DICID Participates in World Council of Religious Leaders Conference

Dr. Ibrahim bin Saleh Al Nuaimi giving an inaugural speech

The Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue (DICID) took part in the Conference of the World Council of Religious Leaders on Faith and Diplomacy: Generations in Dialogue, which is organized by the Religions for Peace in Lindau, Germany, from Oct. 4 to Oct. 7.

HE Chairman of the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue Dr. Ibrahim bin Saleh Al Nuaimi gave an inaugural speech via video conferencing, emphasizing the importance of peace in religions, indicating that the stability of societies and of the world at large depends on the extent of efforts made at the level of individuals and institutions to end ignorance, enhance knowledge, and consolidate a culture of peace, tolerance and coexistence.

In his speech entitled "Building Peace through Interfaith Dialogue - Challenges and Opportunities", he pointed to the influential role of religion if its followers and leaders were able to meet to face the crises the world is going through, the most prominent of which was the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic that caused a sudden shift in the worlds priorities, noting that the instability of religious communities over the past years was caused by the increasing spread of hate speech, intolerance, racism, nationalism and extremism globally.

HE Dr. Al Nuaimi highlighted the contributions made by the State of Qatar, represented by the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue, in building peace, noting that despite all the crises and problems that surround the Arab region and the world at large, the Qatari efforts to spread a culture of peace - including the culture of dialogue - are proceeding at a high pace, and have recorded successive achievements. He noted Qatar's role in enhancing the efforts of the Alliance of Civilizations and Interfaith Dialogue, and gave an overview on the Center's achievements in this regard.

In conclusion, HE Chairman of the Doha International Center for Interfaith Dialogue Dr. Ibrahim bin Saleh Al Nuaimi stressed the need to reconsider the values and priorities, and rethink the roles and responsibilities as ambassadors of peace, stemming from the belief in the true spirit of peace.

The four-day conference focuses on a number of topics, including faith, diplomacy, public health, peace and security, environmental protection, human rights, and the international peace and security after the COVID-19 pandemic. The conference program also includes a number of round tables that allow opportunities for exchanging dialogue and conversations between religious leaders as well as diplomats, youth, academics and professionals to discuss the implications of the COVID-19 crisis on security, peace and global health.

The conference featured a number of inaugural speeches for Secretary-General of Religions for Peace Dr. Azza Karam, United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide Alice Wairimu Nderitu, the UN Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth Jayathma Wickramanayake, Director-General of the World Health Organization Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. (QNA)