World Public Forum

The importance of interfaith dialogue is increasingly being recognised in Russia and Central Asia, as was evident by the strong representation of the various Orthodox churches and of Muslims from the area at the 4th World Public Forum of the Dialogue of Civilizations, held in Rhodes, Greece, from 27th September to 1st October, 2006.
The emphasis on dialogue was balanced by the wish to respect the distinctivness of local cultures and particular religious traditions in the face of the mono-culture which America was accused of imposing. There was also some fear of dialogue about belief or spiritual practice and some suspicion of American based interfaith organisations which are thought to erode religious commitment. This reflects the fact that whereas in the West religion tends to be seen as a matter of personal belief, in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East, there is a strong link between religion and national identity.
The only particpants from Britain were Rev Dr Marcus and Mrs Mary Braybrooke, representing the Three Faiths Forum and the World Congress of Faiths and Dr Kamran Mofid, Director of Globalisation for the Common Good.
Further details at www.wpdfc.com