Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue: Freedom of Religion or Belief to Build Peace and Counter Islamophobia and Radical Ideologies

Together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and the Anna Lindh Foundation, we would like to cordially invite you to our annual conference, the Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue. Our distinguished speakers will discuss how freedom of religion or belief can build peace and counter Islamophobia and radical ideologies.

The goal of intercultural and interfaith dialogue is to open channels of discussion in order to raise a greater awareness of the diversity, mutual recognition, equality, and freedom of all human beings. We want to build bridges to allow for peaceful coexistence and fraternity in a time of crisis and conflict.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, large-scale conflicts are threatening the stability of many regions of the world, including Europe and the Middle East. In this context, radical ideologies are gaining more traction, feeding discrimination and mutual hatred. Last summer, riots erupted in the UK, and they were largely fueled by racism and Islamophobia. Intercultural and interfaith dialogue has a role to play in fostering mutual understanding, tolerance and respect, and should also allow people to openly discuss the discrimination they face and the best strategies to ensure fairness and equality for all, and reduce mutual hatred.

The expert community, policymakers, diplomats, and civil society can contribute to building peace and countering radical ideologies and Islamophobia by presenting inclusive policies and practices which successfully prevent radicalisation, developing education and engaging communities as a way to bring about solidarity and support and reduce prejudice, and developing empathy and building mutual understanding in order to heal conflicts and support peace initiatives. Religious actors and religious organisations have an important role to play in such a dialogue. In the long run, freedom of religion or belief benefits every human being, regardless of whether they have a religious affiliation or not. Conversely, the more a society is open and respectful of its own diversity, the stronger and richer it becomes thanks to the various inputs of its individuals. It is in the common interest of everyone to reduce prejudice, counter hate speech, and build peace and harmony within and among societies.

Goals of the conference:

• To discuss freedom of religion or belief as a way to overcome radical ideologies and foster an environment of tolerance and respect.
• To address anti-Muslim prejudice and discrimination and examine the strategies to reduce and end it.
• To emphasize the strengths of intercultural and interfaith dialogue in promoting peace and reconciliation.

We invite you to register by filling out the form here. 

Please be aware that registration does not automatically secure your place. To attend, kindly wait for a confirmation email.