United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC)

Deadline: #Sport4OneHumanity Call for Applications
2022-06-06 | Online

Deadline: UNAOC Fellowship Programme
2022-06-10

Briefing on Efforts on Combating Antisemitism
2022-06-15 10:00 - 13:00 (America/Halifax) | UNHQ ECOSOC Chamber, United Nations Headquarters, New York, NY, 10017, United States

UNAOC Young Peacebuilders in MENA Symposium
2022-06-16 09:00 - 13:00 (America/Halifax) | Rabat, Morocco
Guided by the principle that youth are key actors to achieve peace and prevent violent extremism, UNAOC develops
educational programming to enhance the ability of young people and their organizations to foster mutual respect,
understanding, and long-term positive relationships between peoples of different cultures and religions.
The UNAOC Young Peacebuilders is a peace education initiative that is designed to support young people in gaining skills that can enhance their positive role in issues of peace and security and in preventing violent conflict. It also brings visibility to the initiatives, actions, and projects initiated by young people toward peace and the promotion of diversity and dialogue. As such, it responds to recent international policy recommendations outlined in the United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2250, 2419, and 2535 on Youth, Peace, and Security and the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action on Preventing Violent Extremism.
This peace education programme consists of four parts. A face-to-face workshop follows an online preparation and is led by field experts and trainers, who help the young peacebuilders to analyze conflicts, practice peacebuilding tools to build bridges between cultures and religions, and design peace projects, which will be implemented in each participant’s community upon returning home. The fourth and last phase is this final symposium, during which the young peacebuilders will share their experience, lessons learned, achievements, and recommendations with a broader audience of practitioners, policymakers, media, and the general public.
UNAOC intends to implement this programme in different regions of the world to grow and strengthen the global movement of young peacebuilders. Through this action, UNAOC is committing to support young people’s participation in peacebuilding with a growing coalition of partners. The first edition of Young Peacebuilders took place in West Africa, and the second and third editions in the region of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). This 4th edition, also focusing on the MENA region, centered on 20 young women and men, between the ages of 18 to 25, and coming from all across the region.
Implemented with the generous support of the Agencia Extremeña de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (AEXCID), UNAOC’s Young Peacebuilders programme is a powerful example of a partnership that can strengthen the ground-breaking UN agenda on Youth, Peace and Security, which recognizes that “young people play an important and positive role in the maintenance and promotion of international peace and security.”

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Intergenerational Dialogue on the Role of Youth in Preventing Violent Extremism through Sport
2022-06-23 14:30 - 17:00 (Europe/Paris) | Rabat, Morocco
BACKGROUND
The current youth generation is acknowledged as the largest in history, with the global agenda increasingly focused on young people as key drivers for meaningful and impactful social movements. Their commitment and diverse course of actions has greatly contributed to promoting peacebuilding, as well as identifying, and addressing the triggers of violent extremism. Moreover, young people are the most capable of mobilizing their peers and becoming principal stakeholders of societies that are increasingly free from stereotypes, discrimination, and extremism. The United Nations acknowledges the value of the youth in peacebuilding through the development of United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) 2250 (2015), 2419 (2018), and 2535 (2020) on Youth, Peace, and Security that called upon the United Nations (UN) entities and the Member States to improve capacity-building by integrating the Youth, Peace and Security agenda into their technical assistance plans.
Through unique engagements such as sports, the youth have led and sustained peacebuilding and development conversations across societies. Sports have historically played a significant role in fostering positive values throughout the world and across civilizations and cultures, thus making it a powerful vector for the development of efforts aimed at promoting peace and preventing and countering violent extremism. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes the “growing contribution of sport and culture to the realization of development and peace in the promotion of tolerance and respect as well as the empowerment of youth and women, individuals and communities.”
Download the agenda

INTERGENERATIONAL DIALOGUE
It is in this context that the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) is organizing a Regional Youth Forum in Rabat, Morocco within the framework of the “Global Programme on Security of Major Sporting Events and the Promotion of Sport and its Values as a Tool to Prevent Violent Extremism” (“Global Programme”), which is led by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), in partnership with UNAOC, the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), and the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS).
The Youth Forum will build on the power of sport to promote increased youth participation in national and regional PVE strategies and reaffirm the role of youth in fostering sustainable peace and development in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. On the last day of the Youth Forum, the Global Programme will organize an intergenerational dialogue between the 16 participating youth leaders from the MENA region and a number of regional decision/policymakers.
MENA is home to one of the youngest populations in the world. More than 28% of its population are aged 15 to 29 years old. Representing over 108 million young people, the region has the largest number of young people transitioning to adulthood in its history. At the same time, youth are among the most vulnerable groups in the face of pressing challenges such as migration, radicalization, and violent extremism. Despite this, young people of the region have shown remarkable resilience and continued to mobilize action to prevent violent extremism, including through sport-based activities. It is therefore imperative that their unique and innovative perspectives are considered in policy development and decision-making processes across MENA countries.

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Intercultural Innovation Award Capacity-Building Workshop
2022-06-26 - 2022-07-01 | Munich, Germany
The first capacity-building workshop for the ten recipients of the current edition of the Intercultural Innovation Award (IIA) will take place in Munich, Germany from June 26th to July 1st, 2022.
Hosted by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and the BMW Group, and with the support of Accenture, the workshop will focus on the topics of effective storytelling and the use of social media, as well as sustainable organizational development and upscaling.
The workshop will be attended by the ten global grassroots initiatives which were recognized in November 2021 during an event held at the German Pavilion of the Dubai EXPO 2020, within the margins of the thematic week on Tolerance and Inclusivity.
IIA recipients from Brazil, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Switzerland will participate in a variety of training sessions at the BMW Group Headquarters and the Accenture Innovation Center.

Deadline: PLURAL+ Youth Video Festival
2022-06-30 17:00 - 17:30 (America/Halifax)

Deadline for Applications: Strengthening Young Women Peacebuilders’ Capacity in Complex Crises
2022-08-15

Global Dialogue: Towards the World of One Humanity
2022-10-10 - 2022-10-11 | Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland
Human Intelligence (HI) and Artificial intelligence (AI) hand-in-hand for a better world
The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations in collaboration with Fundación Onuart will organize this first global dialogue on the relationship between Human Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence for a better management of public affairs and for paving the way for new initiatives of the private sector in favor of a positive global development driven by innovation and inclusiveness. Artificial Intelligence, in the service of humanity, can drive diversity, respect and progress for all through innovation. Moving forward under a strong public-private partnership is essential to this end. The meeting will serve to deepen, manifest, and visualize this partnership.
Register Here

Informal Briefing to UNAOC Group Friends on the 9th UNAOC Global Forum in Fez, Kingdom of Morocco (22-23 November 2022)
2022-10-31 15:00 - 17:00 (America/Halifax) | UNHQ Conference Room 12, United Nations Headquarters, New York, NY, 10017, United States
“Towards an Alliance of Peace: Living Together as One Humanity”
Conference Room 12 | 31 October 15:00 – 18:00

The Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United Nations and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) are organizing an Informal Briefing on the 9th UNAOC Global Forum, which will be held in the city of Fez, Kingdom of Morocco, on 22nd and 23rd of November 2022.
The Informal Briefing, co-chaired by the Permanent Representative of Morocco to the United Nations, H.E. Mr. Omar Hilale and Under-Secretary-General Mr. Miguel Moratinos, the High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, will take place in the Conference Room 12 in the United Nations Headquarters on Monday 31 October 15:00-18:00.

9th UNAOC Global Forum in Fez, Kingdom of Morocco
2022-11-22 - 2022-11-23 | Fez, Morocco, Fez, Morocco

Global Migration Film Festival
2023-01-25 17:00 - 18:30 (America/Halifax) | Alamo Drafthouse Cinema (Washington DC), Washington, D.C., United States
UNAOC will be participating in this year’s Global Migration Film Festival (GMFF). Launched by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in 2016, #GMFF2023 features film productions and documentaries that explore the reality of migrants, as well as their unique contributions to the communities they migrate to. The festival aims to encourage the discussion around the phenomenon of migration, one of the greatest of our times. For more information about GMFF, click here.
On Wednesday, 25 January, three recipients from the 2022 PLURAL+ Youth Video Festival edition, a joint collaboration of UNAOC and IOM, will be screened at the GMFF. The three videos explore very diverse aspects of migration and are from Spain, produced by students under the age of 12, as well as the United States of America and Guatemala, produced by youth between 18 and 25 years of age.
The PLURAL+ Youth Video Festival is a global initiative that invites youth from all over the world up to the age of 25 years old to submit videos exploring the topics of migration, social inclusion, diversity and the prevention of xenophobia, encouraging them to share their voices and stories and motivating a shift of narrative.

The International Day of Human Fraternity (Virtual Event)
2023-02-06 15:00 - 17:00 (America/Halifax) | Virtual
A virtual event commemorating the International Day of Human Fraternity.

The Power of Sport to Prevent Violent Extremism: Virtual Roundtable Discussion to commemorate the International Day for the Prevention
2023-02-13 08:00 - 09:00 (America/Halifax) | Virtual
On 13 February 2023, at 8:00am EST (New York time), the partners of the UN Global Programme on Security of Major Sporting Events, and Promotion of Sport — the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), the UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), and the International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) — will host a virtual roundtable discussion that aims to further broaden conversations on how sport can positively influence lives, crossing borders, generations, and diverse communities.
Within the framework of the International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism as and when Conducive to Terrorism (February 12), representatives from international organizations, federations, civil society, private partners, media representatives, National Focal Points (NFPs) designated to represent Member States within the Global Sports Programme, as well as youth leaders will converse on sport-based PVE policymaking and activities, grassroots S4D, and the role of athletes and sporting events in creating healthy, inclusive, and prosperous societies, which helps to build resilience to violent extremism and hate narratives.

Equal in Music: The West-Eastern Divan Ensemble
2023-02-23 13:15 - 14:30 (America/Halifax) | Trusteeship Council Chamber, UNHQ New York, Conference Building, UNHQ, New York, NY, United States
The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the United Nations Department of Global Communications (UNDGC) are honored to introduce to the UN community the West-Eastern Divan Ensemble. Click here to register for this event.
The eight-member ensemble led by the orchestra’s concertmaster Michael Barenboim draws upon players of the world-famous West-Eastern Divan Orchestra founded in 1999 by renowned Israeli pianist/conductor Daniel Barenboim and Palestinian scholar/author Edward Said. The United Nations Secretary-General designated the orchestra in 2016 as United Nations Global Advocate for Cultural Understanding.
The encounter at the UNHQ will provide an opportunity to introduce the idea behind the orchestra which is composed of young musicians from Israel, Palestine and other Arab countries. For over twenty-four years, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra continues to demonstrate that when people listen to each other, both musically and in all other ways, great results can be achieved.
Click here to register for this event
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UNAOC Fellowship 2022-2023
2023-03-04 - 2023-03-12 | Finland and Switzerland
The second leg of the current edition of the UNAOC Fellowship Programme is slated to kick off in March. Following their visits to the Moroccan cities of Fez, Rabat, and Casablanca in November of last year, the current cohort of UNAOC Fellows will travel to Helsinki, Finland and Geneva, Switzerland from March 4th to 12th, 2023.
During these trips, in addition to addressing issues related to intercultural dialogue, the Fellows will take part in activities and discussions focusing on the theme: “Countering racism and discrimination: the nexus to building pluralistic and diverse societies”.
This theme has been chosen in line with UNAOC mandate and priorities as well as the UN global agenda. The choice of the theme has also framed the competitive selection process, and participants from both groups are all involved professionally in the field of combating polarization and seeking ways to address its root causes within and between societies.
For more information about the Fellowship, click here.

X Global Baku Forum: "The World of Today: Challenges and Hopes"
2023-03-09 - 2023-03-12 | Baku, Azerbaijan
UNAOC is participating in the flagship event of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, the 10th edition of the Global Baku Forum, on 9-12 March 2023 in Baku, Azerbaijan, under the theme “The World of Today: Challenges and Hopes”.
The Forum will bring together over 400 participants, including current and former heads of state and government, Nobel Laureates, international organizations, and civil society. In the 10 years of its existence, over 100 current and former heads of state and government, Nobel Laureates, and more than 4,000 other high-level representatives of governments, international organizations, and civil society have participated in the Forum in order to discuss how to overcome of the world’s most pressing challenges.
Learn more about the X Global Baku Forum here.

Special High-level Event to Commemorate the International Day to Combat Islamophobia
2023-03-10 10:00 - 13:00 (America/Halifax) | General Assembly Hall, United Nations Headquarters, New York, New York, United States
The High Representative for UNAOC will participate virtually at the Special High-level Event to Commemorate the International Day to Combat Islamophobia on 10 March 2023, 10:00am – 1:00pm, at the General Assembly Hall, UN Headquarters.
Background: Pursuant to the General Assembly Resolution 76/254 proclaiming 15 March as the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, the President of the General Assembly and the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, in his capacity as the Chair of the OIC Group, are co-convening a special High-level event to commemorate the “International Day to Combat Islamophobia” on 10 March 2023 from 10am to 1pm.
The meeting will be chaired by the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, in his capacity as the Chair of OIC-CFM. Participants will hear statements from the President of the General Assembly, the UN Secretary-General, the Secretary-General of the OIC, the High Representative of the UN Alliance of Civilization (UNAOC), academia, followed by Group statements and statements from individual Member States and Observers.

49th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers - Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
2023-03-16 - 2023-03-17 | Nouakchott, Mauritania, Nouakchott, Mauritania
The High Representative for UNAOC will participate in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation‘s 49th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Nouakchott, Republic of Mauritania, from 16 March to 17 March 2023.

'Sport for One Humanity' Capacity-Building Workshops
2023-03-20 - 2023-03-24 | Madrid, Spain
The ten recipients of the ‘Sport for One Humanity’ initiative will travel to Madrid, Spain to attend the face-to-face workshops from March 20th to March 24, which will address various topics designed to increase their effectiveness in their work.
The ‘Sport for One Humanity’ initiative includes a comprehensive capacity development program for selected civil society organizations working in the field of Sport for Development and Peace.
The training curriculum consists of various modules around three core topic areas: 1) Project design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation; 2) Communications and advocacy; and 3) Resource mobilization, partnerships, and fundraising.
This comprehensive program is delivered through online and face-to-face workshops facilitated by experts, and continued support through customized mentoring sessions, which will also be delivered online.
To learn more about ‘Sport for One Humanity, click here.

'Strengthening Young Women Peacebuilders’ Capacity in Complex Crises' Workshop
2023-03-20 - 2023-03-23 | Tbilisi, Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia
UN Women, in partnership with UNAOC, UNFPA, and UNICEF, will hold a four-day workshop for selected participants of “Strengthening Young Women Peacebuilders’ Capacity in Complex Crises” from 20th to 23rd March in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Following a competitive process, 28 young women aged 18-30 years old, who are working in the fields of peacebuilding, human rights, women’s rights, youth rights, or related issues, were selected to participate in this comprehensive capacity-building initiative.
The in-person workshops aim to support young women who are leading civil society organizations in fragile or conflict and post-conflict affected countries by boosting their capacities in fundraising and project management, among others. The programme also seeks create a space for peer-exchange and networking among young women peacebuilders.

UNAOC Young Peacebuilders Handbook Launch (Dominican Republic)
2023-03-23 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Halifax) | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
After four successful editions of the Young Peacebuilders programme, UNAOC has taken stock of the pedagogical materials and methodologies developed and used throughout the programme, consolidating consolidate them into a training handbook for young peace educators.
This handbook aims to support young people’s participation in peacebuilding and strengthen their training and leadership capacity to consolidate peace in their communities. It provides young people with practical guidance and ready-to-use resources that can help improve the effectiveness and impact of their initiatives at the community level.

Prayer for Peace
2023-04-14 12:30 - 13:00 (America/Halifax) | UN Headquarters, New York, United States
Join us at the Prayer for Peace moment, which will be held on Friday, 14 April 2023 at 12:30 p.m. at the Knotted Gun sculpture, Visitors’ Plaza, United Nations Headquarters.
The United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres, will be joined by faith leaders to deliver a critical message about peace at a time of so much conflict and suffering around the world and for a moment of silence.
The Prayer for Peace moment will take place at a special time on the spiritual calendar, when Christians are celebrating Easter, Jews are marking Passover, and Muslims are observing the holy month of Ramadan. Sikhs are also celebrating Vaisakhi on 14 April.
The moment is an opportunity for individuals of diverse faiths and beliefs to reflect on the importance of maintaining and building long-lasting peace, to remember the most vulnerable, and to embrace compassion, solidarity and mutual respect – values at the heart of the UN Charter.
Members of the UN family, including staff, delegates and the press corps, are welcome to attend. The event will also be broadcast on UN Web TV.
📺 Watch on UN Web TV:
https://media.un.org/en/asset/k13/k139n09di5

Y2023 ECOSOC Youth Forum Thematic Session – Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
2023-04-25 15:00 - 17:00 (America/Halifax) | United Nations Headquarters, New York, United Nations Headquarters, New York, NY, 10017, United States
Amplifying the Voices of Youth for Sustainable Urban Future: Leading the Way to Recovery
UNAOC, in partnership with UN-Habitat, UNEP, UNODC, UNHCR, IOM, ICMYO and MGCY, are co-organizing a thematic session that will focus on the role of youth in recovery processes for their cities and communities, youth inclusion in local governance, and their participation in the sustainable urbanization amidst the global multidimensional crises. It will put to the fore diverse perspectives and the voices of young women and men coming from vulnerable settings, including those living in informal settlements, refugees, and migrants.

Annual in-person meeting of the Global Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS)
2023-05-15 - 2023-05-19 | Saly, Senegal, Saly, Senegal
UNAOC will be participating in the annual in-person meeting of the Global Coalition on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS), in Saly, Senegal, from 15 to 19 May 2023.
The annual meeting will focus on the YPS agenda and its progress since its launch, while identifying different milestones for stakeholders, and strategically thinking about the next steps for the next 5-10 years. Participants will also explore more pathways to collaboration to make the Coalition more inclusive, as well as identify opportunities for action vis-a-vis the New Agenda for Peace.

Building an Alliance of Civilizations in an Age of Disruptions
2023-05-17 14:00 - 15:30 (America/Halifax) | Washington, DC, USA
Mr. Miguel Ángel Moratinos, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for UNAOC, will be the special guest of a conversation on building alliances in an age of disruption, organized by the CSIS Project on Prosperity and Development and moderated by CSIS Senior Vice President Daniel F. Runde.
The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) was set up in 2005 under the sponsorship of Spain and Turkey. Through its efforts it seeks to build-cross cultural trust through projects on youth, media, education, migration, and most recently women as peace mediators. The program is administered in New York by High Representative Miguel Ángel Moratinos alongside a Secretariat and is also supported by a Group of Friends including 129 UN member states, 1 non-member state, and 29 international organizations.
Religion and spirituality play an instrumental role in conflict prevention and resolution, yet religion is also often described as the “missing dimension of statecraft”. The Alliance can be seen as a response to Samuel P. Huntington’s 1993 article Clash of Civilizations, in which he argues that people’s religious and cultural identities would be the primary source of conflict in the post-Cold War era. Religion, The Missing Dimension of Statecraft, edited by CSIS alumn Dr. Douglas Johnston, also posits that although religion plays a central role in many conflicts a vast majority of Western diplomats and policymakers tend to ignore or misunderstand its positive potential. The UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) represents, in part, a response to Huntington’s thesis as it works to “improve understanding and cooperative relations” across diverse communities and to “counter the forces that fuel polarization and extremism.”
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Intercultural Innovation Hub 2023 Ceremony
2023-05-24 | Berlin, Germany, Berlin, Germany

Parliamentary Conference on Interfaith Dialogue: Working Together for Our Common Future
2023-06-13 - 2023-06-15 | Marrakesh, Morocco, Marrakesh, Morocco
The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) is pleased to announce that the Parliamentary Conference on Interfaith Dialogue: Working Together for Our Common Future will take place from 13 to 15 June 2023 in Marrakesh, Morocco. The Conference is being organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Parliament of the Kingdom of Morocco in cooperation with Religions for Peace, and with the support of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and the Mohammadia League of Religious Scholars. Those from the UNAOC network are invited to attend this conference and can register at no cost. Please note that participants are however expected to cover costs connected to their participation in the event (travel, accommodation, etc).
The Conference will bring together speakers and members of parliament, religious leaders, representatives of civil society and other experts to engage in dialogue and share good practices around key issues standing in the way of sustainable co-existence and to jointly explore action points for building more peaceful and inclusive societies. It will also aim to develop a roadmap for joint action ahead.
Additional information, including the programme overview, concept note and note on practical arrangements is available at the following link: https://www.ipu.org/event/parliamentary-conference-interfaith-dialogue#event-sub-page-documents/

CT Week Side Event: "The Role of Youth in Preventing Violent Extremism through Sport"
2023-06-23 08:00 - 09:30 (America/Halifax) | UNHQ Conference Room 9
Youth’s unique and diverse actions have made a valuable contribution to addressing the causes of violent extremism but this has not always been adequately considered in policy-making processes. This side event aims to provide recommendations for the effective incorporation of youth perspectives in PVE-through-sport policies and plans, compiled through several youth consultations the UN Global Sports Programme has organized since 2021. Given the multilateral nature of the sport-for-PVE efforts, the panel discussion will gather athletes, youth representatives, UN entities, Member States, civil society, and regional organizations to address the pivotal role of youth and the importance of effective cooperation in the use of sport in prevention efforts.
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Young Peacebuilders Workshop in Merida, Spain
2023-07-03 - 2023-07-07 | Mérida, Spain, Mérida, Spain
The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), in collaboration with the United Network of Young Peacebuilders (UNOY), and with the generous support of AEXCID, will host a capacity-building workshop for nineteen participants from Latin America and the Caribbean in Mérida, Spain. Aiming to enable young civil society leaders to design and implement impactful peace interventions, the training consists of interactive sessions on conflict analysis, innovative peacebuilding approaches, and fostering harmony and mutual respect, among others.
