Ban To Attend Forum On Bridging Islam/West Divide

Friday, 11 January 2008, 12:04 pm

Press Release: United Nations

Ban Ki-moon to attend Madrid forum on bridging divide between Islam and West

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will head to Spain next week for the
first United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Forum aimed at
promoting the global campaign launched by the world body to help
overcome prejudices between nations and cultures and to promote
interfaith dialogue.

Mr. Ban will open the Forum on 15 January along with Spanish Prime
Minister Jose Rodriguez Zapatero, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Recep
Erdogan, and the Secretary-General's High Representative for the
Alliance and former President of Portugal, Jorge Sampaio.

Created in 2005 at the initiative of Spain and Turkey and under UN
auspices, the Alliance seeks to tackle fear and suspicion, bridge
divides and overcome prejudices and polarizations between Islam and
the West.

"This event next week is the first major event of the Alliance of
Civilizations," the group's Acting Director said at a press
briefing in New York.

[...]

Full article at "Scoop" 
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0801/S00127.htm

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