Published: 13 December 2011
Thousands Join UN Gulf Forum on Challenge of Diversity
Region: Worldwide
Intolerance worldwide can only be defeated by fresh commitment to practical actions that engage different communities to build a culture of respect was the message that Media Diversity Institute brought to a major United Nations conference held in the oil-rich state of Qatar.
The UN Alliance of Civilisations Forum in Doha, from December 11-13, brought together more than 2,500 political and corporate leaders, civil society activists, youth groups, faith communities, research centres, foundations, journalists, ministers and heads of state, all of them dedicated to working together across frontiers and cultures to combat prejudice.
The Alliance has been formed to promote better understanding between diverse communities and to eliminate the community tensions that are an obstacle to lasting peace and which lie at the heart of numerous ongoing conflicts that are being played out in many regions of the world.
Milica Pesic, Executive Director of MDI, says there is much to be done to deliver policies and strategies that will overcome bigotry and prejudice. “It is a great experience to soak up the enthusiasm and goodwill of this extraordinary coalition of groups striving to bring about change,” she said. “But the challenges are enormous given the continuing levels of discrimination that deny millions of people their rights to social, economic and democratic freedom.”
She gave participants insights into the experience of MDI which has 15 years experience in working on cross cultural projects around the world.
“It’s great to learn from each other, to present new initiatives and to hear of exciting commitments from partners and the organisers,” she said. “But we need to convert the words into actions that will help change peoples’ lives.”
The programme featured project-specific working sessions, interactive discussions and debates, and also provided space for numerous civil society organisations to present their own initiatives. Altogether more than 400 youth and 300 civil society groups took part, half of them from the Arab region.
The Forum was hosted by the ruling Emir of the State of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and included the High Level Group member from Qatar, H. H. Sheikha Mozah, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and High Representative for the UN Alliance of Civilizations President Jorge Sampaio.
Qatar, the home of the pioneering satellite channel Aljazeera, has been a leading voice calling for reform across the Arab region, but the country has also faced challenges on its own doorstep, not least in the problem of ensuring the rights of migrant workers who make up most of the population in the rich oil state of the Gulf.
“A forum like this will always be useful in nourishing the movement for cultural diversity,” said Pesic. “But in the Gulf and other corners of the region, even where revolutions are underway, there are daily challenges to reduce sectarianism and to avoid conflict.”
Click here to go the official website of the Forum.
