The Baku World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, held between 29 May and 1 June, addressed challenges of intercultural dialogue in its various aspects regarding conceptual frameworks, governance, policy, and practice. The speakers on hand tackled the barriers to dialogue and explored how dialogue may best be pursued in diverse contexts. The Forum provided an excellent opportunity for sharing good practices and for launching new initiatives within this intercultural platform. 500 representatives from 102 countries across the planet, representing international organizations, NGOs, media channels, together with scholars, experts, etc. participated in the Forum, organized under the motto “United through Common Values, Enriched by Cultural Diversity.”

The UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser participated in the 2nd World Forum as a speaker at the official opening ceremony. On May 29th, Mr. Al-Nasser inaugurated, together with UNESCO and ISESCO, The National Tolerance Center. The Center aims to serve as a hub for promoting inter-religious tolerance and mutual respect, another aspect of the intercultural dialogue promoted by the forum.

Intercultural dialogue is one of the most pressing and intriguing challenges of the contemporary world and, indeed, one that increasingly manifests itself on a global scale. In this regard we should open our eyes to the reality that global development must be based on the diversity and richness of cultures, a basic code of human understanding. Our acceptance will contribute to an open, progressive repository of wisdom, experience, knowledge, exchange, and solidarity, and will create new ways of living together by widening the range of options open to everyone.

Azerbaijan is one of the unique places in the world where so many different cultures and civilizations, have historically met and still meet under present circumstances. Situated at the crossroads between East and West, North and South, Azerbaijan has been shaped and transformed through time by its cultural exchanges, and has evolved in the process into a setting that expresses itself open to the reality of intercultural dialogue.

In Mr. Al-Nasser’s address to the forum, entitled “Living Together Peacefully in a Diverse World”, the High Representative outlined his vision and priorities for the UN Alliance of Civilizations and defined the role the Alliance can play amid the challenges that our world is facing today, and will continue to face in the future. He reminded listeners of persistent intolerance between nations in some parts of the world, and of the challenges that need to be overcome, linking also sustainable development to cultural understanding as interconnected global ambitions.

Under the banner of education for peace, to mark the start of the 100 day countdown to the 2013 International Day of Peace, UNO Baku – Department of Public Information (UNDPI) team scheduled a special return visit to the Refugee Women and Youth Centre (RWYC) to discuss UN policies in promoting the role of education for peace-building.

The Refugee Women and Youth Centre was founded on 6 June 2003 within the UNHCR and HAYAT NGO project. The Centre serves to bring together all refugees from foreign countries in Azerbaijan, providing them with moral support and a second home to congregate and hold shared events and activities. With the help of staff members and women activists, the Centre has become very popular especially among refugees from Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Russian Republic of Chechnya.

To strengthen the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples, and to shed light on the importance of education, UNDPI Associate Ms. Vafa Safarli delivered an informative presentation which was also part of the Global Education First Initiative.

“Education can contribute to long lasting peace by addressing the underlying inequities which fuel conflicts, and will positively contribute to youth employment, to the empowerment of adolescent girls and women, and to building stable and peaceful societies,” said Safarli in her introductory speech.

Educating the refugees takes paramount importance at the Centre, in line with the operations of Centre director Ms. Zamina Safarova. “The importance of education for refugees cannot be underscored… this is very clear when we set their educative potential against the general population. By and large, they have far more limited access to resources. Therefore it must be our responsibility to run this Centre as a place of learning, and the UN has helped inspire and encourage us in this direction,” said the director.

Ms. Safarli’s presentation on the subject of education for peace attracted significant attention among the refugees present, as they asked pertinent questions regarding this UN campaign. “We understand that this is a very sensitive subject for refugees, given that they have gone through the trials of war and conflict, and the peace and recovery process that must come with it. It is our understanding at the United Nations that an educational focus should be a crucial component of post-conflict development. We are interested in building peace around the world through this enhanced focus,” explained Ms. Safarli in her enlightening speech.

“Today we learned that education is not just about having excellent grades or knowing some subject by heart. We learned the importance of mutual respect and harmony for inclusive and peaceful societies,” said Moustafa Farani, an Afghan refugee who thanked DPI for the session. 

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The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by resolution 36/67 of the United Nations General Assembly to coincide with its opening session, which was held annually on the third Tuesday of September. The first Peace Day was observed in September 1982. The United Nations invites all nations and people to honour a cessation of hostilities during the Day, and to otherwise commemorate the Day through education and public awareness on issues related to peace.

Under the banner of education for peace, to mark the start of the 100 day countdown to the 2013 International Day of Peace, UNO Baku – Department of Public Information (UNDPI) team scheduled a special return visit to the Refugee Women and Youth Centre (RWYC) to discuss UN policies in promoting the role of education for peace-building.

The Refugee Women and Youth Centre was founded on 6 June 2003 within the UNHCR and HAYAT NGO project. The Centre serves to bring together all refugees from foreign countries in Azerbaijan, providing them with moral support and a second home to congregate and hold shared events and activities. With the help of staff members and women activists, the Centre has become very popular especially among refugees from Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Russian Republic of Chechnya.

To strengthen the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples, and to shed light on the importance of education, UNDPI Associate Ms. Vafa Safarli delivered an informative presentation which was also part of the Global Education First Initiative.

“Education can contribute to long lasting peace by addressing the underlying inequities which fuel conflicts, and will positively contribute to youth employment, to the empowerment of adolescent girls and women, and to building stable and peaceful societies,” said Safarli in her introductory speech.

Educating the refugees takes paramount importance at the Centre, in line with the operations of Centre director Ms. Zamina Safarova. “The importance of education for refugees cannot be underscored… this is very clear when we set their educative potential against the general population. By and large, they have far more limited access to resources. Therefore it must be our responsibility to run this Centre as a place of learning, and the UN has helped inspire and encourage us in this direction,” said the director.

Ms. Safarli’s presentation on the subject of education for peace attracted significant attention among the refugees present, as they asked pertinent questions regarding this UN campaign. “We understand that this is a very sensitive subject for refugees, given that they have gone through the trials of war and conflict, and the peace and recovery process that must come with it. It is our understanding at the United Nations that an educational focus should be a crucial component of post-conflict development. We are interested in building peace around the world through this enhanced focus,” explained Ms. Safarli in her enlightening speech.

“Today we learned that education is not just about having excellent grades or knowing some subject by heart. We learned the importance of mutual respect and harmony for inclusive and peaceful societies,” said Moustafa Farani, an Afghan refugee who thanked DPI for the session. 

                                                                ***                                                               
The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by resolution 36/67 of the United Nations General Assembly to coincide with its opening session, which was held annually on the third Tuesday of September. The first Peace Day was observed in September 1982. The United Nations invites all nations and people to honour a cessation of hostilities during the Day, and to otherwise commemorate the Day through education and public awareness on issues related to peace.

As the world community prepares for the development agenda set to succeed the MDG framework beyond 2015, the Office of the Resident Coordinator and the UNO Baku - Department of Public Information (UN DPI) teamed up with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and International Eurasia Press Fund (IEPF) to conduct a consultation in Tartar on 24 May.

Taking into consideration the tense geographical position and current social situation of the town, the new migration trends and the issue of human trafficking were at the forefront of the consultation. More than fifty representatives were brought together from regional executive authorities, as well as from offices dealing with security, legal matters, education, youth, and sports.

Ms. Irada Ahmedova, a representative of the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, informed the participants about the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which have provided an important motivational force and measuring rod for progress in poverty reduction and increased access to basic health, a competitive education, clean water, and other essential services by the target date of 2015.  “The consultation process will be aligned with the Azerbaijan: Vision 2020 national strategy. The ideas and recommendations generated through the consultations, suggesting a post-2015 development framework, with both local and global dimensions, will feed into the UN report due by the end of June,” said Ms. Ahmedova.

Mr. Sarhan Aktoprak, Acting Head of the IOM, also affirmed the importance of migration as part of the ongoing discussions on the post-2015 development agenda. “What we have observed throughout our work,” explained Mr. Aktoprak, “is that migration can make a very important contribution to social and economic development if governed fairly.”

Expressing his eagerness to partner with UN agencies in the process of consultations, the IEPF Chairman, Umud Rahimoglu, stated that, “The outcome today has shown that the Azerbaijani government is open to dialogues and that local authorities are willing to join in the process of developing better national policies. I hope the IEPF, with its partners, can continue to facilitate meetings of this kind.”

Many countries, including Azerbaijan, are on track to achieve a significant number of the goals which have been transforming the quality of life for hundreds of millions of people. The UN is working with governments, civil society, and other partners to build on the momentum generated by the MDGs, and to move forward with an ambitious post-2015 development agenda. Azerbaijan is one of the 87 countries in the world which launched post-2015 national consultations.