Baku, Azerbaijan, May 2–3, 2019
The Fifth World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, held under the motto “Building Direct Dialogue Against Discrimination, Inequality, and Violent Conflict,” took place on May 2–3 in Baku, Azerbaijan. The forum was organized by the Government and the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan, in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, the World Tourism Organization, the Council of Europe, the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe.
Participants included high-level officials from 105 countries and 35 international organizations, such as heads of government, ministers, representatives of various international organizations, cultural professionals, ambassadors, experts, journalists, intellectuals, and distinguished activists, among others.
The aim of this forum was to promote intercultural dialogue and human awareness in order to prepare a common roadmap for organizations representing the public, private, and other sectors to create an inclusive and sustainable society, and to form partnerships among political, economic, financial, military, humanitarian, and social organizations. This international platform offers the opportunity and encourages states and organizations to take concrete steps in support of ethnic diversity and mutual dialogue as fundamental bases for sustainable peace and inclusive development.
Present at this event was also the Director of the Institute of Education, Heritage and Tourism (IETT), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ramiz Zekaj, who simultaneously holds the position of Head of Media at the High Council for Culture, Science, and Education at ISESCO.
Within the framework of the theme “Building Direct Dialogue Against Discrimination, Inequality, and Violent Conflict,” Prof. Zekaj, through his presentation, shared with the participants the experiences of Albania and the Balkans, as well as the steps being taken in this regard by various non-governmental organizations, institutes, universities, and others. He emphasized the importance of intercultural dialogue in society, highlighting it as a tool to address some of the urgent challenges of our time, including growing discrimination, inequality, and the increasing spread of violent conflict.
The fight against Islamophobia, the elimination of stereotypes, and the management of complex human resources through interfaith training were topics discussed during the roundtable organized by the High Council for Culture, Science, and Education at ISESCO on the first day of the forum.
