From Riyadh, the Alliance of Civilizations Forum calls for choosing dialogue rather than division

At a time of rising mistrust, division and conflict, speakers at the forum – held in the Saudi capital on December 14 and 15 – stressed that building bridges between cultures is not an ideal dream, but rather the only possible way forward.

“Dialogue is not naivety, but a necessity.”

During the opening session, UN Secretary-General António Guterres rejected criticism describing the goals Alliance of Civilizations It is unrealistic or inappropriate for today’s world. He stressed that dialogue is not naive and that diplomacy is necessary and not a luxury.

Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan launched the Alliance of Civilizations initiative in 2005 with the support of Spain and Turkey. Since that time, the world has changed radically, but the goal of the coalition has remained constant: combating extremism and intolerance, confronting increasing polarization, and building societies in which people with different cultures, religions, and civilizations coexist in peace and dignity.

Secretary-General António Guterres spoke at the forum today about the contradictions plaguing the world, and said that humanity has never been more connected, but at the same time it has never been more divided.

He talked about two paths: one of them feeds fear, builds walls, and increases wars, and the other is more difficult but essential, which is the path of building bridges between religions, cultures, and civilizations.

He stressed that only through this path can the world move towards sustainable peace, and then there will be no more incidents October 7th, or more cities will be destroyed like Gaza or starve like El Fasher.

The Secretary-General highlighted three forces that he believes can accelerate positive change: the energy and creativity of young people, the power and potential of women and girls, and the moral influence of believers. He called on the forum participants to embody the mission of the Alliance of Civilizations with courage, clarity and hope.

Equal voices and shared responsibility

In his opening remarks, Miguel Moratinos, High Representative of the Alliance and UN Special Envoy to Combat Islamophobia, stressed the need for all cultures and civilizations to have an equal voice in shaping an increasingly complex world.

Moratinos warned of the “return of hatred” and stressed the need for vigilance in the face of discrimination and division.

He cited a verse from the Holy Qur’an from Surah Al-Hujurat: “O people, We created you from a male and a female and made you into peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most honorable of you in the sight of God is the most pious of you. God is All-Knowing, All-Aware.

He reiterated his emphasis that Islam is a religion of peace and the necessity of not tolerating Islamophobia in any country. He also stressed the need to eliminate anti-Semitism, adding that legitimate criticism of governments should not be understood as anti-Semitism, and should not constitute a reason to demonize entire societies.

Riyadh Declaration: A shared vision for the future

The countries participating in the forum affirmed their support for the Secretary-General’s message regarding the necessity of renewed commitment to coexistence. The forum adopted, this afternoon, Riyadh Declaration Which stresses that combating all forms of religious intolerance must be a global priority.

He also emphasized the central role of education in promoting dialogue, understanding, human rights, and building peaceful societies. He acknowledged the role that religious leaders can play in conflict mediation and development cooperation.

The declaration reaffirmed political support for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, its goals and principles.

The Riyadh Declaration reaffirmed the coalition’s primary mission of promoting cooperation between cultures and religions, establishing mutual respect, and building inclusive societies.

Inviting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to dialogue

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud stressed in his speech his country’s firm commitment to intercultural dialogue. He said that Saudi Arabia’s support for the coalition stems from its deep belief that dialogue between civilizations and cultures is necessary to achieve peace and cooperation, build confidence, and prevent and resolve conflicts.

He pointed to a number of Saudi initiatives aimed at promoting dialogue between cultures and confronting extremist ideology.

He also spoke about the growth of religious and national extremist movements around the world, in addition to the noticeable rise in hate speech and Islamophobia over the past two decades. He stressed that these challenges should not be a source of frustration, but should push the world to strengthen the values ​​of dialogue, communication and coexistence, and not retreat from them.

More details about the forum’s events to follow, including a symposium on the spread of misinformation via artificial intelligence and algorithms that fuel hate.