Damascus Declaration on
“Dialogue among Civilizations for Coexistence”

Based on the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly proclaiming 2001 the “Year of the United Nations for Dialogue among Civilizations”,

Pursuant to the resolutions of the Islamic Summit Conference, the Islamic Conference of Foreign Minister and the Islamic Conference of Culture Ministers, on dialogue among civilizations,

Pursuant to the recommendations of the Rabat Communiqué and of the “Tunis Appeal” on dialogue among Civilizations,

The Islamic Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) held an international Symposium in Damascus on 18-20 May, 2002 on the topic : “Dialogue among Civilizations for Coexistence” under the high patronage of H.E. President Bashar Al-Assad, President of the Syrian Arab Republic,

We the participants in this Symposium,

Reaffirming the need to pursue action in order to achieve the goals of the international year of dialogue among civilizations and to step up the efforts of the international community in this regard.

Anxious to spread the values of human dialogue designed to deepen understanding between peoples and nations and promote co-existence amongst them.

Committed to the civilizational values and the principles of international law that take inspiration from the spirit of successive human civilizations and cultures, throughout history,

Feeling duty-bound by the intellectual and cultural responsibilities vis-à-vis the humanity in the present and the future,

Aware of the serious dangers threatening the whole world as a result of the disregard of the values of dialogue among civilizations,and the rationalization of the human march towards horizons of tolerance and peace,

Taking note with great appreciation the civilizational positions of the Syrian Arab Republic under the leadership of His Excellency The President Bashar Al-Assad the pioneer of the renaissance project for progress and modernization, positions which bear deep human meaning and noble values.

Issue the present declaration in which we stress the following :

First : Dialogue among civilizations is the choice of reasoned people fully aware of their responsibilities towards the human destiny and discharging the trust they are shouldering. It is also the approach of wise men caring for the safety, stability and prosperity of societies; and an alternative to conflict that leads to wars and crises at all levels,

Second : Dialogue among civilizations is a dire necessity for fulfilling the conditions required for an honourable human life under a just peace, mutual respect and fair enforcement of international law. Dialogue reaffirms the right to difference and multiplicity within the unity of the human society, and to the protection of human rights guaranteed by international law and international conventions foreheaded by the Al-Foudol commitment which is considered as the first pact of defense of human rights in the history of mankind.

Third : Promoting dialogue among civilizations is a joint human responsibility to be shouldered in particular by decision-makers at different levels of responsibility, as well as by intellectual and cultural elites and media leaders in the entire world, in order to ensure a collective involvement in the construction of peace in the present and in the future; a peace based on solid foundations that would withstand contingent crises resulting from unexpected events likely to undermine world stability and shake the human conscience,

Fourth : Dialogue among civilizations is an effective means to wiping out racial discrimination, ethnic superiority and religious bigotry. It is the most powerful factor for establishing the principles of full equality between peoples and nations in terms of rights and obligations,

Fifth : Dialogue among civilizations contributes to a great extent to a rapprochement between peoples and nations and to removing the accumulated obstacles of mutual misunderstanding, as well as ill-founded preconceived ideas which have been stored by the collective memory of a people’s culture about another people’s own culture. This makes the continuation of dialogue and extension of its scope and consolidation of co-existence, the very mission of the intellectual elites and the responsibility of all those concerned with the human destiny, each one from his own position.

Sixth : Gearing dialogue among civilizations towards the issues that are of serious concern for the human conscience, in order to work out solutions and settlements derived from the spirit of civilizations and cultures. In fact, dialogue, should seek, in the first place, to uphold the right of peoples to self-determination and the defence of their lands and holy shrines, and the regaining of its occupied territories, to resist dominion and imposition of a one-sided intellectual and cultural globalization system upon the international community forcibly and against the will of governments and peoples, and to outlaw any form of aggression against peoples aspiring to freedom and independence. Dialogue among civilizations at all levels must be a means to rejecting the denial of the peoples rights reaffirmed by international conventions and guaranteed by divine laws and human principles, and should be an active factor in sensitizing on the importance of the issues of sustainable development and its role in the promotion of human life and the dissemination of the values of justice, equality and coexistence between people.

Seventh : The conduct of dialogue among civilizations and cultures on the basis of mutual respect between all those who belong to these cultures and civilizations, protects the principles of justice and equity; and is an additional driving force for the efforts of the international community towards promoting tolerance, peace and security and comprehensive cultural and civilizational co-existence among all humans.

Eighth : Commending the efforts of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) in seeking to spread the values of dialogue among civilizations, in inviting elites of intellectuals and academics of the world to participate in international symposia held on this subject and in urging other international organizations and bodies concerned with this field, to collaborate with ISESCO in this vital area, in order to entrench the culture of dialogue among civilizations designed to salvage humanity from the dangers threatening it, as a result of attempts to push civilizations and cultures towards conflict instead of dialogue.

Finally, the participants pay tribute to the initiative of His Excellency The President of the Syrian Arab Republic to host this symposium, and consider its holding in this country, with its long lasting civilizational history and which contributes today under the leadership of President Bashar Al-Assad to the international efforts to achieve a fair peace and constructive coexistence between people in the world, an active factor in laying down the bases of dialogue among civilizations that the faithful and sincere among the free men and intellectuals of the world strive to seek.

They also extend their deep thanks and appreciation to the Arab Republic of Syria through is president, government and people, for the warm welcome and generous hospitality and for the gracious efforts deployed by the Ministry of Education, and the National Commission for Education, Culture and Sciences to organize this symposium and reach its expected results.