Brazilian and Chinese professors join Annan’s group on Alliance of Civilizations

Professor Candido Mendes of Brazil and Professor Pan Guang of China became the final members of Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s high-level group on the Alliance of Civilizations, an initiative aimed at bridging the gap between Islamic and Western societies and overcoming misconceptions which potentially threaten world peace.

Set up in July, the movement also aims to advance mutual respect for religious beliefs and traditions, serving as a coalition against extremists.

The high-level group is chaired by Federico Mayor of Spain and Professor Mehmet Aydin of Turkey – the two countries which called for the Alliance – and is expected to present a report with recommendations and a practical plan of action in late 2006.

Other members are Iran’s former President, Seyed Mohamed Khatami; Her Highness Sheikha Mozah of Qatar; Mohamed Charfi, former Education Minister of Tunisia; Ismail Serageldin, President of Egypt’s Bibliotheca Alexandria; Andre Azoulay, an Adviser to King Mohammed VI of Morocco; Senegal’s former Prime Minister, Moustapha Niasse; Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa; France’s former Foreign Minister, Hubert Vedrine; British religion historian Karen Armstrong; and Vitaly Naumkin, President of the International Center for Strategic and Political Studies in Russia.

Professor John Esposito of the United States, the Founding Director-Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding-Georgetown University and Editor-in-Chief of the Oxford Encyclopaedia of the Islamic World; Rabbi Arthur Schneier of the US, President of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation; Enrique Iglesias of Uruguay, former President of Inter American Development Bank; Dr. Nafis Sadik of Pakistan, former head of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA); Shobana Bhartia, Managing Director of the Hindustan Times, New Delhi; and Indonesia’s former Foreign Minister, Ali Alatas are also members of the group.