ICCS 2022 Recap: Main Conference
ICCS 2022’s three-day conference featured a stellar line-up of leaders from policy, faith, community and youth realms, coming together to discuss new trends and approaches to fostering social cohesion within and beyond our communities.
A Conference to Remember
The Main Conference of ICCS 2022 presented a stellar line-up of leaders from policy, faith, community and youth realms, coming together to discuss new trends and approaches to fostering social cohesion within and beyond our communities.
Commencing proceedings was an inspiring speech by Madam Halimah Yacob, Former President of the Republic of Singapore, as well as a special address by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See.
[Photo caption: Former President Halimah Yacob opening ICCS 2022 with her speech on 6 September 2022.]
The three-day Conference also highlighted three plenary discussions, focused on themes such as faith, diversity and technology. It was a treat to hear from luminaries such as Mr André Azoulay sharing about his upbringing as a Jew in predominantly Muslim Morocco, as well as Dr Shashi Jayakumar highlighting the need for vigilance against online hate speech.
[Photo caption: Mr André Azoulay sharing his views on the plenary theme “How Diversity Can Be Harnessed for the Common Good on 7 September 2022.]
On the final day, the audience tuned into the Singapore experience in managing interfaith matters with two sessions featuring Deputy Prime Minister Mr Lawrence Wong and Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Mr Edwin Tong.
For many, ICCS 2022 not only presented them with a rare opportunity to speak about their causes, passions and projects, but also exposed delegates and speakers to the myriad of social cohesion issues that continue to challenge diverse communities around the world. Speakers and delegates found meaning from both the robust discussions at the conference, as well as experiential journeys outside of the conference.
[Photo caption: Delegates and speakers alike found meaning and forged friendships at ICCS 2022.]
Beyond the Main Conference, there was a special Young Leaders Programme that ran in parallel with the main proceedings, featuring several speakers as well as content creators Father Fiel Pareja, Reverend Chris Lee and Yasmin Jay who leverage their platforms to share a message of hope and peace through faith.