Address by Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO on the occasion of 2 nd International Conference on Youth Volunteering and Dialogue: Preventing Violent Extremism and Strengthening Social Inclusion UNESCO, 26 September 2017 Excellency Mr Faisal bin Abdurrahman bin Muammar, Secretary-General of the King Abdulaziz Centre for National Dialogue, Excellency Mr Ibrahim Albalawi, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to UNESCO, Mr Olivier Adam, Executive Coordinator of the United Nations Volunteers, Mr John Geoghegan, Director of the World Scout Foundation, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Young Volunteers, I am honoured to welcome you to UNESCO, almost four years after the First International Conference held in Jeddah. Allow me to express my deep gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the fruitful and meaningful cooperation UNESCO enjoys with the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Programme for a Culture of Peace and Dialogue. This Second International Conference on Youth Volunteering and Dialogue addresses a question which is at the heart of international peace and security today, which is the prevention of violent extremism and social inclusion. This has never been so important at a time of global change, when all societies are transforming, opening vast new opportunities for exchange and dialogue as well as DG/2017/140 Original: Multilingual
new challenges, including new forces of division, spreading hatred, intolerance and exclusion. Unfortunately, conflicts continue to tear at the fabric of societies. Violent extremism is on the rise across the world, attacking shared values, undermining peace. The world is facing the largest refugee and displacement crisis of recent history, at a time when cultural diversity is under threat from the pressures of exclusive populism. We need to respond, together, Governments, international organizations, civil society. This means nurturing the visions and ideas of you, young women and men. This calls for new grassroots initiatives, new forms of civic engagement, to support communities standing on the frontline of these challenges. This requires new ways of thinking and acting, and this is why innovation is the spirit of this International Conference. Today, you will be introduced to a range of innovative techniques -- from dramatherapy, the use of theatre for reconciliation and rehabilitation, to sports against violence and the human library, a unique one-to-one experience to understand what it means to be marginalized in a given society. At the heart of all this stands the spirit of empathy. Empathy is the feeling at the heart of the humanity we all share it is the recognition that, however much we are all different, we are all together, we are part of the same family, we hold similar dreams, concerns, aspirations.we are, at the end of the day, all brothers and sisters, living on one earth, sharing a past and a future DG/2017/140 - Page 2
The spirit of empathy is the thematic focus of the exhibition featuring on the fences of UNESCO until 30 October this year, and we will celebrate today the winners of the contest If I were launched at the beginning of this year. The spirit of empathy underpins all our action. Together, we have worked to promote the Muslim-Arab legacy across the world, to deepen mutual respect and understanding of the shared heritage of all humanity. And this is not a coincidence if tonight, in this House, UNESCO will receive a joint award from ISESCO and the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, in recognition of its completed Collection The Different Aspects of Islamic Culture. This remarkable endeavour is a huge success, and has put a focus on the Islamic culture, involving more than a hundred scholars, and representing a great intellectual effort. Together, again, we have engaged famous artists in international campaigns to promote dialogue we have trained journalists, teachers, university students in intercultural competencies we have brought religious leaders together in dialogue. Together, we have launched a unique travelling exhibition on Writing Peace, whose panels are presented on the walls of this room. My dear friends, empathy is essential for genuine and lasting peace, where the differences of others are accepted as the same as our own, where diversity is nurtured as a strength for all to share, on the basis of equal respect, dignity and human rights. We need indeed a new generation of activists for peace, with the right skills and knowledge to tackle the challenges of the 21st century. We need young women and men like you to stand up for a single humanity, against those who distort history, culture and religions, driven by hatred and intolerance. Just last week, in New York, I chaired the Global Hope Coalition Summit on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly, bringing together outstanding DG/2017/140 - Page 3
champions from Government, the private sector and civil society, leading the fight against intolerance and violent extremism. UNESCO is working with Governments across the world to nurture the power of education to prevent violent extremism. We are supporting educators, through the development of our Teachers Guide on the Prevention of Violent Extremism and the Guide for Policy-Makers on the Prevention of Violent Extremism through Education. We are supporting young women and men, through the networks of UNESCO s Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development. With the European Union, we are supporting youth civic engagement all around the Mediterranean, to bolster the voices of young women and men as peacebuilders. We are working, in the real and in the digital world, to bolster media literacy, to defend human rights and tolerance against those who use the internet as a megaphone for hatred. It is in this spirit that I launched several years ago a very successful social media campaign titled Unite#Heritage to raise awareness among the youth of the world so that they stand committed in the promotion and preservation of cultural heritage as a shared treasure and memory, as a pillar of identity and dignity. In a world where ignorance of the other is on the rise, we must innovate for peace and find new ways to foster a culture of peace and dialogue, starting with young researchers and young volunteers. Mesdames et Messieurs, mes très chers amis, Cet espace est le vôtre : soyez audacieux, soyez libre, soyez inventifs pour la paix. Le dialogue et la paix sont des techniques de pointe, et comme il existe des nouvelles technologies de la communication, nous devons inventer des nouvelles technologies de la compréhension, de l empathie et de la prévention. C'est le but de votre voyage à Paris. DG/2017/140 - Page 4
C est le but des différents ateliers auxquels vous allez participer, je vous souhaite beaucoup de succès dans la présentation de vos plans d'action demain. Je suis impatiente de les lire, et je m engage à les étudier, avec les équipes de l UNESCO, pour les intégrer au mieux dans les activités du Programme de l'unesco. Je vous remercie de votre attention et vous félicite à nouveau, du fond du cœur, pour votre engagement. DG/2017/140 - Page 5