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Sixth Global Forum of UNAOC, focussing on diversity, concludes in Bali
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Monday, 01 September, 2014, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Bali
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fiogf49gjkf0d At the sixth Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations (UNAOC), which concluded in Bali, Indonesia, recently, Jose Graziano da Silva, director general, Food and Agriculture Organisation, stated that hunger led to conflict and conflict exacerbated hunger.
The theme of the two-day event, in which United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon, political leaders, representatives of international and regional bodies, the private sector and civil society participated, was ‘Unity in Diversity: Celebrating Diversity for Common and Shared Values’.
Hunger & poverty: At root of conflicts
Graziano da Silva stated how hunger and poverty are at the root of many conflicts and political fallouts that have produced more crises in the world than natural disasters.
He cited how the steep increase in food prices in 2008 sparked riots in many countries over rice, bread or disputes over access to land and water and how such social conflict led to the fall of several governments.
FAO’s director general stated that providing food security for all people was an essential requirement “to build the future we want – a peaceful, prosperous, inclusive and tolerant future.”
Development cannot be sustainable if millions of people are left behind – a concept that “echoes the values from many different religions,” he added.
Diversity central to FAO’s work
Graziano da Silva noted that providing food security and combating poverty required dialogue between different cultures, faiths and races in accordance with the founding principles of UNAOC, with which FAO had reached an understanding to work together.
“Diversity is central to the way FAO, as an organisation with 194 member states, works in providing technical expertise in fisheries, agriculture, forestry and nutrition,” he added.
“The partnership between FAO and UNAOC would help to ensure that food can be used as a bridge to improve cross-cultural relations and to promote shared prosperity,” FAO director general stated.
UNAOC, which is supported by 114 states and 25 international organisations, works to develop innovative models to defuse tensions that stem from religious, ethnic and cultural differences.
UNAOC’s sixth Global Forum included sessions dealing with promoting harmony through inter-religious and cross-cultural dialogue, the role of women in fostering understanding among cultures and social inclusion and migration.
Discussions also focussed on the Millenium Development Goals and the post-2015 agenda.
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