opening ceremony of the the 2^nd World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, in Baku, Azerbaijan,  last week.

In a growing number of countries, he said, culture is perceived as source of division, instead of a path to dialogue and human solidarity. In some regions, minorities are victims of atrocities including mass killings, only because they belong to different cultures. Holy books are burned and religious symbols are defamed.

Following the successful hosting of the fourth Global Forum of the Alliance of Civilizations in Doha in December 2011, the Doha Declaration established a strategic approach linking its objectives to those of the Millennium Development Goals, while at the same time, harnessing both tracks so as to serve issues relevant to peace and security as well as justice and development

Last month ^t, in celebration of World Day for Diversity and Development,  the High Representative  was in the Bronx in New York, to engage with local communities and to learn from them how arts and culture, interfaith dialogue and sports are contributing to Living together Peacefully in a diverse world.

Speaking at the Baku Forum, Al-Nasser  said he wanted to praise  the leadership and the vision of President Ilham Aliyev for having decided to hold this Forum every other year and to focus it on intercultural dialogue and the role of culture in bringing people together.

Peace, stability and prosperity around the world require indeed harmony and respect among peoples and cultures.  “I would like to congratulate the People and Government of Azerbaijan for hosting this Forum in this spectacular  Haydar Aliyev Centre, designed  by the world famous architect Zaha Hadid.

“ I want to seize this opportunity and in the presence of Ministers of Culture and tourism from around the world to stress the role of  arts, music, entertainment and sports as well as other forms of collective expressions of human values to foster the culture of peace. I have announced in my inaugural address in Vienna this past February that these would become part of the new pillars of the work of the Alliance of Civilizations. I’m very pleased to say it again here, in this beautiful city of Baku where culture, arts and history constitute the core of the identity of this country.”

Singling out the real challenges which threaten  efforts at shared goals of peace and security, sustainable development and human rights, he said the principles are clear.

“How to promote and apply the principles is the responsibility of leadership in our societies. That was the clear message of the recent Alliance of Civilizations Global Forum held in Vienna last February.  We owe it to our people, to the peoples of the world to fulfill their expectations.

“Without responsible leadership to manage wisely these challenges our ability to coexist in our small planet is at risk. We see all around the world amazing grassroots initiatives that bring people together beyond cultural divide. “

Developed in partnership with the BMW Group and the UN Alliance of Civilizations, the Intercultural Innovation Award is supporting the most innovative projects, helping them to scale up and replicate.

“We do the same with Youth projects through our Youth Solidarity Fund.  We have indeed the conviction that media, civil society and the corporate sector are essential components, crucial actors  if we want to be able to reach this goal of “Living together peacefully in a diverse world”. They do innovate, they are close to the people , they understand the dynamics of the modern and complex world where we live.

The rise of global issues – being climate change, poverty eradication, fight against terrorism, bio diversity … is  also forging a sense of global destiny and global citizenship, and hopefully a global mindset and respect of our difference.  The topics tackled in the program of the Forum are all of key importance to provide the means and the willingness  to Live Together Peacefully in a Diverse World.

“My hope and my wish is that the discussions and the recommendations that will come out from these   two days will reach people way beyond us gathered here in Baku. “

“Finally I want to emphasize the crucial correlation between cultural understanding and development. My country Qatar has made it a priority at the occasion of the UNAOC Forum held in Doha in December 2010.  I have identified sustainable development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals as one my six priorities for the Alliance of Civilizations during the next five years of my mandate.”

“It is true that the whole world will not automatically change after the conclusion of this forum, but I am convinced that through our joint efforts we can do our part to promote the noble goals of the Baku Forum, foster international peace and security and strengthen relations between nations and cultures.

In concluding, Let me refer to the wisdom of Mahatma Gandhi, who said that “No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive”.