Interfaith dialogue to bring scholars from seven religions on one platform
ISLAMABAD, Dec 02, (SABAH): Despite the general perception of religion as a source of division, it holds immense transformative potential to address global challenges and promote unity in a divided world. In this regard, interfaith dialogue and cooperation remain essential for countering polarization. By working toward common goals, religious communities can demonstrate the enduring relevance of faith in tackling issues of inequality and conflict.
Aimed at fostering this understanding, Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) is collaborating with Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), University of Management & Technology (UMT), Lahore, Gift University, Gujranwala, Islamic Foundation, UK, and The Markfield Institute of Higher Education, UK, in holding an international seminar on ‘The Role of Religions in Fostering Peace, Harmony, and Justice’ on December 4, 2024.
The event will bring together prominent international and local speakers representing seven major faiths, i.e. Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism, and Baha’ism, alongside scholars, religious leaders, policymakers, and civil society representatives.
The seminar is timely as the contemporary global landscape, marked by fast-paced changes in lifestyles, thought patterns, and decision-making criteria, is witnessing a growing skepticism toward religiosity. Since the dawn of the industrial age and now entering the Fifth Industrial Revolution, the relevance of religion has been overshadowed by modernism, post-modernism, and the dominance of science and technology. In this environment, religion is often viewed as unnecessary or divisive.
However, while societal advancements promise progress, they have also deepened humanity’s struggles with justice, peace, and harmony. Rising conflicts rooted in racial, ethnic, and national divisions, as well as the intensifying fight for resources, threaten the social fabric. These challenges underscore the need to recognize and amplify religion’s potential as a unifying force.
The seminar aims to counter prevailing narratives by highlighting shared principles of compassion, justice, unity, and peace inherent in all major religions. It will provide a platform for academics, religious leaders, and policymakers to explore how these values, practiced through mutual understanding and respect, can transcend divisions of race, color, caste, and nationality to build a cohesive global society.
The seminar will feature a diverse lineup of prominent international and local speakers, including academics, researchers, and religious leaders. Through keynote speeches, panel discussions, and interactive sessions, the event will focus on key topics such as the shared ethical teachings of religions on peace, justice, and harmony, the role of interfaith dialogue in fostering mutual respect and reconciliation, best practices from global examples of religious cooperation contributing to social cohesion, and strategies to address contemporary challenges such as social divisions, extremism, and injustice through interfaith collaboration.
The seminar aims to offer actionable insights and recommendations for religious communities and policymakers to work collectively toward promoting dialogue, understanding, and peacebuilding in local, national, and international contexts. The event also seeks to reframe the global narrative, asserting religion’s constructive role in addressing humanity’s most profound challenges.