ASTANA – Eighty-two delegations from 46 countries representing the world’s religions are expected to gather in Astana Oct. 10-11 for the Sixth Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.
The Congress is to be held under the subject of “Religious Leaders for a Secure World” and will include the third session of its Council of Religious Leaders.
Religious leaders, religious organisations and political representatives are expected to discuss four topics:
– The manifesto ‘The World. The 21st Century’ as a “concept of global security”.
– Religions in changing geopolitics: new opportunities for the consolidation of humankind.
– Religion and Globalisation: Challenges and Answers.
– Religious leaders and politicians in overcoming extremism and terrorism.
The first Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional religions took place Sept. 23-24, 2003 at the initiative of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Its objectives are to seek universal guidelines among world and traditional religions and to be a permanent platform for international interfaith dialogue.
The main priorities of the congress are to promote peace, harmony and tolerance as the unshakable principles of human existence, to achieve mutual respect and tolerance among religions and ethnic groups, as well as to prevent religious beliefs from being used to fuel the escalation of conflicts and military action.
A specially designed C Section of this issue will offer our readers more in-depth information about the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, its history and activities, as well as the opinion of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Chairman of the Senate of Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan and Head of the Secretariat of the Congress, and interviews with leaders from religious communities in the country.
