Building Bridges in a Fragmented Global Landscape: The Congress of World and Traditional Religions' Efforts
The Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, a unique foreign policy initiative launched by Kazakhstan, serves as a significant platform for fostering interfaith dialogue and cooperation among major religious leaders globally. Established in 2003, the Congress has been held periodically in Astana (now Nur-Sultan), Kazakhstan’s capital, as a response to global risks rooted in religious extremism, following the Sept. 11 attacks.
The Congress's mission is to foster mutual respect and tolerance among individuals of all faiths, confessions, nations, and ethnic groups. It aims to provide a high-level, inclusive space for dialogue among leaders of world and traditional religions to address religious tensions and conflicts, contributing to global peace and security. The Congress promotes synergy among religions to combat extremism, foster social cohesion, and develop shared ethical values.
The Congress has united prominent and respected religious leaders from across the world, including Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Shintoism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, and the Bahá'í faith. Notable attendees at the seventh Congress, held on Sept. 14-15, 2022, included Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmad al-Tayeb, underscoring its growing global relevance.
The Congress positions Kazakhstan as a bridge-builder in international relations, emphasizing multilateralism and cultural diplomacy. It complements Kazakhstan's balanced and multivector foreign policy, projecting the country as a mediator facilitating interreligious harmony on the world stage. The Congress often coincides with broader international discussions on peace, development, and human rights.
The Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions is a fully-fledged and authoritative international institution recognized worldwide. The Center ensures continuity between the Congresses and meetings of its governing institutions, such as the Council of Religious Leaders, the Secretariat, its Working Group, and the Forum of Young Religious Leaders. The Center provides a robust infrastructure for sustained interaction between religious and expert communities.
Recent developments in the Congress include the approval of a 2024-2025 Action Plan, focusing on expanding interfaith cooperation, deepening dialogue, and strengthening the Congress as a global institution. The Secretariat's 21st meeting also approved the long-term Development Concept in October 2023. The upcoming eighth Congress, scheduled for September this year, aims to support harmony, mutual understanding, tolerance, unity, peace, and security in a divided world.
In his keynote address at the seventh Congress, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized the role of religious leaders as "moral compasses of humanity." The Congress provides a critical forum for unified spiritual response amid rising religious conflict, neo-Nazism, and xenophobia. The Congress also reaffirms religion's role in addressing global challenges and rejecting extremism, terrorism, and moral decline.
In conclusion, the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions is a cornerstone of Kazakhstan's foreign policy that leverages religious diplomacy to foster international peace and interreligious cooperation, thereby enhancing Kazakhstan's global role and influence. The Congress aims to prevent the exploitation of religious sentiments as a pretext for inciting conflict or military aggression.
- The Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, a significant platform for fostering interfaith dialogue, aims to support cultural-travel initiatives that promote mutual respect and tolerance, contributing to a more harmonious global landscape.
- As the Congress continues to grow in global relevance, general-news outlets increasingly cover its discussions on religion's role in addressing travel, politics, and cultural-related issues, further emphasizing Kazakhstan's role as a bridge-builder in international relations.
