Background

Since 9/11, terrorism, extremism and the apparent conflict between the Western and Islamic countries have dominated global policy discourse. Frequent acts of terror in the name of religion, nationalism and ideology have undermined global security and economy. While specific groups have used terror and extremism to drive a wedge between the Western and Islamic countries, acts of terror also continue to undermine human security in other countries such as Uganda, Colombia and Sri Lanka, just to name a few. In 2006, the deficit of trust between the Western and Islamic countries expanded beyond the US led war on terror and its criticism in many parts of the world.

The controversies over cartoons, the Pope’s remarks on Islam, plots unearthed in Canada and the UK, and the war between Israel and Hezbollah demonstrated the fragility of global security. The conflict between Israel and the Palestinian government has reached an acute crisis. The war in Iraq has destabilized the entire region and inflicted heavy human costs on the Iraqi people, as well as the coalition forces.

The current counter terrorism strategy pursued by a group of nations has evidently failed to curb support for extremism. If the relations between the Western and Islamic countries continue to slide, the world will incur heavy opportunity costs and risks. It is necessary to emphasize that terrorism and extremism are the problems of humanity and not of the Islamic world alone, and must be dealt with as such. At the same time, it is urgently required to explore a new partnership between Western and Islamic countries to bring about global transformation.

On this background, several inter-faith and academic exchanges have been launched. However, there is a clear deficit of political processes. Strategic Foresight Group (SFG) has precisely filled this vacuum by holding three International Roundtables on Constructing Peace, Deconstructing Terror.

Strategic Foresight Group and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe convened the Third International Roundtable on Constructing Peace, Deconstructing Terror held at the European Parliament, Brussels, on 26-27 November 2006. The Roundtable was endorsed by the League of Arab States. It engaged important public institutions from the Western and Islamic worlds. The Friedrich Naumann Stiftung of Germany extended its cooperation. The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided support for the research that went into the preparation for the Roundtable. Strategic Foresight Group also appreciates intensive cooperation personally extended by H.E Dr Amre Moussa, Secretary General of the Arab League and HRH Prince Turki al Faisal, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for the success of the Roundtable.

About 40 leaders from Europe, Asia and the Middle East participated in the Roundtable. They included serving cabinet ministers, former ministers, leaders of parliamentary groups, special envoys of the heads of multilateral organisations and directors of important institutions. The distinguished group recommended an Inclusive Semi Permanent Conference on Peace in the Middle East, Western Islamic Dialogue and Engagement Initiative, International Historical Study Group on Common Human Civilisation, Arab Islamic Renaissance Initiative and the promotion of the Compact of Dialogue-Democracy-Development. The Roundtable welcomed the Report of the High Level Group of the Alliance of Civilizations of the United Nations.

List of Participants

Co-hosts

1. Graham Watson (UK), MEP, Leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the European Parliament
2. Sundeep Waslekar (India), President, Strategic Foresight Group

Key Supporters and Keynote Addresses

1. Dr. Wolfgang Gerhardt (Germany), President of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation and former Leader of the Free Democratic Party
2. Amb Hesham Youssef (Egypt), Special Envoy of the Secretary General of the League of Arab States
3. Siim Kallas (Estonia), First Vice President of the European Commission
4. Poul Nyrup Rasmussen (Denmark), MEP, former Prime Minister of Denmark and President of the European Socialist Parties

Co-Chairs

1. The Rt. Hon Lord John Alderdice (UK), President of Liberal International and former Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly
2. Dr. Abdullah Hussain Al-Kubaisi (Qatar), Director of the Office of Her Highness Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser Al Missned, Consort of the Emir of Qatar
3. Emma Bonino (Italy), Minister for International Trade and Europe Affairs
4. Yasar Yakis (Turkey), MP, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey

Participants

1. Amb Hussain Bin Ali Bin Abdullatif (Oman), Senior Ambassador and Representative of the Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs
2. Prof. Assia Bensaleh Alaoui (Morocco), Ambassador at Large
3. Amb Hamad Al Amer (Bahrain), Special Envoy of the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council
4. Dr. Majed Al-Kassabi (Saudi Arabia), Director General of Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud Foundation
5. Dr. Haifa Al Kaylani (UK), Chairperson of Arab International Women’s Forum
6. Sheikh Aflah Hamed Al Rawahy (Oman), Deputy Chairman of the State Council
7. Khaled Al-Seif (Saudi Arabia), Chairman of El-Seif Group of Saudi Arabia
8. Shukria Barakzai (Afghanistan), MP, Wolusi Jirgha, and Chief Editor of Women's Mirror
9. Prof. Laurens Jan Brinkhorst (The Netherlands), former Deputy Prime Minister
10. Harlem Désir (France), MEP, Vice Chairman of Socialist Group in the European Parliament
11. Gijs De Vries (the Netherlands), Counter-terrorism Coordinator for the European Union
12. Amb Aly Maher El Sayed (Egypt), Director, SMWIPM Institute for Peace Studies at Bibliotheca Alexandrina
13. Gareth Evans (Australia), former Minister of Foreign Affairs and President of International Crisis Group
14. John Grogan (UK), MP, Chairman, All Party BBC Committee, House of Commons
15. Amb Istvan Gyarmati (Hungary), Director of International Centre for Democratic Transitions
16. Vidar Helgesen (Norway), former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Secretary General of IDEA
17. Dr. Shamil Idriss (United States), Deputy Director of the Alliance of Civilizations, United Nations
18. Prof. Kamel Abu Jaber (Jordan), former Minister of Foreign Affairs
19. Håkan Jonsson (Sweden), State Secretary of European Affairs in the Prime Minister’s Office
20. Dr. René Klaff, (Germany) Regional Director for South Asia, Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung
21. Dr. Ashraf Mohsen (Egypt), Deputy Assistant Minister for Combating Terrorism in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
22. Nikolay Paunov (Bulgaria), Counsellor to the Minister of Defence and President of Liberal Politological Institute
23. Dr. Frank-Jürgen Richter (Germany), President of Horasis: The Global Visions Community
24. Dr. Jamal Salah (Jordan), Special Envoy of President of the Islamic Development Bank
25. Petko Sertov (Bulgaria), National Security Advisor to Prime Minister
26. Par Stenback (Finland), former Foreign Minister
27. Istvan Szent-Ivanyi (Hungary), MEP, former Deputy Foreign Minister
28. Juli Minoves Triquell (Andorra), Minister of Foreign Affairs
29. Jasper Veen (the Netherlands), Secretary General of Liberal International
30. Dr. Jürgen Wickert (Germany), Director International Political Dialogue, Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung 

Representatives of the Host Organisation

1. Ilmas Futehally, Executive Director, SFG
2. Susanne Hartig, Director Programmes for International Political Dialogue, FNS
3. Devika Mistry, Research Analyst, SFG
4. Niccolo Rinaldi, Deputy Secretary General, ALDE 

Official Observers

1. Talal Shubailat, representative of the League of Arab States
2. Dr. Adbuljalil Lahmanate (Morocco), Office of Her Highness Sheikha Moza, First Lady of Qatar