Davos 2016: Dialogue on Trust Can Help Secure Peace

Annual Dialogue Report 2016 focuses on combatting extremism through intercultural and interfaith exchange.

January 20, 2016. Davos. – Dr. Shawki Allam, Grand Mufti of Egypt, and Michael Møller, Director-General of the United National Office at Geneva, emphasized opportunities for moderates to combat extremism through communication as they presented Media Tenor International’s Annual Dialogue Report 2016 today at the World Economic Forum.

“Islam has and must continue to play a key role in advocating human flourishing,” says the Grand Mufti. “The Muslim world in both the East and the West is at the center of international debate, and I believe the time is right for further practical steps in order to build a sustained relationship of mutual trust and respect among world religions.” In order to walk this talk he additionally called upon all Muslim states and asked them to become role models in proving the love for minorities expressed in the Koran.

Michael Møller concurred with the need for dialogue and respect. “We need to rebuild trust through legitimate leadership, justice, and accountability so we all have institutions, systems, and processes we can trust,” he says. “We need to rebuild trust in individuals so that they feel they belong to our community. This is the fundamental step towards creating the necessary virtuous circle.”

Møller invited the Grand Mufti to host the Geneva Lecture in February and exchange with other leaders from International Geneva on concrete options that may include having the Inter-Parliamentary Union support this initiative by asking their member parliaments to provide a tolerance report on a yearly basis. This would create transparency for each nation in regards to the current situation of minorities in regards to race, religion, and more.

“The media has a key role in covering terrorism,” notes Roland Schatz, founder and CEO of Media Tenor. “Whether or not stereotypes will dominate the current debate about migrants is mostly driven by the news selection presented by journalists.”

Partnering with the C-1 World Dialogue Foundation and the Grand Mufti Shawki Allam Initiative, Media Tenor's Annual Dialogue Report also features contributions from Dr. Ibrahim Negm, Senior Advisor to Dr. Shawki Allam; James D. Bindenagel, Henry Kissinger Professor for Governance and International Security at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University in Bonn; John L. Esposito, Founding Director of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at the Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University; HRH Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal, Founder of the C-1 World Dialogue Foundation; Rabbi Dr. Alon Goshen-Gottstein, director of the Elijah Interfaith Institute; Jovan Kurbalija, Founding Director of DiploFoundation; HSH Prince Michael of Liechtenstein, founder and Chairman of Geopolitical Information Service; Ferdinand Mirbach and Martin Rieger both of the Cultural Orientations program at the Bertelsmann Stifung; and Christian Kolmer, Head of Political and Social Research at Media Tenor International.

For over 20 years Media Tenor's mission has been to contribute to objective, diverse, and newsworthy media content by bringing together the diverse parties. Media Tenor's global research projects include analyses of election campaigns, investor relations, public diplomacy, corporate communications and other topics critical to news makers and news audiences.

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