Jorge Sampaio speaking to journalists yesterday: PICTURE: Shemeer Rasheed
By Ramesh Mathew/Staff Reporter

The United Nations Alliance of Civilisations (UNAOC) is a forum committed to bring about innovative changes in the human lives all over, Jorge Sampaio, former Portuguese prime minister and one of its frontline leaders, has said.
In an interaction with the media yesterday, the Portuguese leader spared no words while reiterating the UN forum’s commitment to achieve better mutual respect and understanding among people of different cultures, faiths and
countries.
“The happenings in recent years all over have showed that no country or group could stand on its own however formidable they are and the urge for dialogues and better understanding at different levels is more intense now than ever before,” said Sampaio, who was among the speakers at the main plenary session at the opening of the 4th forum that concluded yesterday.
The conference, according to Sampaio, demonstrated in no mean measure what the members could do for promoting diversity, even while remaining united on the core issues of maintaining peace and harmony among the people of different religions.
The UNAOC, he said, could consolidate on the gains of the Doha conference and would welcome innovative suggestions in future from others for the overall betterment of
human beings.
Stressing the forum’s commitment to the general well being of people, Sampaio said there should be effective continuity to the talks between its members on contentious issues.
While affirming that the Doha meeting would go a long way in promoting and acknowledging the diversity of faiths and cultures in many societies, the Portuguese leader said the countries as diverse as India need to play an important role in the activities of the forum in coming days in order to strengthen UNAOC activities with their expertise in dealing with different situations. “With its experience in recognising different faiths simultaneously, India would be able to impart a number of useful lessons for the forum members in coming days,” he said.
Sampaio also recalled that UNAOC’s initiatives in recent years have showed how effective is the forum in reducing considerably the misunderstanding and apprehensions about the Islam in the West.
Wherever there is peaceful co-existence of different faiths, there should be better mutual respect and understanding between the members. “That itself is the beauty of cultural diversity and this is what precisely UNAOC has its focus on,” added the Portuguese leader.
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