Under the banner of a UPF / Women's Federation for World Peace partnership, a European Leadership Conference took place in Geneva, Switzerland on March 25-26. During sessions held at the World Council of Churches and at the United Nations Office, nearly 150 participants, including legal and human rights professionals, religious leaders, grassroots activists, and UN Ambassadors representing over 30 nations were welcomed.

Session 1: “Human Rights and Dignity:
A New Paradigm for an Intercultural World”
The conference was opened at the World Council of Churches by Carolyn Handschin (Women's Federation for World Peace President-Europe). “As never before in history, as we interact through our television screens and Internet sites from the other side of the globe, the calls for a bright, just, and participatory future find a resonance and bring us closer together as one human family. At this time of dramatic upheaval we need to ask what each of us can do.”

Dr. Yong Cheon Song, Mrs. Carolyn Handschin, and H.E. Ambassador Dian Tri-ansyah Djani

The keynote speaker, Dr. Yong Cheon Song (Chairman of UPF–Europe), just back from a meeting of the UPF Peace Council in Albania,  explained the commitment of UPF to advancing human rights and responsibilities in all countries.
“We cannot be complacent. It is significant that we are here at the World Council of Churches office, as religion can provide a moral and spiritual framework for how we treat each other. Human rights violations come from ignorance of these principles. We should advance the cause of all religions centered on human values. Strengthening the institution of marriage and promoting the concept of one family under God is the best way to encourage human responsibility.”
H.E. Ambassador Dian Triansyah Djani of the Permanent Mission of Indonesia to the United Nations, the second panelist, spoke about the experience of Indonesia in cross-cultural dialogue and cooperation. For example, the largest mosque in Jakarta was built by a Christian. "As a secular country housing many religions, our problem is that each group wants to have its own different religious holidays! We have to promote dialogue without inciting hatred, and it must lead to cooperation and dialogue at the grass-roots level. According to an Indonesian proverb, consultation and consensus for the benefit of all is what is needed."

Prof. Alfred-Maurice da Zayas and Ms. Berhane Raswork

Professor Alfred-Maurice da Zayas, Professor of International Law at the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations and former Human Rights Committee member, highlighted the role of civil society in promoting change. Input from civil society led the Human Rights Council to call a workshop on the emerging claim for a “human right to peace” as a legal framework. It has been spreading like wildfire, with concerted efforts on the part of some civil society campaigners. He is confident that such a right to peace will ultimately be instated and repercussions will be profound.
Another civil society project, initiated at the University of California at Berkeley, is Project 2048 (that will be 100 years after signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights), which restates the original 44 articles of the declaration instead of the 30 articles that were adopted and would institute a world court. Switzerland has spearheaded the idea. It is in the hands of civil society to carry these initiatives through. Dr. da Zayas also pointed out that the concept of human dignity should be considered a general principle of law.
Ms. Berhane Raswork, Executive Director of the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children, said that many wars have been fought because of misunderstandings about traditions, etc. “In my part of the world, women as a tradition are mutilated alive. This is done with the approval of the community, including Muslims and Christians, and even the women themselves.” As the only African in a working group of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women in Geneva in the 1970s and 1980s “on female circumcision,” she was asked to moderate the group. Everyone thought they were crazy, but they pushed and pushed and used various entry points of the Human Rights Council to work on this issue.
Paula Pace, of the International Migration Law Unit, spoke on behalf of Md. Shahidul Haque, Director of the Department of International Co-operation and Partnerships of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The opportunities offered by multiculturalism and interfaith dialogue are many, she said, and IOM has developed projects in that area. A video was shown involving youth in seeking solutions. Migration is a fact of life more than a problem. Another project, “Integration, A Multifaith Approach,” was carried out in Finland and other countries to stimulate dialogue between migrants and the local population, provide civic education, and encourage the exchange of views with other migrants. In 2010, IOM held various consultations on the importance of putting migrants at the center of integration policy, based on the protection of human rights. To close, Ms. Pace quoted a report that Italy had recently refused to take some illegal immigrants. "We have to combat misunderstandings as they make integration very difficult," she concluded. "Transnational migration will continue as a fact of life and is therefore an important issue for us to deal with."

Session 2: “Interreligious Cooperation and the Prevention of Incitement to National, Religious, and Racial Hatred”
Mr. Peter Zoehrer, Secretary General of the Forum for Religious Freedom (FOREF) based in Austria, introduced the topic of the session. Dr. Antonio Stango, Secretary General of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Italy and a member of UPF’s Global Peace Council, gave a very informative summary of religious freedom in international law. The next five speakers each presented a “snapshot” of their engagement in the prevention of incitement to hatred and other human rights violations in their countries of origin:

Ms. Tseten Zochbauer and Ms. Naima Serroukh

Ms. Tseten Zochbauer, from Austria/Tibet, said that she met UPF in Vienna while on a hunger strike for more than 12 days for Tibet. Her country after 52 years is still fighting to keep the culture and language alive. After Tibet was occupied by China, she was exiled and sent to a foster family in Switzerland, attending high school here in Geneva. In 1989, she founded the Tibetan Community of Austria and in 1992 the SAVE TIBET Austrian Association. Since then has continued her efforts to support the people of Tibet and is currently the President of SOS Tibet in Austria. "There is a new generation of Tibetans coming up, and the Dalai Lama is stepping down from his political role. It’s the struggle of the Tibetan people, not just the Dalai Lama. He teaches about how to be democratic without violence. I represent Tibetan women in the exiled Tibetan Parliament, and my colleague in that Parliament, a Tibetan monk from Spain, is also here today. It is a race against time, since in Tibet there are three times as many Chinese as Tibetans. If nothing changes in the next five years, it will be lost. We have gained many famous friends. If we don’t succeed, how can others with even less support succeed? It would be the first time for a nation to get its sovereignty back by non-violent means. In Tibet, people are ready to die for this cause."
Ms. Naima Serroukh, from Switzerland/Morocco, is a lawyer who serves on the Integration Commission in Biel, Switzerland, and is president of the association "Pont de Communication." She is originally from Morocco and her husband is Tunisian; they have three children. She and her husband have initiated numerous projects related to integration and human rights. When she came to Switzerland she thought this would be the country of democracy and true freedom, but she found that there are sometimes chains of hatred and discrimination. “I’m talking about my personal experience. Do I need to compromise to be accepted, stop going to church or the mosque? Should I not have too many children? I can break these chains if I go back to the Qur'an, which has a universal message. In the first verse it says that we should learn from and go toward others and liberate ourselves from ignorance. When I make the effort to understand the person in front of me, I can develop. That’s universal, not just for Muslims." 
Mr. Alex Ntung, from the UK/Democratic Republic of Congo, has been working in the area of peacebuilding and conflict resolution for the past 13 years. He is currently adviser to the Brussels-based International Peace and Development Initiative for Central Africa. Since independence, DR Congo has been going through civil war and has benefited from UN intervention. "In eastern Congo, peacebuilders have to be escorted by UN troops. There are five major antagonistic ethnic groups. Conflict is associated with identity and  victimization. There is a lot of sexual violence used as a weapon of war. Peacebuilders seek to bring these five ethnic groups together to talk and find representative leaders to come up with an action plan. There is a lack of dialogue between the leaders. This is a sensitive issue and there is a lack of trust. These people usually never meet, but we were able to bring them together and come up with an action plan." Mr. Ntung showed a photo of him shaking hands with the head of a group responsible for killing many of his family members. Various projects were launched, such as a peace conference to combat racial hatred. The major outcome was that one rebel group became integrated into the national army after ten years of rebellion. They also had a meeting where prayers of forgiveness were offered among the different tribes. "Action speaks louder than words," he concluded, "so don’t hesitate to be an activist."
Ms. Manal Timraz, UK/Palestine, was born a Palestinian and worked for many years for the United Nations on projects relating to the welfare of women and children in Palestine. She grew up believing in the dream that one day there would be no more "us" and "them," but only a place where all Arabs and Jews can live peacefully side by side. She found a model of this dream in Coventry, in the United Kingdom, where people are living side by side as neighbors, regardless of their differences in race or faith. During the bombing of Gaza in December 2008, Manal lost 15 members of her family; 11 were children under the age of 12. "This was the greatest test for any human being to go through, let alone a peace activist." She asked herself, “am I really a peace activist or will I seek revenge like everyone else”? She refused to grieve and instead launched the "Millions Candles for Peace Campaign," with the candle as a symbol of peace. She flew with her children to the Holy Land, carrying a million candles donated from the people of Britain for the sake of humanity. “It was the little voice of Mohammad in my head, the youngest of my family members who were killed, which led me to start the campaign,” she explained. "Before he died, he asked me one favor over the phone, that is to come and take him to England to watch a football match, but it was impossible for him because this would require a UN resolution. I said to him that one day he would be able to come and watch any match he liked. His voice which had been filled with hope came to me. I felt like I stepped out of my own existence. It was the voice of the victims that motivated me."
Afsharpur Yazdan, Switzerland/Libya, works as a journalist with a Libyan NGO based in Switzerland since 2000: Human Rights Solidarity. He explained that he’d like to give a snapshot of how the critical situation that the world is watching in Libya began and descfribed the hopes of the people there. "The beginning of the uprising for democracy, which we hope won’t be derailed, came from the overdue need for changes in the Arab world. It was inspired by the uprising in neighboring countries. There was a call for a demonstration on the anniversary of the events on that date in 2006. Prior to that date, the Libyan regime always arrested those deemed dangerous. One hundred and fifty members of the central committee demanded the release of the detained activists. On February 16, demonstrations started in various places including in Benghazi. The regime’s security forces withdrew from the areas where the demonstrations took place. On February 17, munitions were shipped to begin killings, which outraged the police who then switched sides. In Benghazi, where the people held peaceful demonstrations, 257 people were killed, went missing, or were injured. Following this, there were huge demonstrations in Tripoli, and the security forces disappeared from the scene. It was peaceful on the side of the demonstrators until then. On the evening of February 27, Gaddafi’s son launched the state terror machine on the people. As a result, the demonstrators were forced to arm themselves. This led to resolution 1973 of the UN and now the NATO-led intervention. There is still much to tell, beyond what can be seen on the television, but please know that the Libyan people need your support!"

Three more detailed interventions followed the snapshots:
Professor Dr. Christian Brunner, University of Graz, Institute for Austrian, European and Comparative Public Law, Political Sciences and Public Administration, Member of UPF’s Global Peace Council and President of FOREF in Europe. “We have a problem with religious freedom in Europe,” began Dr. Brunner, speaking on the “function and dysfunction of religion in secular states.” Religion is not purely a private matter; our European institutions, policy, and public space are being influenced by the convictions of citizens. "In my city of Graz (230,000 inhabitants) there are over 70 active religious communities, yet more than half of the population considers themselves without a religious confession. The European Court for Human Rights speaks about positive and negative religious freedom. The consequences of modern pluralist society tensions are far-reaching. Proposals to promote social cohesion include self restraint in use of language and articulation, and refraining from presenting Christianity as the leading culture, because this gives the green light to discrimination and denies the contribution of other cultures. The issues of crucifixes in schools could be solved if non-religious pupils could place their non-religious symbols on the wall beside the crucifix. Recently, the Archbishop of Vienna called for an acceptance of multiple religions. Proclamations be followed by concrete actions, such as the closing of anti-sect bureaus in Austria. We seek binding law-embedded values that are coherent for both the religious and non-religious people and an 'eternity clause' for our European constitution(s) as found in US, French, and German documents, stating that human dignity and fundamental human rights are inviolable and inalienable."
Mr. Dan Fefferman has been the executive director of the International Coalition for Religious Freedom since 1984. He came from Washington DC to speak about the problem of forced conversions in Japan in violation of article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. (This theme had been decided prior to the earthquake and tsunami struck and was presented with respect and deep concern for Japan and Japanese citizens). "The phenomena of forced conversion had been briefly manifested in Europe and the USA in the 1970s and 1980s but comparatively rapidly recognized as illegal and largely eliminated. In Japan, more than 4300 religious believers have been confined in connection with their forced conversion through the actions of Christian ministers. These victims are mainly Unification Church members but also include Jehovah Witnesses and others. The police often refuse to help the victims. Missing persons reports are usually denied unless they are submitted by family members, but in these cases it is the family members who are the perpetrators. There is also racial discrimination, especially between Japanese and Koreans spouses. There have been no criminal prosecutions in the 16 to 20 cases in which the victims have tried to bring charges. Tactics include confining a person to prison-like apartments, forced renunciation of faith as a condition of release, and sometimes starvation and rape. Some victims were held in mental hospitals. This is a violation of article 18 of the UDHR and in some cases of articles 5 and 19 concerning torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Mr. Toru Goto was held for over 12 years. After the police refused to help her husband seek her release, Takako Fujita she committed suicide during confinement. We are appealing to theWorld Council of Churches and the US National Council of Churches to look into this as it is committed by Christian ministers. We are calling upon the UN and related institutions to put pressure on Japan, since it has signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Dr. Aaron Rhodes, an international human rights activist, university lecturer, and essayist based in Hamburg, Germany, served as Executive Director of the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights between 1993 and 2007. He was also active in the Human Dimension of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. "In the International Helsinki Federation, we had many debates about how much freedom of expression should be limited in order to prevent hate speech. The Russian government passed laws against incitement to hatred under pressure from the Council of Europe. However they were at times used to convict human rights activists, and in one outstanding case forced the Russian–Chechen Friendship Society out of existence. The Russian–Chechen Friendship Society was accused of being racist, because it dealt with racial problems, but it was a humanitarian organization. European laws against incitement to hatred originated as a consequence of the Holocaust. Europe is struggling with its multicultural reality. This is with us whether we like it or not." He referred to the work of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. "For civil society, the best prevention of hate crimes is respect for other people. Many non-democratic states have jumped on the anti-hate speech legislation bandwagon, because it gives the state the right to do things coercively. The reality is that crime has gone up in countries with anti-hate speech laws. We should not expect coercive laws by states to eliminate these kinds of problems."
In conclusion, Peter Zoehrer stated, "There can be no world peace without human rights. We should build a network and make our experiences count."
Session 3: "Towards an Interreligious Council at the United Nations"  Hotel Warwick, Geneva, March 25
This session dealt with the particular issue of reforming the United Nations in light of an empowerment of religious leaders to become part of the solution for the world’s problems. Heiner Handschin gave a short introduction to the original statement of UPF’s founder Dr. Sun Myung Moon, at the time of the Assembly 2000 in New York, where he suggested the creation of such a council, as a body comparable to a “senate” of religious leaders. These delegates would deal with all the major issues, such as fulfilling the MDGs, but based on their wisdom, experience and influence as religious and spiritual leaders. After the initial launching, the Philippine government began to take concrete action steps in the direction of an Interreligious Council. Min. Gary Domingo of the Philippine Mission to the UN in Geneva, reported about the history and current state of this initiative. 

Parallel to governments, UPF and its partner organization, the Geneva Interfaith Intercultural Alliance, launched a Model UN program with religious youth of different faiths at the UN in Geneva, showing the im-portance of bringing in religion as a factor for peacebuilding and reconciliation. Between 2008 and 2011, six conferences took place at the UN in Geneva and in diverse parts of the world under the general theme of “Interreligious Cooperation, Human Rights and Dignity.” These conferences tackled specific issues such as the need for creating alliances among stakeholders that included religious leaders, education in rights and dignity, family values, disarmament, mediation, reconciliation. Niraj Pabari, a senior college graduate at Webster’s and leading member of this Model UN program, presented an overview of his experiences with the program.
The evening concluded with a light potpourri of songs and flute performances of two young Geneva artists, Claire Millet and Julia Handschin.
Session 4: "Human Rights based on Universal Principles: A New Paradigm"  Hotel Warwick, Geneva, March 26

Mr. Peter Zöhrer, Dr. Emmanuel Bezzina, and Mrs. Carolyn Handschin
Mr. Peter Zöhrer gave an overview of the fundamental core principles and values that UPF leadership conferences promote and related them to notions of human rights. As nothing exists for itself in nature but everything serves the whole and lives for the “other,” human rights solutions can be more deeply understood. He also explained that the way these Principles are exemplified in the life of the UPF founders, Dr. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon.
In a very passionate response, Dr. Emmanuel Bezzina paid a tribute to the UPF founders and their total dedication to bringing about a world of lasting peace.
Session 5: "Human Rights and Dignity, Gender Roles in a Culture of Peace" 
Following this, Mrs. Carolyn Handschin addressed the audience with a presentation on “Human Rights and Dignity, Leadership, and Gender Roles in a Culture of Peace.” The presentation is part of a “Knowing Our Rights, Living Our Responsibilities” series being developed by WFWP-Geneva. It uses the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a benchmark for human dignity and a natural course of empowerment of both women and men. 
Responding to the presentation, Prof. Mohan Gautam of the Netherlands lent further insight as an anthropologist about the benefit to society when women achieve their potential.  Session 6: "Causes and Resolution of Conflict"
Mr. Tim Miller, Vice-Chairman of UPF Europe, addressed the issue of Root Causes of Conflict and Resolution. In this very poignant lecture, Mr. Miller reminded us that just as peace starts in our minds, human beings are often conflicted within themselves and this manifests itself on a broader scale, such as ethnic conflicts. It isn’t enough to search for just a political solution to problems of conflicts in the world. The world’s religions address this, heal-ing the world starts with my own conduct. Mr. Miller went on to explain UPF’s vision and concrete steps on conflict resolution and reconciliation, showing in a very concrete and practical way that to get rid of an enemy is by getting rid of enmity within ourselves. The great saints and sages in history have shown such an example of sacrificially embracing the enemy with a heart of a parent.
In response to Mr. Miller's lecture, Mrs. Aline Afazali of Birmingham, UK, gave a very touching testimony of her experience of the Rwanda genocide, where she lived as a daughter of a Congolese mother and a Rwandan father through the terrible drama of losing her own father at the hands of brutal criminal gangs. Despite going through such a shattering experience, she chose to actively pursue forgiveness and reconciliation through creating a website memorial for those former childhood classmates who perished and reconnecting to several hundred classmates throughout the world who all managed to survive. 
Session 7: "Closing and reflections"
The closing session featured a very lively line up of statements and reflections of many participants of the conference. Many expressed their deep realizations during the past two days for the need to rededicate themselves for the great cause of peace and serving humanity in these most turbulent times in human history. At the closing there was a nomination of a new Ambassador of Peace in the person of Dr. Krishna Ahooja Patel, former deputy director of INSTRAW and current Vice-President of the NGO CSW-Geneva. •

Geneva ELC #2 September 2011
Marking the UN International Day of Peace:
Multiculturalism - A Contribution to Peace ?


REPORT
Geneva, Switzerland, 23-24 September 2011

Geneva, Switzerland -- In recent months Angela Merkel, David Cameron, and Nicolas Sarkozy all referred to multiculturalism's failure to deliver cohesive communities with a core of shared values. Cameron stated: "We have failed to provide a vision of society to which they feel they want to belong." In response, religious minorities and migrant communities felt targeted as being part of the problem, rather than part of the solution.
The Universal Peace Federation decided to explore the challenge faced by our increasingly globalized urban communities in collaboration with seven partners: the permanent missions of the Republics of Indonesia and the Philippines to the UN in Geneva, the International Organization for Migration, the Asean Foundation, the Fribourg Peace Forum, the Women's Federation for World Peace, and the Geneva Interfaith Intercultural Alliance.
The European Leadership Conference featured five sessions on September 23 at the United Nations in Geneva, marking the International Day of Peace, and on day two another four sessions the following day at the University of Geneva.

Government and Migration
Mr. Heiner Handschin opened the first session by inviting Filipino/Swiss singer, Lica de Guzman, to sing "All I Want to Be," an expression of the hope of young people in our globalized world.
UPF's European Chair, Dr. Yong Cheon Song, emphasized that world cultures spring in the main from religious roots and that UPF's strategy for Peace has always been, to foster dialogue and cooperation among the different religions and cultures.He reminded the participants of the words of UPF's founder, Dr. Sun Myung Moon, at the UN in New York, encouraging reform of the UN through the creation of an inter-religious council, empowering the religious communities to become a decisive partner in solving world problems through the wisdom and experience of the world's faiths.
Dr. Makarim Wibisono, former head of ECOSOC, the Human Rights Commission and currently Executive Director of the Asean Foundation, stressed inter-religious and intercultural dialogue and cooperation and respect for human rights as prerequisites for dealing with the world's 214 million migrants. The Asean group of nations look to the EU model, trying to create a similar regional structure and in 2004 signed a treaty against human trafficking to protect migrant workers.
Amb. Evan P. Garcia expressed that his nation, the Philippines, takes pride in their support for the programs of the Model UN Inter-religious Council at the UN in Geneva and in being one of the primary movers in inter-religious dialogue and cooperation in the world. Multiculturalism and related migration issues are of high importance for the Philippines, which is on the one hand sending many migrants around the world and on the other receiving many migrants. If the world's 214 million migrants were members of one nation they would be the 5th most populous – therefore concerns around migration are receiving more interest from international and national institutions. All of us are members of a religious or cultural grouping.
Ambassador Robert Vandemeulebroucke of Belgium pointed out that migration has been a phenomenon throughout history, back to the times when Abraham moved out of Ur and up to and beyond the migrations to the US in the 19th and 20th centuries. Strongly critical attitudes to migrants, "you come here and remain the same," gave rise to populist parties and narrow-minded policies. There are many examples of migrants being very productive and contributing to the wellbeing of their host nation. Recent global economic and social troubles have caused such an influx, that some nations which have been open to migrants have now almost closed their borders.
Monica Malek, Office for Integration, Department of the Ministry of Justice and Police, Switzerland conveyed the best wishes of the Minister, Hon. Simonetta Sommaruga, absent due to important sessions of the Swiss Government. Switzerland has 1.7 million immigrants – 22% of the nation's population, with every 3rd marriage being binational. Generally there is mutual respect and tolerance, migrants are asked to learn one of Swiss languages and in this way they can get equal access to education and job opportunities. Recently populist parties launched an initiative against the building of minarets. The government had underestimated fear of an "islamization" of the country and the people decided against the government's position in this matter.
The former Minister of Defence of the Netherlands, Dr. Willem Van Eekelen, commented that "greying" Europe badly needs migrant workers and that we should make a distinction between migrants, asylum seekers and refugees from wars and famine when seeking to understand the situation. He referred to the Asean region (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), where the 10 member nations have built up a record focusing on things they agree on, whereas people in Europe tend to focus on what they disagree on. The EU has transformed relations in Europe – nobody thinks of war between European nations any more. Our most cherished freedom has its limit where we infringe on our neighbor's freedom. Migrants should be willing to respect the society that hosts them.
Model UN Inter-religious Council: Session on Multiculturalism
A session of the Model UN Inter-religious Council on the theme of multiculturalism took places as part of the conference on "Multiculturalism -- A Contribution to Peace?" at the United Nations Office in Geneva on September 23.
Minister Jesus Domingo of the Mission of the Philippines to the UN gave an overview of the history of the Model UN Inter-religious Council Program since 2008; to date, eight conferences have taken place in four countries. The Model UN sessions are a project of the Geneva Interfaith Intercultural Alliance.
Program cooordinator Ms. Carolyn Handschin, President of the Women's Federation for World Peace in Europe, introduced the youth delegates and the roles that they would be playing.
The President of the Inter-religious Council (IRC), played by Omar Bawa (law student, Geneva), reminded the Council of the role that the recent tragedy in Norway and the referendum in Switzerland had played in the decision to call for this special session. He then called upon the Secretary General of the UN as the first of three invited speakers to address the council.
Ms. Rachel Brady (degree in International Development and Conflict Management, USA) began, "In the last century we saw the clash of cultures and nations in two horrendous world wars, and yet out of this dark period came new calls for cooperation and mutual prosperity as embodied most clearly in the founding of this great institution. International organizations are on the rise and the creation of intergovernmental organizations defies rationalist political thought. It seems to be the destiny of humanity to come together as one." No one is born disliking or prejudiced against another. The strength of this council is in acknowledging an even greater commonality, our Creator, making us one family, sharing one home.
Representing the Director General of the International Organization for Migration, Ms. Houda Balti (Ph.D. student and NGO lawyer on migration issues, Vienna) had prepared a PowerPoint presentation assessing assimilation and multiculturalism. The latter, ensuring the existence of diverse cultures and promoting a harmonious relationship among them has provided enrichment to both migrant and host communities. A project of the International Organization for Migration, "Mentoring for Migrants," was recommended as best practice and a possible joint initiative.
The next speaker, the Director General of UNESCO, Ms. Elisa Ingrosso (a Masters student in History and Politics at the University of Zurich), explained that the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity states that "cultural diversity is as necessary for humankind as biodiversity is for nature." UNESCO's International Coalition of Cities against Racism may be considered as a best practice and as a driving force in proving diversity to be a motor of development when functioning under unifying core principles.
These initial presentations were followed by Council debate among the standing members of the Inter-religious Council.
The delegate for Catholicism, Ms. Lica de Guzman (a high school student in Geneva, graduate of Little Dreams Foundation), asked the question, is it multiculturalism which has failed us or we who have failed multiculturalism? Referring to the hate propaganda posters of right-wing political parties in Switzerland, which depict scenes such as black hands trying to grab a Swiss passport, she described the frightened reaction of youth in her constituency. In reality in classrooms where nearly 60% of the students are of different origins, all generally manage to get on well together. Remembering the 87 youth gunned down in Norway, she said: "I call on the United Nations and its member states, all non-governmental organizations and world religions to reinforce their commitment to multiculturalism at the heart of the global fight against discrimination and xenophobia."
The delegate for Hinduism, Karthik Ragavan (assistant priest in Geneva Hindu temple, IT professional at UNICC) opened with his wife's Hindu chant: like rivers flowing across the country, all flowing to the ocean, religion should provide a world view that connects the individual to the whole. "I call upon the Inter-religious Council and the United Nations to inculcate and blend education with human values on all levels. Violence can only succeed when we dehumanize others. It is imperative to emphasize actions that give value to others." Protestantism was represented by Mr. Mutua Kobia (a student at Geneva University).
The delegate of Islam, Ms. Neelam Rose (leader of the "NO to Racism" Campaign in the UK and University "Diversity Officer"). Against a background of soaring youth unemployment and mistrust of police and state, people of faith stood together to defend their businesses and places of worship during the recent riots in UK. Although it is very sad to see many young people going to prison, many youth also cleaned up the streets. The funeral of the three young Muslim men who were protecting their shared communities attracted 20,000 people from all races, religions, and ages. It is so very important to facilitate dialogue between races and religions and to invest in young people. The delegate of Judaism was Ilja Sichrovsky (completing studies for a Masters in International Development, Founder and Secretary General of of the Muslim Jewish Conference).
The delegate for Sikhism, Sundeep Singh (Law student at Oslo University and leader of "Young Sikhs"), reported that the recent events in Norway causes us to ask the question, what does it make if one nurtures a strong critique of minorities? Such political parties collected 30% of the vote. Norway has decided, in response to violence, that it needs more democracy and respect, bringing participation and dialogue to all citizens. How can one expand the representative democracies? By letting people interact and ordinary people interact more effectively with their government and the UN. The Inter-religious Council can help this – we are making our choices for the future now!
The delegate for Unificationism, Cathleen Dumas Bell (Graduate in Global Peace and Justice Studies, Trainer with a performing arts-based AIDS prevention education program). Recent tragic events, such as the assassination of former Afghan president Rabbani, remind us of the importance of this session. "Espousing the belief of thinking and acting like a family to create a global family is not unique to my faith community; and herein lies our great strength: we are not nearly as different as some in this world would like us to believe."
Cathleen recommended: (1) Urge the General Assembly to acknowledge the essential value of marriage and family, and their role in peacemaking and that our own Council consider the same priority in choosing our upcoming projects and events; and (2) Use the media, arts, and culture to aggressively disseminate the Council's message, taking note of the successful media campaign of the Committee on the Rights of the Child in Italy.
The Council President thanked all the speakers, stating that the secretariat had taken due note of all interventions and recommendations and would prepare a report to be the basis for further action.
Inter-religious-Intercultural Cooperation and Human Rights
Prof. Dr. Adrian Holderegger, Professor of Moral Theology and Ethics of the University of Fribourg, Switzerland and founding member of the Fribourg Peace Forum, chaired the session.
Dr. Walter Schwimmer, former Secretary General of the Council of Europe, stated that inter-religious and intercultural dialogue are crucial for the current time, as we understand multiculturalism not just as a way of living side by side or in isolated ghettos. Such an understanding will definitely not work! As Secretary General of the Council of Europe, he had spoken on behalf of 800 million people, of which 100 million were Muslims. People's well-being in a multicultural society should include both physical and spiritual factors. There is not a "clash of civilizations or cultures," but we need to educate our population about the pluri-cultural reality of our societies so that there will not be a clash of ignorance.
Rev. Dr. William McComish, President of the Geneva Spiritual Appeal and former Dean of the Cathedral St. Pierre of Geneva, emphasized that in all major documents and constitutions, bills of rights and even the UN Charter, there should be a reference to moral and spiritual values, oft forgotten, but so utterly important. "I believe that no peace can come on earth without multiculturalism. As a Protestant minister I must make it clear that I do not believe God made us to be the same in race, language, gender, age, even religion. Our diversity is a our strength – people who are different help us to question and better understand our own beliefs. I believe it is God's wish that the world be multicultural, so that we can actively rejoice in our difference. In Geneva we have schools with 100 nationalities and we realize that it is all possible…."
Mr. Neil Buhne, Director of the United Nations' Development Program in Geneva, began with some personal reflection about the situation of the eight sometimes troubled countries in which he worked during the last 20 years. In some nations there where religious leaders who accentuated the existing multicultural differences and political leaders who encouraged people to identify with their narrow ethnic or religious identity rather than their national or world identity; these divisions resulted in great loss of human life and resources. As a Canadian he could see the fruits of the mix of cultures, expressed in 2nd and 3rd generation Canadians. The UN should encourage people's natural inclination to be compassionate and to set the best example. We need to create conditions where people have a sense of identity rooted in the positives of their own culture/religion and at the same time as a part of a global culture.
Mr. Bashy Quraishy is President of the European Network Against Racism. As an immigrant from Pakistan, living currently in Denmark, he absolutely believes in inter-culturalism, and hopes that we in Europe can move more and more from dialogue towards cooperation. Europe is in danger of becoming a closed-down fortress of secularism; widespread prejudice against religions resulting in secularism and the loss of spiritual values. These tendencies have negative consequences on the multicultural societies growing throughout Europe and the world as a result of increased migration. Through his work over the last 32 years he could see that original spirituality and faith had the potential to be the glue to bind our societies together.
Women and Development
Ms. Blandine Mollard (International Organization for Migration Gender Issues Coordinator)talked about the difficulties female migrant workers often have integrating in their new situation. Women may be affected by harmful traditional practices which violate their rights, such as forced marriage and genital mutilation. Often these women are not taking part in organizations and remain invisible. The media tends to dwell on negative aspects, but we should not forget the great economic and social contribution that immigrant women make. The money they send back home can raise entire communities out of poverty. Often the less well paid send larger proportions of their income home, foregoing their own comfort. These attitudes affect the view of women in communities of origin.
Ms. Nicole Heydari (from the US, of Mexican/ Iranian parentage, a student of International Development at the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna) discovered that relationships are everything; we learn to interact and put ourselves in others' shoes. While embedded with the military in Afghanistan providing development assistance, she could build bridges between the foreign military and the Afghan population. She found Afghans could more easily express their complaints to a woman and that she could play a key role in facilitating solutions.
Ms Carolyn Handschin (WFWP-Europe President) described the founding of WFWP. Teams of Japanese volunteers were sent to over 100 countries some 20 years ago to support local women's development initiatives, with the firm assumption that women's innate talents and life experiences are a vital contribution to community cohesion and development. Out of these local needs, the resources available, and innovative leadership, each national chapter has produced its projects and programs. Bridge of Peace programs have aimed at reconciling historic enmity (political, religious and ethnic) and forged hundreds of peace building projects worldwide. There are Dignity of Women campaigns throughout Europe as a reaction to sexualized advertising, they give strong advocacy power to local women. Many local activities and projects have been created to support UN Millennium Development Goals, Poverty Eradication, Culture of Peace, to resolve pressing problems, and to provide girls and women of grassroots communities the opportunities to act and influence on a global scale.
Educational Programs and Institutions
Prof. Dr. Richard Friedli, Professor Emeritus of Theology and History of Religions at of the University of Fribourg, Switzerland and member of the Fribourg Peace Forum, moderated the session on educational programs and institutions, introduced the panelists:
Ms. Christine Aghazarm of the International Organization for Migration, explained IOM's important work due to an increase of worldwide trouble spots in the light of wars and conflicts and most recently the "Arab Spring," which added to the number of refugees trying to flee areas of conflict. There are very few areas more subject to misinformation than issues related to migration. Managing migration includes managing how migration is perceived in the host societies. The overall perception tends to be negative -- public perceptions are not formed in a vacuum -- consider the impact of economic recession and other contextual realities. Far too often the critique regarding the failure of multiculturalism has placed the responsibility on the migrant populations rather than on inadequate policies. We should move beyond dialogue and directly exert influence through the education system, creating tool kits that can provide a human face to immigration statistics. It is crucial to avoid blanket labeling and biased media reporting about migrants. Training religious leaders of immigrant and host communities, so that they can more effectively navigate the issues raised by migration would be of great importance.
Mr. Jack Corley, Chairman of UPF in the UK, shared about his more than two decades in Russia and China, with UPF's character education programs. After the end of communism there was a great need to fill the values gap with shared values drawing on traditional sources but avoiding division and denominationalism. UPF's educational programs highlighted educating for character through an emphasis on motivation (heart) and good relationships (norms). The family was described as the "school of love" stressing its vital contribution in the creation of a society where diverse populations can live together in peace and harmony.
Ms Ruveni Wijesekera from the Swiss Academy for Development reported about Academy's sport and play programs in inter-ethnic dialogue in Sri Lanka -- an attempt to build trust and empathy between fractious communities. Because sport is apolitical, it was a safe tool for children and youth in harmonizing the two communities. Through children and youth it became possible to involve the rest of the community and the leadership. Through sports and play one can develop social skills, respect for diversity, a sense of fair play and increase people's self esteem. These programs have also helped to build sensitivity toward the minority. Intercultural sports activities led to discussion and lasting learning experiences.
Innovative Approaches to Peace
A good synergy between the generations was facilitated during day two of our conference through the youthful atmosphere of the University of Geneva and its well-equipped lecture theatre. It was exciting to have with us a number of the dynamic young adults who had contributed so much to the July European Leadership Conference in Vienna. Bogdan Pammer opened with a presentation addressing multiculturalism from the perspective of the need to balance diversity with an understanding that universal values enable us to find the fundamental points we hold in common and to discover difference as an asset in establishing mutually beneficial relationships. Nicole Heydari facilitated a role play through which cross-generational representatives could explore the application of mediation to a fictional but tense situation addressing differences of culture, belief, gender, and ethnicity. It was good to move from theory to application on the foundation of Jack Corley's presentation exploring the causes of conflict and the principles through which peace and cooperation can be recovered.
Timothy Miller and Jack Corley went on to explain more about the Founders of UPF and WFWP, Rev. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon, and their extensive work for world peace. Sales of Rev. Moon's autobiography and of Dr. Walter Schwimmer's work, The European Dream, testified to a healthy interest in innovative approaches to world peace and positive role models.
Final reflections and Ambassador for Peace Awards brought the conference to a meaningful conclusion. Once again UPF and WFWP had been part of facilitating a constructive and warm environment in which a very diverse community of participants could assure themselves that good will and good character enable us to discover each other's unique precious and unique value.