Every autumn since 2003 the ancient Greek island of Rhodes hosts a session of the World Public Forum "Dialogue of Civilization" called the Rhodes Forum that brings together public figures and statesmen, academics, religious figures and representatives of the arts, mass media and business spheres from all over the world. The sessions of the WPF "Dialogue of Civilizations" proved the urgency and efficacy of the Forum by brining the focus of world public opinion to the problems of intercultural dialogue and the need to work out instruments to make interaction among cultures and civilizations possible. The results achieved by the Forum give a hope for further harmonization of international relations and strengthening of stability in the world.
The participants of the Forum’s programs or Rhodes Forum claim that the dialogue of cultures and civilizations is quite possible. According to Vladimir Yakunin, the World Public Forum was constantly working in an international atmosphere of events that seemingly proved quite the opposite. But meeting at the Forum’s events the representatives of different civilizations have reaffirmed each time that beyond political sphere a dialogue on the level of civil society is not only desirable and necessary, but it is also practically possible. "Now the logic of Forum’s development has led us to the need of making this dialogue more substantial; in a way that would generate the functioning structures of a dialogue. Dialogue of Civilizations is called upon to develop a new culture of international partnership, co-operation and interaction, it has to foster new values and bring in new goals to the international community" — said Vladimir Yakunin.
The World Public Forum (WPF) “Dialogue of Civilizations” is a deliberative-consultative body that unites into a single network various international and national nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), representatives of public and state institutions, civil society organizations and faith-based groups, academics, representatives of cultural, spiritual, business, and media spheres from different countries, members of diverse civilizations and cultural traditions, and individuals who share the principles of openness mutual respect which form the basis of the contemporary dialogue of civilizations.
vladimir alekseev biography
The Very Reverend Vladimir Alexeev holds services at the Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity in East New York.
The Siberian-born priest was temporarily assigned to the church in 2001, but turned down a professorship in Poland and decided to stay when he learned it would be closed if he left.
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