A strategy to meet the world-facing-challenges, the International Partnership on Religion and Sustainable Development (PaRD) is launched in Berlin.
The said strategy was first presented at an international conference entitled "Partners for Change – Religions and the 2030 Agenda", by the German Minister Dr Gerd Müller of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development BMZ.
It is the first-ever strategy in German development policy.
Minister Müller said, "Without the involvement of the world's religions, we will not be able to meet the challenges the world is facing. Especially in these times when religion is used as an argument to justify terrorism and violence, we need to improve cooperation with all religious communities. We must not leave the field clear for the extremists. Rather, we need to strengthen those who are working for peace and development."
At the conference, held from 17-18 February 2016 in Berlin, the International Partnership on Religion and Sustainable Development (PaRD) was launched in order to give this effort a push at an international level.
Present at the conference was Mr. Qiu Zhonghui, Vice-President and General Secretary of the Amity Foundation and Dr. Theresa Carino, Senior Research Consultant and Director of Amity's International Liaison Office in Geneva.