The first ever action plan specifically designed to enable religious leaders to prevent incitement to violence – the Plan of Action for Religious Leaders and Actors to Prevent Incitement to Violence that Could Lead to Atrocity Crimes – was launched on 14 July 2017 by Secretary-General António Guterres at a meeting at UN Headquarters in New York.
As the global community gathered to commemorate the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi extermination camp 71 years ago, the UN Secretary General emphasised that the most effective way to prevent new genocides is by educating new generations about the horrors of the Holocaust.
The UN human rights chief has condemned the recently reported “cold-blooded” mass executions in Iraq and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged that those responsible be brought to justice.
Saeed and Sakil Dawood were friendly, sports-loving Yorkshiremen on holiday in India, returning from a trip to the Taj Mahal. 73-year-old Ehsan Jafri, a former trade unionist and MP, lived in Ahmedabad. When horrific violence engulfed Gujarat in 2002, they were among those brutally murdered.
Nigerian faith leaders are seeking urgent government action to end a recurrent and bloody cycle of religious violence in Africa's most populous nation.
Some religious leaders see Queen Elizabeth II's state visit to Ireland this week as a sign of reconciliation following centuries of sectarian hatred and violence.