Speech by Mr. Abdullah Mbamba,
UNIC Director for Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific
Given at Sydney on 20th October, 2007

Thank you very much Danielle.

Dear friends, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen,

It is indeed a great pleasure for me to be among you this afternoon. I should like first of all to thank the Shri Ram Chandra Mission , Australia for its styling effort in organising this event here in Sydney on the occasion of the observances of the United Nations Day 2007 on the theme: “ One World, One Humanity- Steps and Obstacles Towards Unification of Humanity”, and indeed for extending an invitation to me, to address this gathering on the subject which is very dear to the United Nations.

My presentation this afternoon will focus on the dialogue on inter-religious and intercultural understanding and cooperation for peace, which I think is a key component in achieving the objectives of “One World One Humanity”. There is no doubt in my mind that the theme for this event reaffirms the values enshrined in the UN Charter and indeed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. But more significantly, is that your organisation  has taken concrete steps to advance these values here in Australia. Cooperation among religions and cultures is tremendously important in today’s world, where religion is been used as an excuse for division, while secular bodies are unable to cope with the problems.

In this era of globalisation, we have the unrivalled opportunity and responsibility to replace intolerance and discrimination with understanding and mutual acceptance. We are all aware that we live in unprecedented times, where cultures and religions are being pulled over closer together by a web of telecommunications and economic links. However, while contributing to the richness of our human experience, these encounters also reveal deep-rooted misunderstandings. As we all know, the main aim of religion is to enable an individual to live a good moral life, on truth and on justice. But to look back on history, it is shocking to find that most wars have been fought in the name of religion. Conflicts rise when beliefs have been forced on others, and therefore the challenges facing cooperation between religions and cultures are complex and formidable, because religious and political aspirations have become mixed. Rather than being a personal ethic, religion has become institutionalised and politicised, and used to fulfil the political aspirations of a few individuals in each religious community. In other words, religious loyalties are being exploited, and this gives rise to fanatism and sometimes to extremism and terrorism.

Ladies and gentlemen, history has proven that the major religions share a common heritage;  that the basic tenets of all religions are fundamentally similar in promoting peace, dignity and tolerance among other values. Therefore, any  confrontation  between faiths is motivated by competing political interests rather than incompatibility among basic precepts. We also know that mutual understanding does not intend impose on one’s values, or culture, or faith on others. It involves the respect of different values and beliefs, based on the awareness of common economic, political and social goals and also challenges. We must therefore  rely  on the moral and political  benefits of tolerance and cooperation, since religion is being used to tear people apart. And indeed the contradiction is that faith and humanity actually bond people together. Religious groups and religious leaders around the world have a very important duty to talk and work with each other, whether an imam in a mosque, a rabbi in a synagogue, a priest in a temple, to convey a common message of tolerance, respect and mutual understanding. Also religious communities equally hold enormous potential to become a positive force for peace, by making it clear that an attack against one’s faith constitute an attack against all faiths. A key reason why religions have been easily exploited for hatred and violence is because each has claimed to be superior. While each religion might recognise the reality of other religions, they do not really  recognise their validity. Claims of superiority provide opportunities to turn religion into weapons of violence. However, misinterpretation of scriptural texts, which seem to promote hate, violence and sometimes war, is among the greatest barrier to inter-religious and intercultural cooperation.

So what is the solution to this complex problem that we experience in the world today?

I believe dialogue is the answer.

Dialogue might decisively help people overcome their fears, their rejection in cultural or religious discrimination, radicalism and violence. It might help people to respect the integrity of individuals. Dialogue among civilization has been carried out and portrayed in the U.N. and emphasised in the U. N. Cultures and religions hold great potential to prevent conflict by reducing misunderstandings and mistrust. The values of one’s civilisation and culture must not be taken as absolute. People must use the culture of peace to suppress the culture of war, cooperation to obliterate disintegration, justice to suppress injustice, and love to replace hate.

Civil society is the main actor of inter-religious and intercultural cooperation.

Civil society groups like yours have been creating an environment of reconciliation implementing many joined action plans such as poverty elimination projects, educational activities. When followers of different faiths sit together in fellowship, they find that they have much in common, and superficial differences quickly fall away. They become one in a universal life, and that is the difference between faith and belief… and that is the way forward towards one world, one humanity.

Ladies and gentlemen, almost 60 years ago, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was formed, comprising the best ingredients for peace, tolerance, respect for diversity and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. After 60 years, there is still no better solution.

To be tolerant in words and deeds, societies and communities,  need dialogue. Where no genuine or open dialogue across religious and cultural lines exist, prejudice prevail, but to lead a genuine dialogue, we must come with an open mind and the knowledge of all cultures and all religions. That knowledge is gained not only from formal education, which we get in schools and universities, but also from the media, from the government, and indeed from the general public.

Similarly, commitment to interfaith and intercultural dialogue are valuable in creating a new culture of international relations based on human security, human rights, and the responsibility to protect. Its is essential for the media, for the private sector, for the civil society, for faith groups organisations, and for non- governmental organisations as a whole, to be actively involved.

Many opportunities to promote intercultural cooperation have been opened by the nature of global economy, and the commitment to cooperate social responsibility.

The United Nations has indeed a crucial role to play in promoting such a dialogue, and advancing the fundamental freedom that we must all respect, others religions and beliefs.

Although mistrust, suspicion and the misperception of other peoples groups persist, the United Nations could however play a key role to promote the message of universal respect for cultures and religions, by all and for all. The universal nature of United Nations requires taking into account the diversity of the world’s cultures and religions.

In this era, the United Nations founded 62 years ago today to promote respect for the diversity among nations faces a great challenge, caused by a rising culture of intolerance and extremism, of disrespect and violence. Many times it was the very few propagating the intolerance, to misguide the many and bring harm to all. For some, it involved portraying the problem as a religious conflict, where in fact, there was none, and therefore such intolerance, from whatever the cause, if not addressed, would lead to distrust, disagreement and even dispute, and this we cannot let happen.

The question of how we move from the noble ideas into concrete action is what we need to consider in this event this afternoon. We need to take the first step, by organising interfaith dialogue, and identifying our own best means to promote tolerance and respect for diversity, because it could not be imposed, least by the United Nations.

Identifying critical target groups to determine the critical instruments in creating a culture of peace and tolerance, is probably the second step. The key target group is youth, and the key instrument is education.

Finally, the United Nations can coordinate and consolidate various efforts at the global level to promote respect for diversity and tolerance. No peace among mankind could endure if cultural false lines continue to form and deepen. It is thus up to all countries of the world, to all the communities to foster growing good will among peoples and consorted action to surmount the challenge caused by extremism and intolerance. It is an important task that we cannot afford to fail. In doing so, we should also recognise that a crime committed in the name of religion is the greatest crime against religion, and that religion should not be used as a pretext for war. In this regard, we must acknowledge the legitimate rights of others to assert their identity, if we want to have a meaningful dialogue. That religious  leaders  have a duty drawing on the principles of their own faith to promote mutual misunderstanding and tolerance in their communities. And that there are already many helpful tools available to promote positive encounters among people of different cultures.

To this end, I think we should all  become instruments of peace. We must all begin a global dialogue using public campaigns, and all forms of media, to spread greater awareness of all these issues that I have touched on. Together, it is our common challenge to eliminate all distorted notions that deepen barriers and widen divides, for they all originate in the discriminatory practices of the mind. We can achieve this, through a multi faceted dialogue that promotes unity in diversity and replace misunderstanding with mutual understanding and acceptance. The success of this dialogue also rests on the active involvement of media, private sector, the civil society movement, faith groups and non-governmental organisations. Your own insights and outreach will be instrumental in helping to achieving these goals.

Going forward  means, let us each respect the uniqueness of each others perspectives, so that together we can honor the rich, the diversity of humanity…And going forwards  means communities must institutionalise  interfaith initiative through policy, upholding freedom of religion, adopt a common plan of action, encourage interfaith centres in schools, and strengthen the focal unit of inter-religious and intercultural matters, to ensure that all efforts are sustained.

We must also stress the importance of coming together with a shared vision of bringing to the forth people who are often brutalised and marginalised for their views and beliefs by the power that be. It is essential that people learn to turn their differences into strength.

We must stress the importance of deep spirituality as a source of compassion, love, healing and reconciliation. Shared values make cooperation possible and one of the most important achievement s of the United Nations over the years, as we celebrate our 62nd anniversary,  has been the creation of universal values. It is therefore important to continue promoting the global ethic and instilling commitment to the ethical framework in all peoples and generations.

It is also clear that there is much more that unites people than divides people.

I  therefore  call on all of you here this afternoon to spread the message in your communities, in your neighborhood, that no matter what religion, creed or culture, the human family stresses, shares, a common yearning for peace, prosperity and happiness; that opened and sustained dialogue, respect for freedom of expression and religious belief are fundamental to our endeavor, to promote peace. We all need to acknowledge and respect the pluralism of views and beliefs that exist in the world today.

We should all become example of tolerance and mutual understanding in our daily lives..

Those values are enshrined in the UN charter and, if fully implemented, it would establish a new culture of international relations based on peace, tolerance and mutual respect.

I thank you for your attention, and wish you all a very enjoyable and successful afternoon

Thank you very much indeed.