Discusses the Global Alliance of Civilizations, co-sponsored by Spain & Turkey, in the context of fostering intercultural & intercivilizational understanding between the West & Islam. Attention is given to the contents of the Alliance of Civilizations: Report of the High Level Group (2006). The need for Russian support of the project is noted. Adapted from the source document.
Earlier version of the paper presented at the 2nd İstanbul Democracy and Global Security Conference, June 14–16, 2007, İstanbul, Turkey. ; We have observed several inter - and cross-boundary conflicts through last decades. The recent wave of such conflicts is characterized by the rise of terrorism that overlooks all possible boundaries and respects no international law. The call for an alliance of civilizations in response to intolerance and terrorism requires a committed effort by the international community, both by the state institutions and civil society organizations. These efforts can overcome prejudice, misconceptions, misperceptions, and polarization of the international community. This paper addresses dominant narratives in diverse societies, with the aim of providing an effective response to emerging threats to world peace emanating from hostile perceptions that foment violence. The paper discusses cooperation between various initiatives aiming to bridge these divisions in the international community. The paper also presents examples from institutional and civil society practices, from the international community that demonstrates the capabilities and willingness to cooperate for shared values. Alliance of Civilizations movement initiated and organized by Turkey and Spain governments is an example for such a practice from the international community.
The initiative to form an "Alliance of Civilizations" as a means to overcome cultural and political gaps originated in a proposal made by José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero to the Secretary-General of the United Nations during a speech at the 59th UN General Assembly on September 21, 2004. Kofi Annan officially took over the initiative, co-sponsored by the UN, the Spanish and the Turkish governments, on July 14, 2005. The Secretary-General also put in place a process to form a High Level Panel, which is expected to hold its first meeting in late November, in order to convert this first impulse into a feasible and operative concept by the end of 2006. On June 6-7, 2005, the Instituto Complutense de Estudios Internacionales (ICEI) and the Fundación para las Relaciones Internacionales y el Diálogo Exterior (FRIDE) organized an international seminar in Madrid, bringing together experts, academics and practitioners to analyse contemporary challenges, reflect critically on their implications for the present initiative, and enhance and enrich it. The present paper summarizes the main ideas for an Alliance of Civilizations, the major critical points, and the suggestions made, during the seminar, in order to tackle them.
Spain's innovative foreign policy proposal of the alliance between the West & the Arab worlds was eagerly accepted into the United Nations. The proposal is reflective of the Spanish government's domestic & foreign policies, with the return of the Social Democrats replacing eight years of conservative rule, who had supported the Iraq invasion with Spanish troops. The new socialist government changed foreign policy & immediately withdrew troops in Iraq, & they confirmed their claims to seek multilateralism. Additionally, the new approach aimed to create a positive image of Spain globally. Although it was quickly accepted as a UN approach, it lacks the definition & accuracy for implementation, but instead utilizes misleading language & increases three arenas of risk: security imperative, cultural explanations of violence, & the limited usefulness of historically similar initiatives. In order to achieve effectiveness, a formula must be created that allows an organization like the UN to implement the proposal through specific objectives, necessary instruments, & visibility, effectively involving voluntary civil societies. References. G. Chen
This working paper investigates the reasons underpinning the growing use and widespread resonance of the concept of 'civilizations' – defined by cultural and religious markers – in scholarly, policy and public discourses, since the end of the Cold War. Such an inquiry is made all the more relevant since the concept of civilizations has not only remained at the level of language. It has, in fact, become embedded, instantiated, and operationalized within the global governance architecture, most prominently with the creation of the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) in 2005. The UNAOC represents a remarkable development in the way international order is being understood and upheld within global governance institutions, as no longer solely dependent on states, or on the advancement of individual rights and economic opportunities, but also on what occurs between and within civilizations. Why have discourses and practices about civilizations acquired the political salience they have in international society at this historical juncture? This paper argues for an understanding of the concept of civilizations as a particular kind of 'empty signifier', underpinned by three overarching logics: a logic of interpretation centered on identity, a logic of critique towards liberal 'end of history' narratives and projects, and a logic of practicality that matches the interests of multiple state and non-state actors. This argument is empirically illustrated through an analysis of how these three logics, which explain the contemporary power and authority of the signifier of civilizations, also structure the mission, bureaucratic apparatus, and operations of the UNAOC.
