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FSU's Pepper Center hosting world leaders at international conference
World leaders from Africa and the Middle East are gathering at Florida State University for a first-of-its-kind intercultural dialogue designed to support a United Nations initiative, the Alliance of Civilizations.
The FSU Claude Pepper Center for Intercultural Dialogue is presenting "Bridging Civilizations" on Feb. 11 at the FSU Alumni Center.
A web cast of the conference is available through <claudepeppercenter.fsu.edu>.
The conference is intended to further the goals of the Alliance of Civilizations, a U.N. initiative launched in 2005 by the prime ministers of Spain and Turkey to promote mutual respect between civilizations and cultures and counter a trend toward extremism that has threatened international stability. It is the first event in the Pepper Center's "year of dialogue" in which FSU will host other world leaders promoting the Alliance of Civilizations initiative.
President of the Republic of Rwanda Paul Kagame and Minister of State of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Abdullah A. Alireza are among those expected to speak at the conference. Michael Oren, best-selling author and senior fellow at the Shalem Center in Jerusalem, was scheduled to speak at the conference, but illness forced the postponement of his presentation until later in the Pepper Center's "year of dialogue."
The lectures are free and open to the public, but seating may be limited. Parking is available at the Co-Cathedral of St. Thomas More, 900 W. Tennessee St., east of the Alumni Center.
"The conference will be an opportunity for the world's most influential policy makers, business leaders and academics to forge alliances that transcend national and cultural boundaries," said Monsignor William A. Kerr, executive director of the Claude Pepper Center for Intercultural Dialogue. "It is our hope that these relationships will lead to new foreign policy approaches, faculty and student exchange programs, research opportunities and activism among youth."
The conference, structured around four sessions, begins at 8:30 a.m. with an address by Shamil Idriss, acting director of the Secretariat for the U.N. Alliance of Civilizations, on the role of the Alliance of Civilizations in advancing international dialogue. Nancy Overholt, executive director of the Institute for International Education, and FSU College of Social Sciences Dean David Rasmussen will discuss the importance of education in promoting cultural understanding.
The conference continues at 11 a.m. with Kagame's address on the role education has played in Rwanda's dramatic political and economic recovery from a war-ravaged nation in less than a decade.
Kagame, 50, was sworn in as president of the Republic of Rwanda for a seven-year term in September 2003 after being elected in the country's first-ever democratically contested multiparty elections. He had served as president since 2000, when he was unanimously elected to lead the country by the Transitional National Authority.
Born in Rwanda, Kagame fled the country as a small child and became a refugee in Uganda. In 1980, he was among the 27 men who launched a five-year liberation war in Uganda, and he later served as a senior officer in the Ugandan army. In 1990, Kagame returned to Rwanda after 30 years in exile to lead the Rwandan Patriotic Army in the struggle for the liberation of Rwanda.
Kagame has been recognized by many African and international organizations for his work in promoting peaceful solutions to conflict in the region, economic development of the African continent, and the economic and political advancement of women. He recently received the "Abolitionist of the Year 2007" award after Rwanda abolished the death penalty. He is scheduled to receive the "Spirit of Pepper Award" at the conference.
Alireza, the former chairman of Saudi Services and Operating Co. and Xenel Maintenance Ltd., is set to discuss U.S.-Saudi relations during the third session at 2:30 p.m. As a Minister of State, Alireza is a member of Saudi Arabia's Council of Ministers, also called the Cabinet. He also is a member of the Supreme Economic Council of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and has served as vice president of the Saudi negotiating team for joining the World Trade Organization. He works closely with academic institutions and nonprofit organizations worldwide in promoting education and cross-cultural understanding.
The Claude Pepper Center for Intercultural Dialogue, housed in FSU's College of Social Sciences, supports research, teaching and service projects that promote intercultural understanding and cross-cultural cooperation throughout the world. The center is named for Pepper, who served as a representative in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives for nearly 50 years, where he worked for world peace and a global respect for human rights.
As part of its efforts, the Pepper Center will coordinate efforts of a new group called the Alliance Association of Colleges and Universities. The Alliance Association of Colleges and Universities will bring together institutions of higher learning to support the Alliance of Civilizations through research, teaching and outreach programs.
"The Pepper Center hopes to be a catalyst in stimulating universities throughout the world to foster within their academic communities and in collaboration with the worldwide community of colleges and universities a global climate of dialogue," Kerr said.
Tallahassee's Figg Engineering Group, a world-class bridge design firm, is one of the sponsors of "Bridging Civilizations." Figg's president, Linda Figg, chairs the corporate sponsors of the event. For more details about the conference, visit <claudepeppercenter.fsu.edu>.
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