The seminar, which will take place at the Embassy of Italy to the Holy See, is organised by the Centre for for Middle Eastern Studies of the Social Promotion Foundation and it is promoted by the Embassy and “Religion & Security Council”.

The chosen issues to be addressed in different roundtables are the challenges and perspectives of religious minorities in areas of crisis, the role of Christians in the resolution of conflicts and the interreligious dialogue, and the role of the international community in the protection of minorities.

In this timely and very appropriate Forum will take part among other experts, Pascale Warda, Former Minister of Immigration and Refugees, Iraq, Nadim Shehadi, Fares Centre for Eastern Mediterranean Studies, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, Francesco Zannini Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies, Fr. Rachid Mistrih, Regional Minister for Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, Custody of the Holy Land, Fr. Laurent Basanese, Director of the Centre for Interreligious Studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Elie Al Hindy, Professor at Notre Dame University-Louaize, Abdellah Redouane, Secretary General of the Cultural Islamic Centre of Italy, Ambrogio Bongiovanni, Professor of interreligious and intercultural dialogue at the Pontificial Urbaniana University, Paola Binetti, Member of the Senate of the Italian Republic, Agostino Borromeo, Lieutenant General of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, Pascale Debanne, Regional Coordinator for the Middle East – Migrants& Refugees Section – DIHD Holy See and Michela Carboniero, Head of Human Rights Office, Directorate General for Political Affairs and Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Italy.

The welcome remarks and the opening sessions will be conducted by the Ambassador of Italy to the Holy See, Pietro Sebastiani, and the President of the Social Promotion Foundation, Jumana Trad.

The President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, will make the conclusions and the closure of the Seminar.

Programme

Programma