On Saturday, 23 August 2025, the Second International Youth Forum on Multiculturalism kicked off in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Forum is organized by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with the Baku International Multiculturalism Centre, under the theme «Youth as Ambassadors of Peacebuilding in a Multicultural Environment.»

Around 70 young participants from over 50 countries are taking part, with the aim of promoting the values of multiculturalism, encouraging intercultural dialogue, and strengthening interfaith understanding.

The Forum, organized in coordination with ICESCO’s Regional Office in Baku and in cooperation with the African Union’s African Migration Observatory and the «Nordic Center for Conflict Transformation,» will run for five days.

It includes discussion panels, interactive sessions, and training activities, during which participants will explore mechanisms and approaches to enhance youth leadership and their engagement in peacebuilding initiatives within their communities and beyond.

It also aims at shaping a generation rooted in the culture of peace and the values of tolerance and coexistence, celebrating and safeguarding cultural heritage diversity, and showcasing reconstruction efforts in Azerbaijan’s liberated historic lands.

During the opening session of the Forum, Mr. Ravan Hasanov, Executive Director of the Baku International Multiculturalism Centre, stressed that the second edition of the Forum focuses on strengthening the role of youth in achieving peace in their communities and building bridges of dialogue and understanding among cultures, as they are the driving force toward a better future.

For her part, Dr. Dinara Guliyeva, Expert at ICESCO’s Human and Social Sciences Sector, affirmed that empowering youth is achieved through the development of systems of education, culture, science, and creativity, noting that the organization of this Forum falls within the fruitful partnership between ICESCO and the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Meanwhile, the interventions of both Dr. Namira Negm, Director of the African Migration Observatory, and Mr. Noufal Abboud, Director of the Nordic Center for Conflict Transformation, highlighted the importance of providing an international platform to foster cooperation among youth in various fields, with a view to mobilizing capacities, supporting innovation and creativity, advancing societies, and achieving development.

Following the opening session, the Forum, which was attended by a delegation from the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) of Saudi Arabia, hosted a workshop entitled «Diversity: Youth as a Driving Force for Peace and Understanding.» The workshop addressed the role of cultural diversity in the peacebuilding process and the significance of youth participation in this regard.