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DIALOGUE AMONG CIVILIZATIONS
"The United Nations itself was created in the belief that dialogue can triumph over discord, that diversity is a universal virtue, and that the peoples of the world are far more united by their common fate than they are divided by their separate identities… Diversity is both the basis for .the dialogue among civilizations, and also the reality that makes dialogue necessary."
Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary-General
Address on the UN Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations at Seton Hall University, February 5, 2001
In 2001, the Whitehead School had the honor of serving as the coordinating Secretariat for the United Nations Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations, an initiative proposed by then President of Iran, Mohammad Khatami. Faculty and students worked closely with the Personal Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Giandomenico Picco, to prepare research for the project. Their work was presented to an international Group of Eminent Persons composed of former heads of state, Nobel laureates, and renowned scholars. This distinguished group collaborated on the book,
Crossing the Divide: Dialogue among Civilizations, published by the School of Diplomacy and presented to the UN in November 2001.
Crossing the Divide examines how the perception of diversity as a threat can be overcome through a new paradigm of international relations focused on participation, discourse, reconciliation, and individual responsibility.
As part of the ongoing Dialogue Among Civilizations initiative, the School invites influential and inspiring guests to speak at Seton Hall through its World Leaders Forum and other conferences and symposia.
Following are just some of the visitors the School has hosted as part of its ongoing effort to encourage a continued dialogue:
Giandomenico Picco, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General
Prince Turki Al-Faisal of Saudi Arabia
Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times Foreign Affairs Columnist
Mohammad Khatami, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General
Giandomenico Picco, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General  May 1, 2001
To read an article on the Dialogue Among Civilizations by Giandomenico Picco, click here.
Giandomenico Picco, Special Advisor to the United Nations Secretary-General, CEO of GDP Associates, and President of the non-governmental Peace Strategies Project in Geneva, Switzerland, spoke at Seton Hall University to mark the half-way point of the year-long UN Dialogue Among Civilizations. Mr. Picco also met with students and signed copies of his memoir Man Without a Gun. Credited with leading United Nations efforts that won the release of the Western hostages in Lebanon, Mr. Picco also headed up the negotiations which led to the cease fire between Iran and Iraq. He represented the Secretary-General in the negotiations of the Geneva Accords on Afghanistan and in the Rainbow Warrior arbitration. Mr. Picco now serves as a Senior Faculty Fellow at the Whitehead School.
"The unbearable presence of the enemy left me. It seemed as if there was no life and no reason without an enemy. But why do we need an enemy? The enemy was always justified on the basis of diversity, as if diversity was synonymous with enmity. Yes, I said to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, I will do my utmost to assist you on encouraging a Dialogue Among Civilizations."
A Lecture by Prince Turki Al-Faisal on the Future of the Gulf Region October 14, 2003
To read a transcript, click here.
Then Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Prince Turki Al-Faisal delivered a lecture on the future of the Gulf region, addressing issues facing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia including relations with the U.S., democratization and educational reform. Special advisor to the UN Secretary-General, Giandomenico Picco also participated in the program. After the lecture, the Prince and Mr. Picco met with Diplomacy students and faculty to exchange views and ideas.
Prince Al-Faisal is a member of the Saudi Arabian Royal family with more than 25 years of government and diplomatic service to the Kingdom. From 1973-1977, Prince Al-Faisal served as an advisor to the Royal Court. In 1977, he was named Director of General Intelligence. In 2003, Prince Al-Faisal was appointed Saudi Ambassador to the Court of Saint James in London.
Prince Al-Faisal is among the founders of the King Faisal Foundation and Chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies. He pursued studies at Princeton and Georgetown Universities and is a graduate of Lawrenceville High School in New Jersey. He was recently named Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the U.S.
Thomas L. Friedman on The Global Economy and Foreign Policy Since 9/11 October 16, 2002
To read more about this event, click here.
Thomas L. Friedman, Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times foreign affairs columnist, delivered a lecture on "The Global Economy of Foreign Policy Since 9/11." This was the inaugural lecture of the Philip and Mary Shannon Seton Hall Speaker Series.
Mr. Friedman has won three Pulitzers for his work, including two for international reporting in Israel and Lebanon. In 2002, Mr. Friedman received a Pulitzer Prize for distinguished commentary. He is the author of several best-sellers, including The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century; Longitudes and Attitudes; The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization; and From Beirut to Jerusalem. Mr. Friedman has worked for the New York Times since 1981 in various capacities including Chief Diplomatic Correspondent in Washington, DC and later International Economics Correspondent.
Mohammad Khatami, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran with Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop of Washington
November 9, 2001
To read a transcript, click here.
To read more about this event, click here.
The Whitehead School of Diplomacy welcomed Iranian President Mohammad Khatami to campus as part of the culmination of the School’s work on the UN Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations. It was President Khatami’s first official U.S. visit. The School of Diplomacy served as the coordinating Secretariat for the project, which culminated in a three-day session at the United Nations.
According to Ambassador Clay Constantinou, dean of the School of Diplomacy: "This visit proves how important Seton Hall is in the Dialogue Among Civilizations. We are at the forefront."
President Khatami urged that a new process be initiated to replace hostility and confrontation with discourse and understanding. Following President Khatami's proposal, the General Assembly unanimously proclaimed the year 2001 as the United Nation’s Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations. To support the Dialogue, the Secretary-General appointed a group of eminent persons and designated as his personal representative, former UN chief hostage negotiator Giandomenico Picco.
Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General February 5, 2001
To read more about this event, click here.
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan delivered a major address to inaugurate the 2001 United Nations Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations and honored the School of Diplomacy as Secretariat. The Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations focused on increasing tolerance and understanding among the world’s peoples and cultures. Mr. Annan was also presented with an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Seton Hall.
During his address, Secretary-General Annan said: "Alongside an infinite diversity of cultures, there does exist one, global civilization based on shared values of tolerance and freedom. The diversity of human cultures is something to be celebrated, not feared."
Mr. Annan has served as UN Secretary-General since 1997. As Secretary-General, his priorities have included a comprehensive UN reform program focused on strengthening the UN’s work in the areas of development and maintenance of international peace and security; encouraging and advocating human rights, the rule of law, and the universal values of equality, tolerance and human dignity as found in the UN Charter; and restoring public confidence in the organization by reaching out to new partners and, in his words, by "bringing the United Nations closer to the people."
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