‘We need peace’: Global Forum ends with hope and plans
UN Alliance High Representative Miguel Ángel Moratinos said at the closing session: “There has been a strong call for peace, an end to violence and conflict, and a call for diversity and the fight against discrimination”.
The three-day forum attracted participants from more than 150 countries, Mr. Moratinos said, announcing that the 11th Global Forum will be held in Saudi Arabia.
Reflecting on some of the results, he pointed to the global gathering of youth at the time Youth forum and through the Cascais Declaration to chart a path toward peace while addressing the myriad challenges of the 21st century such as artificial intelligence (AI) and cycles of chronic conflict.
“The Cascais Declaration is more than just a document. That is the commitment of all of us,” the Senior Representative said.
Read our explainer about the Alliance of Civilizations and its Global Forum This.
More than 1,800 people from around the world attended the 10th Global Forum.
What will the Cascais Declaration bring?
The Cascais Declaration, adopted unanimously on Tuesday, sets out a series of renewed commitments to build peace in these turbulent times.
The 25-paragraph statement notes, among other things, the potential for using AI as a tool to promote intercultural and interreligious dialogue, and emphasizes the importance of combating misinformation bias, disinformation and hate speech while strengthening information integrity.
It also emphasizes the importance of intergenerational dialogue for peace, sustainable development and human rights.
Learn more about the Cascais Declaration This.
Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia is co-chair of the UK-based Peace Charter for Forgiveness and Reconciliation.
‘Everyone listens to each other’
“Here, everyone listens to each other,” Mr. Moratinos told journalists at a news conference after the Global Forum ended, praising the diversity of the panels, discussions and the The event took place in the spirit of mutual respect.
For many participants, it was a chance to see it firsthand. Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia, 85, co-chair of the Peace Charter for Forgiveness and Reconciliation, based in Birmingham, UK, said this was his first time attending the Global Forum. The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations was created to create peace, which is “what we need,” he said.
“Just yesterday I heard about the ceasefire [in Israel and Lebanon],” he said UN News. “When you are talking about peace, the vibrations can travel elsewhere. I was very happy. There is a ceasefire. These killings must stop.”
More broadly, he wondered what development could happen in peaceless places like Gaza, asking “who doesn’t want peace?”
“We live in the same world, we have the same aspirations, we have the same challenges wherever we go, and we must collaborate to make an impact,” he said.
15-year-old Suri Jera comes from the Guarani indigenous community of Piaçagüera in Brazil.
From Cascais to the world
Many participants said they were conveying the common messages and positive energy shared throughout the forum to their communities across the planet.
Suri Jera, 15, from the Guarani Indigenous Peoples of Piaçagüera in Brazil, went to Cascais to be recognized for appearing in a documentary that tackles xenophobia Mundos Cruzados (across the world) at the forum‘S PURAL+ Youth video festival.
Indeed, she says, racism, discrimination and what she describes as invisibility are daily experiences for her community. UN News.
“The United Nations has a voice for those of us who are suffering,” she said. “They convene forums like this, which are essential to building partnerships.”
UN Secretary General said: ‘The first ray of hope for peace’
UN Secretary General António GuterresWho opened The 10th Global Forum, which held a media meeting on Wednesday afternoon with the Portuguese Prime Minister in the capital Lisbon, explained that “yesterday, I had a good sign”.
“It was the first ray of hope for peace that I received amid the darkness of recent months, and I received it in Portugal: the ceasefire agreement in Lebanon,” he said. speak.
Participants from more than 150 countries attended the 10th Global Forum in Cascais, Portugal.
What does an ideal world look like?
UN News asked that question, and the answers reflected the challenges facing communities around the world. Here’s what they told us:
“I dream of a better world where there is no prejudice and there is unity among all peoples to live in a world without genocide or killing. I want to live in a world with peace.” – Suri Jera, 15 years old, from the Guarani Indigenous Peoples of Piaçagüera in Brazil
“To me, an ideal world is to be inclusive everywhere because we are all the same, so wherever you go on Earth, you can be welcomed as a human being.” – Roy Ahn, 18 years old, New Yorker, a filmmaker who was at the PURAL+ festival to receive recognition for his animated film Just talkto address the rise of hate speech
Filmmaker Roy Ahn is from New York.
“You can always create a better space for everyone. When we can change people’s minds, we can create an inclusive community.” – Dativa Mahanyu, 24, a filmmaker from Tanzania who directed Fidion addressing discrimination against autistic people
“An ideal world is where children can play in cities in safe spaces, we can swim in clear and clean oceans, and industries do not block our access to nature that we are lucky to have and not having to worry about whether we do. put food on the table or if a storm destroys our homes, the community is there to help us respond to climate change and we can be resilient.” – Chaela Tordillo, 25 years old, from the Philippines, director Ancient timesa film about the real effects of climate change
Filmmaker Chaela Tordillo.
“An ideal world would be one where we could all feel safe and comfortable in who we are, in public, in private. We talk about moving gradually from tolerance to respect to a real appreciation of difference and diversity. That is what I hope we will achieve one day.” – Rabbi Andrew Baker, 75, personal representative of the chairman of the office on combating anti-Semitism with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), director of international Jewish affairs of the Commission American Jewish Committee and was a panelist in the Global Forum Session Fueling Hate: Turning the tide against the global rise in all forms of religious intolerance, including anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim hatred and anti-Christian bigotry
“A world of peace, a world where diversity is celebrated, where everyone is happy and we can share with each other. We may not have all the ideals, but we should strive for it.” – Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia, 85, co-chair of the Peace Charter for Forgiveness and Reconciliation, based in Birmingham, UK
