Interactive Historical and Documentary Online Exhibition

Interfaith Dialogue
for Peace and Harmony

The global challenges of the early 21st century highlighted the need to strengthen trust and mutual understanding among peoples and religions. Relying on its own experience of peaceful coexistence of ethnicities and confessions, Kazakhstan initiated the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, opening a new chapter in the history of interfaith dialogue.
The holding of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Kazakhstan was prompted by the international situation in the early 2000s.
In the early 2000s, the international situation became more complicated: following the tragedy of September 11, 2001, tensions between civilizations and religions increased, creating the threat of global division.
Kazakhstan, as a multinational and multi-confessional state where representatives of more than 130 ethnic groups and various confessions coexist peacefully, offered the world an example of dialogue and harmony.
On February 13, 2003, an International Conference on Peace and Harmony was held in Almaty, bringing together representatives of world religions. The participants of the International Conference on Peace and Harmony adopted a joint declaration. The main goal of this forum is to promote dialogue among peoples, religions, and civilizations. “We call on all countries to join this initiative,” the document states. The declaration emphasizes that religions can serve as an important connecting element in this dialogue. Kazakhstan proposed to hold the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions – an initiative that became the foundation of global interfaith dialogue.
The historic visit of Pope John Paul II to Kazakhstan (September 21–23, 2001) was a significant event that provided strong support for the initiative to hold the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. For the first time, the Pontiff visited a Central Asian country, highlighting Kazakhstan’s peaceful mission and its unique role as a bridge between East and West, cultures, and religions. Recognition and support from the head of the Vatican reinforced Kazakhstan’s determination to make interreligious dialogue a reality.