Lisbon (UNA) – The King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID) organized, at its headquarters in Lisbon, the first regional forum for ambassadors accredited to the Portuguese Republic from Arab countries, under the title: “Methods of Transformative Dialogue for Peace and Social Cohesion.”
The event was co-hosted by Ambassador Othman Aba Hanini, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco and Dean of the Arab Regional Group, and Ambassador António de Almeida Ribeiro, Acting Secretary-General of the Center.
The forum was attended by diplomatic representatives from 11 Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia—the founding state and member of the KAICIID Council of Parties—along with Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Qatar, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates.
In his opening remarks, Ambassador Othman Aba Hanini emphasized the important role played by KAICIID in addressing global challenges, noting that “the Center’s work contributes to dismantling stereotypes, combating hate speech, and building bridges between communities to serve peace and harmonious coexistence.”
The meeting comes within the context of the United Nations International Year of Peace and Trust, emphasizing the growing need to enhance dialogue among international actors to address the multiple and interconnected challenges facing the world.
For his part, Ambassador António de Almeida Ribeiro highlighted the unique character of KAICIID, highlighting its roots in the historic meeting between the late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and Pope Benedict XVI, emphasizing that “religion, like diplomacy, has the power to galvanize societies for the common good.”
The meeting included a comprehensive review of the center's pioneering programs in the Arab region, most notably:
-
Dialogue Projects ProgramAn initiative to support interfaith and intercultural dialogue at the local level.
-
Journalism Fellowship for DialogueAn annual program to promote coexistence through constructive media.
-
It's for dialogueAn initiative to empower women to lead peace efforts within their communities.
An upcoming project titled: “Dialogue Project within Muslim Societies” Scheduled to launch in 2025, it aims to promote community cohesion and shared citizenship within Muslim communities.
The forum provided a platform for the ambassadors to exchange views, reflecting a spirit of solidarity and a desire to cooperate for a future of peace and understanding.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Secretary-General-designate announced that Portugal had received an official invitation to join the KAICIID Council of Parties, a move that would strengthen the Center's integration into the host country. He emphasized that this forum would be the first in a series of meetings the Center intends to organize throughout 2025 to expand cooperation with the diplomatic community and strengthen its mission of building peace through constructive dialogue.
(is over)
