Baku, Azerbaijan, May 4
By Elchin Mehdiyev – Trend:
The 4th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue held in Baku is important for the world, said Professor Mike Hardy, executive director of the centre for trust, peace and social relations at UK’s Coventry University.
The Baku forum held for the fourth time is becoming more efficient and significant every year, he told Trend.
Today, it is very important to establish a dialogue between various cultures, Mike Hardy said, adding the World Forum makes an important contribution to its establishment.
The professor reminded that Azerbaijan is located at the junction of the East and West, South and North.
He said this is a very important geographical position, helping gather a large number of different cultures, and from this viewpoint holding such a Forum can greatly benefit Azerbaijan.
The 4th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, titled “Advancing Intercultural Dialogue – New avenues for human security, peace and sustainable development” kicked off in Baku on May 4.
The forum will last until May 6, and it aims at further promoting and sustaining understanding and dialogue within and between cultures.
The forum is organized in cooperation with UNESCO, the UN Alliance of Civilizations, the UN World Tourism Organization (WTO), the Council of Europe, the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the North-South Center of the Council of Europe.
Its agenda includes topics such as the role of faith, religions, migration, human security, sport, education, art, sustainable development, preventing violent extremism, business in building trust and cooperation among cultures and civilizations.