G20 Interfaith Forum Association

THE MAJOR FOCUS OF THE G20 INTERFAITH FORUM ASSOCIATION (IF20) DURING 2021 WAS THE G20 INTERFAITH FORUM HELD IN PERSON IN BOLOGNA, ITALY FROM SEPTEMBER 12-14, 2021. THE EVENT ATTRACTED OVER 700 RELIGIOUS LEADERS, RELIGIOUS ACTORS, OPINION LEADERS, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, ACADEMICS, AND POLICY EXPERTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. SESSIONS WERE HELD AND POLICY BRIEFS AND RECOMMENDATIONS WERE PREPARED ON GLOBAL RELIGIOUS ENGAGEMENT ISSUES INCLUDING THE COVID-19 EMERGENCIES; SUGGESTIONS FOR CONTRIBUTING TO PROSPERITY, POVERTY, AND REDUCING INEQUALITY; URGENT ACTION ON EDUCATION; GOVERNANCE, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND FIGHTING CORRUPTION; PEACE AND DIPLOMACY; MODERN SLAVERY AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING; FAITH ACTION TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE; THE INTERFAITH RAINFOREST INITIATIVE; FAITH ACTION TO REDUCE RISK, STRENGTHEN RESILIENCE, AND RESPOND TO DISASTERS;AFFIRMATIONS REGARDING WOMEN; AN INCLUSIVE APPROACH TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE; THE IMPORTANCE OF FREEDOM OF RELIGION OR RELIEF AND OF RELIGIOUS ENGAGEMENT; AN ANTI-RACISM INITIATIVE; AND ACTION REGARDING YOUTH. LEADING SPEAKERS INCLUDED DAVID SASSOLI, PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT; ROMANO PRODI, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION; MARIO DRAGHI, PRESIDENT OF THE ITALIAN COUNCIL OF MINISTERS; BORUT PAHOR, PRESIDENT OF SLOVENIA AND HEAD OF THE SLOVENIAN PRESIDENCY OF THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION AT THE TIME OF THE FORUM. BARTHOLOMEOS I, ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE NEW ROME AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH, HEADED THE LIST OF RELIGIOUS DIGNITARIES. THERE WAS ALSO A SPECIAL ADDRESS PREPARED BY THE POPE, AND AN EXTENDED WELCOME BY CARDINAL MATTEO ZUPPI (FROM BOLOGNA); ALONG WITH PRESENTATIONS BY CHRISTIAN KRIEGER, PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPEAN CHURCHES; ELDER RONALD A. RASBAND, APOSTLE WITH THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS; AND MANY OTHER RELIGIOUS LEADERS. FOREIGN MINISTERS, EDUCATION MINISTERS, AND HEADS OF BODIES DEALING WITH RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS ATTENDED FROM ITALY AND NUMEROUS OTHER COUNTRIES. PROMINENT AMBASSADORS AND LEADING POLITICAL FIGURES FROM ITALY AND MANY SURROUNDING COUNTRIES PARTICIPATED. WIDE REPRESENTATION WAS ALSO ON HAND FROM THE ACADEMIC SECTOR. A NUMBER OF OTHER ENTITIES JOINED WITH THE IF20 IN CARRYING OUT THE 2021 G20 INTERFAITH FORUM IN BOLOGNA. THESE INCLUDED THE EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF RELIGION, THE KING ABDULLAH INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL AND INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE (KAICIID), THE UNITED NATIONS ALLIANCE OF CIVILIZATIONS, MANY RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES, THE BERKLEY CENTER AT GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY, AND MANY OTHER EDUCATIONAL AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. IN ADDITION TO THE MAJOR EVENT HELD IN BOLOGNA, A NUMBER OF PRE-MEETINGS AND WEBINARS WERE HELD PROMOTING POLICY DISCUSSIONS AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL AND ON SPECIFIC SUBSTANTIVE TOPICS. FOR EXAMPLE, AN IMPORTANT GATHERING OF EXPERTS ON FREEDOM OF RELIGION OR BELIEF WAS HELD IN MATERA, ITALY IN LATE JUNE OF 2021 ON A HYBRID BASIS, WITH BOTH LIVE EVENT PARTICIPANTS AS WELL AS ONLINE PARTICIPATION. SEVERAL REGIONAL AND GLOBAL WEBINARS WERE HELD ADDRESSING A VARIETY OF THEMES RELEVANT TO RELIGION AND THE G20 PROCESS. THIS INCLUDED A SERIES OF WEBINARS ON ANTIRACISM, REGIONAL WEBINARS BASED IN BRUSSELS, LATIN AMERICA, AND ELSEWHERE, AS WELL AS SUBSTANTIVE WEBINARS ON COVID-19 AND RELIGIOUS CULTURAL HERITAGE. IN GENERAL, THE IF20 WORKED HARD TO BUILD THE NETWORK OF NETWORKS ALREADY WORKING ON CONTRIBUTING TO THOUGHT REGARDING THE FORMULATION OF GLOBAL POLICIES, OFTEN WITH CLOSE ALIGNMENT WITH MANY OF THE UNS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS).