Photo: Sh. Kashaf
The International Scientific Conference ‘Religious World of St.Petersburg’ took place June 26, 2019 at the historical hall of the Tauride Palace in St.Petersburg, Russia.
The Conference was organized by the Spiritual Administration of St. Petersburg Muslims and the North-West Region of Russia, the St.Petersburg Administration and co-organised by the UNESCO Chair on Comparative Studies of Spiritual Traditions, their Specific Cultures and Interreligious Dialogue. The Conference was Chaired by Mufti Ravil Hazrat Pancheev.
As an invited plenary speaker, Dr Spivak’s presentation focused on Interfaith Dialogue within the framework of the UNESCO Cultural Strategy, based on the analysis of UNESCO’s Strategic Objectives 6 and 7 of the Medium-Term Strategy 2014-2021 37 C/4 (dedicated to inclusive social development, rapprochement of cultures and ethical principals); the Action Plan of the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures 2013-2022;and the strategy of the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID). In addition, Dr Spivak presented an overview of UNESCO’s flagship initiative ‘Revive the Spirit of Mosul’.
Finally, Dr Spivak reflected on actual tendencies within the theory of intercultural dialogue, especially the general shift from its communicative aspect to the cognitive one.
In attendance was a large delegation of well-known Muslim, Christian, Lamaist and Jewish community leaders, representatives from Tatarstan and the Chechen Republic as well as prominent experts in interfaith dialogue.
