30 October 2015 - The Philippine Embassy in Oslo, represented by Minister and Consul General Charmaine Rowena C. Aviquivil, participated in an interfaith programme entitled “Prerequisites to Peace—A Religious Contribution on the UN Day” organized by the NGO Universelt Fredsforbund-Universal Peace Federation-Norwegian Chapter, on October 27 at the Central Jamaat E ahle Sunnat, the largest mosque in Oslo.
The event, which was attended by around 40 participants composed of religious leaders from Oslo’s Islamic, Lutheran, and Hebrew communities and civil society groups, was held to commemorate the 70th foundation anniversary of the United Nations.
Minister and Consul General Aviquivil joined six other panelists including imams, a Lutheran pastor, a UN-Oslo representative and the civil society representative from Universelt Fredsforbund in discussing how interreligious initiatives at the UN contribute to world peace.
In her presentation, Ms. Aviquivil shared the Philippines’ wealth of experience on interfaith dialogue (IFD), the Philippine government’s pursuit of IFD to complement its main track on the peace process, and IFD initiatives by Philippine civil society organizations and the academe. She also discussed the Philippines’ pioneering efforts on interfaith and interreligious dialogue and cooperation for peace at the United Nations, and its IFD advocacy in other international and regional forums, such as in the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM), the Asia Pacific Regional Interfaith Dialogue Conference (RID) and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), including the Philippines’ hosting of the Special Non-Aligned Movement Ministerial Meeting on Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation for Peace and Development (SNAMM) from March 17 to 18, 2010. END