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Preserving Cultural Heritage and Sacred Sites: A Path to Peace through Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue

Marking the International Day of Tolerance this webinar shall create space to reflect on the importance of cultural diversity, mutual understanding, connection between people and peaceful coexistence. Shared heritage in sacred sites, and their protection, is vital for fostering interreligious and intercultural understanding. These spaces hold deep religious, cultural, and historical significance and are at times at risk due to socio-political, environmental, and security challenges.

This webinar will explore regional approaches to protecting cultural heritage and sacred sites through interreligious and intercultural dialogue (IRD and ICD). By examining case studies and strategies, sharing knowledge and best practices, it shall highlight the role of IRD and ICD in addressing challenges and empower participants to implement initiatives in their own communities to safeguard their shared heritage.

SPEAKERS

Vilma Rosaura Palax Tuy
Vilma Rosaura Palax Tuy

Vilma is Founder of "Descendants of Guatemaya" and her commitment lies in promoting peace, defending human rights, and encouraging interreligious dialogue as tools to build inclusive and resilient societies. She works carefully to care for the environment, protect the rights of children and adolescents, and preserve the rich Mayan culture. Additionally, Vilma promotes the empowerment of women and young people, providing them with opportunities and tools to become active leaders in their communities and contribute to the comprehensive development of Guatemala.

Eleanora Pede
Eleonora Pede

Eleonora earned her doctorate in religious studies at the Faculty of Theology, Lugano with a comparative study between Muslim and Christian ethics, focusing on gender issues in Europe. Eleonora strongly believes that there is a link between Muslim-Christian relations and gender equality and that interfaith dialogue can help to fight against gender inequalities. She believes that religion has the power to unite humanity but also to divide it, and for this reason, she decided to study interfaith dialogue. Eleonora believes that people should be educated in interfaith dialogue to build bridges within society on various levels. Eleanora is currently associate researcher at the Luxembourg School of Religion & Society, exploring the intersection of fashion and theology.

Samrawit Tibebu Zenebe
Samrawit Tibebu Zenebe

Samrawit Tibebu Zenebe is a specialist in peace-building programming and humanitarian action coordination primarily focused on empowering young people and women. Throughout her career, she has developed a strong foundation in peace building, particularly in areas affected by violent conflict.  Samrawit is driven by her commitment to foster inclusivity and empower marginalized communities, particularly those grappling with the challenges of a divided worldview. She currently supports member National Scout Organizations(NSOs) of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) to integrate in their work the scouting programme that focuses on promoting peace, community development and humanitarian action by ensuring young people take the lead and are centered in all the work they do. This includes the implementation of the Patrimonito challenge, which is part of the Messengers of Peace initiative, whereby NSOs work with young people to engage in activities that promote and preserve cultural and heritage sites in their countries. 

Through this challenge, WOSM and its NSOs promote cultures of peace and community building through creating different types learning zones that deliberately act for positive change and encourage young people to become the safeguarding champions of heritage sites.

Dandelion
Lilian Grootswagers

Lilian Grootswagers is passionate about the preservation of religious heritage, which she views as vital to understanding European identity, history, and culture. She has also been involved in various initiatives to raise awareness and promote the sustainability of religious heritage sites.  Lilian is currently the President of the Advisory Board for Future for Religious Heritage (FRH), a European network dedicated to preserving and promoting historic places of worship through advocacy, education, and community engagement. Lilian has been involved with the FRH since its inception in 2011.  She is the owner of Erfgoed.nu, where she advises governmental institutions, corporations, and private owners on heritage-related issues. Lilian has authored and co-authored multiple publications in the field of heritage. As one of the five founding members of FRH, she served as a council member from 2011 to 2020 and represents FRH in the European Commission Expert Group on Cultural Heritage.

Badea Nabil
Badea Nabil

Badea Nabil is a dedicated Yemeni youth activist, UNLEASH Alumni, and Partnerships Officer at Renewal Youth Organization for Development and Peace (RYO). With a strong background in project management, Badea specializes in initiatives that foster youth engagement, peace, and security. He is the driving force behind impactful community projects such as "Our Common Heritage" in Taiz, Yemen, with Expert for Development Organization (EDO), he leading efforts to counter hate speech and preserve cultural and religious heritage. Badea is deeply committed to empowering young leaders to address social and cultural challenges in conflict-affected regions, actively engaging youth through initiatives like the UNLEASH Hack Yemen and the of CAF Network: Climate Adaptation Future.

MODERATOR(S)

Antigoni Michael (Credit Felix Quaedvlieg)
Antigoni Michael

Antigoni Michael is a Cultural Heritage Specialist, focusing on using heritage as a means for community engagement and reconciliation in conflict zones. Raised in the divided region of Cyprus, with a Maronite and Orthodox background, she advocates for cultural heritage as a pathway to coexistence in multi-ethnic settings. From 2017 to 2022, Antigoni collaborated with organizations such as UNDP, Home for Cooperation, and the Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process to promote coexistence and protect heritage in Cyprus. Her commitment to cultural heritage earned her a nomination as a European Heritage Youth Ambassador by Europa Nostra and partners in 2021. In 2022, she moved to Brussels as a Blue Book Trainee with the European Commission’s DG Education, Youth, Sport, and Culture, later joining Europa Nostra as Coordinator of the 7 Most Endangered Programme. Antigoni’s approach is community-centered and bottom-up, engaging diverse groups to foster understanding and empathy across divides. She utilizes varied strategies—digital communication, artist collaborations, cross-border tours, and conferences—to encourage communities to preserve heritage while recognizing shared humanity.

Dandelion
Lilian Grootswagers

Lilian kindly takes a dual role for the webinar, providing a key welcome and co-moderating with Antigoni. 

Lilian Grootswagers is passionate about the preservation of religious heritage, which she views as vital to understanding European identity, history, and culture. She has also been involved in various initiatives to raise awareness and promote the sustainability of religious heritage sites.  Lilian is currently the President of the Advisory Board for Future for Religious Heritage (FRH), a European network dedicated to preserving and promoting historic places of worship through advocacy, education, and community engagement. Lilian has been involved with the FRH since its inception in 2011.  She is the owner of Erfgoed.nu, where she advises governmental institutions, corporations, and private owners on heritage-related issues. Lilian has authored and co-authored multiple publications in the field of heritage. As one of the five founding members of FRH, she served as a council member from 2011 to 2020 and represents FRH in the European Commission Expert Group on Cultural Heritage.

Where Online through Zoom
Time Europe/Lisbon
Date
Speakers
Lilian Grootswagers
Badea Nabil
Vilma Rosaura Palax Tuy
Eleonora Pede
Samrawit Tibebu Zenebe
Language English
Interpretation Arabic, English, Spanish
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