Ruth Gledhill, writing in The Times, UK features initiatives that make progress in healing tensions across faith divides.
The initiatives showcased at this month’s Alliance of Civilizations Forum in Istanbul showed that progress is better than can sometimes seem the case. Religious leaders, NGOs, hoards of heads of state and other heavyweights gathered by the Bosphorous for the United Nations flagship intercultural and interfaith event.
Read more here and see the 8 initiatives below:
CISCOs mind-boggling use of third generation video conferencing technology to bridge divided and distant cultures and faiths.
2. Rapid Response Media Mechanism
will work in Europe with the European Commission and the Anna Lindh Foundation, a hugely important step to raise informed voices in the mainstream media, and contextualise the ruinous rhetoric of people like Abu Qatada.
3. Education about Religions and Beliefs online tool.
Education is critical in bridging relations between faiths. This online clearinghouse, launched in Istanbul, will be a much-needed global resource for learning about and teaching religion and beliefs
4. The 99
Mention Islam and cartoons, and eyebrows are instantly raised. But The 99 is an extraordinary comic book that features the world’s first superheroes based on Islamic culture and society. A great way of engaging young malleable minds.
Karen Armstrong’s TED Prize wish, the Charter for Compassion, is set to spark acts of compassion across the worlds faith communities when it hits the streets in November this year.
This initiative, coming from the International Center for Religion & Diplomacy, aims to reform curricula, improve infrastructure and offer teacher training across Pakistan. Few projects, across any sector, could be more significant for global security.
Last but not least, young people and youth organizations around the world helping to make the Alliance of Civilizations objectives a reality in their daily lives.