Congress of World and Traditional Religions promotes tolerance, understanding
The Congress initiative has been a major contribution by Kazakhstan and world religious leaders to the global process of intercultural and interreligious dialogue. The first, second and third Congresses in 2003, 2006, and 2009 brought together authoritative religious leaders of the Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist and other faiths, as well as prestigious international political figures, the Astana Times reports.
In 2012, the Congress will welcome spiritual leaders, prominent politicians, heads of state, other public figures and representatives of various international organisations. Invited guests include King Abdullah II of Jordan, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Cyril, Muslim World League Secretary-General Abdullah bin Abdul Mohsin al-Turki, UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova and Lutheran World Federation Secretary-General Martin Junge.
On April 6, Kazakhstan Senate Chairman and Congress Secretariat chief Kairat Mami held a regular meeting of the State Commission to organise preparations for the Congress. He said a new Council of Religious Leaders would be established on the initiative of Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev in line with a decision taken by the previous Congress. As the governing body of the Congress, the Council will convene for the first time before the primary plenary session of the Fourth Congress.
"The success of the Congress of Religious Leaders in Astana confirms the high prestige of Kazakhstan on the international arena," Mami said.
Kazakhstan's initiative, which is supported by the United Nations, has gained wide recognition from other major international forums including the Alliance of Civilizations, the Community of St. Egidio, Asia House and the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, all of which are participating in it.
The two-day religious forum will be divided into four sessions: Role of religious leaders in achieving sustainable development, Religion and multiculturalism, Women and religion, spiritual values and contemporary challenges, and Religion and youth.
The first session will discuss the role of religious leaders in history, the mission of religious leaders in achieving sustainable development of humankind and building inter-religious dialogue and reconciliation, cooperation between religious leaders and political figures, the activity of religious leaders in contemporary challenges of a globalizing world and the responsibility of religious leaders for peace and harmony in the world.
The second session will deal with self-identification and development of peoples, cultures and religions; ethnic and cultural diversity and national unity, the ideology of multiculturalism; the phenomenon of multiculturalism as an aspect of tolerance and development policy and maintaining cultural differences.
The third theme was recommended by the participants of the Third Congress and will cover the role of women in the family and society, the rights of women in the context of universal spiritual values, women's responsibility for the future of the nation and the planet and the role of women and women's organizations in intercultural and interreligious dialogue.
The fourth session will discuss the values and needs of youth, the rights of young people in the context of universal spiritual values, the attitude and participation of young people in new religious movements and the role of religion in developing the spiritual culture of young people.
Leaders of world and traditional religions for the first time met in Astana on September 24, 2003 where they strongly condemned terrorism and prophecies of any clash of civilizations. They pledged to continue dialogue in the name of peace, harmony, and prosperity. The Congress drew widespread support from political leaders of both Western and Asian nations who agreed that Muslim majority Kazakhstan was an example of interethnic and interfaith harmony.
Addressing the Second Religious Congress in 2006, President Nazarbayev, the Chairman and host of the event, said, "After the great loss of life in the first six years of the new century, the world is gradually beginning to understand one simple fact. The world's cultural and religious diversity is a reality that one needs to understand and accept as given. Any other approach by politicians and the world may simply explode".
The Fourth Congress is expected to be another bold reminder to the world that people of different faiths and ethnic backgrounds really can and should live together in peace.
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