King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Coexistence has won accolades at the first EU-Bahrain Conference being held under the theme “Broadening the Tent: Freedom of Religion and Belief.”
Marie-Jo Char, team leader at Enhanced EU-GCC Political Dialogue, Cooperation and Outreach Project, on Tuesday said the King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Coexistence has been one of the inspiring and key drivers between the EU-GCC project on religious harmony.
“The EU-Bahrain conference titled “Broadening the Tent: Freedom of Religion and Belief” is being held in Manama within the framework of the EU funded regional project named the Enhanced EU-GCC political dialogue project, covering all GCC countries,” she said.
The project aims at strengthening the relationship, deepening the dialogue, and seeking understanding between the EU and the GCC, at the regional and country levels, in several fields, including on interreligious dialogue, she added.
“It has been extremely exciting for us to work with the King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Coexistence, and This is Bahrain on organizing this conference on FORB, from a critical, honest, while constructive, perspective intending not to shy away from any of the complexities of this topic – in particular in a time and a region where religious identities are often mobilized, not to say manipulated, for political or other reasons.
“In that sense, we want to emphasize the courage of the King Hamad Centre for Peaceful Coexistence, and His Majesty King Hamad himself, to walk the talk on this complex path towards more freedom for all an increased well being and level of satisfaction in life– and do this jointly with the EU and its Member States.”
As is mentioned in the concept note, the EU is paying great attention to these developments, due to its difficult history in matters of FORB and the bold measures its Member States had to take to structurally change their ways of dealing with their minorities of faith and belief, she said.
“The second session, based on the Fishbowl methodology seeks to map out, in a conversational mode with the audience, the challenges that we identify to the promotion of FORB both from the EU and Bahrain perspectives – as well as potential developments. We take stock. We do not design yet solutions, but please do not restrain yourself to put forward great ideas.
“On Wednesday the session will bring together the academicians, who will deliberate upon the future policy strategies for FORB from the EU and Bahrain perspective. This will be about giving food for thought for the following session.”
Source: Bahrain News Agency