Dubai: Dubai will host the first World Interfaith Harmony Day on Wednesday, featuring speakers from the faiths of Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Mormonism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Zoroastrianism.
Starting this year, the occasion will be held in the first week of February every year as part of World Interfaith Harmony Week, endorsed by the UN.
The Dubai event will also include an address by Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development.
Also delivering a keynote speech at the event will be Frode Mauring, UNDP Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Acting In-charge for UAE, Oman and Qatar.
The Dubai event is hosted by Gurudwara Guru Nanak Darbar, Dubai, which is a place of worship for Sikhs.
This year’s theme is ‘Peace At Home Builds Peace in the World’. Sub-themes of the summit include What Holy Books Teach about Peace in the Home, The Role of Youth in Building Peaceful Homes and Communities, Scholarly Perspectives on Connecting Peace in the Home to Peace in the World and Developing Collaborative Interfaith Projects.
Around 200 local and international delegates are expected at the conference which will end with a gala dinner.
The gathering will bring together international leaders from faith groups, universities, businesses, NGOs and public institutions to discuss the contribution of various faiths and traditions in building peaceful homes and strong families, which are essential components for building peace in the world.
The World Interfaith Harmony Week was first proposed by King Abdullah of Jordan at the UN General Assembly in 2010 and was unanimously adopted by the General Assembly. In the resolution, the General Assembly points out that mutual understanding and inter-religious dialogue constitute important dimensions of a culture of peace and establishes the Week as a way to promote harmony between all people regardless of their faith.
