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Published Friday, June 27, 2008 in Religion

Religious groups gaining higher profile at UN

Editors' Note: This article originally appeared in "One Country," newsletter of the Bahá'í International Community, and is republished with permission of that publication. This is part one. Part two will be published next Saturday.

The United Nations is working with religious groups in new ways.

What has changed, according to Hilario G. Davide, permanent representative of the Philippine Mission to the UN, and others, is the emergence of a new understanding that closer collaboration with religions is critical to a wide range of UN efforts, not only in development but also to the UN'S main mission of promoting peace and security.

"If we are to go over the statements of the more than 80 high-level personalities who attended the High-Level Dialogue on Interreligious and Intercultural Understanding and Cooperation for Peace (in October)," said Davide, "we will note that several speakers alluded to the importance for the interaction between the UN system and the faith communities in the discharge of the three pillars of the UN goals, namely, the promotion of peace, development and human dignity."

"One of the conclusions that could be drawn," he added, "is that the partnership between and among governments, the UN system and religious NGOs or faith communities is no longer an option but a necessity."

New initiatives are emerging from a wide range of issue areas, involving many UN bodies and agencies. One new element is a focus on practical steps beyond mere talk.

For example, at the Alliance of Civilizations' first major meeting, held in Madrid on Jan. 15-16, participants issued a list of "major outcomes" that announced a series of concrete actions. These include a $100 million Global Youth Employment Initiative and a multimillion dollar Media Fund, both defined as efforts to support the Alliance's focus on the relationship between Western nations and predominantly Muslim populations and, specifically, efforts to reduce factors that contribute to extremism.

The UNDP's new initiative with the ARC on climate change aims also at concrete action. Under the terms of that initiative, Baha'i, Buddhist, Christian, Taoist, Hindu, Jain, Jewish, Muslim, Shinto, Sikh and Zoroastrian leaders will be invited to commit their communities to projects that address climate change and the protection of the natural environment in "practical ways" -- from "forestry conservation to organic farming schemes to introducing, promoting and financing alternative energy sources," according to the ARC.

The December 2007 General Assembly resolution likewise encourages governments to "identify areas for practical action in all sectors and levels of society for the promotion of interreligious and Intercultural dialogue, tolerance, understanding and cooperation."

The Tripartite Forum, which focuses on dialogue, can also lead to action, said Davide. "Before a treaty is agreed by member states, it generally takes a number of years of discussions, negotiations and consultations before consensus is arrived at," he said. "It is, therefore, not a waste of time for governments to deliberate on how to harness the partnership of religious communities in the achievement of UN goals no matter how long is the process of consultations."

The discussion at the "informal, interactive" segment of the High-Level Dialogue in October reflected many of the new ideas needed to promote religious dialogue -- as well as some of the thorny issues that lie ahead.

The segment brought together some 20 non-governmental speakers representing a variety of cultures and religious traditions, including representatives from the Baha'i faith, Christianity Hinduism, Islam, Jainism and Judaism.

Participants included Dr. Paul Knitter of Union Theological Seminary, Gamal I. Serour of the International Islamic Center for Population Studies and Research at the Al Azhar-Centre in Egypt, Sohan Lal Gandhi of the Anuvrat Global Organization in India, Fatima Ahmed of Zenab for Women in Development in Sudan, Steven Rockefeller of Earth Charter International in the United States and Mitra Deliri of the Baha'i International Community.

"The religions are part of the problem," said Knitter. "They are a source of conflict and violence among nations and ethnic groups." The solution, he suggested, lies in "a model of an egalitarian community of communities, in which the unique validity and value of each community, each religion, are affirmed and engaged, but no religion claims to be superior or dominant."

General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim said while "cultures and religions are being pulled ever closer together by a web of telecommunications and economic links" these encounters also "reveal deep-rooted misunderstanding.

He continued, "We have the unrivaled opportunity to replace intolerance and discrimination with understanding and mutual acceptance. Open and sustained dialogue, respect for freedom of expression and freedom of religion or belief is fundamental to this endeavor."

Deliri focused on the situation in Tanzania, where she resides. There, she said, "large Christian and Muslim populations" have found a way to live together peacefully, "side-by-side," often intermarrying and attending each other's religious festivals.

"It is a living example of religious pluralism," she said. "This coexistence did not come about by accident but rather as a result of the vision and deliberate action of Tanzanian leaders, dating back to the country's first president."

Deliri also pointed to religious freedom as a key to tolerance, saying that governments must work to create a climate where freedom of religion or belief is clearly upheld in law and in practice.

"Such a climate must be free from incitements to violence or hostility in the name of religion," she said. "Where contentious opinions about religions are expressed, it is the responsibility of the state to provide for right of reply."