Fedactio @ Paleizenstraat 27, 1030 Schaarbeek, België
BREAKFAST TALKS 26
Role of faiths in restoring peace & Dimensions of freedom of faith and freedom of expression
Author and Academic Prof. Niyazi Oktem
Although almost all the faiths of the world essentially share the values of peace and tolerance, they are often viewed as inherently related to violence and leading people to conflict rather than peace. This superficial association between faith and violence has been once again brought to people’s attention in the aftermath of the hideous assault on Charlie Hebdo last month, revealing the fact that unless faiths are seen as part of the solution, they will continue to be seen as part of the problem. But what kind of a role should faiths undertake on the road to peace? Is the freedom of faith being applied effectively and fairly? At the 26th Breakfast Talk organized by European Professionals Network (EPN) and Golden Rose, the guest lecturer Prof. Niyazi Oktem will share his insights and studies about the topic and will answer the questions of the participants. We kindly invite you and your friends to this thought-provoking talk followed by an open buffet breakfast.
Program
10:00-10:30 Registration
10:30-11:30 Open Buffet Breakfast
11:40-12:30 Talk
12:30-13:00 Q&A Session
Brief Biography of Oktem
Born in Elazig in 1944, Niyazi Oktem is a lecturer at the Faculty of Law at Fatih University. Graduating from the Galatasaray High School in 1964 and then the Law Faculty of Istanbul University in 1971, Oktem became a professor in 1988. He taught Public Law, Philosophy of Law and Sociology of Law in the Faculty of Law at Istanbul University, Istanbul Bilgi University and Dogus University respectively. The Turkish academic was named to the Legion d’Honneur, a distinction rarely granted to foreigners, by the Palmes Academiques in France. He is president of the Intercultural Dialogue Platform, the most prominent inter-faith organisation in Turkey.
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Report of the event
EPN and Golden Rose were proud to host Prof. Niyazi Oktem as guest lecturer at the 26th Breakfast Talk at Fedactio on Feb. 22, 2015. Oktem, whose areas of specialization include law ethics, sociology of religion and inter-faith dialogue, discussed the role of faiths in restoring world peace and dimensions of freedom of faith and freedom of expression following a delightful breakfast time. The professor indicated to a lack of understanding between people as the main reason of the strife among countries in the world. And understanding one another is possible through dialogue and learning more about other people and religions; we are seeing today that true believers and true democrats can come together and embrace one another, he added. The talk was concluded with the idea that faith leads to world peace only if it is combined with education.
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