A National Conference on Peace, Harmony and Coexistence aimed at uplifting values namely interfaith, peace, harmony, coexistence and tolerance among the citizens of Sri Lanka, will be held at the Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa
Theatre on Tuesday (30). President Maithripala Sirisena, will grace the occasion as chief guest.
The objective is to convey a message, to the world that the people of Sri Lanka live in harmony and reject all forms of religious extremism.
It encourages Sri Lankans in all walks of life to adopt, adhere to and abide by the Lankan culture and tradition, while seeking to ensure that Sri Lanka, once the pearl of the Indian Ocean, is a peaceful country for all communities to live in.
The function will be attended by the Leader of the Opposition and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, former President Chandrika Kumaratunga, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, Leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) R. Sampanthan and several other Ministers, political party leaders, legislators and diplomats.
Secretary General of the Muslim World League, Dr. Mohammad Ibn Abdulkarim Alissa, will be the special guest at the occasion. Dr. Alissa, has been working round-the-clock, taking world peace and coexistence among people of all faiths for the goodness of the global community.
He is an ardent campaigner against religious extremism and terrorism and believes in resolving problems peacefully through mutual understanding and dialogue. He is also the recipient of several awards for his outstanding services towards world peace in countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and several African countries. He has also won the Galileo International Award for his efforts in promoting peace and harmony and is a recipient of the Moderation Prize in 2018.
The Conference will see the attendance of Buddhist, Hindu, Islam and Christian faiths, intellectuals and scholars, who have been actively engaged in promoting peace and coexistence.
Another objective is to project the picture to the world that Sri Lanka is a country with a majority of Buddhists while people of other faiths live in harmony and respect one another’s culture, traditions and social values.