Mediterranean Inter-Religious Meeting Calls for the Promotion of Peace Philosophy
Regional, Religion, 11/11/1999

The third Mediterranean inter-religious meeting held Wednesday and Thursday in the Alcala de Henares University, 35 km northeast of Madrid, called for the promotion of the philosophy of peace to secure a future of peace, understanding and conviviality for the mounting generations.

The 300 academics and politicians participating in the event --that is meant to associate the civil societies in the Mediterranean to the Middle East peace process-- recommended the promotion of dialogue and the culture of peace among children, called for an end to the social gaps and appealed for a new humanism based on equality between all human beings, as preached by Islam, and on women's access to full-fledged citizenship.

They equally called for a greater involvement of the civil society in the Middle East peace process and proposed a thorough debate on the tragedy resulting from the separation of hundreds of Palestinian and Israeli families in Al-Quds (Jerusalem) to come out with new coexistence modes and new implements to establish a new order where everybody will have the right to live in community and in peace.

The participants called for lowering down the stone walls and psychological barriers erected in Al-Quds and pleaded for a peace treaty between religions to put an end to religious conflicts and reach a lasting peace.

The meeting will be crowned by the signing of a document on the creation of a network of universities in the Mediterranean to promote the culture of peace. This culture should be reflected in the syllabi as well as in the cultural activities of these universities that should promote exchanges and conviviality.

A large Moroccan delegation, including ministers of communication, Larbi Messari, and of relations with the parliament, Mohamed Bouzoubaa, Morocco's ambassador to the UNESCO, Aziza Bennani, and the deans of several universities, are taking part in the meeting along with other ministers from Palestine and Israel, the European Union special envoy for the Middle east, Miguel Angel Moratinos, and the deans of several universities.

The first inter-religious meeting was held in 1995.

Previous Stories:
  Mediterranean inter-religious meeting in Spain   (11/10/1999)
  World major religions to lauch peace call   (10/20/1999)
  Vatican hosts international meeting on inter-religions dialogue   (10/16/1999)

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