United Nations Alliance of Civilizations
(UNAOC) is an initiative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, which
responds to a broad consensus across nations, cultures and religions that all
societies are interdependent, bound together in their development and security,
and in their environmental, economic and financial well-being. The Alliance
seeks to forge collective political will and to mobilize concerted action at
the institutional and civil society levels to overcome the prejudice,
misperceptions and polarization that militate against such a consensus. UNAOC
hopes to contribute to a coalescing global movement which, reflecting the will of
the vast majority of people, rejects extremism in any society.
The
complex, demanding dialogue of civilizations, cultures, and religions is
necessary, possible, and fruitful. It is a critical tool against isolation,
mistrust, and confrontation and it is also the most powerful incentive for
understanding, and tolerance. History has shown that dialogue is not a simple
process, but that if we fail to teach and cultivate it, the situation can give
way to a monologue or to mutism, which is conducive to conflict and violent
extremism.
The Alliance of Civilizations was created to
serve as a soft-power political tool of the United Nations Secretary-General
for conflict prevention and conflict resolution. It is a coalition against
extremist forces, a movement to advance mutual respect for cultures, traditions
and religious beliefs, and a platform to bridge divides and overcome prejudice,
misconceptions, misperceptions, and polarization.
The
Alliance of Civilizations was intended to promote collective action in society
as a means of addressing the threats that emerge from the hostile perceptions
that foment violence, overcoming cultural and social barriers, reducing
tensions and improving relations between societies and communities with diverse
cultural and religious backgrounds, and combatting violent extremism.
The
High-Level Group’s report, published on 13 November 2006, put forth
recommendations that became the guiding principles for the implementa¬tion of
the Alliance. In particular, it identified four pri¬ority areas of action for
the Alliance of Civilizations, which all play a critical role in reducing
cross-cultural tensions and building bridges between communi¬ties, and to which
the Alliance of Civilizations should bring a multidisciplinary and multi-perspective
ap-proach: Youth, Education, Media, and Migration.