On November 24, Kazan will host a Valdai Discussion Club conference, titled “Religious Polyphony and National Unity”. The main task of the conference is to discuss the secret to maintaining stability within multinational and multi-confessional societies.
Programme of the Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club
“Religious Polyphony and National Unity”
Kazan, November 24, 2022
09:30–09:40 Opening of the Conference (LIVE)
09:40–11:00 Plenary Session. The Role of Religions in Shaping the Value Basis of Society and Strengthening the Unity of the State (LIVE)
Religion shapes the cultural basis of society, its ability to survive historical changes and respond to emerging challenges. Russia’s multi-ethnic and multi-confessional society is least susceptible to the diseases of ethnic and religious exceptionalism that affects most other countries in the world. The reason for this is the solid state framework that allows all ethnic and religious communities of Russia to freely develop their cultural and value preferences. At present, both factors, a diverse culture and a unified state, interact closely to help Russia meet the challenges of modern time with dignity and efficiency. The aim of the session is to outline the most important elements of the powerful cultural and religious ground of the Russian statehood.
11:30–13:00 Session I. Religious Interaction Between Countries as a Foundation for Peace and Development (LIVE)
Religious communities and organizations’ activity is the most important factor in cross-border communication, which unites all countries in the vast Eurasian space from the Atlantic to the Pacific. In current conditions, when the stability of the international order is subject to increasingly severe challenges, it is crucial to define what unites rather than divides states and objectively prevents the world from collapsing into opposing political and economic blocs. In this light, Islam acquires a special role: the spread of the Muslim Ummah across the vast common space can be consideredan opportunity to maintain and strengthen economic, human, cultural and political ties. The aim of the session is to discuss and identify the most promising areas of cross-border communication in which the religious communities’ activity will contribute to reducing the international political tensions.
14:45–16:15 Session II. Religious Polyphony and Political Stability (LIVE)
In a multi-ethnic state religious diversity appears to be the most important factor of the internal political stability. It is the freedom to profess one’s values and beliefs that guarantees the citizens’ ability to jointly determine the political ways of development, face external threats, and ensure preserving and strengthening of statehood. In today’s Russia, the diversity of religious life helps preserve the common values shared by everyone regardless of ethnic and confessional adherence. The aim of the session is to discuss the scope and importance of religious freedom for political stability and development.
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