SIXTY COUNTRIES CONFIRM PARTICIPATION
IN GLOBAL MEET ON DIALOGUE AMONG CIVILIZATIONS
Sixty countries
including Pakistan, China and Japan have so far confirmed their
participation in the global meet on "Dialogue Among Civilizations",
opening here next week. The Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee
will inaugurate the two-day meeting being jointly organised by
the Government of India and UNESCO. The DG, UNESCO will preside.
All member countries of the UNESCO have been invited for participation
at ministerial level. Some countries including Pakistan is sending
a non-ministerial one. The last such conference was initiated
by Iran in 1998.
Addressing Foreign
Media here today, the Minister for Human Resource Development
and Science & Technology, Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi said that
developments since then have necessitated continuation of the
dialogue and all countries of UNESCO feel that India is best suited
to host the event, as it believes in dialogue. He said the aim
is to promote growing interdependence among nations, bring civilizations
closer and establish a world free of conflicts.
Dr. Joshi said that
three sub-themes have been chosen i.e. Education, Science &
Technology and Ethical Values to go about freeing the world from
conflicts and violence. He said education is necessary to create
a mind-set and promote dialogue. Science & Technology is a
mechanism to uplift people and end disparities. Ethical values
are very important for understanding each other, promote tolerance
and compassion and accept plurality.
At the end of the
conference a Delhi Declaration will be issued spelling out the
future strategy for human advancement and world peace.
