Diplomatic World_69

The Pope said that religious freedom is an essential condition for
genuinely human and integral development. He also called for
solidarity towards those in need in a post-pandemic world.
THE FINAL DECLARATION
The final declaration of the VII Congress affirms that the purposes
of the Congress and the Declaration is to guide contemporary
and future generations of humankind in promoting a culture of
mutual respect and peacefulness by making available a document
that could be used in public administration of any country
in the world, as well as by international organizations, including
UN institutions.
Notably, it calls upon “world leaders to abandon aggressive,
destructive rhetoric which leads to destabilisation and bloodshed”
and upon religious leaders and prominent political figures
to “develop dialogue in the name of friendship, solidarity and
peaceful coexistence”.
The Declaration also instructs the Secretariat of the Congress to
develop a concept paper for the development of the Congress
of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions as a global
inter-religious dialogue platform for the decade of 2023-2033.
In wrapping up the proceedings of the VII Congress, Kazakh
President Tokayev stated that it is vital to put to good use the
peace-making potential of religions and unite the efforts of
spiritual leaders to pursue long-term stability: “As we face an
increasingly turbulent geopolitical post-pandemic world, it
becomes more crucial to develop new approaches to strengthening
inter-civilizational dialogue and trust at the global level.
I believe that this forum made a significant contribution to this
vital ongoing work”, the President concluded.
a way out of the current confrontation. The experience of this
large-scale dialogue strengthens spiritual leaders to actively
pursue various peacemaking initiatives. This is essential to
ending military conflicts and the suffering of people in conflict
zones around the world. Spiritual leaders are the guardians of
the conscience of humanity. Therefore, who better than you
to show the way to mutual trust, goodness and peace. Now,
more than ever, humanity is in need of solidarity. To build a
new system of international security, we all need a new global
movement for peace. I believe the role of spiritual leaders in
this matter is paramount.”
• “Thirdly, given that we now live in a digital world, it is important
to systematically promote the ideals of humanism and enduring
spiritual values. We see how new technologies are radically
changing all spheres of human life before our eyes. The pandemic
has only accelerated and deepened this process. Digital
communications, the Internet, and social networks play a huge
positive role, erasing borders between people in all corners of
the earth. But at the same time, we observe how societies are
being fragmented and polarized under the influence of digital
technology. For many, the virtual world already replaces the
real one. Therefore, in the new digital reality it is necessary
to raise the question of cultivating spiritual values and moral
guidelines in a new way.”
For its part, Pope Francis praised Kazakhstan’s historical role
as a “land of encounter”, traversed down the centuries by great
caravans, where “histories, ideas, faiths and hopes” have intersected
for centuries. Today, Kazakhstan is home to more than
130 nationalities and ethnic groups living peacefully together
and enriching one another. Therefore, the Pope hoped that
“Kazakhstan could open a new route, centred on human relationships:
on respect, sincere dialogue, respect for the inviolable
dignity of each human being and mutual cooperation”.
To the delight of the hosts, the Pope’s speech was full of references
to the works of Abai, well-known poet and founder of
modern Kazakh literature: “Abai reminds us that love and justice
are the beginning of humanity. Abai called for the expansion of
knowledge, to go beyond one’s own culture, and to embrace the
learning, history, and literature of others”.
“The pursuit of transcendence and the sacred value of fraternity
can inspire and illumine the decisions that need to be made amid
the geopolitical, social, economic, ecological, but fundamentally
spiritual crises that many modern institutions, including democracies,
are presently experiencing, to the detriment of security
and concord among peoples. We need religion to respond to the
thirst for world peace and the thirst for the infinite that dwells in
the heart of each man and woman,” added the Pope.
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