THE SECOND WORLD CONFERENCE ON INTER-RELIGIOUS AND INTER-CIVILIZATION DIALGOUE HAS JUST STARTED IN OHRID
Announced as a colossal gathering of knowledge and conscience by the Director of the Commission for Relations with Religious Communities and Religious Groups in the Government, Mrs. Valentina Bozinovska, the Second World Conference on Inter-religious and Inter-civilization Dialogue has just started in Ohrid and will continue until the 8th this month.
The Conference is attended by over 400 representatives from thirty states, of their religious communities as well as the top academic institutions worldwide. Again, same as in 2007, the city of the Macedonian spiritual anciency hosted representatives of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and other religions and different cultures.
Welcoming the participants, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia, Mr. Nikola Gruevski, wished the participants to enjoy the known Macedonian and South-Eastern European hospitality, especially in Ohrid - the seat of our spiritual heritage and knowledge, where other religions can be found as well.
The Minister of Culture of the Republic of Macedonia, M.Sc. Elizabeta Kanceska-Milevska said that the experience gained from First World Conference gives us hope to believe that this Second Ecumenical Meeting will be realized in terms of affirmation of all our previous knowledge and experiences that will confirm the success of the dialogue between cultures and civilizations in practice.
Addressing the present guests, the head of the Macedonian Orthodox Church and Ohrid Archbishopric, His Beatitude, Archbishop of Ohrid and Macedonia, Gospodin Gospodin Stefan emphasized that the MOC welcomes such meetings, because they denote an opportunity to become familiar with the others, with their religious and cultural identity. Thus we establish criterion for setting out all the things in terms of knowledge, of being informed, and not of speculation, or misconception.
In the opening speech of the Conference, the participants who took part were: Mr. Guido Belati Ceccoli (Representative of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe); Reis Ul Ulema Hadzi Sulejman Efendi Rexhepi (President of the Islamic Community in Macedonia); His Eminence Cardinal Vinko Puljic (plenipotentiary Representative, Head of Delegation of the Holy See); Mr. Heinrich Bolleter (bishop of the United Methodist Church); Mr. Rabbi Andrew Baker (Director of International Relations of the Jews); Mr. Engelbert Ruoss (Director of UNESCO Regional Bureau in Venice, on behalf of UNESCO Director-General) and Mrs. Deirdre Boyd (UN Coordinator and UNDP Representative in Macedonia.
The Second World Conference on Inter-religious and Inter-civilization Dialogue continued with plenary discussions on the following topics: “Religion and Culture – Peace Factors”, “The Role of Religion and Culture in Transformation of Society”, “Respect for Religious Rights and Cultural Diversity – Foundation of Peace and Prosperity” and many more.
The Conference ends on Saturday, May 8th this year, when after the discussion on “Jubilees of Significant Figures and Events”, as well as “How are Women Inscribed in Religious Discourses”, the Final Declaration of the Second WCDARC will be adopted as well.
