Conference on Religion

Cady Barrett
Religious Studies
17 November 2008

A two-day conference was held last week in the United Nations. It is called the “culture of peace”. It is being attended by 70 world leaders, including George W. Bush and Israel’s president. This conference comes in a time when there are rapidly growing problems of gender, ethnic and racial discrimination, and outright cultural intolerance and religious bigotry around the world. The conference aims to promote the world’s common humanity and protect the most important values of tolerance, diversity, and reciprocity. These issues are being approached both faith-based as well as ethically and philosophically. The conferences are not supposed to be concerned with religious issues, but are being forced to because of the rise in religious conflicts. The faith-based conference is an initiative of Saudi Arabia, which forbids the practice of other religious faiths. There are many human right violations in Saudi Arabia, causing controversy in the United Nations. This is one of the hardest times the world has faced since the creation of the United Nations. There is also a chance that the conference will become less of an opportunity for religious and global peace, but more of a chance for governments to promote political propaganda.

After hearing about the conference and its aims of religious conflict alleviation, I’m surprised that it was even created by Saudi Arabia. A country built around the suppression of humans and the loss of rights for the population. It will be very interesting to see what the conference will come up with.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/JK14Ak02.html