IRCICA Director General spoke of the role of international organizations, particularly IRCICA, in promoting dialogue.
The 4th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue was organized in Baku, by the Government of Azerbaijan in partnership with UNESCO, UNAOC, UNWTO, UN FAO, the Council of Europe and ISESCO. The forum was held from 5-6 May 2. Its theme was “Advancing Intercultural Dialogue: New Avenues for Human Security, Peace and Sustainable Development”. Dr. Halit Eren, Director General of IRCICA; addressed the forum on its first day with a paper titled “Advancing Intercultural Dialogue – The role of international organizations”. Dr. Eren said that after over a decade of experiences in international collaboration for intercultural dialogue that is activated within the Baku Process, the UN Alliance of Civilizations, the OIC’s Plan of Action 2025 and other international and regional initiatives, it is possible to observe that at present policy makers, media and society have clearer perceptions about what intercultural dialogue is, its operations, intercultural dialogue projects and their outcomes. Based on IRCICA’s experience in particular, he pointed to aspects of this collaboration for dialogue that must be maintained and strengthened namely continuity, which has been achieved, he said; dynamism, which is to be supported so as to keep the dialogue efforts and projects in line with changing realities and resilient according to geographical and specific conditions; and, partnership. He underlines the benefits of partnership among international and regional organizations that collaborate to promote intercultural dialogue. In this regard he gave examples of IRCICA’s cooperation with other international and regional organizations.
Dr. Halit Eren also participated in the Round Table Session on “Turkic World at the Crossroads of Cultures and Civilizations” organized by the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, Baku, within the framework of the World Forum. In this Round Table Session Dr. Eren presented a paper on “The Role of IRCICA in Intercultural Dialogue” emphasizing the major guidelines adopted by IRCICA in its efforts to promote intercultural dialogue among its Member States and with other countries across the world.
