On the eve of the 30th anniversary of the First World Congress of Spiritual Concord, we launch a chronicle of the main events of the Congress of Spiritual Concord and the World Forum of Spiritual Culture
1990
The International Association “Piece Through Culture” decided to organize and hold the World Congress of Spiritual Concord. The main organizer and ideologist of the event was the first president of the International Association “Piece Through Culture”, a prominent Russian writer, philosopher and public figure Valentin Mitrofanovich Sidorov. The issue of the place and time of the Congress was on the top of the agenda. There were several options. The initiative was not supported by the Russian leadership of that time. But thanks to proactive position of the Congress Organizing Committee, it managed to convince the leaders of Kazakhstan about the need of state support for this initiative. Alma-Ata, the capital of Kazakhstan, was chosen as the venue of the Congress.
1992
On October 18-21, the first session of the World Congress of Spiritual Concord was held in Alma-Ata under the auspices of Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The opening date of the Congress was not chosen by chance. It was timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the First Congress of World Religions in Chicago (USA). That global project, however, was not developed further.
More than 500 representatives of 54 spiritual and social organizations from 22 countries attended the First World Congress of Spiritual Concord. Unprecedented was the fact that representatives of major religions officially worked together with followers of non-traditional religions at the Congress. For the first time in the history of mankind the representatives of all religions, spiritual public organizations, famous scientists and cultural figures, who are concerned about the problems of spirituality, gathered at one table.
Remarkably, in the same year, 1992, on the other side of the planet, the famous UN Earth Summit was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which brought the issue of sustainable development at the global level to public discussion. The significant difference between the two events was that Rio de Janeiro brought together officials: heads of state, ministers, officials, and Almaty brought together representatives of various social groups, ambassadors of peace, who came there at the call of their hearts. On the one hand the initiative came from the top - from the government level, on the other - from the people.
The World Congress of Spiritual Concord was unique both in its composition and in its purpose. It received greetings from the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II, His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV, the Honorary President of the International Association “Piece Through Culture” Through Culture Svyatoslav Roerich and others.
The main motto of the Congress in Almaty was: “Space. Earth. Mankind”. These concise but comprehensive words expressed the main ideas of the Congress, which could unite people from almost all continents, very different in their outlooks and beliefs, during the Congress days.
The most unforgettable episode was the common prayer at the opening of the Congress in the Palace of the Republic, when three thousand people under one dome, in a single impulse, turned to the Creator with the sincerest impulses of their hearts. They sounded in unison with the call to preserve peace on earth, to give patience and wisdom to all people, regardless of their religion and worldview, and to provide food and shelter to the disadvantaged and orphans. It was then, in a moment of shared meditation, that the aura arose that for 30 years has been giving life-giving energy to sustain this great endeavor, the strength and opportunity to continue the works and aspirations of those people who originated our movement.
“For Faith Respect! For differences without strife! For ministry in charity!” - these principles became fundamental to the activities of the Congress.
At the last plenary session, the Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Valentin Sidorov, thanked God for the miracle of this peacemaking action and called the Congress “A great victory of light over darkness”.
By the decision of the Congress, the International Public Foundation “Congress of Spiritual Concord” was established, and the famous composer and public figure Tolegen Mukhamedjanov (Kazakhstan) was elected as its chairman.
In December during the conference in Moscow (Russian Federation) devoted to the results of the Alma-Ata session of the Congress, after a collective discussion and revision, the Manifesto of the World Congress of Spiritual Concord was adopted.
The participants in the adopted Manifesto called for declaring the opening day of the Congress, October 18, as a day of a moratorium on conflicts and clashes, a day of seeking reconciliation, establishing mutual understanding between people, and a day of unity and co-service in mercy.
Since then, a socially significant date - the Day of Spiritual Concord has been put on the calendar of Kazakhstan. It is widely celebrated by the public of the country with the full support of the state bodies. There is no such unique holiday yet in any other calendar in the world, but it is celebrated by our like-minded people in other countries as well.
The Day of Spiritual Concord promotes the unity of the nation in traditional moral values. A noble deed performed on this day can become the beginning for all citizens to perform similar deeds in the name of peace and harmony.
1993
On December 5-12, the Second Session of the Spiritual Concord Congress was held in Rishikesh, India.
Rishikesh is a city located in the foothills of the Himalayas. It is known as a city of pilgrimage and is considered one of the holiest places of Hinduism.
The participants in the Second Congress of Spiritual Concord were representatives of religious denominations, spiritual schools, and cultural figures. The idea of an International Ethical Committee, composed of the spiritual leaders of the world or their representatives, was put forward there. The International Ethics Committee would influence the current situation, unlike the UN, not politically, but through the power of its moral authority.