The Foundations of Dialogue in Europe and the Arab World

The global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the oil prices crash, and last but not least – the simmering tensions between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic of Iran threatened to put the fragile equilibrium in the Middle East to the test. Given their long-standing commitment to maintaining an open and constructive exchange between Europe and the Arab world,

the European Association for Inter-Faith Dialogue and the EU-Arab Centre for Development and Dialogue are honored to cooperate with the Candid Foundation and the Centre for Political and Strategic Studies in holding the international forum on the “Foundations of Dialogue in Europe and the Arab World.” The conference will bring together a distinguished group of participants from all over Europe, the UK and the Middle East, including academics, researchers, journalists, policymakers, government officials, and clerics from various religious institutions. The content will cover some of the most pressing issues, challenges, and spoilers to the mutual vision for post-conflict stabilization and economic development. During the first day, speakers with in-depth knowledge of the geopolitical dynamics will discuss the rising role of armed factions across the Middle East and their quest for legitimacy. During the dinner reception, Dr. Wahid Abdel Majeed from the renowned Egyptian Al-Ahram Centre will address participants of the conference. The workshops of the second day will focus on the international and regional power relations in the Gulf region, exploring their long-term political implications. The day will conclude with a discussion on the contested concept of a secular state, thereby looking into the multi-faceted reflections of this rather fluid concept as interpreted and lived by in Arab societies. The last day of the program will commence with a workshop on the controversial topic of “Life After Daesh,” focusing in particular on opportunities for the successful integration of women and children in post-IS societies. The second workshop seeks to debate the role of religious beliefs as well as to underline the importance of nurturing a diversity of thought as a crucial pre-condition for peaceful coexistence. During the third workshop for the day, participants will discuss the problem of radicalization in Europe and the Arab world, thereby stressing the indispensability of education for promoting critical thinking, cultural awareness, and tolerance among youth. At the end of the day, participants will commemorate the seventh anniversary of the Camp Speicher Massacre, following a speech by Ali Hussein Kazem, one of the survivors of the human tragedy.


Print   Email
Newsletter Sign Up

Menu

Support

Please support

Please support our work with a donation! Spende!   

We do not receive any government funding. Our work is financed exclusively by small and large donations. We thank you very much for this!