Spiritual Heritage as a Space for Dialogue was Discussed at the World Public Summit: Arab World
The Round Table "The Holy Land and the Arab World: Spiritual Heritage as a Space for Dialogue" was held on 9 November 2026 at the King Hussein bin Talal Congress Centre in Jordan as part of the I World Public Summit: Arab World "Dialogue, Cultural Heritage and Partnership for a Shared Future". The event was organized by the World Peoples Assembly and the Arab Peace Group with the support of partners from Jordan, Russia and other countries.
The event was preceded by the cultural program of the first day of the World Public Summit: Arab World. Members of the World Peoples Assembly delegation visited the site of the Baptism of Jesus Christ - Bethany Beyond the Jordan, the International Orthodox University and the Church of St John the Baptist.
The representatives of the Orthodox Church, the Islamic scholarly tradition, the Palestinian Christian community, the Spiritual Assembly of Muslims of Russia, as well as public figures from Jordan, Palestine, Russia and Germany who gathered at the Round Table discussed joint projects in the field of humanitarian aid, the protection of traditional spiritual and moral values and peacemaking.
The session was moderated by Alena Dolgopolova, State Secretary of the World Peoples Assembly.
The speakers included:
Hamdi Murad - Professor at the World University of Islamic Sciences and Education (Jordan);
Archimandrite Gerasim (Tashman) - representative of the Patriarchate of the Orthodox Church in Jordan;
Father Bishar Dehabre - Rector of the Orthodox University at the Baptism Site (Jordan);
Mufti Albir Hazrat Krganov - Chairman of the Spiritual Assembly of Muslims of Russia;
Father Daoud Matar - representative of the Imperial Orthodox Society in Palestine;
Father Athanasius - representative of Metropolitan Christophoros, Bishop of the Jerusalem Orthodox Church;
and other religious leaders, as well as:
Waldemar Herdt (Germany) - Co-Chairman of the Supreme Advisory Council of the World Peoples Assembly, Member of the Bundestag (2017–2021);
Irina Polyakova - Head of the Directorate of Spiritual Culture of the World Peoples Assembly;
Larisa Trunina - Adviser to the Chairman of the General Council of the World Peoples Assembly.
Alena Dolgopolova opened the discussion:
- The spiritual heritage of the Holy Land is a bridge we can and must walk towards one another. It is precisely on this path that the world of conscious unity, which is declared the mission of the World Public Summit, is born.
The participants of the Round Table noted that the spiritual heritage of the Holy Land is a living foundation that shapes the present and opens the future. It preserves the voice of prayer in which peoples recognize themselves and one another.
- Interreligious dialogue is not a dispute about dogmas, but the ability to see the image of God in the other, even if the path to this image lies through a different tradition. It is based on common values: mercy, justice, human dignity, care for one's neighbor, - the participants of the discussion noted.
The experts particularly noted that the Holy Land and the Arab World are a unique model of centuries-old coexistence of shrines and multi-confessional coexistence based on mutual respect and common moral guidelines. This experience can serve as a reference point for other regions of the world.
The speakers agreed that young people are not a problem but a hope:
- The transmission of a living tradition to the new generation requires abandoning formalism and turning to the essence of spiritual heritage.
Following the results of the round table, the participants agreed:
to continue interreligious dialogue in the format of regular meetings, using the experience of the Holy Land as a reference point for other regions of the world;
to intensify the work of the Council of the World Peoples Assembly on interaction with religious associations as a mechanism for partner dialogue and the preparation of joint initiatives;
to promote the development of joint projects in the field of humanitarian aid, protection of the family, support for those in need, peacemaking and the upbringing of young people;
to support educational and cultural initiatives aimed at preserving spiritual heritage and transmitting living tradition to new generations;
to strengthen cooperation between religious, scientific and public organizations of the countries of the Arab World, Russia and other regions on the principles of mutual respect and equal partnership.
- Interreligious dialogue is a meeting in which believers of different traditions bear witness to one another of what constitutes the core of their faith: mercy, justice, human dignity, care for one's neighbor, — the final communiqué states.
At the end of the Round Table, Larisa Trunina presented books on spiritual harmony, "The Beacon of Light", in English and Russian, published with the support of the World Peoples Assembly, as a gift to the Library of the International Orthodox University.
Additional information is available on the official website of the World Peoples Assembly, on its VKontakte and Telegram accounts, and at media@world-assembly.org.