2014 Council of Europe Exchange on the religious dimension of intercultural dialogue
Baku, Azerbaijan – 1 and 2 September 2014

“Intercultural dialogue: interaction between culture and religion”

Panel III: The contribution of cultural heritage of a religious nature to intercultural dialogue and to the respect of the universal values defended by the Council of Europe

Krista Pikkat, UNESCO Representative in Uzbekistan

Ladies and gentlemen,

On behalf of the Director-General of UNESCO, Ms Irina Bokova, I would like to start by thanking the Azerbaijani authorities, the Council of Europe and Ambassadors Castro Mendes and Stefanek, the two co-chairs of the 2014 Council of Europe Exchanges, for the organization of this meeting on the religious dimension of intercultural dialogue and for the invitation for UNESCO to join you today.

UNESCO’s Constitution(adopted in London on 16 November 1945) states “Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed. The ignorance of each other’s ways and lives has been a common cause, throughout the history of mankind, of that suspicion and mistrust between the peoples of the world through which their differences have all too often broken into war.”

This recognizes that the importance of “cultivating respect for the different” is at the very heart of the mandate of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Today, UNESCO’s mandate remains as relevant as 70 years ago, given the new forms of inequality, discrimination, exclusion, violence, radicalization, extremism and bigotry, compounded by local tensions and conflicts.

Conflict prevention and support to countries in transition and/or fragile states require comprehensive, coordinated and long-term approaches, with emphasis given to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty and the promotion of sustainable development and intercultural dialogue.

As has already been discussed here, in our increasingly diverse and interconnected societies, we may ask ourselves whether tolerance and peaceful coexistence are enough. Cultural and religious differences are at the front line. Peoples need to be equipped with competences necessary to prevent hate speech, challenge stereotypes and build the living together in diversity and in respect for human rights. Religious and community leaders play a crucial role in the fight against the abuses of the religious message and all the forms of intolerance, extremism and discrimination.

UNESCO’s normative frameworkin the field of culture is a unique global platform for international cooperation and dialogue. It constitutes a holistic cultural governance system within a human rights-based approach, building on universally shared values, respect for cultural diversity, the free flow of ideas and collective responsibility. As such, the implementation of the Organization’s cultural conventions, recommendations, declarations and its intergovernmental programmes engage States in dialogue and cooperation at the international level, thereby facilitating inclusive governance, sharing knowledge and best practices at the policy level.

Let me touch upon some elements of this framework:

UNESCO’s Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity(2001) provides substantial arguments in favor of the promotion of our rich diversity, promoting universal values on which to build our common aspirations. Its article 1 says that: “(...) diversity is embodied in the uniqueness and plurality of the identities of the groups and societies making up humankind. As a source of exchange, innovation and creativity, cultural diversity is as necessary for humankind as biodiversity is for nature. In this sense, it is the common heritage of humanity and should be recognized and affirmed for the benefit of present and future generations.”

UNESCO also works to preserve the common values of humanity embedded in our tangible cultural heritage so as to foster its great potential to reinforce cultural identity and social cohesion. This heritage constitutes a legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations as being of outstanding value to humanity. In this regard, UNESCO’s Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972) is of fundamental importance, especially today, as it becomes evident that the protection of heritage sites and institutions in conflict situations is critical to safeguarding the cultural and biological diversity that underpin people’s cultural and religious identity and livelihoods, and which are, in turn, essential for reconciliation and sustainable development.

Because of the importance of cultural and religious heritage for the cultural identity of the communities, it is increasingly targeted in conflict zones. UNESCO has therefore further strengthened its action to safeguard heritage sites in sensitive areas of the world, such as DRC, Mali, Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq and Libya to conserve affected sites, to counter the illicit trafficking of cultural properties, to raise awareness among political and military organizations and to build the capacities of the concerned authorities. The importance of heritage protection in all humanitarian and peace-keeping operations of the United Nations system is now central to UNESCO’s advocacy work in this domain.

Furthermore, the issue of the protection and management of religious properties is increasingly prominent in contemporary conservation debates. All the more than 200 properties of religious interest inscribed on the World Heritage List (e.g. Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha (Nepal);           Cologne Cathedral (Germany); The Cathedral of Chartre ( France) or Rila Monastery (Bulgaria)) require specific policies for sustainable management and use that takes into account their distinct spiritual nature.

In conformity with the decision of the World Heritage Committee (35^th session in 2011), UNESCO is currently elaborating a thematic paper proposing to States Parties general guidance regarding the management of cultural and natural heritage of religious interest. This initiative is intended to help integrate a number of guiding principles into cultural policies at the local, national, regional and international levels so as to contribute to the rapprochement of cultures and enhancing harmonious relations among peoples.

The need for such guidance was already highlighted in 2010, when the Kyiv Statement on the Protection of Religious Properties within the Framework of the World Heritage Convention recognized that the protection of religious heritage “represents a special challenge”. It identified the partnership between national authorities and local and religious communities as a key principle for the successful management of World Heritage properties of religious interest.

The sharing of common values that makes our humanity one, but at the same time plural, is also at the heart of UNESCO’s Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. This Convention today contributes to the acknowledgement and promotion of the wealth of cultural and religious traditions from different cultures and civilizations around the globe.

For UNESCO, the major aim of interreligious dialogue, which forms part of the broader intercultural dialogue, is to enhance understanding -  between believers and non-believers as well as between individuals and leaders of different religions, faiths and convictions - so as to increase mutual knowledge about spiritual traditions and their underlying values. This mutual understanding is to enlarge the space for harmonious coexistence in our contemporary multicultural societies.

Religious issues are an increasingly important dimension of many societies and a significant source of values for individuals. They can play a critical role in promoting an appreciation of other cultures, religions and ways of life to help build harmony among them.

The cultivation of respect for the different and the promotion of common practices of reconciliation are also the raison d’etre of the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures (2013-2022), for which UNESCO is the lead agency. The Decade was launched in 2013 to further mobilize and engage international, national and local partners to foster mutual understanding and a truer and more perfect knowledge of each other’s lives. This Decade aims to illustrate the benefits of jointly promoting respect for human rights and cultural diversity, while acknowledging the importance of intercultural and interreligious dialogue to fight against new forms of racism, discrimination, intolerance, extremism and radicalization, thus forging ties among peoples and nations.

The Action Plan for the International Decade identifies four main areas of intervention:

(i)                Promoting mutual understanding and reciprocal knowledge of cultural, ethnic, linguistic and religious diversity;

(ii)              Building a pluralist framework for commonly shared values;

(iii)            Disseminating the principles and tools of intercultural dialogue through quality education and the media; and

(iv)            Fostering dialogue for sustainable development and its ethical, social and cultural dimensions.

UNESCO will strive to further engage relevant stakeholders, such as the Council of Europe, to support the development of fresh arguments to be provided to governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations as well as the civil society and religious organizations, for creatively adapting policy frameworks in order to address the challenges which are jeopardizing humankind’s cohesion and peaceful co-existence.

Many of the previous speakers highlighted the importance of education in promoting intercultural dialogue. Let me mention some relevant milestones in this regard.

You would have heard of the idea of learning to live together (alongside learning to know, learning to do, and learning to be), that was put forward as one of the four pillars of the concept of learning throughout life in the 1996 report of UNESCO’s Task Force on Education for the Twenty-first Century established under the chairmanship of Jacques Delors. The Task Force affirmed its belief that education – which they defined as an ongoing process of improving knowledge and skills - has a fundamental role to play in personal and social development.

The Global Education First Initiative (GEFI), launched in 2012 by the UN Secretary-General, includes global citizenship education as one of its three priorities. UNESCO is therefore working on the definition of what is required to support young people become “citizens of the world,” including learning outcomes and competencies.

Global Citizenship Education aims to equip learners of all ages with those values, knowledge and skills that are based on and instil respect for human rights, social justice, diversity, gender equality and environmental sustainability and that empower learners to be responsible global citizens. GCE gives learners the competencies and opportunity to realize their rights and obligations to promote a better world and future for all. 

 “Inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all” is also one of the proposed Sustainable Development Goals that are currently discussed at the UN General Assembly. There is a clear opportunity to include reference to global citizenship education in the post - 2015 development agenda as part of the knowledge, skills and competencies that learners require in the 21^st century and beyond.

As the world is growing closer together, no single country, however powerful, can cope on its own with the challenges that have arisen. Shared values and standards are increasingly necessary to ensure global peace and prosperity. Indeed, peace has long been a hidden dimension of development. Only peace and good governance can lay the foundations of sustainable development, bearing in mind that lasting peace and respect for the rule of law are more than freedom from violence or the enforcement of formal procedures.

As stated by the UNESCO Constitution, “a peace based exclusively upon the political and economic arrangements of governments would not be a peace which could secure the unanimous, lasting and sincere support of the peoples of the world, and that the peace must therefore be founded, if it is not to fail, upon the intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind.” Aiming at such solidarity requires decision-makers to work jointly with civil society, including religious communities, placing a strong emphasis on values, attitudes and behaviours conducive to a culture of peace and non-violence, respectful of cultural diversity and human rights.

A renewed commitment of the international community to intercultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation for peace is essential, especially because conflicts today frequently and insidiously mobilize cultural and religious identities. It is therefore imperative to promote cultural pluralism at all levels, highlighting thus the close links between cultural diversity, dialogue, development, security and peace.

Thank you for your attention.