Source: The Penninsula
Wire Service: AFP
On March 26, 2006 Agence France-Presse reported, "Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo yesterday launched a partnership of governments, UN agencies and civil society to back UN programs promoting interfaith dialogue and peaceful coexistence. Speaking at a luncheon attended by the president of the UN General Assembly, Jan Eliasson of Sweden, Romulo told the new tripartite Forum aimed to vanquish intolerance by building on the increasing momentum behind interfaith cooperation for peace. 'We must complement and mutually reinforce other initiatives, particularly the Alliance of Civilisations,' he told a luncheon also attended by several ambassadors to the UN and officials of UN specialised agencies. The Alliance of Civilisations is a 2005 initiative by UN chief Kofi Annan and the prime ministers of Spain and Turkey aimed at bringing together institutions and civil society to bridge prejudices and misunderstandings between peoples of different cultures and religions."