Oslo Conference on Religion, Democracy and ExtremismA diverse group of forty religious and political leaders, scholars and government officials, from a range of Muslim and Western countries met in Oslo, 15-16 May 2007, in a dialogue aimed at generating mutual respect and understanding. Co-chairs were former President of Iran, H.E. Khatami, former President of Chile, H.E. Lagos and former Prime Minister of Norway, H.E. Bondevik. The group met under the theme “Religion, Democracy and Extremism”, with a view to build bridges and transcend hostile images, stereotypes and generalisations of one another in the wake of recent political and military actions that have fed into the polarisation between “the Islamic world” and “the West”.

Just VisionJust Vision is a nonprofit organization that informs local and international audiences about under-documented Palestinian and Israeli joint civilian efforts to resolve the conflict nonviolently. Using media and educational tools, it raises awareness in order to encourage civic participation in grassroots peace building.Just Vision recently produced the award-winning documentary.

Encounter Point about Israelis and Palestinians who are at the vanguard of a non-violent movement for justice and peace in the Middle East.

Muslim Grassroots in the West Discuss DemocracyThis Report originates from a sub-committee on Muslim dialogue through networks and contacts of the Advisory Council of the Anglican Observer to the United Nations. The Report aims to reflect grass-roots Muslim views objectively. The discussions were designed to explore different views, not to arrive at common positions. Though well-informed Muslims living in the west, those taking part had not previously discussed the subjects of democracy, human rights and rule of law in any formal context. The responses were protected by guaranteed anonymity and obtained within the “democratic” atmosphere of face-to-face meetings. The responses were unmediated and provide a valuable resource for assessing the “gut” feelings of their communities who might otherwise not have felt able to speak freely.Indexed hyperlinks to “Sensitive Quotations” provide a user-friendly aid for quick reference.

An Inclusive World in which the West, Islam and the Rest have a stakeStrategic Foresight Group, a think tank engaged in producing scenarios, creating policy concepts and facilitating political processes has recently launched An Inclusive World: In which the West, Islam and the Rest have a stake. The report is deriving from a study of incidences of terror in all parts of the world and reviews why terrorism takes place in Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East. It examines why extremism may replace terrorism as the greatest threat to world security and engulf politics of the United States and Europe. It exposes contradictions in self serving Eastern and Western discourse. It also envisages the framework for a sustainable global security architecture, where co-existence triumphs over discord and hope wins over fear. It proposes building blocs of an alternative future that are politically feasible as well as presents action plans for a series of initiatives for leaders, experts, and civilians to collaborate on.

Clash of Civilizations?Exploring Misconceptions about the Islamic World – A Daily Lesson Plan on the AoC by the New York Times Learning NetworkIn this lesson, students learn about a United Nations initiative to create the Alliance of Civilizations to resolve conflict between the East and West. They then discuss and dismantle a number of misconceptions about the Muslim world.

SoliyaSoliya’s mission consists in developing a new generation of leaders with the cross-cultural knowledge, communications skills, and international connections to create a more informed, peaceful and just global society. Soliya partners with educational institutions across areas in conflict, using new media technologies and transformative educational programs to catalyze young people to be catalysts for social change. Utilizing new web-based videoconferencing technology, small groups of university students from the US and predominantly Muslim Countries in the Middle East meet weekly on-line with the help of skilled facilitators to engage in intensive dialogue about the relationship between the US and the Arab & Muslim World, with a particular emphasis on the role of the media in shaping perceptions of the "other."

The Islamic Culture FoundationThe Islamic Culture Foundation is a non-profit, non-partisan, strictly independent cultural and scientific Spanish organisation, which concerns itself exclusively with matters related to cultural research, development and cooperation. It strives to facilitate Euro-Islamic dialogue and works towards finding far-reaching solutions to potential problems of inter-cultural communication which affect our modern societies through research and dissemination of rigorous information about the Islamic world and its historical and cultural links with Europe, in an attempt to increase mutual respect and contribute to eradicate racist and xenophobic attitudes.

The Universal Peace FederationThe Universal Peace Federation (UPF) is a global alliance of individuals and organizations dedicated to building a world of peace in which we live in freedom, harmony, cooperation and co-prosperity for all. The UPF is guided by a vision of humanity as one global family of God, living in accordance with universal principles.

Americans for Informed DemocracyAmericans for Informed Democracy is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that promotes global understanding and tolerance among young people through educational seminars, leadership summits, town hall meetings, opinion pieces, and global videoconferences. The organization coordinates an ongoing initiative, called Hope not Hate , to raise awareness about how the U.S. and the Islamic world can work together toward a better future. The Boston Globe editorial board has called Hope not Hate initiative “a victory of knowledge and inquiry over fear and blind pledges of revenge.” Over the last four years, the initiative has facilitated positive dialogue among youth in more than one hundred and fifty from Tallahassee, Florida, to Amman, Jordan, and from to Vermillion, South Dakota to Jakarta, Indonesia.

Dialogues: Islamic World - U.S.- The WestDialogues: Islamic World-U.S.-The West is a program of New York University dedicated to knocking down the walls of misunderstanding between the Islamic world, the United States, and other Western countries and replacing them with bridges of knowledge, mutual respect, and reason. Through conferences, panel discussions, policy briefings, publications, and audio-visual narratives, Dialogues brings contentious issues between the Muslim and Western worlds into a more rational plane. We promote this approach to a wide audience, including the important constituencies of policy and decision-makers, policy analysts, the media, and educational institutions.

The Glocal ForumThe mission of the Glocal Forum is to construct a sustainable and peaceful globalized world. The Glocal Forum promotes the role of local governments on the world stage and the role of youth in decision-making processes in their cities. While empowering local communities and youth, the Glocal Forum encourages global powers to have a broader respect for local powers and resources. The Glocal Forum pursues and promotes the "glocalization" approach which recognizes that mayors are poised to be the new diplomats of our world. At the Glocal Forum’s 2006 Annual Glocalization Conference in Ankara, Turkey, delegates from about 60 world cities and Mayors of conflict cities committed to urgent cooperation through endorsement of the Ankara Declaration which aims to counter the growing threat of a deep rift between civilizations.

Larnaca Action Plan on Interfaith Understanding and Cooperation for a Peaceful WorldThe representatives of the ASEM partners gathered in Larnaca, Cyprus on 3-5 July 2006 at the Second ASEM Interfaith Dialogue and issued this Action Plan.

Euro-Mediterranean Universities Forum EstablishedThe creation of a Euro-Mediterranean space of Higher Education and Research as of 2007 was the theme of the 3rd Mediterranean University Forum organized in Malta from 8 to 10 June 2006 by the University of Malta and the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for the Dialogue between Cultures, based in Alexandria, Egypt.

Atman FoundationWorking for the dialogue among civilizations, Atman Foundation is a non-profit, privately funded organization with an international range of operations. Its aim is to foster dialogue, understanding and a rapprochement among different cultures and civilizations.

OSCE contribution to the Alliance of Civilizations initiativeWhen the Foreign Ministers of the participating States of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) met in Ljubljana in December 2005 for their annual Ministerial Council, they resolved the Organization would contribute to the Alliance of Civilizations initiative by the end of June 2006. The OSCE Secretary General, at the Ministers' request, drew on expertise in the OSCE's structures and institutions for this contribution, which aims to show the OSCE is well-placed to support the aims and goals of the initiative.

ISESCO White Book on Dialogue among CivilizationsThis white book includes a collection of documents related to dialogue among civilizations, such as resolutions, recommendations, appeals, and relevant procedural programmes, in addition to the draft international document on dialogue among civilizations, the OIC project on dialogue, and ISESCO's view of dialogue among civilizations, which describes its deep meanings, extensive concepts and humanitarian goals. Designed as the annals of dialogue among civilizations, this book embodies the Muslim world's contribution to commemorating the International Year of Dialogue among Civilizations.

Dialogue Among CivilizationsOn the initiative of HLG member Khatami, the UN General Assembly proclaimed 2001 the Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations and engaged a diverse Group of Eminent Persons to advance the effort, including a series of meetings and conferences and the production of a publication. The Alliance is considering the conclusions of the initiative as it develops its own analysis and action plan.


Prince of Wales and University of Maryland Launch Series to Address 'Clash of Civilizations'The Prince of Wales is helping the University of Maryland launch a new international effort aimed, in part, at promoting better understanding and easing tensions between Islam and the West. The university is publishing a new series, Essays on the Alliance of Civilizations, written by high-level world figures to stimulate more constructive international dialogues. Prince Charles has written the inaugural essay. See also the press coverage by the University of Maryland Newsdesk and by the Washington Post.

World Faiths Development DialogueThe World Faiths Development Dialogue was set up in 1998 as an initiative of James D. Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank and Lord Carey, then Archbishop of Canterbury. Its aim is to facilitate a dialogue on poverty and development among people from different religions and between them and the international development institutions.

Foundation for a Culture of PeaceThe Foundation for a Culture for Peace was created in 2000 with the aim of contributing to build and consolidate a Culture of Peace through reflection, research, education and on-the-spot action. The Foundation has actively followed-up the implementation of the UN Declaration and Programme of Action and the activities carried out during the International Decade.



COJEP InternationalEtre Cojépien, c’est remettre en question 30 à 40 années d’immigration. C’est un regard critique sur les événements pré et post-migratoires. C’est creuser en long et en large le mode de structuration, de développement, de fonctionnement des mouvements conçus par les immigrés et du rôle qu’ils ont joué.

History of Humanity - Scientific and Cultural DevelopmentThe UNESCO Collection of History of Humanity is a universal history of the human mind encompassing a multiplicity of points of view, memories and opinions to be found in the various cultures of the world. It has been prepared with the co-operation of more than 450 distinguished scholars from all over the world.

New Foundations for PeaceThe New Foundations for Peace is combating the so-called 'clash of civilizations' and global intolerance by drawing on the traditions of tolerance, coexistence and intellectual freedom in the classical Muslim world, using educators to develop courses that teach enlightened leadership models and tolerance, drawing from many disciplines in the modern era, as well as historical 'golden ages' like the Arab Golden Age, Andalusia, Persia and Turkey.

Religious Perspectives DatabaseDifferent religious traditions approach ethical and political questions in diverse but related ways. The Religious Perspectives Database by The Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University allows users to compare and contrast key scriptural passages across five traditions and five themes.Forums for Intra-Muslim Dialogue Fiqh Councils of North America and Europe (no link available)These Councils of renowned North American and European Muslim scholars issue declarations and rulings on matters effecting Muslim populations globally from a Western Muslim perspective. These are important networks for any initiative dealing with Muslim populations in the West.

Islam OnlineIslam Online is a leading forum for exchanging views and diverse opinions on issues affecting Muslim communities worldwide. It also deals with how Islam is interpreted and contemporary Muslim practices. The site provides diverse forums for Muslim youth express their views on public issues and to dialogue with one another.

Organization of the Islamic ConferenceThe Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is an inter-governmental organization grouping fifty-seven States. These States decided to pool their resources together, combine their efforts and speak with one voice to safeguard the interest and ensure the progress and well-being of their peoples and those of other Muslims in the world over.

UN Arab Human Development Report SeriesThe first Arab Human Development Report (AHDR) was published in 2002, principally as a critique of, and a charter for, development processes relevant both at the regional and country levels. The AHDR, and its evolution into a series, provides the Arab region, with a needed neutral forum for initiating dialogues and structuring debates to build a reform agenda from within. It builds on the wealth of Arab knowledge and insight, to offer new tools and indexes to measure progress and deficits beyond basic needs; and it brings together independent and solid analyses targeted to people-centered development, and the mobilization of one of the Arab world's most precious resources: human capital.

Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and CooperationThe idea of the establishment of the Islamic Conference Youth Forum was initiated by National Assembly of the Youth Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan (NAYORA), an umbrella youth NGO in special consultative status with the UN ECOSOC, and Eurasian International Development Association (EIDA) within the program named Islamic Conference Youth Initiative . The main goal of the Initiative is to establish a coordinating body – common Youth Platform for the region of the Organization of Islamic Conference, functioning on the permanent basis with the aim to discuss issues of common interest, advocate for issues of pressing concern for Muslim youth and explore the ways for future cooperation, coordination and networking.

Documents of other related efforts

Strategic Vision: Russia-Islamic World (Moscow 27-28 March 2006) V. Naumkin (PDF file)