On June 20-21, 2011, in Astana the session of the Secretariat of the Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions was held under the chairmanship of Kairat Mami (Head of the Secretariat).
Participants to the Session were:
REPRESENTATIVES OF ISLAM
Majed Abdulaziz Al-Turki - Secretary General of the Conference of Ministers of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, Saudi Arabia;
Mahmoud Fahmy Hijazi - Rector of Egyptian University of Islamic Culture “Nur Mubarak” in Almaty, representative of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt;
Mozaffari Mohammad Hossein - Director of the Center for Inter-religious Dialogue of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization, Iran;
Mohammad Zia-Ul-Khaq - Chairman of the Department of Shariah and low, Professor of the International Islamic University in Pakistan;
Muhammad Agus Mulyana - Representative of the Secretary General of the International Conference of Islamic Scholars, Indonesia;
Munkaz Mahmud as-Sakkar - Employee of the Office of Scientific Research of the World Islamic League, Saudi Arabia;
Obaid Hamad az-Zaabi - Head of the Department for Hajj and Umrah of the General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Awqaf of the United Arab Emirates;
Fakhr Alam Shah - Representative of the Muslim organization “Jamaat-e-Shabab-e-Islam”, India;
Abdullah Abdulaziz Al-Qays - Director of the Regional Office of the General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Awqaf of the United Arab Emirates in Al-Ain;
Kalizhan Zankoev - Chief Imam of the Central Mosque “Nur Astana”, representative of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims in Kazakhstan.
REPRESENTATIVES OF CHRISTIANITY
Archpriest George Roshchin - Deputy Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for church-society relations, Russian Federation;
Professor Christian Troll - Representative of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue of the Holy See, Vatican;
Bishop Marcos Hovhannisyan - Head of Gegarkininskaya Eparchy of the Armenian Apostolic Church;
Bishop Novgorodov Yuri Timofeyevich - Head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kazakhstan, representative of the World Lutheran Association;
Priest Roland Jaquenud - General vicar of the Archyeparchy of Saint Maria in Astana, Roman Catholic Church;
Archimandrite Sergius - Dean of the church district of Astana, Cathedral dean of the Assumption Cathedral of Astana;
Archpriest Dmitry Baydek - Senior priest of the Assumption Cathedral of Astana.
REPRESENTATIVES OF BUDDHISM
Pu Zheng - Head of the International Cooperation Department of the China Buddhist Association;
Young Ki Hong - Representative of the Korean Buddhist Research Institute, the organization “Chogechon” in Central Asia;
Davaapurev Sainkhuu - Employee of the Asian International Buddhist Center, Mongolia;
Kim Yong Sunn - Director of the Mediation center of the Korean Buddhist Organization “Chogechon”;
Van Lee - Deputy Head of the International Cooperation Department of the China Buddhist Association.
REPRESENTATIVES OF JUDAISM
Meir Denino - Representative of the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel;
Boris Manoylenko - Assistant to the Chief Rabbi of Kazakhstan.
REPRESENTATIVES OF SHINTOISM
Katsuji Ivakhashi - Senior Specialist of International Cooperation Agency of the Association of Shinto Churches, Japan;
Naoki Murata - Employee of the International Cooperation Agency of the Association of Shinto Churches, Japan.
REPRESENTATIVE OF TAOISM
I Zhihua - Deputy Head of the Editorial Department of the China Taoist Association.
REPRESENTATIVE OF HINDUISM
Kala Dhanadzhey Acharya - Director of the Organization for Training of Teachers of Indian Culture “Somaiya Bharatiya Sanskrit Peetam”, India.
REPRESENTATIVE OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION
Abubakar Francis - Special Representative of the Secretary General of the World Conference of Religions for Peace, Tanzania, United States.
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN
Maulen Ashimbayev - Deputy Head of Administration of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
Kairat Lama Sharif - Chairman of the Kazakh Religious Affairs Agency;
Aidar Abuov - Director of the International Center of Cultures and Religions.
INVITED GUEST
Dr. Leonardo Emberti Gialloreti - Representative of the Community of Sant’Egidio, Italy.
During the session of the Secretariat of the Congress the following agenda was approved:
- Approval of the draft Concept of the Council of Religious Leaders
- Discussion on forms of the Concept of the Council of Religious Leaders
- Determining the date of the IV Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions
- Discussion of themes, agenda and format of the IV Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions
- Adoption of the Minutes of the X session of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.
During the session of the Secretariat fruitful exchange of views on the agenda took place. All members of the Secretariat took part in discussions on the above issues.
Taking into account the proposals of the participants of the session of the Secretariat the following decisions were made:
I. To approve the draft Concept of the Council of Religious Leaders (attached).
II. To recommend to the forthcoming Congress to adopt by endorsement the
Concept of the Council of Religious Leaders.
III. To set the date of the Fourth Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions for May 30-31, 2012.
IV. As the main theme of the Fourth Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions to determine the topic: PEACE AND CONCORD AS THE CHOICE OF MANKIND
V. as topics for breakout sessions to determine:
- The role of religious leaders in achieving sustainable development.
- Religion and multiculturalism.
- Religion and Woman: spiritual values and modern challenges.
- Religion and Youth.
VI. To hold the next session of the Secretariat of the Congress on May 28-29, 2012, in Astana. For preparation of the session of the Secretariat and agreement of final documents and decisions of the IV Congress to hold the session of the Working Group in March 2012, the composition of which was approved at the IX session of the Secretariat.
VII. To inform religious leaders about the decisions taken.
