Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia

INTERFAITH AND INTER-CIVILISATION DIALOGUES

The initiative to establish interfaith and inter-civilisation dialogues was a strong sign of the growing preoccupation at the highest political levels with the strategic importance of intercultural and inter-religious dialogue for the pursuit of peace.

Photo: In line with the Malaysian government’s aim to create an alliance among civilizations through the involvement of governments, and following the view that dialogue between cultures and civilizations has become a pre-condition for global peace, the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations (IDFR) has organise for the second time, an International Conference titled ‘Islam and the West: Bridging the Gap’ on 15 June 2007 in Kuala Lumpur.

The need for coordinated international action to cultivate peace resulted from events such as September 11, the Madrid attack on 11 March 2004, the bombings in London on 7 July 2005 and the recent bombings in Mumbai on 26 November 2008.

In view of the many proliferations of initiatives on interfaith and inter-civilisation, Malaysia will focus on UN-led initiatives at the international arena; the Alliance of Civilisations (AoC) and at the regional level; the Asia-Pacific Interfaith Dialogue.