The Alliance of Civilizations amid the Global Ecological Crisis

Dialogue Eurasia (Belarus) Association has added a new conference to the list of previously held ones. At the last international conference in Minsk called "The Allicance of Civilizations amid the Global Ecological Crisis" there were discussed the ways to address global problems that threaten our world and humanity.

In the conference, organized by "Dialogue Eurasia" Association, the Belarusian State University, Istanbul University and the Belarusian State Academy of Arts, there took part many local and foreign academicians.

In his welcoming speech, the vice-rector of the Belarusian State University Vladimir Klunya, who noted that the dialogue between various socio-cultural systems is challenging the theory of clash of civilizations, said: "In this regard, the cultural dialogue between East and West is a great example and a convincing picture of the opportunity to build a constructive interaction between different cultures and value systems".


Fethullah Gulen

During her speech at the conference, where reports on Fethullah Gulen known for his activities for the development of tolerance and dialogue and on Hizmet movement were performed, the associate professor doc. Irina Leschinskaya said: "Multilateral activities of Fethullah Gulen, who due to his original and diverse ideas has an extremely charismatic and unique personality, made him a symbol of dialogue between cultures. Fethullah Gulen attaches great importance to a person and his material and spiritual development. In addition, he underlines that intercultural dialogue can only be achieved if based on the principle of mutual respect and tolerance".

The head of the Department of Pedagogy of the Belarusian State University Professor Doc. Olga Zhuk, in her turn, defending the need for developing a pedagogical format, which will let young people in our modern world of changed values to develop themselves as a person, and which will take into account both national and global values, said: "This format should help young people to integrate into various cultural and religious environments, and not to forget their country and their values. The ability to look at global and local problems comprehensively will help to solve such problems as the "brain drain" and the crisis of self-determination".

The candidate of philosophical sciences, docent of the Institute of Philosophy of The National Academy of Science of Belarus, Olga Pavlovskya, who notes that one of the most important issues of our time is the spiritual development of a person, and that in the Soviet Union this issue was ignored, although any human development depends on the development of spirituality, said: "The same thing is said on this issue by great teachers of mankind, these great teachers are usually religious figures. One and the same theme - the achievement of human perfection - can be traced in Christianity, Buddhism and Islam".

While speaking at the conference which was also attended by Turkish guests Prof. Doc. Arslan Fahrettin, Professor Doc. Ali Selcuk Biricik, associate professor doc. Deniz Ekinci, the Dean of the Faculty of Distance Education of Istanbul University Mr. Arslan raised the question of the necessity of formation and development of the environmental consciousness in the society, which is essential for the future of our world and humanity. He also said that if we do not save the world, there will be no point in arguing about the alliance or the clash of civilizations.

At the conference, were reports in various fields, including philosophy, sociology, economy, environment and education, were performed, all speakers agreed on the growing need for the alliance of civilizations and on the great importance of the dialogue between societies and cultures in solving global issues.

Published on Dialogue Eurasia, 24 May 2012, Thursday