[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 176 (Wednesday, November 14, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2417]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          THE HARMONY OF CIVILIZATIONS AND PROSPERITY FOR ALL

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHRISTOPHER SHAYS

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 14, 2007

  Mr. SHAYS. Madam Speaker, intercultural understanding is a 
fundamental part of peace in the global system. The understanding of 
intercultural and international diversities minimizes the outbreak of 
serious conflicts on a fundamental level. Through teaching tolerance, 
and through building societies that promote unity, we can work towards 
creating a peaceful world.
  On November 2, 2007, Under-Secretary General of the United Nations, 
Ambassador Joseph Verner Reed addressed the Beijing Forum at the Great 
Hall of the People in Beijing regarding the promotion of building 
tolerant civilizations. I have submitted the text to be entered into 
the Record. 

          The Harmony of Civilizations and Prosperity for All

       I send warm greetings to all participants in the 2007 
     Beijing Forum who have come together to study and promote 
     harmony between peoples and civilizations.
       In the ten months that I have served as Secretary-General, 
     I have traveled to all corners of the United Nations, from 
     Kinshasa to Kabul, from Brussels to Beirut. Everywhere I have 
     visited, and among all the different people I have met, I 
     have encountered one common sentiment--a universal longing 
     for peace and an aspiration to prosperity.
       But, all too often, I have discovered that people who 
     aspire to the same things also suffer from the same 
     prejudices. They all fear that which is different from them: 
     the other ethnicity, the other skin colour, the other 
     cultural or linguistic tradition and, above all, the other 
     religion.
       And yet, in today's era of global travel and instant 
     satellite transmissions, people everywhere are encountering 
     less of the familiar, and more of ``the other''. This reality 
     has fed rising intercultural and inter-religious tensions, as 
     well as growing alienation among vast segments of the 
     world population.
       Today, there is an urgent need to address this worrying 
     trend. We need to rebuild bridges and engage in a sustained 
     and constructive intercultural dialogue, one that stresses 
     shared values and shared aspirations.
       It is time to promote the idea that diversity is a virtue, 
     not a threat. It is time to explain that different religions, 
     belief systems and cultural backgrounds are essential to the 
     richness of the human experience. And it is time to stress 
     that our common humanity is greater--far greater--than our 
     outward differences.
       The Beijing Forum is ideally placed to contribute to this 
     process. By bringing together scholars from across the globe, 
     your discussion can become a source of new ideas and 
     innovative approaches to promote understanding and tolerance.
       Your exchange can also contribute to the UN's own 
     initiative for an Alliance of Civilizations, which responds 
     to the clear need for action by the international community 
     to bridge divides and promote understanding. The Alliance has 
     identified several priority areas for action, and is 
     developing a strategy to promote better understanding between 
     the world of politics and religion. Meetings such as yours 
     can help guide this important work, and ensure the Alliance's 
     ultimate success.
       Together, we must seek to further the basic ideals of all 
     the world's major religions. We must build societies that 
     respect individual beliefs and practices. And we must nurture 
     communities where people of all faiths and nationalities 
     coexist in peace.
       In that spirit, let me express my hope that this Forum will 
     help foster harmony and understanding, and thereby advance 
     our wider efforts for a peaceful and prosperous world.

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