The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Government of Malaysia conducted a three-day Cultural Activity in Malaysia, under the title “Intercultural Dynamics in Southeast Asia: Current Status, Opportunities, and Future Perspectives”, from 22-24 April 2024. The main event was an international seminar organized jointly with the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Abdul Hamid Abu Sulayman Kulliyyah of Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences, on the theme “Cultivating wisdom, inspiring excellence and shaping the futures”. Opening speeches and keynote addresses delivered by dignitaries from the Malaysian Government, the OIC General Secretariat, OIC subsidiary and affiliated institutions highlighted different aspects of the theme and/or activities undertaken by various cultural and academic institutions. A number of issues were evoked, including the role of intercultural dialogue in solving contemporary problems, the role of intellectuals in minimizing societal conflicts through community engagement, and the status of intercultural dialogue in Southeast Asia, as well as artificial intelligence, science and technology, among other topics. The focus was “to deliberate on the strategies conducive to better cultivation of the ideals of cultural understanding, mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and profitable partnerships.” The role of OIC in promoting cultural rapprochement among its Member States was underlined, as culture represents an effective soft power means to reach out to larger publics within the Muslim world and beyond.
IRCICA Director General Ambassador Prof. Mahmud Erol Kılıç was invited to address the session on Inter-Faith and Inter-Cultural Dialogue themed “An Approach to Inter-Faith and Inter-Cultural Harmony in Solving Contemporary Humanitarian Problems”. Professor Kılıç alluded to the theoretical frameworks and practical action areas of inter-faith and inter-cultural harmony and cooperation in solving problems facing humanity with glimpses at IRCICA’s activities that contribute to realizing the objectives alluded at through the seminar theme.
