Upon the special request of the President of Lebanon, Joseph Auon, the President and the Secretary General of the International Society for Human Rights (ISHR), Thomas Schirrmacher and Matthias Böhning, participated in the first-ever Beirut International Conference on Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue for Sustainability.
Thomas Schirrmacher addresses Sunni and Catholic leaders of Lebanon © BQ
The conference was organised by the Lebanese One Voice Foundation, which is connected to the Royal Ghassanid Academy of Arts and Science, whose President Schirrmacher is, as well as by the Faith for Earth Initiative of the United Nations and the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) in Beirut. The conference, held under the patronage of HE General Joseph Aoun, President of the Republic of Lebanon, whom Schirrmacher and Böhning had visited earlier visit to prepare the conference, took place in the John Paul II Amphitheater at the Holy Spirit University.
The conference took up a resolution passed by the United Nations in 2019 to make Lebanon a platform for dialogue between civilisations and cultures. It emphasised the country’s unique history, which has been shaped by a wide variety of cultures and religions over the past centuries, making it a central location for the contested concept of so-called “coexistence.”
The programme began with a visionary panel on the topic of “Lebanon as a Hub for Dialogue and Sustainability.” After the lunch break, ISHR President Schirrmacher spoke on “The Covenant of Coexistence: How Diversity and Faith Forge a Sustainable Future,” to which the Advisor to the President of the Lebanese Republic for Human Rights and Interfaith Dialogue, Habib Afram, also contributed.
The speakers and program organisers of the Beirut International Conference on Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue © BQ
In his address, Schirrmacher spoke to the Grand Mufti of Lebanon, Abdul Latif Derian, and his two deputies, who were seated directly in front of him and with whom he held a discussion afterwards. He also addressed the different Catholic bishops and leaders, as well as the President of the (Papal) Holy Spirit University. He reminded them of their huge responsibility in representing two large religious communities in Lebanon. He emphasised that conflict between religious leaders, even verbal conflict, would be devastating for the country. However, if they were to engage in dialogue and cooperate despite their theological differences, as they had done by being present, then Lebanon would have a future.
The ISHR President had last met his counterpart in the panel, Mr Afram in person on the eve of his trip to Syria. Mr Afram, who is also President of the Syriac League, is a proven and globally recognised expert on the situation of Christian minorities in the Middle East. Against this backdrop, the President and the Secretary General discussed the potential for closer cooperation on the sidelines of the conference, including the idea of an Observatory for Human Rights and Freedom of Religion and Belief for the MENA region.
First row sitting beside the representative of the Muslim World League and the Advisor of the President of Lebanon © BQ
Other important meetings and discussions took place with the following dignitaries:
- Father Prof Georges Hobeika, Vicar General of the Lebanese Maronite Order (OLM) (an intellectual with a wealth of historical, theological, and philosophical knowledge)
- HE Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Jarwan, President of the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace from the United Arab Emirates
- Hs Royal Highness Prince El Hassan Bin Talal of Jordan
- Dr Ibrahim Saleh Al Naimi, Minister of Education, Qatar
- Dr Iyad AbuMoghli, CEO, Faith for Earth Initiative, UNEP
- Dr Waseem Haddad, Director of the Arab Region, KACIID
- Dr Laure Abi Khalil, Middle East Council of Churches
- Hussam Zaki, Assistant Secretary General, Arab League