Kick Off of the Conference of the Conference of the World Council of Religious Leaders on Faith and Diplomacy: Generations in Dialogue

The Conference of the World Council of Religious Leaders on Faith and Diplomacy: Generations in Dialogue kicked off on 4 October, 2021 with an opening ceremony filled with insightful remarks and wisdom from a range of religious leaders, civil society leaders, and activists. The speakers at the opening ceremony represented many different ages, faiths, and ethnicities, echoing the Conference’s goal of promoting diverse dialogues.

Dr. Azza Karam moderated the ceremony, which began with welcoming remarks from the Religions for Peace Co-Moderators and Youth Representative, Dr Vinu Aram, Rev. Kosho Niwano, Shayk Abdallah Bin Bayyah, and Lyka Mtambo. The welcoming remarks emphasized how essential it is for different generations and communities to actively listen, learn, and act together to promote peace and to address the critical issues of the world, which impact each generation and community. The speakers also touched on the importance of looking to common religious values that promote human dignity and justice, and of investing in young diplomats and leaders to encourage their cooperation with religious leaders.

After a video greeting with participants from around the world, Anna-Nicole Heinrich and Bishop Dr. Bertram Meier, representatives of the host country, issued a warm welcome from Germany.

The opening ceremony included keynote speeches from H.E. Ms. Alice Wairimu Nderitu, Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, United Nations Office of Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, H.E. Mr. Nasreldin Mofreh, Minister of Religious Affairs and Endowments, Sudan, H.E. Ms. Jayathma Wickramanayake, UN Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth, H.E. Ms. Uzra Zeya, Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, U.S. Department of State, H.E. Dr. Mohammed Al-Mamari, Under Secretary for the Ministry of Endowment and Religious Affairs, Sultanate of Oman, and Ms. Ana-Maria Daou, Head of the Research and Courses’ Unit, Adyan Foundation; Deputy Coordinator, Religions for Peace International Youth Committee (Lebanon). These speeches touched on the themes of critical intergenerational learning and action to prevent genocide and other atrocities, the importance of creating spaces in which youth leaders can reach their maximum potential, and how critical it is to focus on community and civil-society level dialogues to promote peace.

Throughout the ceremony, violinist Maestra Zhang Zhang provided stunning performances that brought a sense of beauty and festivity to the event. The full ceremony can be found on the conference website here.