Factsheet on Kazakhstan’s initiatives to promote interfaith and inter-civilizational harmony

 

Nursultan Nazarbayev Centre for Development of Interfaith and Inter-civilization Dialogue

   The N. Nazarbayev Centre for Development of Interfaith and Inter-civilization Dialogue was established in April 2019 to preserve and ensure inter-religious and inter-civilization dialogue, as well as to promote the ideas of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.

Objectives of the Centre

 Promote peace and harmony between all religions in an atmosphere of mutual respect;

 Ongoing engagement with domestic and foreign religious associations and their spiritual leaders;

 Engagement with international organizations, conclusion of memoranda of cooperation on issues of interreligious and intercultural dialogue;

 Organization of the following events: Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, the meeting of the Secretariat of the Congress and the Working Group;

 Organization and participation in the preparation of international, domestic and regional conferences, round-tables, seminars, and other events on religious issues aimed at strengthening interreligious and intercultural dialogue;

 Analysis of religious issues in the world;

 Participation in the implementation of state policy in the field of religion, including on combating religious extremism;

 Promotion of the Kazakh experience of interfaith dialogue at the international level.

 

Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions

The Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, which takes place every three years in Nur-Sultan, the capital of Kazakhstan, is a gathering of global religious and political leaders.

It was established at the initiative of the First President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, in direct response to the rise in religious tensions and extremism in the world.

The first Congress was held in 2003. It was attended by 17 delegations from 13 countries. The sixth session of the Congress was held in Nur-Sultan in 2018 on the theme of “Religious Leaders for a Safe World”. 82 delegations from 45 countries participated in the event. The Congresses are attended by leaders and prominent representatives of the clergy from Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Shintoism, Taoism and other traditional religions.

KEY PRIORITIES OF THECONGRESS

 

▪search for universal reference points in world and traditional

forms of religions.

▪ the functioning of the permanent international

interdenominational Institute for the implementation of interreligious dialogue and concerted action.

▪ affirmation of peace, harmony and tolerance as unshakeable principles of human existence.

▪ achievement of mutual respect and tolerance between

religions, confessions, nations and ethnicities.

▪ preventing the use of people's religious feelings to escalate.

▪ cooperation and interaction with all international

organizations and structures aimed at promoting dialogue

between religions, cultures and civilizations.

  Major achievements

The Congress has facilitated global dialogue between religions and nations, and played a major role in promoting mutual understanding and respect in societies and countries; 

 Its contribution to promoting dialogue and understanding was recognised in 2004 by a United Nations resolution;

 At the initiative of the Congress, the 62^nd session of the UN General Assembly declared 2010 the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures, followed by the decision of the 36^th session of UNESCO General Conference of the Proclamation of 2013-2022 the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures. 

 

 Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions

The Secretariat is the working body of the Congress. It ensures the smooth running of activities between the sessions of the Congress. The Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan is the head of the Secretariat.

The members of the Secretariat are representatives of the leaders of world religions participating in the Congress

The Secretariat meets annually to discuss:

- Implementation of decisions of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions;

- Preparation of the sessions of the Congress;

- The global agenda, regulations, draft final documents of the Congress (Declarations, Appeals);

- Coordination of engagement with international organisations on issues of interfaith and inter-civilizational dialogue.

  N.Nazarbayev Center for Development of Interfaith and

Inter-civilization Dialogue

 

    The idea of creating the N.Nazarbayev Center for Development of Interfaith and Inter-civilization Dialogue was initiated by the participants of the VI Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in October 2018.

  The N.Nazarbayev Center for Development of Interfaith and Inter-civilization Dialogue was established by Decree №226 of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan on April 25, 2019.

   The main subject of activity of the Center is to promote international initiatives of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan – Elbasy to preserve and ensure the inter-religious and inter-civilization dialogue, as well as the promotion of the ideas of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.

 

Goals and objectives of the Center

 promoting peace and harmony between all religions in an atmosphere of mutual respect;

 ensuring on an ongoing basis interaction with domestic and foreign religious associations and their spiritual leaders;

 interaction with international structures (organizations, centers, etc.) on issues of interreligious and intercultural dialogue;

 organizing and conducting of the following events: Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, the meetings of Secretariat of the Congress and the Working Group;

 organizing and participation in the preparation for international, republican and regional conferences, round tables, seminars, events and competitions on religious issues aimed at strengthening interreligious and intercultural dialogue;

 analysis of the state and dynamics of development of the religious situation in the world;

 monitoring of materials on religious subjects in foreign and domestic media;

 assistance to state bodies of the Republic of Kazakhstan and participation in the activities of awareness-raising groups of all levels in the implementation of state policy in the field of religion, including on combating religious and other manifestations of extremism;

 promoting the Kazakh experience of interfaith dialogue at the international level.

Since May 26, 2020, the Institute for Analysis of Religious Situation and Religious Expertise has been established at the Center.

 

 

The Secretariat of theCongress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions

 

The Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions is the working agency of the Congress (during the 1st Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, held on September 23-24, 2003, the forum participants decided to create a working body of the Congress – the Secretariat).

The Secretariat ensures the activities between the sessions of the Congress. The Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan is the head of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.

The members of the Secretariat are representatives of the leaders of world religions participating in the Congress, among them are representatives of Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Taoism, Shintoism, Hinduism, international organizations.

Secretariat meets annually and considers issues about:

- implementation of decisions of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions;

- ensuring the preparation of the sessions of the Congress;

- agreeing on key topics, the global agenda, work regulations, draft final documents of the Congress (Declarations, Appeals);

- coordination of interaction with international structures on issues of interfaith and intercivilizational dialogue.

 

Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions

 

Origins of Congress

For the first time, the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions was convened on September 23-24, 2003 on the initiative of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, NursultanNazarbayev.

Speaking on February 13, 2003 at the International Conference of Peace and Accord, which played an important role in the rapprochement of religions, cultures and peoples and in which representatives of Christian, Muslim, Jewish organizations took part, Nazarbayev appealed to representatives of all faiths with the initiative to hold the Congress of World Leaders in Kazakhstan. and traditional religions.

Representatives of the Roman Catholic Church were among the first to support the idea of ​​the Congress during the visit of the President of Kazakhstan to the Vatican.

 

ObjectivesoftheCongress:

 search for common human landmarks in world and traditional forms of religions;

 functioning of a permanent international interfaith institution for the dialogue of religions and the adoption of agreed decisions.

 

Main priorities of the congress:

 the establishment of peace, harmony and tolerance as the unshakable principles of human existence;

 achieving mutual respect and tolerance between religions, confessions, nations and ethnic groups;

 preventing the use of religious feelings of people for the escalation of conflicts and hostilities.

 

Congressobjectives:

 strengthening the traditions of inter-religious and inter-confessional dialogue in the form of inter-religious congresses;

 creation of a permanent organ of the Congress for the coordinated, objective and competent preparation of the ideology and concept of future congresses;

 cooperation and interaction with all international organizations and structures aimed at promoting dialogue between religions, cultures and civilizations;

 expanding the dialogue between representatives of different cultures and religions with the involvement of representatives of secular and religious media, youth associations, scientific and creative intelligentsia;

 deepening and strengthening mutual understanding and respect among religious communities;

 development of a culture of tolerance and mutual respect as a counterbalance to the ideology of hatred and extremism;

 preventing the prevalence of theses about the "clash of civilizations", expressed in the opposition of religions and the further politicization of theological disputes, as well as attempts to discredit one religion by another;

 promoting global dialogue among civilizations, cultures and religions.

 

Chronology of Congress

The six Congresses of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Astana, held in 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2018, were attended by leaders and prominent representatives of the clergy from Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Shintoism, Taoism and other traditional religions.

At the dialogue platforms of the Congress, a rich and constructive conversation is held on the spiritual rapprochement of religious communities, as a result of which joint final documents of the interreligious summit were adopted - Declarations and Appeals addressed to citizens, peoples and governments of the countries of the world.

 

Partners of the N. Nazarbayev Center for Development of Interfaith and Inter-civilization dialogue

United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UN, USA), Muslim World League (KSA), King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue: KAICIID (KSA),Muslim Council of Elders (UAE), Global Council for Tolerance and Peace (UAE),The International Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (UAE), Religions for Peace (USA), Lutheran World Federation (Switzerland), Islamic Research Institute for the International Islamic University, (Pakistan), Al-Azhar Center for Interreligious Dialogue (Egypt), Baku International Centre for Interfaith and Inter-Civilizational Cooperation (Azerbaijan), National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, University of Sharjah (UAE), Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (Vatican), Center for Islamic Civilization under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan,AkhmetYassawi International Kazakh-Turkish University, Nazarbayev University, Agency «Khabar».