Kazakhstan: VII Congress of Leaders of World Religions. Final Declaration, an appeal to world leaders, “abandon any aggressive rhetoric and cease from conflict in all corners of the world”

“We call upon world leaders to abandon all aggressive and destructive rhetoric which leads to destabilization of the world, and to cease from conflict and bloodshed in all corners of our world. We call upon religious leaders and prominent political figures from different parts of the world tirelessly to develop dialogue in the name of friendship, solidarity and peaceful coexistence”. These are the key “points of the appeal that the leaders of the world religions make to the political and religious authorities in their final Declaration, which has been issued earlier today in multiple languages by Nur Sultan at the end of the VII Congress of Leaders of World Religions. At the Congress, the spiritual leaders of the world religions, along with delegates of international and political agencies, discussed the “role” that religious leaders can play “in the spiritual and social development of humanity in this post-pandemic period”. In their Declaration, the leaders say they have been inspired by a “shared desire for a just, peaceful, secure and prosperous world”. “We are convinced – the Declaration says – that the unleashing of any military conflict, creating hotspots of tension and confrontation, causes chain reactions which impair international relations. We believe that extremism, radicalism, terrorism and all other forms of violence and wars, whatever their motivations and goals, have nothing to do with authentic religion and must be rejected in the strongest possible terms”. The leaders of world religions and prominent politicians should instead be involved “in the process of conflict resolution for achieving long-term stability”. The text also says that such Declaration was adopted by the majority of delegates of the VII Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions and is being transmitted to the authorities, political leaders and religious figures around the world, relevant regional and international organizations, civil society organizations, religious associations and leading experts, and it will also be distributed as an official document of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly.
Valentina Bombelli