‘Transformative dialogue’: Political and religious leaders gather in Lisbon

By Joseph Tulloch - Lisbon

Representatives from almost all of the world’s major religions – including the Patriarch of Constantinople and the Imam of the Grand Mosque of Mecca – are gathering in Lisbon this week.

They will be joined by a number of high-profile political leaders, including officials from the EU, the UN, and the African Union, and the former heads of state of several European countries.

This mingling is intentional: the KAICIID Dialogue Centre, which is sponsoring the event, believes in “Track 1.5 diplomacy” – diplomacy, that is, that mixes “Track 1” discussions between governments with “Track 2” dialogue between non-state actors.

KAICIID

KAICIID – officially the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue – was founded in 2011, with Saudi Arabia, Spain, and Austria as founding states, and the Holy See as a founding observer.

Since then, it has been hosting regular conferences aimed at promoting interfaith collaboration on issues from peacebuilding to climate change.

This most recent meeting is themed “Transformative Dialogue: Building Alliances for Peace in a Rapidly Changing World”, and is taking place from the 14-16 May.

There will be three main topics of discussion – ‘Peacebuilding’, ‘Inclusive Cities’, and ‘Sacred Ecology’.

Who’s who

As well as the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Meccan Imam, leaders from almost every world religion will be present.

These will include the Chief Rabbi of Poland, the heads of various Sikh, Buddhist, and Hindu organisations, a number of Catholic and Protestant leaders, and the Principal Representative of the Bahá’í international community to the UN.

Among the political invitees are Mónica Ferro from the United Nations Populations Fund, the African Union’s Dr. Monique Nsanzabaganwa, and Ambassador Frans van Daele, EU Special Envoy for Religious Freedom.

Matteo Renzi, Francois Hollande, and Heinz Fischer, former leaders of Italy, France and Austria respectively, will also be in attendance.

The ‘transformative’ power of dialogue

KAICIID’s website says the upcoming dialogue forum aims to “harness the transformative potential of dialogue, exploring its effectiveness in advancing human rights, enhancing social cohesion, promoting reconciliation, and facilitating environmental cooperation.”

Vatican News will be on the ground as it happens. Watch this space.