Social Conflict & Religious Extremism

The conference sought to critically understand the underpinnings of social conflicts in cultural, political and intellectual terms. The nature and sources of social conflicts were examined and the role of religious extremism in contributing to and exacerbating social conflicts were addressed. The conference also hoped to suggest ways in which conflicts could be peacefully and practically resolved.

Humanitarian Issues & Universal Peace

The conference aimed to study and discuss the notion of ‘universal peace’, if any, and come up with a proposed framework of universal peace. Equally important here was how Islam conceived of universal peace and harmony. The conference also hoped to identify and highlight existing human crises and humanitarian issues and demonstrate how central and closely related humanitarian issues are to the establishment of a universal peace. What was significant was to show that universal peace could never be accomplished without our first resolving humanitarian problems.

Islamic Philosophy & Its Spiritual Tradition

One of the reasons, as one could argue, for the current presence of religious radicalism and extremism in Islam and the Muslim communities – that have subsequently contributed to communal violence and conflicts, and hence, social discord and discomfort – is the absence or the lack of awareness and appreciation for Islamic philosophy and the rich spiritual tradition in Islamic history. Radical and extreme views in Islam may be directly attributed to legal and theological rigidity and literalism. It is in these contexts that it was hoped that the conference would be able to demonstrate how the traditions of philosophy and spirituality in Islam could be understood and appreciated as means and mechanisms to temper, if not eradicate, extremities in Muslim religious perspectives.

Power, Politics and the Media

Power and politics have always been the ultimate determinants of global peace and stability. It is undeniable that the dynamics of power relations in politics could make or break world peace. It is here that the conference tried to play a significant role in highlighting these dynamics in relation to social peace and harmony. Another element in the dynamics of the politics of peace is the central role of the media. To what extent the media plays and contributes to the achievement of global peace was an important issue to be understood and appreciated

Geo-strategies and Global Peace

There are two notable strategies in global politics and international relations: the geopolitical strategy and the geo-economic strategy. Under this sub-theme, it was hoped that the conference was able to critically discourse on the nature and effectiveness of each of these geo-strategies in attaining and maintaining global peace and social harmony.

Education & Youth

It is arguably a known fact that education is extremely vital to the development and success of a nation. At the heart of a nation’s social and intellectual health is education. It is through education that ideological radicalism and extremism could be circumvented and avoided, just as it is through education that global peace and universal harmony could be conceived and acquired. It is therefore the role of the proposed conference that these facts get understood and articulated. At another level, one easily admits that the youth play a very vital role in the future of any given nation. The youth must thus ensure that not only is education developed and safely guarded, they must themselves make certain that they be educated in the first place. The conference therefore served as a platform to express and discuss these important dynamics that organically connect education, youth, peace and the future.