FIFTH EDITION OF GENEVA LECTURE SERIES HELD ON “BUILDING BRIDGES: INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE, IDENTITIES AND MIGRATION”

Almost 800 people attended the fifth edition of the Geneva Lecture Series on the topic “Building Bridges: Intercultural Dialogue, Identities and Migration”, held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva on Thursday, 16 September 2010, with the participation of Professor Ekmeleddin Ýhsanoðlu, Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

In his opening remarks, UNOG Director-General, Sergei A. Ordzhonikidze, emphasized that in an era of the greatest human mobility in recorded history, countries were not only coming into more frequent contact with each other, many countries were themselves becoming more multicultural and diverse. Recalling that 2010 marked the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures, the Director-General underscored intercultural dialogue and understanding as crucial for a more peaceful world. He highlighted that the engagement of all individuals was important in achieving this goal. “This is precisely the objective of the Geneva Lecture Series – both on the challenge of intercultural dialogue and on other challenges”, he said.

Professor Ýhsanoðlu characterized the Geneva Lecture Series as a unique platform for a stimulating discourse on complex global challenges. Drawing on the arrival of Muslim populations in Western Europe as an example, he noted “with concern a growing aversion to migrants and immigrants.” He warned that instead of finding common ground with a focus on shared values and experiences, identities were being promoted and protected on the basis of differences. Denouncing Islamaphobia as a contemporary manifestation of racism, he identified the rise of hatred and intolerance towards religious and cultural diversity as one of the gravest threats to peace and challenges to security. Prof. Ýhsanoðlu called for a historic reconciliation between Islam and Christianity, “aimed at bringing about an environment of concord, understanding and mutual respect”. “Europe has to decide whether it is a host for Islam or a home for Islam”, he concluded.

Following the lecture, an open discussion with the audience of representatives of the diplomatic community, organizations of the United Nations system, non-governmental organizations, research and academic community, private sector, as well as students and many members of the public, was moderated by Darius Rochebin, journalist and television news anchor on Television Suisse Romande. This included lively exchanges on diverse issues such as the construction of minarets, the relationship between religions in Europe and elsewhere, the threat of burning the Koran, regional political issues and the empowerment of women.

Unfortunately, Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes who was scheduled to take part as a second keynote speaker was at the last minute unable to take part. Summarizing Mr. Fuentes’ prominent contributions to debates on intercultural dialogue, identities and migration, UNITAR Executive Director, Carlos Lopes, explained that the prominent intellectual focused a great deal of time familiarizing himself with the social environments he would later use in his works. Mr. Lopes described how Mr. Fuentes was “hostile to any idea of a clash of civilizations, and, in fact, was one the first to virulently oppose Samuel Huntington’s thesis”.

Background

Organized by the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the Geneva Lecture Series was inaugurated in April 2008 by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki-moon. The objective of the Geneva Lecture Series is to bring awareness of global challenges to the public by engaging prominent political, civil society, business and intellectual figures in a process of reflection on what can and should be done to address pressing issues of global significance.


For use of the information media; not an official record


DG10/016E