We would like to welcome you to the website of International Symposium on Inter-Cultural Understanding under the theme of Changing the Landscape & Building Bridges for Peace.

The convening of this symposium is most timely and significant. This is because we are living in very uncertain times . There are many reasons for this but in today's multi ethnic and multi religious world there is an overwhelming incentive or need to forge some form of common unity because of the ever increasing insecure environment in which we find ourselves.

People all around the world feel threatened and are increasingly concerned about and affected by violence, growing social problems, the lack of respect for each other and the world around us, and the lack of social cohesion.

Everyone is concerned about peace. And we recognize that human security and human dignity is everyone's right. Thus, this symposium has the key objectives to promote inter-cultural understanding and co-operation, multi- faith dialogue for peace and reconciliation, and the recognition and respect for all different cultural identities and rights, religious beliefs and practices, and minorities and indigenous cultures.

We would like to invite you to join us in our endeavours to promote inter-cultural understanding. In attending this symposium, we will have the opportunity to better understand each other's perspectives, clarify misunderstandings and challenge previously held perceptions. We can help consolidate and strengthen the efforts of the religious communities in their strides towards peace and reconciliation as well as advocate the promotion and safeguarding of minority and indigenous cultural identities and rights.

Let's join together for a better world without conflict!