The Vatican Secretariat of State published in its Web page
the final declaration of the interreligious meeting
held in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Sept. 23-24.
The meeting, convoked by the president of the former Soviet republic, received
a message of support from John Paul II. A Holy See delegation, headed by
Cardinal Jozef Tomko,
prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples,
attended.
* * *
We, the participants of the First Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional
Religions, held from 23 to 24 September 2003 in Astana, the capital of the
Republic of Kazakhstan.
Recognizing the right of each human person to freely be convinced, choose,
express and practice his/her religion,
Considering interreligious dialogue as one of the
most important instruments for ensuring peace and harmony among peoples and
nations,
Supporting the efforts of the United Nations, other relevant international and
regional organizations, as well as Governments, civil societies and
nongovernmental organizations in the promotion of dialogue among civilizations,
Confirming the importance of religion for the well-being of all mankind,
Condemning the misrepresentation of religions and the incorrect use of
differences among religions as a means for achieving selfish, disruptive and
violent goals,
Conscious of
The declining sense of respect for the sanctity of human life and the dignity
of every human person,
The serious challenges posed to global stability by poverty, hunger,
illiteracy, disease, immorality and lack of access to clean water and health
care,
The recourse to oppression, cruelty and violence as the principal instruments
for resolving disputes,
The ecological crisis in which the world finds itself, with grave consequences
for present and future generations,
DECLARE:
That the promotion of the values of Tolerance, Truth, Justice and Love must be
the aim of any religious teaching,
That extremism, terrorism and other forms of violence in the name of religion
have nothing to do with genuine understanding of religion, but are threat to
human life and hence should be rejected,
May our commitments be blessed and all the peoples of the world be granted
justice, peace and prosperity.
That the diversity of religious beliefs and practices should not lead to mutual
suspicion, discrimination and humiliation but to a mutual acceptance and
harmony demonstrating distinctive characteristics of each religion and culture,
That religions must aspire towards greater cooperation, recognizing tolerance
and mutual acceptance as essential instruments in the peaceful coexistence of
all peoples,
That educational programs and the means of social communication should be
essential instruments for promotion of positive attitudes towards religions and
cultures,
That interreligious dialogue is one of the key means
for social development and the promotion of the well-being of all peoples,
fostering tolerance, mutual understanding and harmony among different cultures
and religions, and operating to bring an end to conflicts and violence,
That the entire human family must be encouraged to overcome hatred, enmity,
intolerance and xenophobia,
We shall strengthen cooperation in promoting spiritual values and the culture
of dialogue with the aim of ensuring peace in the new millennium.
We are ready to strain every effort not to allow the use of religious
differences as an instrument of hatred and discord, in order to save mankind
from a global conflict of religions and cultures,
We look forward to joint actions to ensure peace and progress for humanity and
to foster the stability of societies as the basis for a harmonious world for
the future,
We thank the Republic of Kazakhstan and his Excellency President Nursultan Nazarbayev for
initiating and hosting this Congress,
May our commitments be blessed and all the peoples of the world granted
justice, peace and prosperity.
Resolutions of the First Congress of World and Traditional National Religions
The participants of the First Congress of World and Traditional National
Religions, held from 23 to 24 September 2003 in Astana, the capital of the
Republic of Kazakhstan,
Taking into consideration the fruitful exchange of views on the role religions
in promoting peace and harmony in the world,
Expressing common understanding on the need to continue the constructive
dialogue among representatives of the world's religions,
HAVE RESOLVED:
-- To convene the Congress at least once every three years;
-- To approve the following title of the Congress -- "the Congress of
Leaders of World and Traditional Religions";
-- To request the Republic of Kazakhstan, as the initiator of the Congress, to
elaborate all aspects related to the establishment of the Secretariat;
-- To convene the Second Congress in Astana, the Republic of Kazakhstan.