Marrakech to Host Parliamentary Conference on Interfaith Dialogue

An aerial view of Jemaa el-Fna square and marketplace in Marrakech, Morocco November 8, 2021. REUTERS/Ilan Rosenberg/File Photo
An aerial view of Jemaa el-Fna square and marketplace in Marrakech, Morocco November 8, 2021. REUTERS/Ilan Rosenberg/File Photo
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Marrakech to Host Parliamentary Conference on Interfaith Dialogue

An aerial view of Jemaa el-Fna square and marketplace in Marrakech, Morocco November 8, 2021. REUTERS/Ilan Rosenberg/File Photo
An aerial view of Jemaa el-Fna square and marketplace in Marrakech, Morocco November 8, 2021. REUTERS/Ilan Rosenberg/File Photo

The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and Morocco’s legislature are organizing the three-day Parliamentary Conference on Interfaith Dialogue: Working together for our common future on June 13 in Marrakech.

The conference will be held under the patronage of King Mohammed VI and will bring together Speakers and members of parliament, religious leaders, representatives of civil society and experts to engage in constructive dialogue and share good practices in addressing key issues standing in the way of sustainable coexistence, according to a joint statement by the organizers.

The meeting is being held in cooperation with Religions for Peace, and with the support of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and the Mohammadia League of Scholars.

The conference will offer an opportunity for participants to jointly explore action points for building more peaceful and inclusive societies and to develop a roadmap for joint action, the statement said.

During three days of debate, dialogue and reflection, participants will identify avenues of collaboration in areas such as peace and the rule of law, building a common future, gender equality and youth participation, trust and mutual recognition, solidarity, and inclusion, the statement stressed.

The conference will conclude with the adoption of a declaration.



Pharrell Advocates for Reviving Arts Competitions for 2028 Olympics at Louis Vuitton Event 

Pharrell Williams upon arrival at the Louis Vuitton Foundation on the eve of Paris Olympics opening ceremony, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP)
Pharrell Williams upon arrival at the Louis Vuitton Foundation on the eve of Paris Olympics opening ceremony, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP)
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Pharrell Advocates for Reviving Arts Competitions for 2028 Olympics at Louis Vuitton Event 

Pharrell Williams upon arrival at the Louis Vuitton Foundation on the eve of Paris Olympics opening ceremony, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP)
Pharrell Williams upon arrival at the Louis Vuitton Foundation on the eve of Paris Olympics opening ceremony, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP)

If given the chance, Pharrell Williams would reintroduce arts competition into the Olympics, reviving a tradition that's been missing for nearly 80 years.

Williams is aiming to reinstate arts competitions back on the world's biggest sports stage, starting with raising awareness through his star-studded Louis Vuitton event Thursday in Paris. He passionately shared his goal to see the tradition revived by the Olympics in 2028 the night before the Games’ opening ceremony.

“We get to remind people that at one point, the Olympics actually had the arts as a section that ran all these competitions,” Williams before the event. “Sculpture, architecture, visual arts. The idea we get to put the arts back in. ... Why not take this moment to bring awareness?”

Art competitions first came into fruition at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm with medals awarded in five categories: architecture, literature, music, painting and sculpture. However, the International Olympic Committee ended the competitions in the 1948 games. An attempt to bring it back was denied four years later.

Williams, the musician-turned-designer, hosted the ritzy A-list event at the Louis Vuitton Foundation building. Attendees included popular figures such as LeBron James, Steven Spielberg, Mick Jagger, Zendaya, Anna Wintour, Charlize Theron, Serena Williams, Rosalía, Snoop Dogg, Queen Latifah and Zac Efron.

Williams called the inside of the event like an “indoor carnival.” He curated a select group of world-renowned artists including KAWS, Daniel Arsham and Derek Fordjour to design interactive art installations.

Some of the sports represented at the event included archery, tennis, basketball and equestrianism along with carnival games. “The game will begin on the inside tonight,” he said.

Through donations, Williams said he wanted the event to support Olympic hopefuls as well as 36 athletes across 11 different countries who are competing on the Refugee Olympic Team this year.

“We get to raise money for the other athletes who don't have the means to get the gear or proper training equipment,” said Williams, who added that he spoke about creating music for the games with Thomas Bach, the president of the IOC.

The famed producer said he recorded a track called “Triumph is Cosmos.”

“This is like the victory lap around the solar system,” he said.