“From the Interfaith, Inter-Civilizational Cooperation to Human Solidarity”

The International Conference

OVERVIEW

Conveners of the Conference:

• Baku International Centre for Interfaith and Inter-Civilizational Cooperation (BCIC);
• KAICIID International Dialogue Centre;
• The Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Austria;
• Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue.

Date:                                            June 19, 2019.

Place:                                           Vienna.

Venue:                                         Hofburg Palace, Vienna

 

Goals of the Conference:    

Improving of interfaith and inter-civilizational dialogue to cooperation, and human solidarity, promoting the preservation of religious tolerance traditions, propagation of cultural and moral values, as well as the statement of the common position of the participants on threats and challenges of the modern world.

Grounds of the Conference:        

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev declared 2016 as the Year of Multiculturalism, and 2017 as the Year of Islamic Solidarity in Azerbaijan. In this context, a number of international events dedicated to the improvement of the interfaith and inter-civilizational dialogue was held in Azerbaijan, as well as in the other States, including the jointly convened conferences in Finland, Sweden, Iran, Turkey, Spain, Russia and Uzbekistan.

     The idea of establishment of BCIC was proposed at the International Conference of the Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue, held in Baku on December 21, 2017 and unanimously accepted by the participants.

State, science, public and religious figures representing more than 40 countries of Europe, America, Africa, Central and South East Asia and the Middle East, as well as heads of seven international organizations have participated in the International Conference. Declaring the significance of interfaith and inter-Civilizational solidarity in the struggle against terrorism, extremism, religious radicalism, aggressive separatism, political abuse of religion, as well as xenophobia and Islamophobia in the modern world, the Conference advised to continue such events on a permanent regular basis.

For this purpose, BCIC was established in Baku, under the Caucasus Muslims Board (CMB), to operate on the permanent basis; the Board of Trustees and Advisory Council and Secretariat of the Centre were set up.

On November 5-6, 2018, in Madrid, Third International Conference on” Religions and their Contribution to Concord and Peace” was held by BCIC in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice of the Kingdom of Spain, the State Committee for Work with Religious Associations of the Republic of Azerbaijan and “Evsen” Foundation of Spain.

International Conference on “Improving the Interfaith and Inter-Civilizational Dialogue to Cooperation” was held by the BCIC in collaboration with the State Committee for Work with Religious Associations of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Federal Republic of Germany, the German-Azerbaijani Forum and the Academy of Cultural Diplomacy, Berlin, on November 19,2018, in Berlin.

It has been founded that holding of resembling conference in Austria, the leading European state, where different faiths are represented, will raise more attention of the world community to this significant issue and contribute to create grounds for the manifestation of common position of the representatives of different civilizations and religions on the challenges of the modern world, peace and security.

Taking into account the above mentioned, it was agreed on an international conference on theme "Improving the Interfaith and Inter-Civilizational Dialogue to Human Solidarity" to be held in Vienna on June 19, 2019.

Topics of the Conference:

- Improvement of Interfaith and Inter-Civilizational cooperation to human solidarity serves promotion of peace in the world;

- Terrorism, extremism, separatism and xenophobia as a threat to inter-religious cooperation;

- Role of inter-civilizational and interfaith cooperation in enlightenment of young generation, and in preservation of cultural and spiritual heritage;

- Necessity of rendering of mercy to refugees and forced migrants, exposed to racial and religious intolerance, aggression and ethnic cleansing;

- Destruction and outrage against ethno-cultural and religious monuments in the conflict zones;

- Role of state, science and religious leaders in the promotion of inter-civilizational and interfaith cooperation;

- Importance of collaboration of religious, state, science and public figures in the field of human rights and preservation of women and children's rights.

Working languages of the Conference:

Azerbaijani, German, English, Arabic, and Russian.