Erlan Karin: Religious leaders can form moral core of global peace movement

Religious leaders can become the moral core of a Global Peace Movement, Erlan Karin, Vice President of Kazakhstan and head of the Secretariat of the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, said at the 24th meeting of the Secretariat of the Congress, a Report correspondent informs from Astana.

He said that at the 7th Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in 2022, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called for the creation of a new global peace movement. At the 8th Congress, he proposed discussing the initiative within the framework of the Congress.

"The initiative is intended to unite the peacemaking potential of religious communities and give greater prominence to spiritual diplomacy in international relations," Karin said.

He noted that religious leaders could make a unifying, non-politicized call to end violence and seek peaceful solutions to conflicts.

Karin emphasized that the Astana Declaration on Peace, adopted following the 8th Congress, sets out a common position on peace and security, countering extremism and protecting religious sites.

According to him, the declaration also addresses the role of young people and women, environmental protection and ethical principles governing the use of new technologies.

"We have also adopted a roadmap to promote the Declaration and support its practical implementation," he added.