Press Release

Published 24.01.2008 Author FSPC – Communication

Open Forum Davos 2008 begins

Today saw the opening of the sixth Open Forum Davos by the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches (FSPC) and the World Economic Forum (WEF). There are seven controversial topics on the programme between now and Saturday. On the first panel, “The Return of the Religious”, the former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and the President of the FSPC Council, Thomas Wipf, joined in the debate.

The Open Forum Davos 2008 has begun. Thomas Wipf, President of the FSPC Council, and André Schneider, the CEO of the WEF, welcomed more than 400 interested people to the public event, which runs parallel to the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. “We want discussions,” Wipf remarked. Once again the Open Forum Davos was putting the right questions to the right people. As Wipf said, “We are glad that by agreeing to come to the Open Forum Davos the panellists have shown their readiness to be challenged.”

The Open Forum Davos began with a debate on “The Return of the Religious – a Danger to the Secular State? “ According to the former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami the problem is not religion, but extremism. “Extremists know only violence as an instrument of power. However, that leads to the loss of genuine religion.” For Thomas Wipf, President of the FSPC Council, religion is a great force for reconciliation. Moreover there is a danger that it will be used as an instrument. Wipf argues that this must be prevented; moreover every religion must be open to criticism.

The public are invited to share in the Open Forum Davos discussion. The debate on each of the seven panels can be taken further on the internet page www.openforumdavos.ch.