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International Conference on Environment,
Peace, and the Dialogue among Civilizations
and Cultures
9-10
May 2005 | Tehran, Iran |
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IISD's
SUMMARY REPORT is available online in the
following formats:
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TUESDAY,
10 MAY
Click
here for highlights from Monday, 9 May, including
photos of Iranian President Seyed Mohammad Khatami
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The
International Conference on "Environment, Peace, and
the Dialogue among Civilizations and Cultures" continued
on Tuesday, 10 May 2005 at the Azadi Grand Hotel in
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
In
the morning, participants met in working sessions on:
environment and human security; dialogue among civilizations;
peace and conflict prevention; and dialogue - what it
means and entails.
The
conference concluded in the afternoon with an interactive
discussion and closing session. The outcomes of the
conference include a communiqué to be formally
submitted by the Government of the Islamic Republic
of Iran to the UN Secretary-General as a message to
the UN high-level event in September at the commencement
of the 60 th session of the UN General Assembly.
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The
closing session was attended by Kamal Kharrazi,
Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs. He said the conference
highlights that the interaction between environment,
peace and security is increasingly appreciated around
the world and stressed that people have come to realize
that the environment is critical to their lives and
that the environment is threatened. Photo: Iranian
Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazzi addresses
the Conference during the closing session; Iranian Foreign
Minister Kamal Kharazzi, with Iranian
Vice-President and Conference Chair Massoumeh
Ebtekar and Ambassador Bagher Asadi
(left). |
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The
Tehran Communiqué includes conclusions
and recommendations stating, among other things:
that there is a need for a new shared vision of
a common destiny to create a culture of universal
peace and solidarity that can create an environment
free from poverty, war, fear, violence and insecurity;
that there is a need to deepen and broaden the
process of dialogue among civilizations and cultures;
that UNEP should continue its initiative on environment,
peace and dialogue and consider holding annual
international meetings; that greater efforts should
be made to include broader constituencies, including
mayors and civil society, in this process; that
the proposed UN Peace-Building Commission should
contribute to the objectives of the conference;
and that consideration should be given to the
development of fora for preventive dialogue and
confidence building, conflict resolution, and
post-conflict restitution. |
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Parallel
Session: Environment and Human Security |
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Kevin
Clemens, Australian Centre for Peace and Conflict
Studies, Queensland University (left), addressed the
need for more conflict-sensitive development policies
and programmes, underlining the need to think and act
holistically regarding development, security and human
rights debates. Hans van Ginkel, United
Nations University, underlined that the environment
and human security problems are complex and so must
be our solutions, noting that actions to address one
problem often create new ones and that proposed solutions
must pay attention to specific circumstances.
Juan
Mayr Maldonado, former Colombian Environment
Minister (far right) chaired the session on environment
and human security.
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Hossein
Fadaei, UNEP (right), outlined
the work of the ENVSEC initiative in Central Asia, which
promotes peace and security through cooperation. |
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Parallel
Session: Special Panel on Dialogue among Civilizations
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Reza
Sha'abani, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran
(left), drew on Iran's long history at the crossroad
of civilizations to underscore the relevance of Khatami's
desire for dialogue among nations, showing that the
initiative is deeply rooted in Iranian culture and
psyche. Rabbi Lawrence Troster, Rabbinic
Fellow in the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish
Life, described his personal experience of the spirituality
of the environment, and noted that sacred texts are
filled with environmental references.
John Grim, Coordinator
of the Harvard Forum on Religion and Ecology,
outlined the Forum's work in generating dialogue,
and reminded the group that small-scale religions
and their philosophies also have a valuable contribution.
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A
representative of Iranian youth calls for less talk and
more action |
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Peace
and Conflict Prevention |
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Paul
Claval, Universite de Paris-Sorbonne, France,
outlined how the dispersal of concentrated
energy supplies, development of communications, and
role of culture impacts on environmental issues; Geoffrey
David Dabelko, Woodrow Wilson International
Center for Scholars, Bahman Baktiari,
Department of Political Science, University of Maine,
and Jean Fried, Margaret Chase Smith
Center for Public Policy. |
Paul
Claval, Universite de Paris-Sorbonne, France,
Geoffrey David Dabelko, Woodrow Wilson
International Center for Scholars, Bahman Baktiari,
Department of Political Science, University of Maine,
US (left) and Simon Dalby, Department
of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of
Carleton, Canada. |
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Parallel
Session: Dialogue: What it Means, What it Entails
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Noel
Brown, Friends of the UN, US, Hisae Nakanishi,
Nagoya University, Japan, Nay Htun, University
of Peace, US, Mary Evelyn Tucker, Harvard
Forum on Religion and Ecology, US, Hans Kochler,
Leopold Franzens University, Innsbruck, Austria, and Ali
Paya, National Research Institute of Science
Policy of Iran. |
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Hisae
Nakanishi, University of Nagoya Graduate School
of International Development, discussed
the difficulties associated with implementing 'universal'
values such as gender equality in different cultures,
drawing on her experience in Afghanistan and Japan.
Mary Evelyn Tucker, Harvard Forum on
Religion and Ecology, pointed out that the only truly
shared human value is the continuation of life on Earth.
She said we should move beyond individualism and domination
of the environment to emphasize participation and kinship
with all life systems. Hans Kochler,
Chairman of Leopold Franzens University's Department
of Philosophy, Innsbruck, Austria, called for the western
world to be more self-critical, and for a balanced international
order as a fundamental prerequisite of genuine dialogue.
He warned that attempts at dialogue will otherwise lack
credibility and could generate further conflict. Ali
Paya, National Research Institute of Science
Policy of Iran, concluded
that the choice facing humanity today is one of dialogue
or barbarism. |
Interactive
Discussion and Conclusions |
Hans
van Ginkel, UNU (right), led the discussion on
conclusions, which included five minute presentation of
synopsis of working sessions by Chairmen/Facilitators,
while Kevin Clemens, Australian Centre
for Peace and Conflict Studies, Queensland University,
assisted . |
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Closing
Session |
During
the Closing Session, Chair Ebtekar (left)
thanked all participants and introduced the outcome document
– the Tehran Communique. Hans
van Ginkel, UNU, summarized the proceedings of
the conference. |
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Wolfgang
Burhenne, German Inter-Parliamentary Working
Centre Secretary-General, said policymakers
must engage in more general dialogues, there must be
greater respect given to cultural, religious, historical
and other aspects, listening and learning through dialogue
and a culture of dialogue must be developed, issues
concerning shared resources must be addressed, the Security
Council should designate safe havens in times of war
for vital natural areas, and world leaders should use
dialogue to strengthen solidarity, respect and tolerance
and the development of a culture of peace in dialogue. |
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Alexandre
Kiss,
European Environmental Law Council (right),
said care for the environment is essential due to the
growing complexity of problems and underlined the need
for a holistic approach. He stressed the need to take
preventive approaches and to develop a sense of responsibility
starting with individuals. |
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Adnan
Amin, UNEP, Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal
Kharazzi, and Chair Ebtekar;
In his remarks to the Conference, Minister Kharazzi
said the Conference signifies that the interaction
between environment, peace and security is being appreciated
more and more everywhere. He stressed that people have
come to realize that the environment is critical to
people's lives and it is in real jeopardy. |
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Chair
Ebtekar closed the meeting, expressing
hope that this would be only "the end of the beginning"
and that the process will continue in the years
to come. |
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© 2005,
IISD. All rights reserved.
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