New York, US - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged world leaders to promote tolerance and respect, saying that, “these principles can contribute to resolving conflicts, such as those in Syria and Mali, as well as addressing a host of other global challenges”.
“Durable solutions need long-term mutual understanding that transcends religious, national, cultural and ethnic boundaries. Such understanding comes from responsible leadership – the theme of this forum,” Ban said at the opening of the Fifth Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations in Vienna, Austria.
A statement on the Forum, made available to PANA in New York, quoted the secretary-general as saying that, “from the world stage to local communities, leaders need to speak the language of tolerance and respect, not division and defamation’’.
“Wherever tensions divide communities, the opportunity exists for the Alliance to build bridges and to help people move from conflict to collaboration,’’ he said.
Ban also noted that among the areas where the Alliance is “well placed to contribute” is the conflict in Syria. As the situation there continues to worsen, he said he is “extremely concerned about the risk of sectarian violence and mass reprisals” in a country that is an “extraordinary mosaic of tribes, ethnicity, languages and religions.”
He said Syrians will need help from the Alliance, particularly from religious leaders from all denominations, to foster healing and to rebuild damaged relationships.
The Alliance, the UN chief also said, could also help “to re-stitch Mali’s tattered tapestry” by engaging religious and community leaders, grassroots organizations and youth in the country, which has been beset by fighting since January 2012.
Ban also said that Israelis and Palestinians remain polarized, while movement in the Middle East peace process is “overdue”.
He added that he was particularly concerned about the region’s youth, who are at risk of growing up with a “demonized, dehumanized and utterly false concept of their neighbours”.
Also addressing the session, the President of the UN General Assembly, Vuk Jeremic, called the Alliance a ‘soft-power tool of preventive diplomacy’, which contributes to overcoming tensions among cultures, faiths and societies, while also guarding against globalization.
“It is my deeply-held view that enlarging the common denominator of values and principles which bind us to each other truly serves the cause of peace,” Jeremic said.
Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, the UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, said he believed responsible leadership can create the necessary social cohesion, where every man and woman feel included.
“I believe that the Alliance can enhance international cooperation and contribute to the efforts of the United Nations to address the challenges facing humanity today, particularly when they are rooted in identity and cultural underpinnings,” he stated.
Launched in 2005 through the initiative of Spain and Turkey, and under the auspices of the UN, the Alliance seeks to promote better cross-cultural relations worldwide.
The theme for this year’s forum, which comprises decision-makers, experts, and a variety of stakeholders in the field of intercultural and inter-religious dialogue, is ‘Responsible Leadership in Diversity and Dialogue.’
Pana 28/02/2013