Dialogue of Civilizations to kick off in Bahrain Monday

Bahrain will host as of Monday the Dialogue of Civilizations Conference 2014 to help promote dialogue and peaceful co-existence among followers of different civilizations said Head of the higher organizing committee Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al-Khalifa. In an interview with KUNA, Sheikh Khalifa, who also doubles as Bahraini Ambassador to Kuwait, said that the conference will bring together a plethora of prominent religious and academic figures from across the globe, representing different religions and cultures. He added that three-day event, organized by an initiative from the King of Bahrain Hamad bin Essa Al-Khalifa, will thoroughly discuss the role of educational, religious and media organizations in enhancing understanding and co-existence among followers of different faiths. Sheikh Khalifa pointed out that the event will also touch upon the universal human values and rights, particularly democracy and human rights. About 15 regional and international organizations will participate in the conference including the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Arab League, Organizations of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Cairo-based Al-Azhar University, the United Nations, and House of the Cultures of the World in Berlin, he said. Sheikh Khalifa, moreover, said that over 150 religious, scientific, and academic figures will contribute to the activities of the conference. He stated that a large Kuwaiti delegation will partake in the event. He highlighted the significant role played by Bahrain and other GCC countries to promote dialogue among civilizations, counter extremism and uphold world security and stability. Kuwait has established the International Moderation Center as part of the prominent role its play in supporting cultural dialogue, said Sheikh Khalifa. Bahrain held the Islamic-Christian dialogue conference in 2002, and the inter-sect Muslim dialogue conference in 2003. Bahrain has also been organizing the annual Manama dialogue conference since 2004 to promote international peace, and security, said Sheikh Khalifa. The country also organizes several international awards for humanity works and supports the use of information technology to develop the field, he added