Ashraf Abo Arafe
Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the UAE will host the first edition of the Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities Forum on November 19-20 in recognition of the country’s leading role in promoting tolerance and interfaith dialogue.
The forum will host 450 guests including religious leaders, NGOs and heads of industry to discuss ongoing social challenges and develop comprehensive solutions for protecting youth from cybercrime.
The Interfaith Alliance For Safer Communities Forum is an expansion of the Child Dignity in the Digital World Congress which was held in October 2017 in the Vatican, and resulted in the “Rome Declaration” endorsed by Pope Francis. During the congress, the UAE was identified for its reputation for tolerance, and was consulted with to host an international forum to highlight its commitment to developing interfaith dialogue. These efforts resulted in the formation of the Interfaith Alliance For Safer Communities which will have its first event addressing the issue of child dignity online.
In advance of the forum, several international workshops have been held in various cities, such as Cairo, Nairobi, Manilla, Santo Domingo, New Delhi, and Abu Dhabi. The workshops highlighted the key topics that will be discussed during the forum.
The forum is supported by Al Azhar, and is held in partnership with a number of global entities and organizations including Unicef, The Child Dignity Alliance, Arigatou International, The Global Network of Religions for Children, End Violence Against Children, Religions for Peace International, WePROTECT Global Alliance, The Center for Child Protection of the Pontifical Gregorian University, Al Azhar University, World Vision International, Shanti Ashram and International Justice Mission.
The forum’s second day, which coincides with “Universal Children’s Day”, will focus on a ‘call to action’ at Wa’hat Al Karama, with Professor Dr. Ahmad Al-Tayyeb (Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and President of the Muslim Council of Elders), His All-Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew (Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople of the Eastern Orthodox Church), His Holiness Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria, Rabbi Michael Schudrich (Chief Rabbi of Poland), Bhai Sahib Bhai Dr. Mohinder Singh OBE KSG (Chairman, Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha), Reverend Keishi Miyamoto, (President, Myochikai) and Her Holiness Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, Hindu Spiritual Leader. Attendance will be by invitation only.
