Since the beginning of the 21st century, Kazakhstan has regularly hosted the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. During the VI Congress in 2018, an initiative was launched to establish the International Center for Interconfessional and Interreligious Dialogue, which began its operations in 2019.
During a recent visit to Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, I had the opportunity to speak with Gulsana Kozhabay, Chairperson of the Board of the International Center for Interconfessional and Interreligious Dialogue.
Goals and Priorities
The origins of the Congress date back to February 2003, when Kazakhstan hosted the International Conference of Peace and Accord, bringing together representatives of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish organizations. It was then that the decision was made to hold the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, with the first meeting taking place in September of that same year.
Participants emphasized the importance of seeking universal values that unite world and traditional religions. One of the key decisions was the creation of a permanent international platform to develop interreligious dialogue and implement reached agreements. Priority tasks included strengthening peace, harmony, and tolerance as fundamental principles of coexistence, developing mutual respect between peoples and representatives of different religions, and preventing the use of religion to incite conflict and hostility.
Development and Expansion of Activities
As Gulsana Kozhabay noted, the idea of creating a platform to unite representatives of various religions emerged as early as 2001, during Pope John Paul II's visit to Kazakhstan. At that time, the Pontiff highlighted the country's unique role as a bridge between East and West, Europe and Asia, and between different religious traditions. The subsequent creation of the Center was a logical response to this call and to the increasingly complex geopolitical situation.
According to Ms. Kozhabay, while the first Congress in 2003 was attended by representatives from only 13 countries, by 2025 it brought together delegates from over 100 nations, and its atmosphere has become significantly more constructive.
"While at the first Congress we had to talk more about the necessity of interreligious dialogue, today this is no longer in doubt. Even with a significantly larger number of participants and a diversity of confessions, everyone understands: in conditions of global instability, only open dialogue and cooperation can lead to positive changes," she emphasized.
Ms. Kozhabay also noted that serious work is conducted behind the scenes of such meetings: specifically, groups of religious leaders are developing recommendations on the ethical use of artificial intelligence and sustainable development. According to her, the idea that originated nearly a quarter of a century ago has gained wide international recognition today.
Looking to the Future: The Role of Youth
The Center pays special attention to working with the youth. In 2024, a pilot meeting was held, bringing together not only religious youth but also young leaders from various fields. "We aimed to create a space for communication among young people with different views and beliefs, and this experience proved to be very successful," noted Gulsana Kozhabay.
The success of the initiative led to the second Young Religious Forum, resulting in recommendations for the further development of this area. The Center actively encourages the participation of youth from around the world, using modern technologies to expand communication. Additionally, Goodwill Ambassadors are elected annually to promote the ideas of interreligious dialogue in their regions. Although Latin America remains the least covered region for now, Ms. Kozhabay states there are already partners there, indicating positive dynamics.
International Cooperation
Responding to a question about Lithuania, the Chairperson noted that representatives of this country have been repeatedly invited to participate in the Center's events. Specifically, an invitation was sent to the Archbishop of Vilnius, Gintaras Grušas, but his participation did not take place.
"I would not want to make assumptions about the reasons; however, given the constantly expanding circle of participants and partners, I sincerely hope that in the future, representatives of Lithuania will join our platform," Gulsana Kozhabay emphasized.
Journalist of "Respublika" newspaper (respublika.lt): Vidmantas Miševičius.
Translated from Lithuanian. Original source:
