You might be surprised to know of the “ World Interfaith Harmony Week”. As you know, we’re all different from each other regarding our skin color and race, our origins and homelands, our thoughts, dreams, beliefs, and religions. We can’t fight or hate each other for any of those differences, because they’re all that makes us special. We can’t live in peace and agreement without reciprocal respect, understanding, and acceptance.

World Interfaith Harmony Week

The world celebrates World Interfaith Harmony Week during the first week of February (which falls between the 1st and the 7th of this month). The concept goes back to the King of Jordan -Abdullah the Second- when he suggested it back in 2010. Based on his approach, the United Nations General Assembly declared this week as an international occasion on the 20th of October that same year. The Assembly also invited all individuals and countries to support the designated week and to participate in the aims of spreading and boosting world peace and reciprocal understanding. [1]

World Interfaith Harmony Week Throughout the Years

Interfaith Harmony Week is a chance and a reminder for us to share kindness and humanity with others. It’s also an invitation to accept differences and an initiative toward dialogue and unison. Since this week has been celebrated for over 10 years, we would like to share some special information from those years.

2012

Together with the “Give Them a Hand” organization, the African Union responded, participated, and arranged a discussion conference at the United Nations, and chose the theme “The Diaspora – A Force of Positive Change”. They both still participate in World Interfaith Harmony Week to date. [1]

2014

In honor of the late Nelson Mandela, the celebrations of World Interfaith Harmony Week headlined in 2014 as: “Tolerance, Reconciliation and Forgiveness”. Additionally, through sponsoring this event, the Indonesian and Ethiopian commissions collaborated together. [1]

2015

The subject of this year was “Interfaith Prayer, Healing, and Community Services in the Cause of Peace”. The African conference worked with partners to gather hundreds of volunteers to help offer food for the needy and clean out damaged houses after the destruction caused by (Hurricane Sandy) in New York City, this event was sponsored by Ethiopian, Indonesian, and Jamaican commissions. [1]

2016

With the aim of reinforcing global support and collaboration, this week’s organizers picked out “Building Bridges across Boundaries” as a subject. This aligned with the United Nations creation of a plan for Sustainable Development Goals for (2030), and the occurrence of the worst emergency health cases as a result of the spreading of the virus (Ebola). [1]

2019

The World Interfaith Harmony Week focused in 2019 on “Sustainable Development through Interfaith Harmony”. To assure our need of loving and supporting each other to live in peace and harmony in a sustainable world. [1]

World Interfaith Harmony Week Events

In recent years, a variety of events have been organized, most notably:

• Firstly: the Qatar Global Award For Dialogue Among Civilizations, which was organized by the Qatar Committee for the Alliance of Civilizations under the state department and Qatar University. The committee chose “Science Dialogue: Towards a Civilized Framework for Knowledge Integration” to be the subject of the award’s fourth cycle (2022-2023). [2]
• Secondly: Online meetings and seminars at the United Nations for World Interfaith Harmony Week. The focus last year was on the subject of “The Role of Interfaith Dialogue in Building a Culture of Reconciliation” and the struggle with recovery from the pandemic. The meeting was sponsored by the permanent expeditions of Sierra Leone, Canada, Morocco, and Bahrain for the United Nations Many spiritual gurus and world leaders spoke during the meeting, in addition to member states’ representatives. [2]
• Thirdly: Global Interfaith University (GIU) is a certified newly launched online non-profit school that was established a week before Interfaith Harmony Week of 2022. It aims to offer award-winning educational programs that work on initiating and forming relationships between people in disregard of their faith and traditions. [3]

As an initiative that is working on building sustainable peace in Syria, we value World Interfaith Harmony Week greatly. It takes understanding and harmony with others and our environment to live a peaceful life. Also, Our ability to work together and grow both as individuals and as a society as a whole depends on our ability to appreciate and accept one another’s diversity.

Also read:

• International Day of Peace.
• International Day of Living Together in Peace.
• International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace.

References:

[1] UN

[2] MOFA

[3] European Times