Global Interfaith Discussions Expand in Kazakhstan, Positioning Nation as a Key Player

The Eighth Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions: A Global Platform for Dialogue and Synergy

The Eighth Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, a global platform launched in 2003, will be held in Astana, Kazakhstan, marking its return every three years. This year's event, scheduled for September, carries the theme of "Dialogue of Religions and Synergy for the Future," emphasizing the need for concrete joint steps to address challenges.

Bulat Sarsenbayev, chairman of the Nazarbayev Center for the Development of Interfaith and Inter-Civilization Dialogue, has highlighted the importance of the forum, stating that it has shifted global religious dialogue from confrontation to understanding. Maulen Ashimbayev, chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, will chair the secretariat meeting.

The congress aims to promote universal values and strengthen understanding among religions, cultures, and nations. Among its most important outcomes has been a consistent declaration by world and traditional religious leaders that extremism and terrorism have nothing to do with religion.

This year's event promises to be more intensive, marking a new stage as it moves away from the classical format and diversifies the program with parallel events. The congress will appoint new goodwill ambassadors and host the Forum of Young Religious Leaders for the second time.

A special session on protecting religious sites will be held, chaired by Miguel Ángel Moratinos, the UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations. An expert group will convene for the first time to provide independent perspectives on interfaith dialogue.

Sarsenbayev has emphasized digitalization as a new challenge, underscoring the importance of preserving spirituality and moral education in the digital era. He described the congress as a place where global religious leaders act as beacons for their communities, influencing decisions of governments and parliaments.

The upcoming congress will introduce new elements to expand its agenda, including a Sept. 15 working group and a Sept. 16 secretariat session to finalize the agenda and procedures. The congress has been unique in addressing the key challenges of its time over the past 20 years.

However, no information is available in the provided search results about which organization or person developed the concept for the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions for the years 2023-2033. The drafting and adoption of a Concept for the development of the congress for 2023-2033 led to the establishment of the Institute of Goodwill Ambassadors and the Forum of Young Religious Leaders.

Peace, according to Sarsenbayev, is understanding, and understanding arises when people of goodwill keep moving forward, searching for solutions, and building bridges. This, he believes, is the essence of the congress. The global importance of interfaith dialogue, as stressed by Maulen Ashimbayev, has been instrumental in avoiding the scenario of a 'clash of civilizations' at the beginning of the 21st century.

Global Interfaith Discussions Expand in Kazakhstan, Positioning Nation as a Key Player