The Attalaki President visits to the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and takes part in the 15th annual Advisory Group meeting of the Peacemakers Network.
The President of the Attalaki Organization, along with a group of representatives from organizations and institutions working in the field of religious freedom and interfaith dialogue, joined a meeting with representatives of the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the first day of his visit to the Republic of Finland, which took place on Wednesday, October 25th, at the Ministry’s headquarters in the capital, Helsinki.
This meeting provided an opportunity for the President of the organization to shed light on the work of Attalaki and highlight the significant achievements in Tunisia in the context of addressing religious diversity issues and advocating for religious freedom. During the meeting, Mr. Hafnaoui also engaged in side discussions with the Ambassador for Human Rights, Mrs. Tiina Jortikka-Laitinen, and Mr. Timo Heino, Ambassador for Cultural & Religious Dialogue. These discussions focused on the state of religious freedom in Tunisia and the positive steps taken by Attalaki, including the signing of The National Charter for Peaceful Coexistence among religious components in Tunisia, in addition to sharing reports issued by the organization, including the recent report on religious freedom in Tunisia and the field study on religious freedom in Tunisia. Following the interaction with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs representatives, Mr. Hafnawi participated in observing the steering team meeting of the Peacebuilders Network, alongside representatives from the governments of Oman and Finland, the United Nations, international governmental organizations, and non-governmental organizations. During this meeting, regional directors and thematic experts provided updates on the network’s activities throughout 2023.
This visit took place during the 15th annual Advisory Group meeting of th Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers in Helsinki on October 25th, 26th, and 27th. Simultaneously, the network marked its growth over the past decade, evolving into a prominent player in religious-based peace mediation. In this assembly, participants will review the Network’s 2020-2025 strategy, analyze emerging trends in peacebuilding, dialogue, and mediation, and engage in discussions about collaborative efforts in 2024 to further implement the strategy.
The network comprises more than a hundred active entities from all continents. Among them are international and national non-governmental organizations, governmental entities, international and regional organizations, and research institutes. The network was established in 2013 upon the recommendation of former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his 2012 report on peace mediation, recognizing the crucial role of religious and traditional leaders in peacebuilding as a dimension of development. As a result, the Finnish Church Aid was requested by the United Nations Secretariat to establish the network in 2013. Over the past ten years, the network has grown significantly and now operates on all continents. Its secretariat continues to function as part of the Finnish Church Aid, and its work is guided by a strategy covering the years 2020-2025.
Today, the network encompasses over a hundred active entities from all continents, including international and national non-governmental organizations, governmental entities, international and regional organizations, and research institutes. Attalaki Organization has been a member of the network since two years following its acceptance by the network’s steering committee in 2021.
