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Background
Since 9/11, terrorism, extremism and the apparent conflict between the Western and Islamic countries have dominated global policy discourse. Frequent acts of terror in the name of religion, nationalism and ideology have undermined global security and economy. While specific groups have used terror and extremism to drive a wedge between the Western and Islamic countries, acts of terror also continue to undermine human security in other countries such as Uganda, Colombia and Sri Lanka, just to name a few. In 2006, the deficit of trust between the Western and Islamic countries expanded beyond the US led war on terror and its criticism in many parts of the world.
The controversies over cartoons, the Pope’s remarks on Islam, plots unearthed in Canada and the UK, and the war between Israel and Hezbollah demonstrated the fragility of global security. The conflict between Israel and the Palestinian government has reached an acute crisis. The war in Iraq has destabilized the entire region and inflicted heavy human costs on the Iraqi people, as well as the coalition forces.
The current counter terrorism strategy pursued by a group of nations has evidently failed to curb support for extremism. If the relations between the Western and Islamic countries continue to slide, the world will incur heavy opportunity costs and risks. It is necessary to emphasize that terrorism and extremism are the problems of humanity and not of the Islamic world alone, and must be dealt with as such. At the same time, it is urgently required to explore a new partnership between Western and Islamic countries to bring about global transformation.
On this background, several inter-faith and academic exchanges have been launched. However, there is a clear deficit of political processes. Strategic Foresight Group (SFG) has precisely filled this vacuum by holding three International Roundtables on Constructing Peace, Deconstructing Terror.
Strategic Foresight Group and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe convened the Third International Roundtable on Constructing Peace, Deconstructing Terror held at the European Parliament, Brussels, on 26-27 November 2006. The Roundtable was endorsed by the League of Arab States. It engaged important public institutions from the Western and Islamic worlds. The Friedrich Naumann Stiftung of Germany extended its cooperation. The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided support for the research that went into the preparation for the Roundtable. Strategic Foresight Group also appreciates intensive cooperation personally extended by H.E Dr Amre Moussa, Secretary General of the Arab League and HRH Prince Turki al Faisal, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for the success of the Roundtable.
About 40 leaders from Europe, Asia and the Middle East participated in the Roundtable. They included serving cabinet ministers, former ministers, leaders of parliamentary groups, special envoys of the heads of multilateral organisations and directors of important institutions. The distinguished group recommended an Inclusive Semi Permanent Conference on Peace in the Middle East, Western Islamic Dialogue and Engagement Initiative, International Historical Study Group on Common Human Civilisation, Arab Islamic Renaissance Initiative and the promotion of the Compact of Dialogue-Democracy-Development. The Roundtable welcomed the Report of the High Level Group of the Alliance of Civilizations of the United Nations.
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Third International Roundtable