On Friday, May 8, the UNESCO Chairs presented papers based on their individual research. It was a day of stimulating talks and thoughtful conversations. We have provided the text to some of the talks below.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Mills International Center, Erb Memorial Union
Interfaith Relationships: Christianity, Islam and Judaism

11:15 – 12:00
Basilius Groen (Austria)
“Christianity, Islam and Judaism in the Balkans: Challenges for Interfaith Relations”
Click here for the text to Professor Groen's talk

12:00 – 12:45
Zamira Karabaeva (Kyrgyzstan)
“Christianity and Islam in Kyrgyzstan: The Unique Experience of Tolerant Coexistence”

12:45 – 1:30
Emil Dragnev (Moldova)
“On comparative history of interreligious relations in empire systems”


Fir Room, Erb Memorial Union
International Perspectives on Interreligious Dialogue and Understanding

11:00 – 11:45
Laura Yerekesheva (Kazakhstan)
“Religious Pluralism and Syncretism in the History of Central Asia: A General Overview”
Click here for the text to Professor Yerekesheva's talk

11:45 – 12:30
Mavzhuda Yuldasheva (Tajikistan)
“Globalization and Intercultural Dialogue in Tajikistan”
Click here for the text to Professor Yuldasheva's talk (English)
Click here for the text to Professor Yuldasheva's talk (Russian)

12:30 – 1:15
Nino Chikovani (Georgia)
“Reflections on Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue in the Collective Memory of People from the Caucasus”
Click here for the text to Professor Chikovani's talk

1:15 – 2:00
Louis Boisset (Lebanon)
“Living Dialogue in Lebanon”
Click here for the text to Professor Boisset's talk

2:00 – 2:45
Aviva Doron (Israel)
“Muslims, Christians and Jews in Medieval Spain: A Paradigm for Intercultural Dialogue Today?”
Click here for the text to Professor Doron's talk

2:45 – 3:30
Dimitri Spivak (Russia)
“Actual Trends in Interfaith Dialogue”

3:30 – 4:15
Joseph Yacoub (France)
“Human Rights: A Collective Work of Humanity”
Click here for the text to Professor Yacoub's talk


Talk Abstracts and Information about the Chairs


Basilius Groen
Austria
UNESCO Chair in Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue in South-East Europe
Karl-Franzens University, Graz, Austria
Professor, Institute of Liturgical Studies, Christian Art and Hymnology

Talk abstract: At first, different Christian denominations (Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism) and various Islamic and Jewish communities throughout the Balkans are discussed. Then, as a case-study, I concentrate on the situation in Bulgaria and Greece. Finally, I will examine several challenges for interfaith relations in South-Eastern Europe.

Zamira Karabaeva
Kyrgyzstan
Director, Center of World Culture and Religion
Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University, Bishkek
Representing Yuro Podkuiko, UNESCO Chair for the Study of Culture and Religion




Emil Dragnev
Republic of Moldova
UNESCO Chair in South-East European Studies
Professor, Institute of History
University of Moldova

Talk abstract: In the past, various empires articulated different discourses for dealing with interreligious relations. In my view, a comparative view on these issues is very topical. This is more important do for regions or states that changed several imperial regimes in the past. For instance, for the South Eastern Europe one can research the different religious policies of territories divided between Roman, Byzantium, Ottoman, Habsburg and Russian Empires. One can also elaborate on imperial practices and legacies in Balkans on the one hand and in Caucasus on the other. The latter has been envisaged in the framework of a joint project between UNESCO Chair from Moldova State University and UNESCO Chair from Tbilisi State University.

Laura Yerekesheva
Kazakhstan
For Meruet Abuseitova, UNESCO Chair on Science and Spirituality at the Institute of Oriental Studies

Talk abstract: The lecture is an attempt to introduce the important yet rather unknown for scholars the topic of religious pluralism and syncretism that for many centuries marked the socio-cultural tradition of the people of Central Asia. It aims at presenting a general overview in the field of the religious diversity; the role, evolution of this phenomenon and its specific features among the nomadic and settled population of the region.
  Methodological approach is driven from some elements of the system functionalism theory developed by Talcott Parsons. According to it religion as a basis and a main characteristic of the cultural system translates all its main attributes and features to other systems, including the social one. The religious identity (along with other factors which I don’t analyze here) thus influences the more general cultural identity, stereotypes and social behavior of this or that community. To put it in other words, the “we-other” problem is tackled by different socio-cultural systems in their own way, through the prism of their religious perceptions and according to the logic of their own cultural traditions. The difference between the religious dimension of the socio-cultural systems of the nomads and the settled population proves this thesis.
  During the I – beginning of II millenniums (up to XIII-XIV centuries) AD the region was an arena of an intensive mixture of and interaction among practically all known at that time religious conceptions and believes that have helped to shape the religious and cultural identity of the region’s population – Tengri cult, animism, totemism, shamanism, Zoroastrism, Manichean, Mithraism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. This boiling pot of religious co-existence was marked by highly intensive proselytism, ideological debates and missionary works. With the gradual strengthening of Islam on the local soil (the Arabs began to conquer the region in the middle of VII century), this tradition was lessened, however it wasn’t stopped completely. The sample of Islamization process itself shows the various ways of its adaptation to the pagan and syncretic believes. The further colonization of the region by the Russian Empire (starting from the middle of XVIII century) paved a way to the second wave of Christianization that didn’t transform the societies completely but gave an impulse to another circle of religious plurality, this time reducing it mainly to Islam, Christianity and the ancient pagan-shamanic believes. The interaction among the religious conceptions, however, took different forms in the nomadic and settled environment, thus showing the various degrees and readiness of their socio-cultural traditions to absorb or reject the “other”.

Mavzhuda Yuldasheva
Tajikistan
UNESCO Chair in Intercultural Dialogue in the Modern World
The Russian-Tajik (Slavonik) University







Nino Chikovani
Georgia
UNESCO Chair of Intercultural Dialogue
Tbilisi State University
Professor, Department of Cultural Studies, Faculty of Humanities

Talk abstract: Caucasus is referred as the “Museum of cultures, religions, and languages”, populated by more then 50 different ethnic groups. Today it is seen as one of the most vulnerable crossroads of Eurasia. Being on the crossroad implies the adoption of the role of cultural mediator. The constant coexistence and interrelation of different cultural traditions are not perceived as a source of confrontation and conflict by the people in contact.
  Since the 90s of the 20th century the identity crisis, search of new identities and reconstruction of the old ones could be pointed out, accompanied with the processes of re-formation of collective memory and re-writing history according to the needs of the new reality. From the time being, the idea of Caucasian unity became the matter of debates. The idea has been existed for centuries long period with a temporary revival in a one form or another. The idea was invigorated in the post-Soviet period.
 The article deals with the idea of Caucasian unity in different historical and political contexts, in the light of interrelation of collective memory and history. Although the idea of unity could be seen more as a “useful myth” rather then real political project, the experience of intercultural and interreligious dialogue among the Caucasian people, reflected in the collective memory, contributes to overcome tension and hostility, in spite of political miscalculations and strongly felt interests of external actors. Thus, facilitating dialogue through education system, media, state and non-governmental organizations could add to the regulation of the complex and controversial situation in the Caucasus.

Louis Boisset
Lebanon
UNESCO Chair for the Comparative Study of Religions, Meditation and Dialogue
Saint Joseph University

Talk Abstract: Dialogue is a living reality in Lebanon: Dialogue between Muslims and Christians, between genders and generations or cultures, between the Mediterranean shores and east and west. Lebanon, given its geographical position, its limited size and its heterogeneous population, has little choice other than dialogue to maintain its unity. Dialogue is also a requirement and an involvement to live every day; it is a challenge for the future. The UNESCO Chair of the Saint-Joseph University in Beirut tries watching the faces and the changes of dialogue and tries furthering social interactions and conviviality. Our projects have focused on convincing the rising generation of the benefits of dialogue. Some examples will be given in order to grasp the originality of Lebanon among the countries.

Aviva Doron
Israel
Chair, UNESCO Chair in Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue
Head, Research Unit for the Cultures of Spain, University of Haifa
Poet and Professor of Literature

Talk Abstract: A pluralistic society that typifies the world nowadays is faced with sensitive and complex challenges:
- How to create frameworks for cooperation between different cultural communities, and between people of different religions, some of which are engaged in acute theological polemics, or even carry collective memories of the conflicts and wars that prevailed throughout history?
- How to develop a dialog between diverse and foreign people?
- How to overcome the natural aversion of many people to anyone who is foreign to them, different to them, or does not belong to the homogenous society in which they grew up?
- How to promote openness toward others, learn to listen to and respect them?
  As a Paradigm for Intercultural Dialogue Today I will illuminate the case that has become a legend in Mediterranean western culture. I refer to the unique phenomenon in intellectual history: of the intercultural dialogue that took place over a period of eight hundred years between Muslims, Christians and Jews in Medieval Spain.

Dimitri Spivak
Russia
UNESCO Chair in Comparative Studies of Spiritual Traditions, their Specific Cultures, and Interreligious Dialogue
The Russian Institute for Cultural Research, Saint Petersburg

Talk abstract: The talk is dedicated to discussion of actual issues in methodology of interfaith dialogue, forming an integral part of the intercultural one. Basing on cultural strategy of UNESCO and taking into account recent developments in cultural studies, promising trends in definition, delimitation and implementation of its basic notions would be reviewed, as well as its links with such present-day realms as identity politics.

Joseph Yacoub
France
UNESCO Chair, “Memory, Cultures and Interculturality”
Professor, Political Science
Catholic University, Institute of Human Rights, Lyon, France




Additional UNESCO Guests in Attendance:

Josef Boehle
United Kingdom
Coordinator, UNESCO Chair in Interfaith Studies
Research Fellow in Globalization, Religion and Politics
For Jonathan Webber, Chair holder UNESCO Chair in Interfaith Studies
University of Birmingham




Gary Bouma
Australia
UNESCO Chair in Intercultural and Interreligious Relations
Professor Emeritus of Sociology
Asia Pacific at Monash University






Akhadjan Khasanov
Uzbekistan
UNESCO Chair in the Comparative Study of World Religions
Tashkent Islamic University


Ali Moussa Iye
France
Chief of the History and Culture Section, Division of CUlture
Policies of Intercultural Dialogue
UNESCO Headquarters






Gary Vachicouras
France
Executive Director, Foundation for Interreligious and Intercultural Research and Dialogue
For Rabbi René-Samuel Sirat, UNESCO Chair Interreligious Dialogue for Intercultural Understanding