1. Executive Summary

2. INTRODUCTION
Persisting economic, social, environmental, political, and other ongoing crises do
challenge basic humanitarian and governance principles, as well as international
solidarity and responsibility rules. The state of our planet reveals a striking vacuum
of unifying values to sustain and accelerate peaceful human development. Many
consider that this crisis of values is the actual cause of social, economic and
political disruptions which are threatening human security and dignity.
On March 10-12, 2016, distinguished scholars, business leaders, policy makers and
opinion shapers from various cultural, ideological, religious and philosophical
background addressed collectively these challenges in Sofia, Bulgaria, in the heart
of a region particularly sensitive with regard to multi-ethnic harmony and peace.
The international conference has been organized under the Patronage of UNESCO.
Conference website: www.unitingvalues.org

3. STRUCTURE OF THE CONFERENCE
Panel 1: Values and Crises Panel 2: Values and Society
Panel 3: Freedom and Security Panel 4: Values and Religions
Dr Olga Zinovieva, HIH Georg von Habsbourg,
Dr Mohammed Shahrour, Prof. Horst Mahr
Moderated by Dr Zdravko Popov.
Hermien Kleden, Prof. Antoni Todorov,
Dr Alain Dick, Prof. Nicolas Offenstadt
Moderated by Ventzeslav Sabev
Rabbi Dr Jeffrey Newmann, Prof. Hafid Abbas,
Prof. Michel Veuthey
Moderated by Dr Elena Moustakova
Round Table with keynote lectures by Dr
Mohammed Shahrour and Prof. Nicolas Offenstadt.
Moderated by Prof. Ivan J. Dimitrov
Keynote lecture by
HE Dr Anies Baswedan,
Minister of Education
and Culture of the
Republic of Indonesia
Welcome Address by
HE Dr Irina Bokova,
UNESCO Director-
General and Patron of
the Conference

4. CONFERENCE OUTCOMES
1. Developed uniting themes, critical for strengthening understanding, peace and stability
towards 2020, and on which further research should be encouraged
2. Provided recommendations and best practices on most successful vehicles to spread
peace-building values and counter-narratives to violent extremism and radicalization
3. Built a network of Think Tanks, governmental agencies and academic institutions through
which the Geneva Spiritual Appeal shall diffuse messages on the neutralization of violent
or discriminatory faith-based narratives and follow-up on the conference themes
4. Started a movement, involving prominent spiritual, political and civil society leaders,
towards a permanent dialogue on value-based policies, religious tolerance and solidarity
5. Raised visibility and recognition, through large media coverage and new presence in
social media, on the cause of the Geneva Spiritual Appeal and the leaders it works with
6. Expanded the number of supporters internationally and built credibility on the
importance of the Appeal and its work

5. 1. UNITING THEMES TOWARDS 2020
The authority of the Scriptures in today’s societies and international order
Spirituality, faith and the Fourth industrial revolution; values and free market
Globalization and uniformity vs individuality and specificity; Civilization = a Western concept?
Relevance of religious terminology and narratives in today’s realities
Dialogue-based and/or reforms-driven alternatives to religious ideologies
Abuse of religious or moral narratives to justify violence and discrimination
Spirituality and Humanity’s relationship to Nature and the environment
Has the State a role in forging identity and common values? Through which consultative processes?
Case study: the Indonesian model of peaceful coexistence: respect and preserve identities and differences while
uniting in the name of common principles and collective national interests
Reducing fear and building balance between human security, human rights and justice.
Youth radicalization and prevention of violent extremism at grass-root level; attitudes towards differences, towards
“The Other”

6. 2. VEHICLES for UNITING VALUES
Role of religious communities and spiritual leaders in bringing visions, forging and disseminating values (cf. correlation
between the weakening of religious life and the crisis of values).
Good governance, transparency and consultation to foster creativity and empowerment
Contemporary, objective and impartial reading of the Holy Scriptures in all main religions
Rehabilitation of traditional upraising in school, army, church. Should education teach values or only provide with
knowledge, intellectual tools and critical thinking needed to form own judgments? Free and critical thinking is also
needed in the efforts against radicalization.
Revisit the principle of subsidiarity in governance, namely by empowering and “re-legitimizing” the family as the
primary and fundamental social cell.
Culture, Arts and Sports as powerful messengers of shared Values
Independent media and pluralism of civil society organizations, including grass-root organizations, businesses, large
cities, think tanks and universities

7. 3 & 4. NETWORK and CONFERENCE FOLLOW-UP
During the conference, various partnerships and follow-up events were discussed with the Geneva
Spiritual Appeal, including with:
- Gadjah Mada University, Jogjakarta, Indonesia (conference on Inclusive Islam and political pluralism)
- Graduate Institute of International Studies and the Geneva Center for Security Policies, Geneva,
Switzerland (seminar on terminology and violent narratives in social media, November 2016)
- La Sorbonne, Paris, France (round table on security, Human Rights and laity)
- Lomonossov University, Moscow, Russian Federation (conference on values, identity and
nationalism)
- German Society of International Affairs, Munich, Germany (possible participation at the Munich
Security Conference in January 2017)
- Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem (part of an international competition of essays on the topic
“abuses of religious narratives to justify violence”)
- Swiss Federal Police, Bern, Switzerland (workshops for staff working on counter-terrorism)
- EBBF, Geneva, Switzerland (conference on capacity building, Bucharest, October 2016)
- United Nations Office in Geneva and the World Council of Churches, Geneva, Switzerland (book
launches, conferences and round tables on faith-based violence and radicalization)

8. 5 & 6. VISIBILITY & RECOGNITION : Media – TV
The Conference was featured on:
Bulgarian National TV (BNT), Bloomberg TV, BG
OnAir, TV Europa, Army Channel, Tempo TV
Indonesia, Jakarta Post, Reuters, Russia Segodnya
The programme «Faith and Society» broadcasted 2x1hour on the event

9. 5 & 6. VISIBILITY & RECOGNITION : Media – Press & Radio
Special reports were published in Diplomacy Journal (Ministry
of Foreign Affairs) which is distributed also in the European
Commission and Parliament, the UN and other international
organizations in Geneva and New York.
In Indonesia, TEMPO English (over 2 Million readers in print and
online edidtions) published a few reports (over 10 pages in total) to
cover the conference and presented case studies of peaceful co-
existence of different ethnic and religious groups in theBalkans.
Other daiy newspapers also reported on the conference.
The Bulgarian National Radio was
also a media partner

10. 5 & 6. VISIBILITY & RECOGNITION: political endorsements
Irina Bokova, Director-
General of UNESCO and
Patron of the Conference
Boyko Borissov, Prime
Minister of Bulgaria
Rossen Plevneliev, President
of Bulgaria
Mrs Tsetska Tsacheva, President
of the Bulgarian Parliament

11. 5 & 6. VISIBILITY & RECOGNITION (endorsement from civil society)
Mrs Maya Manolova,
Ombudsman of Bulgaria
Board of the Bulgarian
Red Cross
Chairman of the Int’l Fund
for Cooperation between the
Black Sea and Caspian Sea
Rev Dr Olaf Fykse Tveit
General Secretary of the World
Council of Churches, Geneva