The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Permanent Mission of Spain to the OSCE will host a breakfast dialogue on 10 May 2016 to discuss the challenges and opportunities that an increasing diversity of religions and beliefs poses for public institutions, religious communities and societies the OSCE region in general.
The event will be hosted by Ambassador María Victoria Gonzalez Roman, Permanent Representative of Spain to the OSCE and moderated by Kishan Manocha, Senior Adviser on Freedom of Religion or Belief, OSCE/ODIHR and Belen Alfaro, Spanish Ambassador at Large for the Alliance of Civilizations and Interreligious Dialogue.
A panel of international experts will approach the issue of managing diversity of religions and beliefs from the perspectives of freedom, tolerance and security. They will also discuss the importance of interreligious dialogue and education in efforts to build stable and secure societies.
Ms. Cristina Finch, Head of the Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Department, OSCE/ODIHR; Dr. Nedžad Grabus, Grand Mufti of Slovenia; Prof. Marco Ventura, Director of the Centre for Religious Studies, Bruno Kessler Foundation; and Ms. Gunay Rahimova, from the Republic of Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry, will be part of the panel.
The event builds on the discussions held on similar themes at the OSCE Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting on Tolerance and Non-Discrimination in Vienna on 14 April and the VII Forum of the Alliance of Civilizations in Baku on 25-27 April.