In a Lecture on the Third Day of the Emerging Peacemakers Forum

Adama Dieng, Former UN Under-Secretary-General: Promoting Values of Understanding, Acceptance, and Embracing Diversity is the Path to Achieving True Peace

Adama Dieng, the former United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser to the Muslim Council of Elders, emphasized that promoting values of understanding, acceptance and embracing diversity is the path to achieving true peace.

Speaking in a lecture titled 'International Organizations and Peacebuilding' during the third day of the Emerging Peacemakers Forum, Dieng noted that this edition of the forum comes at a time when the world is facing numerous conflicts and crises. He pointed out that the youth hold the key to overcoming these challenges as they represent the future of humanity. Therefore, empowering and supporting youth is essential to them becoming today's leaders while also harnessing their inspiring energy and initiatives.

Dieng called on participants at the forum to make use of their participation in order to build relationships with other peacebuilders around the world. He stressed the importance of turning words into actions and highlighted love and humility as crucial qualities that leaders should possess.

The former United Nations Under-Secretary-General emphasized the significance of justice and equality in achieving peace. He underscored the need to work towards eradicating hunger and poverty whilst working to achieving humanitarian justice. He also pointed out that poverty and hunger are the main factors that expose young people to danger through irregular migration, considering the failure to help these people and rescuing them from drowning as a crime against them.

Dieng also urged the participating youth to work on promoting the values of human fraternity. He highlighted that His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, along with His Holiness Pope Francis, Pontiff of the Catholic Church, presented the most important document in modern human history, the 'Document on Human Fraternity' during their joint visit to Abu Dhabi in 2019.

The second edition of the Emerging Peacemakers Forum commenced on Thursday, in partnership between the Muslim Council of Elders, the Rose Castle Foundation, and the World Council of Churches. Its aim is to equip a generation of young people capable of actively contributing to peacebuilding and promoting values of dialogue, tolerance, and coexistence.