Former Philippine Speaker Hon. Jose De Venecia, Jr. Initiates Shia-Sunni Dialogue
12 February 2018 TEHRAN – Former Philippine Speaker Hon. Jose de Venecia, Jr. welcomed delegates to the 29th Meeting of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) Standing Committee and The ICAPP Special Conference on the Silk Road, in Tehran, through calling for Shia-Sunni dialogue as a great and crucial contributor of peace to the troubled Middle East region.
Present also at the Conference held from 1-4 February 2018 was former Congressman Hon. Rufus B. Rodriguez, President of the Centrist Democratic Party (CDP) of the Philippines.
The ICAPP was founded by former Speaker de Venecia in Manila in 2000. Iran co-founded ICAPP. From being composed of 50 political parties, it has grown to 360, and still growing by activities to involve European parties, with a conference slated for May this year in London.
The speaker appealed for a world free of violence and a Dialogue of Civilizations (an Iranian initiative years ago) instead of the “clash” of civilizations. According to Speaker de Venecia, historical and cultural roots of conflicts should be addressed to solve them. “When faiths reign supreme, this situation results in the negation of other faiths, thus, people should reinterpret tradition to enhance pluralism in society, so that there will be space for others,” he said.
Regarding the Chinese-initiated Silk Road, that will traverse several countries in Asia and Central Asia like Iran, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, Speaker de Venecia proposed also another route traversing the Korean Peninsula, the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, the Pacific, up to the American hemisphere, thus completing the Silk Road around the globe.
On the other hand, former Congressman Rufus Rodriguez in his speech during the Session on trade exchanges along the Silk Road, said that Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte attended the Belt and Road Initiative in May 2017 per invitation of China. He said that the Philippines is a key country. With the President’s Build, Build, Build initiative with regard to infrastructure, the Philippines can connect with Beijing, through Iran, through Europe in trade. END