“Egyptian Federation for Development and Social Protection Policies” Calls the World to Declare Peaceful Coexistence and End Wars & Conflicts on “The International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations”
The second anniversary of the International Day for Dialogue Among Civilizations arrives at a time when our region and many other parts of the world are witnessing conflicts and wars that have devastated many aspects of life and impacted human values.
In light of this occasion, and due to the Egyptian Federation for Development and Social Protection Policies’ consultative status at the United Nations, the Federation issued a statement calling on the world to embrace peaceful coexistence and respect human rights to live in dignity, freedom, and justice. The statement also called on the world’s nations, governments, and civil society organizations to act responsibly and cooperate to establish peace and preserve human values.
In this context, the June 10th of each year represents an occasion to remind the world of the importance of the principles of peaceful coexistence and the promotion of cooperation and dialogue within the framework of the shared heritage that unites human civilizations;
These principles were enshrined in the United Nations resolution adopted on June 10, 2024, designating Resolution No. 286/78 as the “International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations.”
With a Chinese initiative and supported by more than 80 countries, the resolution affirmed and continues to affirm—that all civilizational achievements constitute “the collective heritage of humanity,” emphasizing the importance of respecting cultural diversity and assert that dialogue is the fundamental means of promoting and preserving world peace and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals for a safe world where all people enjoy well-being, justice, and equal access to rights;
The resolution also affirms that, these goals and principles can only be achieved through dialogue based on values, norms, and international conventions, foremost among them the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The principle of coexistence among civilizations refers to “accepting others and respecting cultural, ideological, and ethnic diversity to build stable human relationships based on dialogue rather than conflict.”
Here, we must emphasize and support the statement made by the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and High Representative of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, Mr. Miguel Ángel Moratinos Cuyaubé who affirmed that “what is happening in the world should not be viewed as a clash between civilizations, religions, or different cultures, but rather as a clash of interests and a conflict stemming from ignorance.”
It is important to note that this was not the first time the importance of strengthening the Alliance of Civilizations had been discussed; it was It was preceded by numerous attempts: For instance, in 2004, following the terrorist attack in Spain, then-Prime Minister José Fabatero proposed the importance of establishing an “Alliance of Civilizations” to move beyond the “clash of civilizations,” and former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan called for this alliance to serve as a tool for conflict resolution and preventive diplomacy. Until the Alliance received official recognition from the United Nations in 2015 as an affiliated entity, leading up to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s “Global Civilization Initiative,” launched on March 15, 2023, which aimed to restore the concepts of peaceful coexistence, prevent wars, and reduce international tensions.
All of these attempts were aimed to escape the prophecy of the American political thinker Samuel Huntington’s, in which he portrayed the coming conflict among humankind not as one based on political and economic interests, but rather as a major division on a cultural and religious conflict, and to change the idea he had promoted—which was untrue —that Islamic civilization is the West’s primary political and cultural enemy, while effectively ignoring other great civilizations such as Chinese and Indian civilizations or the indigenous civilizations of Latin America and Africa.
The Arab and Islamic region is the cradle of numerous civilizations that coexisted and interacted with one another, the most important of which include ancient Egyptian civilization, Sumerian civilization, Babylonian civilization, Nabataean civilization, the Kushite civilization of ancient Sudan, and Arab-Islamic civilization, whose influence extended to most parts of the world. The Arab world has also been home to all religions, which have always advocated for dialogue and tolerance, with the shared destiny of humanity serving as their most important guiding principle.
Furthermore, based on Egypt’s role and its significant cultural influence and historical legacy, Egypt has played an important role in implementing initiatives for dialogue among civilizations and promoting peaceful coexistence among different peoples, cultures, and religions through its support for relevant initiatives, and through Al-Azhar’s leading role in drafting global documents on dialogue, such as: the “Document on Human Fraternity”, which outlines a global roadmap for coexistence among followers of different religions and civilizations, based on the principles of our true religion and the verses of the Holy Book that call for mutual understanding and equality among all people, as well as calling for dialogue through high ethical standards, ultimately aiming to strengthen the concept of intercultural dialogue.
According to the previous context, the Egyptian Federation for Development and Social Protection Policies calls for:
- Renewing the call to adhere to the importance of dialogue among civilizations,
- Ending the escalation of polarization and hatred toward specific civilizations and cultures, and ceasing the misguided promotion of principles that have only fostered hatred and hostility,
- Working toward strengthening international cooperation to end conflicts and disputes, support the vulnerable, and achieve justice and equality among the peoples of the world,
- Seeking to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in order to create a better world for all, a world based on coexistence and love, not hatred, hostility, and conflict.
