MANAMA: A major global three-day Conference titled ‘The Dialogue of Civilisations’ is set to open on Monday May 5th at the Gulf Hotel.
Held under the auspices of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa the Conference under the theme ‘civilisations in the service of humanity’ will see 150 participants from across the world is aimed at creating awareness of the power of dialogue to resolve differences.
Leading international organisations, foundations, think tanks and prominent intellectuals and scholars converge on Manama to attend the conference.
The Chairman of the Supreme Organising Committee Shaikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Khalifa told reporters that group of international organisations and bodies would participate in the event. “A group of 150 intellectuals, researchers, academicians representing over 15 nations will deliberates on the major issues being faced by the world. The discussions will help to understand the power of dialogue and how to avoid conflict by talking to each other,” Shaikh Khalifa bin Hamad, said.
“During the Conference, the community leaders from different faith including Muslim, Christian, Jews, Hindus etc., will sit together and talk on the issues which are posing a real challenge to fragile peace in the world,” he said.
The very fabric of dialogue, he added, represents the rich history of Delmon Civilisation of the Kingdom of Bahrain whose traces goes back to over 5000 years.
Talking about the objectives of the Conference, Shaikh Khalifa said that it would provide an appropriate setting to build bridges, maintain effective communication and enhance cultural interaction between different peoples and nations.
“The idea of dialogue is oriented towards openness which can find ways to allow for mutual understanding and human interaction; overcome the challenges posed by those who fuel disunity and conflicts and being more security, peace and stability to the world,” he added.
A collection of Arabic and English books highlighting Bahrain’s rich history as a beacon of civilisations and religions will hit the shelves. A book enclosing all the conference research papers will also be published, in addition to another media book documenting the conference.
National Evangelical Church Reverend Priest Hani Aziz, also organising committee member, paid tribute to HM King Hamad for initiating such important human initiatives.
He commended the positive response of different parties to attend the conference, adding that Bahrain has all the credentials to host such a global conference which seeks to disseminate peace and tolerance among peoples, religions, cultures and civilisations.
Committee member Nancy Elie Khedhoury suggested documenting Bahrain long-standing history of tolerance and peaceful co-existence. She cited particularly the mosques, churches and synagogues in Bahrain, an oasis of peace and tolerance, as well as the recurrent visits of prominent scholars and religious figures. The high organising committee is scheduled to convene its seventh meeting within two weeks to discuss local and foreign media coverage of the conference.