Remarks on Interfaith Harmony and Dialogue

Remarks of USAID Mission Director, Edward T. Landau
“Harmony and Inter-religious Dialogue” Symposium
Tirana,February 27, 2007

On behalf of USAID, it is a great honour to speak before such distinguished religious leaders and guests about harmony and interfaith dialogue.

A major United States foreign assistance goal is to promote mutual understanding by strengthening the civil societies in new democracies to foster freedom of association and expression and tolerance for diverse political and religious beliefs.

With its diverse mixture of believers, with its long tradition of peaceful coexistence among faiths, Albania has been a model of religious harmony and civic virtue for the region. 

The American people are committed to preserving that tradition, which has outlasted decades of repressive communist rule. Albania’s religious communities emerged from that dark period with renewed sense of purpose.  And they did so without harming the cordial quality of inter-faith relations; they did so without losing the Albanian tradition of mutual respect for religious expression. 

It is appropriate for Albania’s religious communities to take that long legacy of interfaith tolerance and cement respect for diversity and collaboration in the form of an Interfaith Council. As in other countries, this council can help to forge a network of individuals and communities comprising all faiths and to harness and direct that energy towards collective action for justice and peace and in promoting Albania’s social and economic development.  There are no limits to what the collective moral and social power of Albania’s religious communities united to a common purpose can achieve.  This is particularly important in a worldwide environment where less understanding religious beliefs have become more prominent.

For our part, USAID supports the idea of the Council and its possibilities to promote collaboration among communities of faith.  We wish you the very best of luck in this endeavour.