Executive Summary

INTRODUCTION

Persisting economic, social, environmental, political, and other ongoing crises do challenge basic humanitarian and governance principles, as well as international solidarity and responsibility rules. The state of our planet reveals a striking vacuum of unifying values to sustain and accelerate peaceful human development. Many consider that this crisis of values is the actual cause of social, economic and political disruptions which are threatening human security and dignity. On March 10-12, 2016, distinguished scholars, business leaders, policy makers and opinion shapers from various cultural, ideological, religious and philosophical background addressed collectively these challenges in Sofia, Bulgaria, in the heart of a region particularly sensitive with regard to multi-ethnic harmony and peace. The international conference has been organized under the Patronage of UNESCO.

Conference website: www.unitingvalues.org

STRUCTURE OF THE CONFERENCE Panel 1: Values and Crises Panel 2: Values and Society

Panel 3: Freedom and Security Panel 4: Values and Religions

Dr Olga Zinovieva, HIH Georg von Habsbourg, Dr Mohammed Shahrour, Prof. Horst Mahr Moderated by Dr Zdravko Popov.

Hermien Kleden, Prof. Antoni Todorov, Dr Alain Dick, Prof. Nicolas Offenstadt Moderated by Ventzeslav Sabev

Rabbi Dr Jeffrey Newmann, Prof. Hafid Abbas, Prof. Michel Veuthey Moderated by Dr Elena Moustakova

Round Table with keynote lectures by Dr Mohammed Shahrour and Prof. Nicolas Offenstadt. Moderated by Prof. Ivan J. Dimitrov

Keynote lecture by HE Dr Anies Baswedan, Minister of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia

Welcome Address by HE Dr Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director-General and Patron of the Conference

CONFERENCE OUTCOMES

1. Developed uniting themes, critical for strengthening understanding, peace and stability towards 2020, and on which further research should be encouraged

2. Provided recommendations and best practices on most successful vehicles to spread peace-building values and counter-narratives to violent extremism and radicalization

3. Built a network of Think Tanks, governmental agencies and academic institutions through which the Geneva Spiritual Appeal shall diffuse messages on the neutralization of violent or discriminatory faith-based narratives and follow-up on the conference themes

4. Started a movement, involving prominent spiritual, political and civil society leaders, towards a permanent dialogue on value-based policies, religious tolerance and solidarity

5. Raised visibility and recognition, through large media coverage and new presence in social media, on the cause of the Geneva Spiritual Appeal and the leaders it works with

6. Expanded the number of supporters internationally and built credibility on the importance of the Appeal and its work

1. UNITING THEMES TOWARDS 2020

The authority of the Scriptures in today’s societies and international order Spirituality, faith and the Fourth industrial revolution; values and free market Globalization and uniformity vs individuality and specificity; Civilization = a Western concept? Relevance of religious terminology and narratives in today’s realities Dialogue-based and/or reforms-driven alternatives to religious ideologies Abuse of religious or moral narratives to justify violence and discrimination Spirituality and Humanity’s relationship to Nature and the environment Has the State a role in forging identity and common values? Through which consultative processes? Case study: the Indonesian model of peaceful coexistence: respect and preserve identities and differences while uniting in the name of common principles and collective national interests Reducing fear and building balance between human security, human rights and justice. Youth radicalization and prevention of violent extremism at grass-root level; attitudes towards differences, towards “The Other”

2. VEHICLES for UNITING VALUES

Role of religious communities and spiritual leaders in bringing visions, forging and disseminating values (cf. correlation between the weakening of religious life and the crisis of values). Good governance, transparency and consultation to foster creativity and empowerment Contemporary, objective and impartial reading of the Holy Scriptures in all main religions Rehabilitation of traditional upraising in school, army, church. Should education teach values or only provide with knowledge, intellectual tools and critical thinking needed to form own judgments? Free and critical thinking is also needed in the efforts against radicalization. Revisit the principle of subsidiarity in governance, namely by empowering and “re-legitimizing” the family as the primary and fundamental social cell. Culture, Arts and Sports as powerful messengers of shared Values Independent media and pluralism of civil society organizations, including grass-root organizations, businesses, large cities, think tanks and universities

3 & 4. NETWORK and CONFERENCE FOLLOW-UP

During the conference, various partnerships and follow-up events were discussed with the Geneva Spiritual Appeal, including with: - Gadjah Mada University, Jogjakarta, Indonesia (conference on Inclusive Islam and political pluralism) - Graduate Institute of International Studies and the Geneva Center for Security Policies, Geneva,

Switzerland (seminar on terminology and violent narratives in social media, November 2016) - La Sorbonne, Paris, France (round table on security, Human Rights and laity) - Lomonossov University, Moscow, Russian Federation (conference on values, identity and

nationalism) - German Society of International Affairs, Munich, Germany (possible participation at the Munich

Security Conference in January 2017) - Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem (part of an international competition of essays on the topic

“abuses of religious narratives to justify violence”) - Swiss Federal Police, Bern, Switzerland (workshops for staff working on counter-terrorism) - EBBF, Geneva, Switzerland (conference on capacity building, Bucharest, October 2016) - United Nations Office in Geneva and the World Council of Churches, Geneva, Switzerland (book

launches, conferences and round tables on faith-based violence and radicalization)

5 & 6. VISIBILITY & RECOGNITION : Media – TV The Conference was featured on: Bulgarian National TV (BNT), Bloomberg TV, BG OnAir, TV Europa, Army Channel, Tempo TV Indonesia, Jakarta Post, Reuters, Russia Segodnya

The programme «Faith and Society» broadcasted 2x1hour on the event

5 & 6. VISIBILITY & RECOGNITION : Media – Press & Radio Special reports were published in Diplomacy Journal (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) which is distributed also in the European Commission and Parliament, the UN and other international organizations in Geneva and New York.

In Indonesia, TEMPO English (over 2 Million readers in print and online edidtions) published a few reports (over 10 pages in total) to cover the conference and presented case studies of peaceful co-existence of different ethnic and religious groups in theBalkans. Other daiy newspapers also reported on the conference.

The Bulgarian National Radio was also a media partner

5 & 6. VISIBILITY & RECOGNITION: political endorsements

Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO and Patron of the Conference

Boyko Borissov, Prime Minister of Bulgaria

Rossen Plevneliev, President of Bulgaria

Mrs Tsetska Tsacheva, President of the Bulgarian Parliament

5 & 6. VISIBILITY & RECOGNITION (endorsement from civil society)

Mrs Maya Manolova, Ombudsman of Bulgaria

Board of the Bulgarian Red Cross

Chairman of the Int’l Fund for Cooperation between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea

Rev Dr Olaf Fykse Tveit General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, Geneva