International Scientific Conference ‘Religious World of St.Petersburg’ (26 June, 2019, St.Petersburg, Russia)
International Scientific Conference ‘Religious World of St.Petersburg’ took place on June 26, 2019, at the historical hall of the Taurian Palace in St.Petersburg, Russia.
The conference was organized by the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the City of St.Petersburg and the North-Western Federal District of Russia, and by the Administration of St.Petersburg. UNESCO Chair in Comparative Studies of Spiritual Traditions, their Specific Cultures and Interreligious Dialogue, which works basing on the facilities of D.S.Likhachev Russian Scientific Research Institute of Cultural and Natural Heritage (Moscow, Russian Federation) served as co-organizer of the conference.
The leaders of practically all the major Muslim communities of Russia, including Tatarstan and, Chechen Republic were present, as well as a number of prominent experts in the interfaith dialogue, and representatives of the Christian, Lamaist, and Jewish communities of St.Petersburg.
Dimitri Spivak presented an invited plenary talk, dedicated to Interfaith Dialogue in the Cultural Strategy of UNESCO. Two basic documents, relevant for this purpose, were analysed, i.e. Medium-term Strategy 2014-2021 (37 C/4), and Action Plan of the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures 2013-2022. Another focal point was formed by the general shift from the communicative aspect of dialogue to the cognitive one, which forms part of the research conducted in the framework of the UNESCO chair.In addition, D.Spivak briefly analyzed peculiarities of the strategy of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID), which acts as a keynote partner of the Decade, and presented essential features of a new flagship project of UNESCO, entitled ‘Revive the Spirit of Mosul’.
