NNA - The international conference on intercultural dialogue in the Middle East kicked off Thursday at the Beirut top-notch business school Ecole Supérieure des Affaires (ESA) in Clemenceau, under the patronage of the President of the Republic, Michel Sleiman, represented by Culture Minister, Gaby Layyoun.



The conference, organized by UNESCO Beirut and Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie, mainly aims at sorting an academic vocational diploma on dialogue to meet the related requirements of the Middle East through training students and workers in the field.



Speaking of the Lebanese President's behalf, Layyoun said the conference's title was actually a call to reflect upon and search for the means to secure coexistence.



"The Middle East is a pluralist and diversified society, owing to its sectarian and ethnical components. Alas, this diversity is now a source of crises, conflicts, and tension, instead of being a wealth for the region," he said.



"The three monotheistic religions saw light in this very part of the world. It is from this place per se that religions and the message of love and dialogue took off throughout the globe," he noted.



Shedding light on the many challenges incurred upon societies due to new technologies, Layyoun upped calls to ponder upon next generations. "We hope that the Middle East witnesses a radical change, this Middle East that is currently simmering, and where extremism is outweighing dialogue and reason," he corroborated.



He lastly maintained that peace education entailed the development of humanitarian sense, knowledge, and trust.



=========R.A.H.