Cascais - Portugal: Europe and the Arabs

Wars continue in Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan, Ukraine and beyond, while famine, hatred, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia are on the rise online and offline. This is where the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations comes in, holding its 10th Global Forum from 25 to 27 November in an attempt to bridge the gaps between divided societies around the world.

But what is this alliance and why is its global forum important now?

An Alliance for Humanity..
The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations has a long-standing motto: Many Cultures, One Humanity. It was created by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 2005 to embrace and promote cultural diversity, religious pluralism and mutual respect. According to the UN Daily News Bulletin
For nearly two decades, the alliance has played a key role in doing so. It has supported an orchestra of Israeli and Palestinian musicians, held symposia to address hate speech against refugees, joined interfaith dialogues around the world, and much more.
The Alliance works with partners around the world to bridge divisions, mend relationships, and open diplomacy at local and global levels to help shape a more peaceful and inclusive future. These same values ​​are embedded in the Charter for the Future, adopted at the Summit for the Future in New York in September, and in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
“The Alliance is not a ‘feel-good’ initiative,” says UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “It is essential to peace, security, sustainable development, and the world we need to build.”
From AI to Sports
The UN Alliance of Civilizations hosts global events that serve as safe gathering places that over the years have brought together thousands of delegates from more than 130 countries to discuss the latest challenges and reach agreements on solutions for the future. Civil society and government participants offer a glimmer of hope during turbulent times while celebrating shared values.
On Monday, the 10th Global Forum will open in Cascais, Portugal, under the theme “Uniting in Peace: Restoring Trust, Reshaping the Future.” Delegates from around the world will address the latest issues, from artificial intelligence to sports, and how they can best be used as catalysts for peace.
During the three-day event, UN Secretary-General Guterres will join ambassadors, civil society and the private sector to share perspectives and experiences in diverse thematic panels aimed at mobilizing a collective will to drive change on today’s most pressing challenges through innovative solutions, including intergenerational pathways to sustainable development, faith-based mediation for peace and rejection of hatred.
On the second day of the Forum, delegates are expected to vote on the Cascais Declaration, a forward-looking pledge for action.
What future generations are saying
Another highlight of the global gathering is the Youth Forum, which will take place on the first day and feature dozens of side events for and by young people from around the world. Last year’s Youth Forum attracted 1,000 participants. This year, it features a youth tent meeting and other activities throughout the day.
In honor of future generations, the PLURAL+ Youth Video Festival on Migration, Diversity and Social Inclusion will honor young filmmakers at a gala on Monday evening. PLURAL+, a joint initiative of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and the International Organization for Migration, invites young people around the world to submit original and creative videos focusing on these three themes.
In a world often marked by intolerance and cultural and religious divisions, PLURAL+ recognizes young people as powerful agents of positive social change and supports the distribution of youth-produced media. This year, the festival jury selected 32 short films from 21 countries, from Afghanistan and Israel to Russia and Yemen.
Latest Intercultural Innovations
“A social circus for social change. Children designing child-friendly cities. Football for peace” are some of the more than 1,800 submissions from grassroots groups around the world that participated in the Intercultural Innovation Hub. A ceremony will be held on the second day of the global forum to honor selected entries from Austria, Botswana, Canada, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Peru, the United States and Zambia. Co-sponsored by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and private sector automotive giant BMW Group, with support from technology firm Accenture, the center has considered innovative projects ranging from promoting diversity, inclusion and gender equality to advancing art, culture and sport for social change...