Association for Defending Victims of Terrorism – According to Weforum website, Gabriela Ramos Assistant Director-General for the Social and Human Sciences of UNESCO in an article stated that intercultural dialogue can decrease violent extremism.
In this article she said Intercultural dialogue occurs when different groups commit to engaging in meaningful, open communication that creates connections and breaks down barriers. In 2019, the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya (ICRK) launched “Building Intercultural Bridges,” which turns to intercultural dialogue to foster contact and understanding between Christian and Muslim communities.
She added, “In an interview for the ICRK, Ali Amani Babu, a youth from Mombasa who participated in the programme, attested, “We had been made to believe that these two religions are sworn enemies and they can’t tolerate each other. Through this programme, we were able to change that perception and now we are able to cooperate in all activities in our communities.””
Then Ms. Ramos said, “Findings highlighted in the UNESCO report launched under this initiative – We Need to Talk – show that intercultural dialogue can make a real difference. Between 2015 and 2019, 69% of terrorist attacks and 89% of deaths from terrorism globally occurred in countries where dialogue between opposing groups is stalling. Conversely, countries with higher dialogue levels see higher peacefulness and human rights protection.”
At the end, she concluded, “when we stop talking, solutions to tensions and conflict become impossible. The hatred and ignorance that breed violent extremism thrives when we stop talking.”
