wfn.org | Title: President M. Khatami to give lecture at WCC

["WCC Media" <Media@wcc-coe.org>]

World Council of Churches 7 Press Info
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 04/12/2003 - info-03-16

 Iranian President Mohammad Khatami  to visit the World Council
of Churches

 11 December 2003, 15h30-17h00
	      Ecumenical Centre - 150 route de Ferney, Geneva

 (Only by invitation - Press representatives must register in
advance to attend, see below)

The visit programme includes the only public lecture to be given
by H.E.
Mohammad Khatami, president of the Islamic Republic of Iran,
during his
presence in Geneva.

The lecture, on "Interreligious Dialogue and International
Relations", will
be delivered in the Ecumenical Centre's main hall at 15h30.

The prime minister of Norway, Rev. Kjell Magne Bondevik, and WCC
general
secretary Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser will open the dialogue with
President
Khatami after the lecture. Questions from the audience will be
allowed.

The visit programme includes a meeting with both outgoing and
incoming WCC
general secretaries Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser and Rev. Dr Samuel
Kobia.

About H.E. Mohammad Khatami
President Mohammad Khatami, who holds degrees in philosophy,
religious
studies and educational sciences, is well known for his
initiative on a
"Dialogue among Civilizations" at the 53rd Session of UN general
assembly
in September 1998, and for proclamation of the year 2001 as the
UN "Year of
Dialogue among Civilizations" following his proposal. More
recently, he has
stated that "the Dialogue among Civilizations and a coalition
for peace are
the means to end the current atmosphere of hostility in the
international
community," and that the international campaign against
terrorism will be
successful if justice prevails in the world community and the
rights of
people are honoured.

President Khatami will speak in Farsi. Interpretation into
French and
English will be provided.

IMPORTANT: Advance registration is necessary due to security
reasons.
Please call or send an e-mail to the WCC Media Relations Office
by
Wednesday 10 December noon.
WCC Media Relations Office: tel: 022 791 6153 / 6421 / 6061

For more information contact:
	 Media Relations Office
 tel: (+41 22) 791 64 21 / (+41 22) 791 61 53
 e-mail:media@wcc-coe.org 
 http://www.wcc-coe.org 

 The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches, now
342, in
 more than 120 countries in all continents from virtually all
Christian
 traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church
but works
 cooperatively with the WCC. The highest governing body is the
assembly,
 which meets approximately every seven years. The WCC was
formally
 inaugurated in 1948 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Its staff is
headed by
 general secretary Konrad Raiser from the Evangelical Church in
Germany.