From a clash of civilizations to an Alliance of Civilizations

The U.N. High-Level Group of the Alliance of Civilizations presented its report today to Kofi Annan in Turkey. The initiative, comprised of 20 prominent world figures, was developed by the U.N. with a mandate of devising practical recommendations to counter the polarization between Muslim and Western societies. Their report calls for a concerted effort to tackle the problem of political marginalization, which they consider a greater threat than religious or cultural differences. They also contend that globalization has become...

...an assault [on many communities]....For them, the prospect of greater well-being has come at a high price, which includes cultural homogenization, family dislocation, challenges to traditional lifestyles, and environmental degradation.

Among its recommendations, the group urges a settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, greater responsibility by political and religious leaders to avoid inflammatory language, the development of media and youth education programs that facilitate better understanding across cultures, and the creation of a High Representative position to defuse "crises that arise at the intersection of religion and politics." Members of the group include former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Georgetown's John Esposito.