Fez – Speaking at the Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations held in Fez, several politicians examined how to achieve global peace and understanding.

The event aims to find paths to global peace and intercultural dialogue. This year marks the first time an African country has hosted the event.

Africa’s position

Former Prime Minister of Senegal Aminata Toure opened the panel, titled “Voices of the Wise,” talking about global gaps in development and particularly Africa’s position on the international stage.

Toure highlighted the importance of documenting African civilizations and history to elevate the country’s position in international dialogue, stressing the role of civilizations like ancient Egypt in advancing humanity as a whole.

She also stressed the importance of acknowledging the suffering that Africa has faced from colonialism and the slave trade, calling for more solidarity and recognition of those issues.

“We still have consequences concerning racism and I think a local dialogue, a sincere dialogue, among all the partners in the African continent, will allow us to restart this process,” Toure concluded.

Africa finds itself facing the brunt end of several international crises such as climate change and food insecurity, despite contributing the least to those issues. Recently, calls have been directed to Western and developed countries to exert more effort to help the continent and other developing countries overcome their challenges.

‘Firm commitments’

Former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero expressed “firm commitments” to advance the UNAOC’s goal of intercultural dialogue, describing the project as the most important of the United Nations.

“Humanity has always had a capacity to progress. We have been able to abolish slavery,” Zapatero said, highlighting the need to progress again, and commending the youth.

“I think this future generation will see the abolishment of violence and war as an instrument of foreign policy,” he added, saying that it will be replaced with the exchange of ideas.

Zapatero notably emphasized the Palestinian cause, saying that the world “needs to recognize the state of Palestine.”

The Spanish politician also mentioned the possibility of achieving peace, saying that regions like South America have almost achieved a point of “zero conflicts,” adding that Africa has made its first steps toward the eradication of violence.

Zapatero, alongside Turkish Prime Minister at the time Recep Teyep Erdogan, co-sponsored the initiative to establish the UNAOC in 2005, making the two countries the first supporters of the program.

Islam in the Clash of civilizations

Former Secretary-General of the League of Arab States Amre Moussa talked about religious tolerance and the progress that has been made in Arab states, referencing Samuel Huntington’s clash of civilizations narrative.

“I believe that Huntington was wrong in targeting Islam as an enemy of their civilization,” he said. “But in my opinion, Huntington was right in pointing to the fact that there is a fight between civilizations.”

American political scientist Samuel Huntington posited in his 1992 book “Clash of Civilizations” that cultural and religious differences would be the main drivers of international conflict in the post-cold war era.

“I believe that there are difficulties and hardships ahead of us which represent the seven pillars of evil,” Moussa added, listing racism, religious intolerance, climate change, and disease as some of the great evils standing in the way of international progress.

The Egyptian diplomat called on international actors to unite and face those evils together, overcoming cultural differences.

Moussa also urged the international community to recognize and define an “efficient, viable, and real” state of Palestine, calling on institutions and religions to work together to establish that state.

“It’s not only to the Arabs or the Muslims or the churches to work on this,” he added, calling on Israel to also join in the efforts to create a Palestinian state that it can co-exist with.

The ninth edition of the Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations is being held in Fez between November 22-23. The city was chosen “in view of its ancestral character and its spiritual symbolism,” High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Miguel Angel Moratinos said earlier this year.

The hosting by Fez marks the first time that the UNAOC’s Global Forum is being held in the African continent. The UN initiative aims to promote global peace and dialogue to face the myriad challenges currently facing humanity.