Dialogue Initiatives

• UN Alliance of Civilizations (AoC)

The AoC is based in New York and has been established in 2005 on initiative of Spain and Turkey with the objective of cultural rapprochement between nations, especially the Western and Islamic world, as well as with a focus on the Christian-Islamic dialogue. This initiative has been founded in reaction to the increase in national and global terrorism and escalating tensions and cultural polarization. The AoC’s foundation was thus also imbued with considerations regarding security policies. The initiative is integrated in the United Nations. It is represented by the Secretary General and his Secretariat. With the 2006 report by the High-Level Group (HLG), the AoC defined its objectives and goals more specifically and subsequently stepped into action. The AoC understands itself as bridging the gap between nations and by that seeks to alleviate tensions and conflict potential (Haynes 2013: 181). It understands itself as riposte to Huntington’s „Clash of the Civilizations-“thesis. The AoC is active in the domains of education, youth, migration and media and sees religion as a cornerstone for the rapprochement of diverse nations and cultures (Delgado 2012: 225). To this end, national and regional action plans are drafted, but also special projects and initiatives on the grassroots level are being supported. The objective of these plans and projects is the implementation of international norms including the norm of freedom of religion. In its sphere of action, the AoC demands and promotes religious, public and civil society actors to engage in interreligious cooperation, to develop concepts for interreligious understanding, acceptance and tolerance (ibid.). The AoC especially promotes projects which encourage the practical cooperation, the sociopolitical exchange and the mutual encounter of religious and political spheres (Uthup 2010: 414). Moreover, at periodic conferences and meetings it brings together political and religious leaders as well as civil society actors, and thereby promotes mutual exchange. The AoC collaborates with states, international organizations, NGOs, religious organizations and the corporate sector. By now this transnational network (Group of Friends) consists 108 states and 23 other actors; among them the EU, the Arab League, UNESCO, ISESCO etc.

You will find further information regarding the "UN Alliance of Civilizations" (AoC) here.

Bibliography

Delgado, Mariano 2012: Die Allianz der Kulturen als Friedensvision der Vereinten Nationen,
in: Delgado, Holderegger, Vergauwen: Friedensfähigkeit und Friedensvisionen, in: Religionen und Kulturen, S. 219-234.

Haynes, Jeffrey 2013: An Introduction to International Relations and Religion, 2nd Edition, Harlow.

Uthup, Thomas 2010: Bringing Communities Closer. The Role of the Alliance of Civilizations,
in: CrossCurrents 60 (3), S. 402-418.

• A Common Word (ACW)

Pope Benedict XVI’s Regensburg speech in September 2007 served as a vital catalyst for the founding of the ACW. This speech was widely received for the Pope to have insinuated that Islam harbors an innate prone- and readiness to violence. One form of protest this speech received, was an open letter initiated by the Jordan royal family addressed to the pope and other leaders of Christianity. It was signed by 138 renowned Muslim scholars. This letter titled: „A Common Word Between Us and You“ calls upon a Christian-Islamic dialogue. By requesting to only dispute in the best manner possible, namely through dialogue, the letter has had a deescalating effect on the issue (Scheffler 2012: 332). The dialogue shall particularly be based on the fundamental similarities of the religions: faith in God and altruism (ebd. 333). Since then the ACW has evolved to be one of the most important Christian-Islamic dialogue initiatives (Lumbard 2012: 40). In the context of the ACW, periodic meetings between the high religious representatives take place, in which similarities and differences between the religions shall be noted and mutually acknowledged (Badri/Breitmeier 2014: 74f.). The Christian-Muslim dialogue forums which take place in an interval of two to three years can be understood as particularly essential meetings and dialogue platforms. Especially the first forum in Rome in 2008 showed rudiments of rapprochement about the norm of religious freedom and thematized further the protection of religious minorities as well as the concession of the free practice of religion in public or private (cf. First Seminar of the Catholic-Muslim Forum- Final Declaration). Furthermore, political and religious leaders have been called up on adherence to religious freedom in this instance. This intra-religious development, for example the Amman Message by the Jordan royal family, as a politically induced process of intra-Islamic consensus-building, counts as conductive condition for interreligious dialogue. The initiative for a code of conduct to the practice of the Christian mission counts as an intra-Christian counterpart, consisting of the World Council of Church (WCC) of the PCID and the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA). Beside these for a, further meetings between high-ranking representatives as part of the ACW initiative take place as for instance a meeting with the former archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams in 2008 or the meeting with the WCC in 2010. Furthermore the ACW is highly active in the academic field and in this framework events take place in which academics and religious representatives exchange ideas. In addition to the activity in the theological and academic field, the ACW is also involved in civil society and the global intergovernmental level. Therefore the UN Interfaith Harmony Week is attributable to a resolution of King Abdullah II. and Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad from Jordan (co-initiators of the open letter).

You will find further information regarding "A Common Word" here.

Bibliography

Badri, Farhood/Breitmeier, Helmut 2014: Der transnationale interreligiöse Dialog und die Einhaltung der globalen Norm der Religionsfreiheit, in: Werkner, Ines-Jaqueline/Oliver Hidalgo (Hrsg.): Religionen – Global Player in der Internationalen Politik?, Wiesbaden, S. 57-89.

Lumbard, Joseph 2012: The Uncommonality of ‘A Common Word’, in: The Royal Aal Al-Bayt
Institute for Islamic Thought (RABIIT) (Hrsg.): A Common Word. Between Us and You. 5-Year Anniversary Edition, Amman, 11–50.

Scheffler, Thomas 2012: Interreligiöser Dialog und Friedensarbeit im Nahen Osten, in: Delgado, Mariano/Holderegger, Adrian/Vergauwen, Guido (Hrsg.), Friedensfähigkeit und Friedensdivisionen in Religionen und Kulturen, Stuttgart, 319-344.

• Religions for Peace (RfP)

RfP (formerly World Conference on Religions for Peace (WCRP)) is the largest multi-religious organization worldwide (Haynes 2012:186). It arose from the „International Association for Religious Freedom“ and has been active since the first „World Conference of Religions for Peace“ in 1970. The RfP is based in New York. The world conferences take place in a five-to-six-year interval. The RfP is represented by the 60 high religious representatives of the World Council. The World Council elects an Executive Committee as a permanent contact office as well as the Secretary General. Furthermore, the RfP subdivides in six Regional- and 90 National Councils. In the National Councils local branches can be established. Moreover there is the Global Woman of Faith Network and the Global Religious Youth Network founded by the RfP. The RfP is an organization accredited by the UN, UNICEF and UNESCO and works actively in the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations (Wettach-Zeitz 2008: 126). As part of the UN, the RfP was essential in the drafting of 1981-resolution and supported among others with the IARF that the resolution expands to a convention (Jack 1993: 267-276). Moreover, the RfP works with other NGOs and dialogue initiatives e.g. the Alliance of Civilizations (Uthup 2010: 409f.). The goals of RfP are versatile i. a. the cessation of violent conflicts, combating poverty and the creation of a durable peace. Main field of action is the national level. To achieve these goals, the RfP is particularly active in (post-) conflict zones. The RfP sees religious freedom as an important partial aspect for the achievement of its goals. This is sought to be reached through religious dialogue and a consolidation of religious freedom (RfP 2013a). RfP recognizes every religion and its idiosyncratic characteristics. Through the tightly societally-entrenched (organizational-) structures by local religious communities, these are able to take a special role in the achieving of the goals (Gebhardt 2014: 200). Particularly since 1995, local religious communities are being embedded into its efforts by the RfP, for example by (the attempt to) found interreligious councils (IRC) in conflict regions. In these multi-religious dialog units, it is attempted initiate a peace process incorporating local religious elites also by fostering understanding on religious freedom, its attainment and consolidation.

You will find further information on "Religions for Peace" (RfP) here.

Bibliography

Gebhardt, Günther 2014: Interreligiöse Zusammenarbeit in Konfliktsituationen: Die Tätigkeit von „Religionen für den Frieden“ (RfP), in: Werkner, Ines-Jaqueline/Oliver Hidalgo (Hrsg.): Religionen – Global Player in der Internationalen Politik?, Wiesbaden, 195-214.

Haynes, Jeffrey 2013: An Introduction to International Relations and Religion, 2nd Edition, Harlow.

Jack, Homer A. 1993: WCRP. A History of the World Conference on Religion and Peace.
New York.

RfP 2013: Syria Relgious Leaders Commit to Establish the Inter-religious Council of Syria,
online verfügbar unter: http://act.religionsforpeace.org/site/MessageVie-wer?dlv_id=9461&em_id=7241.0 (Stand: 28.05.14).

Uthup, Thomas 2010: Bringing Communities Closer. The Role of the Alliance of Civilizations,
in: CrossCurrents 60 (3), S. 402-418.

Wettach-Zeitz, Tania 2008: Ethnopolitische Konflikte und interreligiöser Dialog. Die Effektivität interreligiöser Konfliktmediationsprojekte analysiert am Beispiel der World Conference on Religion and Peace Initiative in Bosnien-Herzegowina. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer.

• International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF)

The IARF was founded in 1900 in Boston and is the world’s oldest interreligious dialogue initiative. It’s based in Oxford. Another international office is located in Osaka. The IARF is divided into four regional sections: East Asia, South Asia, North America, and Middle Europe/Middle East. In these four regional sections there are 73 additional member organizations from 26 countries. The international office in Osaka is responsible for the conduct of international actions. For regional and local actions, the respective sections and organizations on site are accountable. The IARF is an UN-accredited NGO, which with Consultative Status is intergovernmentally greatly integrated and influential in UNESCO and UNICEF as well as with General Consultative Status in ECOSOC. It greatly influenced the establishment and conduct of the NGO Committee (on Subcommittee) on Freedom of Religion or Belief in New York and Geneva. Furthermore it possesses a permanent representative at the Human Right Council. The IARF had a crucial impact on the drafting of 1981-decleration and fought together with the International Religious Liberty Association and the World Conference on Religion and Peace for the establishment of a UN-convention against religious intolerance (Jack 1993: 267-276). In addition to this intergouvernmental embedding, there are partnerships and collaborations with Religions for Peace and the A Common Word initiative. IARF pursues the objectives I) of supporting communities, which are denied their religious freedom, II) of negotiating with politicians in order to curtail religious persecution, III) of developing codes of conduct with religious groups, and IV) of compiling preventive strategies and a Young Adult program (International Council Strategic Plan 2001-2007). Moreover, the IARF is also active in conflict regions, however only marginally, ase it doesn't see itself as a Peace-Building Organization (Bouta et al. 2005: 70). It pursues a bottom-up approach and focuses on prevention of violations of religious freedom. In this context, local organizations play an important role in the work of IARF.

You will find further information on "International Association for Religious Freedom" (IARF) here.

Bibliography

Bouta, Tsjead et al. 2005: Faith-Based Peacebuilding. Mapping and Analysis of Christian, Muslim and Multi-Faith Actors.

International Council Strategic Plan 2001-2007: online verfügbar unter:
https://iarf.net/about/our-priorities/ (Stand: 28.05.14).

Jack, Homer A. 1993: WCRP. A History of the World Conference on Religion and Peace.
New York.