International Peace Conference 2017

• Date: 27 April 2017 - 28 April 2017
• Location : Cairo, Egypt

In response to the call of His Eminence Prof. Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and President of the Muslim Council of Elders, to convene a global conference advocating for a just peace among all people and addressing the root causes of poverty, disease, violence, and hatred, the Muslim Council of Elders, in collaboration with Al-Azhar, hosted the International Peace Conference on April 27 and 28, 2017, in Cairo, Egypt. The event was graced by the presence of His Eminence Prof. Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, His Holiness Pope Francis, Pontiff of the Catholic Church, and a distinguished gathering of religious leaders, intellectuals, policymakers, and cultural figures from around the world.

The global conference aimed to unite around shared human principles that foster peace among people of different religions, beliefs, races, and ethnicities. It called for the collaboration of religious leaders and scholars, intellectual and cultural figures, policymakers, and international institutions to work together to achieve a lasting, just peace. The discussions centered around four key themes: the misinterpretation of religious texts and its impact on global peace, the relationship between poverty and disease on the one hand and deprivation and exploitation on the other hand, and its impact on peace, the culture of peace as promoted by religions, and the challenges to achieving peace in today’s world.

The conference delivered a unified message to the world, declaring that the representatives of different faiths gathered at Al-Azhar stand together in calling for peace among religious leaders, communities, and nations across the globe. With a foundation of mutual trust, they urged followers of all faiths to follow their lead, working hand in hand to reject all forms of intolerance and hatred, and to foster a culture of love, compassion, and peace.