What’s the Alliance of Civilizations and why does it matter now?
Wars grind on in Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan, Ukraine and beyond amid starvation and famine alerts and a sinister spike in online and offline hate, antisemitism and Islamophobia. Enter the UN Alliance of Civilizations, which will convene its 10th Global Forum from 25 to 27 November in a bid to bridge gaps between divided communities around the world. But, what is it and why does its Global Forum matter now?
Here’s what you need to know:
An alliance for humanity
The UN Alliance of Civilizations has had a long-held motto: Many cultures, one humanity. Based on this, it was created by then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 2005 to embrace and promote cultural diversity, religious pluralism and mutual respect.
Over nearly two decades, it has played an integral part in doing so. It has been supported by an ensemble of Israeli and Palestinian musicians, convened symposiums to address hatred targeting refugees, joined inter-faith dialogues around the world and much more. It works with partners worldwide to bridge divides, mend fences and unroll diplomacy at local to global levels with a view to helping shape a more peaceful, inclusive future.
Indeed, the same values are embedded in the Pact for the Future, adopted at the Summit of the Future, held in New York in September, and in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 goals.
“The Alliance is not a ‘feel good’ initiative,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “It is fundamental to peace, to security, to sustainable development and to the world we need to build.”
Learn more about the Alliance here and watch a video on how it works below:
From AI to sports
The UN Alliance of Civilizations hosts global events that serve as safe gathering places that have over the years seen thousands of delegates from more than 130 countries discuss the latest challenges and come to agreements on solutions for the future. Participants from civil society and governments offer rays of hope through turbulent times while celebrating common values among them.
On Monday, it will open its 10th Global Forum in Cascais, Portugal, under the theme Uniting in Peace: Restoring Trust, Reshaping the Future. Delegations from around the world will tackle the latest issues, from artificial intelligence (AI) to sports, and how they can best be harnessed as drivers of peace. Check out the full Global Forum programme here.
During the three-day event, UN Secretary-General Guterres will join ambassadors and representatives from civil society and the private sector as they exchange views and share experiences at diverse thematic panel discussions that aim to galvanise a collective will to drive change on today’s most serious challenges with innovative solutions, including inter-generational paths to sustainable development, religious mediation for peace and upending hate. On the second day of the Global Forum, delegates are expected to vote on the Cascais Declaration, a forward-looking pledge for action.
Tune into UN WebTV, which will cover the Global Forum. Watch the opening ceremony on 26 November at 10am (GMT) here.
© PLURAL+ Youth Video Festival
Young filmmakers from around the world will be at the Global Forum’s PLURAL+ Youth Video Festival.
What the next generations are saying
Another highlight of this global gathering is the Youth Forum, which will be held on day one, featuring dozens of side events for and by young people from around the world. Last year’s Youth Forum drew 1,000 participants. This year, it features A Tent-tastic Get-together for Youth and other activities throughout the day.
In homage to the next generations, the PLURAL+ Youth Video Festival on Migration, Diversity and Social Inclusion will be recognising young directors at a ceremony on Monday evening. A joint initiative of the UN Alliance of Civilizations and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), PLURAL+ invites the world’s youth to submit original and creative videos focusing on these three themes.
In a world often characterised by intolerance, and cultural and religious divisions, PLURAL+ recognises youth as powerful agents of positive social change and supports the distribution of youth-produced media. This year, the festival’s panel selected 32 short films from 21 countries, from Afghanistan and Israel to Russia and Yemen.
Watch live when the selected videos are announced on 25 November at 7pm (GMT) here.
Latest intercultural innovations
A social circus for social change. Children designing child-friendly cities. Football for peace.
Those are some of more than 1,800 entries from grassroots groups worldwide who participated in the Intercultural Innovation Hub. A ceremony on day two of the Global Forum will recognise selected entries from Austria, Botswana, Canada, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Peru, United States and Zambia.
Co-sponsored by the UN Alliance of Civilizations and the private-sector car giant BMW Group, with support from the tech company Accenture, the hub has considered innovative projects ranging from fostering diversity and inclusion, promoting gender equality and advancing art, culture and sports for social change.
Tune in live when the ceremony begins on 26 November at 5:45pm (GMT) here.
Stay tuned for daily updates from the 10th Global Forum in Cascais, Portugal, here.
The power of music
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has raged over decades, erupting occasionally and ferociously into war, like the ongoing conflict in Gaza. What began as conversations between two pianists – Israeli conductor Daniel Barenboim and the late Palestinian scholar and author Edward Said – about alternative ways to address the conflict eventually flourished into the West-Eastern Divan Ensemble in 1999.
The long-time friends first started a workshop for young musicians using their experience as a model.
“We have musicians that come from countries that are in conflict with each other in one way or another,” violinist Michael Barenboim said just ahead of a performance at UN Headquarters in March 2023.
“We show that by cooperating in a project such as this one, it’s possible to bring together people from States which are in conflict so that they’re able to work together towards a common goal.”
Even as the war in Gaza continues, the ensemble has stayed together, celebrating its 25th anniversary with performances in Europe this month, emphasising that “the orchestra’s journey from that first workshop to this milestone underscores its ongoing mission to promote dialogue and togetherness through music.”
Watch UN Video’s report on the West-Eastern Divan Ensemble performing at UN Headquarters:
