Some dozens of heads of state and government, including those of many Arab countries, Israel and the United States, will be taking part, at the Glass Palace in New York today and tomorrow, in the summit on inter-religious dialogue, called "Culture of peace", an unprecedented initiative for the UN. “The values it means to promote are shared by all the religions of the world and can help us fight against extremism, prejudice and hatred", pointed out the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon. Hinduism, Taoism and Buddhism will not be represented at the meeting, even if last July they signed the "Madrid Declaration" under which the General Assembly, which this year is chaired by the Nicaraguan delegate, the priest Miguel D’Escoto Brockmann, convened the 192 UN member countries. "The world has suffered a great deal for the lack of understanding and mutual respect and for the differences of opinions between different religions, faiths and cultures", added Ban Ki-moon. The meeting taking place today and tomorrow takes inspiration from a proposal that the King of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud, put forward during a similar summit in Madrid last July. “I hope that, through such high-rank meetings and dialogue concluded Ban Ki-moon , the world will be able to live in a society with a more harmonious and peaceful atmosphere”.
