Commemorating World Interfaith Harmony Week (WIHW) on January 30^th 2026, the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) in cooperation with UNCAV, the Coalition of Faith-Based Organizations, Youth and Students for Peace and the Women’s Federation for World Peace held a conference on the theme “The Relevance of Religions for a peaceful World Order” at the Vienna International Center (UN Vienna) with 200 guests in attendance.

 

Mr. Peter Haider, President of UPF Austria, welcomed the participants and emphasized that World Interfaith Harmony Week, adopted by the United Nations, aims to promote understanding, mutual respect, and cooperation between people of different faiths. He noted that the conference's central theme was particularly significant at a time when the international system was showing clear signs of fragility. While underscoring that wars are not caused by religions themselves, but by political decisions, Mr Haider highlighted the importance of interreligious dialogue as an ethical foundation for peace.

 

The Former UN diplomat and Vice President of the Coalition of Faith-Based Organizations, Dr. Afsar Rathor, who served as the moderator of the first session, drew on his experience in conflict regions such as Bosnia, Rwanda, Yemen, and the Middle East. While emphasizing that honesty about these realities must not lead to hopelessness, he advocated for an approach focused on inclusion, protection of minorities, and concrete public policies to promote coexistence. He warned of rising antisemitism, Islamophobia, attacks on Christian communities, and violence against migrants and other vulnerable groups. Dr. Rathor presented international examples demonstrating how interreligious harmony can be translated into laws, budgets, institutions, and effective programs. Peace, he stressed, is not an abstract idea but a political and societal decision requiring long-term commitment.

 

 

 

 

 

The Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to Austria and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Vienna, H.E. Mohammed Sameer Salem Hindawi, noted that World Interfaith Harmony Week was an initiative of King Abdullah II of Jordan, unanimously adopted by the UN General Assembly. He emphasized that religions, in their authentic essence, are forces of peace, justice, and compassion. The real challenge today, he stated, lies not in religious diversity, but in the deliberate distortion of religion for ideological or power-political purposes. Invoking God to dehumanize others or to justify the denial of fundamental rights is a betrayal of the religious message. Ambassador Hindawi devoted a central part of his remarks to Jerusalem, the holy city for Muslims, Christians and Jews. While emphasizing that Jerusalem should not be misused as a political instrument of exclusion, he recalled Jordan's historically grown and internationally recognized role as guardian of the Islamic and Christian holy sites, a responsibility he described as both moral and political.

 

Hon. Lukas Mandl, an Austrian member of the European Parliament, pointed out that religion is often perceived as a private matter in Western Europe, while worldwide the majority of people identify with a religious tradition. This makes religion a central factor for international understanding. Mandl emphasized the need to clearly distinguish between religion and its political misuse and warned that any religion can be instrumentalized if it is detached from human dignity and individual freedom. Peace, he argued, does not merely mean the absence of war, but rather equitable relations between people, nations, and cultures. He also addressed the role of social media and algorithmic mechanisms in societal polarization and warned of their addictive effects and their potential to undermine social and democratic cohesion.

 

Prof. Dr. Rizwana Abbasi, Professor at the National University of Modern Languages in Islamabad, recalled her time in Great Britain, where numerous dialogues took place on social problems and their solutions. Religion and universal civilization offer approaches to harmonious coexistence. Today, religions and cultures are more intertwined and disseminated through digital technologies. At the same time, social media unfortunately also spreads hate speech with religious messages. Therefore, the EU initiative for intercultural dialogue is all the more important. Referring to Pakistan as a culturally, religiously, and socially diverse society, where peaceful coexistence prevails and extremism is not tolerated, she stated that there is a ministry of interfaith dialogue and a national commission for minorities. While emphasizing the importance of scholarship programs, workshops, and seminars on interreligious harmony, Dr Abbasi views diversity as having been a strength historically.

 

Prof. Jean-Luc Lemahieu, former Director of Policy and Public Affairs at the UNODC, presented a critical analysis of the current state of the multilateral system. He recalled that at the beginning of the 21st century, the UN appeared to be establishing itself as a cornerstone of a rules-based international order founded on human rights and cooperation. However, in recent years, a gradual erosion of trust has set in, accompanied by the emergence of parallel initiatives that have called into question the central role of the United Nations. Prof. Lemahieu emphasized that the UN's historical strength lies not in military power, but in its moral authority, its power to unite people, and the trust placed in its values. Against this backdrop, he defended interreligious dialogue as an essential element for restoring shared narratives, fostering trust, and supporting sustainable peace processes - particularly in conflict regions such as the Middle East.

 

 

 

Before commencing the second session of the conference, the audience was treated to a musical interlude, presented by Dr. Joshua Sinclair, with performers Ms. Kirsten Wedeborn and Ms. Caroline Stevenson, who performed the songs “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” and “The White Cliffs of Dover”.

 

Prof. Dr. Elmar Kuhn, International president of the Coalition of Faith-Based Organizations, offered a self-critical reflection on the limitations of interreligious dialogue when it remains solely at the institutional level. Drawing on his experience, he emphasized that high-level encounters lose their impact when they lack a connection to grassroots communities, where perceptions, prejudices, and attitudes are formed that directly shape coexistence. Dr. Kuhn warned that interreligious dialogue fails when it is reduced to proselytizing, confronting differences, or an idealized view that ignores real conflicts. Instead, he advocated for a reorientation toward concrete action: values ​​education from early childhood, social cooperation, and a lived spirituality that strengthens respect for human dignity and diversity.

 

The Orthodox theologian and canon lawyer Dr. Androniki Barla analyzed the growing importance of religious diplomacy in an international environment characterized by a loss of trust in institutions and increasing identity-related conflicts. She pointed out that for decades, foreign policy has tended to relegate religion to the private sphere—a view that is no longer sufficient in light of a multipolar world order. Dr. Barla emphasized that religious leaders and organizations can contribute to mediation, reconciliation, and trust-building, particularly in fragile contexts where state structures reach their limits. At the same time, she stressed that this form of diplomacy is only effective if it is practiced responsibly, inclusively, and self-critically, without instrumentalizing faith and with the involvement of minorities, women, and youth.

 

Mr. Albert David, a member of the Anglican church and a Christian representative of the National Commission for Minorities in Pakistan, stated that religion - when practiced authentically - is a force for peace, not conflict. Interreligious harmony does not mean eliminating differences, but rather respecting and valuing them as part of human diversity, grounded in shared values, ​​such as dignity, compassion, and justice. He emphasized Pakistan's commitment to protecting religious minorities and rejecting extremism, while acknowledging existing challenges. He asserted that lasting peace is only possible when religions work together to defend human rights and transform diversity into a collective strength.

 

 

Ms. Matea Strkulová, Coordinator of Youth and Students for Peace (IAYSP) in the Czech Republic, reported on IAYSP's activities within the United Nations. She explained that 16 local groups already exist in Europe and mentioned several events in Mitrovica, Kosovo (a scholarship program with Serbian participation) and the Czech Republic as unique opportunities for young people of different religions. She also presented other IAYSP projects, including the Peace Cup with football and other sporting events.

 

Mr. Jacques Marion, President of UPF Europe, France, opened his speech by stating that peace cannot be achieved through political efforts alone. The United Nations must engage not only governments but also moral and spiritual resources to ensure lasting peace. He emphasized UPF's mission to support the United Nations and mentioned some past activities, such as bringing together political and religious leaders in Africa and preventing unrest through a year-long interfaith grassroots program in Solihull, near Birmingham. He quoted the well-known saying of the Swiss theologian Hans Küng: “There can be no peace among nations without peace among religions, and no peace among religions without dialogue between them.” Mr. Marion expressed something profound yet common to all religions: the shared call to conscience, which is rooted in the human heart. Conscience resides in the heart, not just the mind, he affirmed. The heart is the essence of our humanity. It is the core of human personality and the source of our responsibility for one another. A compassionate heart is just as important for politicians today as it is for religious leaders. When the UN fosters genuine cooperation between political and religious leaders who possess such compassion for humanity, it strengthens its mission to promote human rights and peace worldwide, said Mr. Marion. One essential condition must not be overlooked: the protection of freedom of religion and conscience. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi about the Ganges as a river that springs from the Himalayan mountains of duties and symbolizes spiritual purity and responsibility, he advocated that people should return to the mountains of responsibility. Unfortunately, religion is sometimes a source of conflict today. The world is witnessing the persecution of religious communities not only in authoritarian states but also - more subtly - in democratic societies. Mr. Marion recalled the first interfaith council of Bosnia and Herzegovina, established during the Bosnian War, which played an important role then as it does now.

 

The conference concluded with a joint appeal to reaffirm the role of religions as bridges of dialogue, sources of ethical values, and allies in defending human dignity. In light of the political instrumentalization of faith and the erosion of the multilateral order, participants agreed that interreligious dialogue, education, and cooperation between religious, political, and civil society actors remain indispensable tools on the path to a more just and peaceful world.

 

(This report is based on reports by Sinopress Austria and CulturaLatina written by Peter Haider)

 

Media:

SINOPRESS: World Interfaith Harmony Week 2026 Grandly Commemorated at the Vienna International Center

H.E Mohammed Sameer Salem Hindawi, Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, reinforced that the foundation of religions is the force of peace, justice, compassion and respect. Religions have lived by each other for centuries, with inclusion. 

CULTURA Latina: „World Interfaith Harmony Week 2026“: Religion, Dialog und Weltordnung im Fokus der Debatte

Der Präsident von UPF Austria, Peter Haider, begrüßte die Teilnehmenden und betonte, dass die von den Vereinten Nationen verabschiedete World Interfaith Harmony Week darauf abziele, Verständnis, gegenseitigen Respekt und Zusammenarbeit zwischen Menschen unterschiedlicher Glaubensrichtungen zu fördern. Er erinnerte daran, dass das zentrale Thema der Konferenz in einer Phase besonderer Bedeutung stehe, in der das internationale System deutliche Zeichen von Fragilität aufweise.

Haider unterstrich, dass nicht die Religionen selbst Kriege verursachten, sondern politische Entscheidungen, und hob die Bedeutung des interreligiösen Dialogs als ethische Grundlage des Friedens hervor.

UNCAV: Interreligiöser Dialog als globale Verantwortung

Der österreichische Europaabgeordnete Lukas Mandl stellte in seinem Beitrag das Konzept der spirituellen Offenheit als Voraussetzung für Frieden in den Mittelpunkt. Er wies darauf hin, dass Religion in Westeuropa häufig als Privatsache wahrgenommen werde, während sich weltweit die Mehrheit der Menschen mit einer religiösen Tradition identifiziere. Damit sei Religion ein zentraler Faktor für internationales Verständnis.

 

World Interfaith Harmony Week
First proposed at the UN General Assembly on September 23, 2010 by H.M. King Abdullah II of Jordan, a month later it was unanimously adopted by the UN. Henceforth the first week of February is observed as a WIHW. WIHW conferences were organized in the UN in Vienna in 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2020, 2019, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 und 2013.

 

Further information: Peter Haider +43 0650 2588846

 

 

 

UPF is an NGO in General Consultative Status with the ECOSOC of the United Nations

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