Nishan Forum on World Civilizations (Nishan Forum) was initiated by Mr. Xu Jialu (former Vice Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee) and Mr. Roger T. Ames (a professor with the University of Hawaii) in Qufu, China in 2008. The forum was named after Nishan, the birthplace of Confucius, the ancient Chinese thinker and educator, and is headquartered at the Nishan Shengyuan College.
The Nishan Forum aims to facilitate dialogues between different civilizations, maintain the diversity of world’s cultures, promote cultural and people-to-people exchanges with other countries, and build a community with a shared future for mankind, while upholding its own academic, non-governmental, international and traditional characteristics. It is a world philosophy forum in line with the principle of “respecting others’ interests while pursuing our own and advancing the common interests of all.”
1. The First Nishan Forum
The First Nishan Forum, themed “Harmony among Differences and a Harmonious World: Dialogue between Confucianism and Christianity”, was held in Nishan, Shandong province on September 26, 2010, and was attended by more than 160 experts and scholars from more than 30 universities and scientific research institutions around the world.themed “Harmony among Differences and a Harmonious World: Dialogue between Confucianism and Christianity”, was held in Nishan, Shandong province on September 26, 2010, and was attended by more than 160 experts and scholars from more than 30 universities and scientific research institutions around the world.
Mr. Jacques René Chirac (former President of France), Mr. Sha Zukang (Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations) and Ms. Irina Bokova (Director-General of UNESCO) sent their letters of congratulations to the opening ceremony of the first Nishan Forum, while Ms. Megawati Soekarno Putri (former President of Indonesia) and Mr. Megyessy Peter (former Premier of Hungary) attended the first Nishan Forum and delivered speeches. Participants to the first Nishan Fourm also include Mr. Henry Holley (a well-known U.S. religious leader) and Mr. Michael Loewe (a professor with the University of Cambridge).
2. The Second Nishan Forum
The second Nishan Forum, themed “Harmony among Differences and a Harmonious World: Beliefs, Morality, Respect and Friendship”, was held in Nishan, Shandong province on May 21, 2012, and was attended by more than personages from 22 countries and regions across five continents in the world.
Mr. Vicente Fox Quesada (former President of Mexico), Mr. Hans d’Orville (UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Strategic Planning) and Mr. Jean-Christophe Bas (former top adviser to the UN Alliance of Civilizations) attended the second Nishan Forum and delivered speeches. Participants to the second Nishan Fourm also include Mr. Candido Mendes (Ambassador of UN Alliance of Civilizations and President of Brazil’s Mende University), Ms. Valérie Terranova (cultural adviser to Mr. Jacques René Chirac, former President of France and Secretary-General of the Chirac Foundation), and Mr. Stewart Brown (President of School of Divinity, the University of Edinburgh).
3. The Third Nishan Forum
The third Nishan Forum, themed “Common Ethics of Mankind despite Different Beliefs”, was held in Shandong University on May 20, 2014, and was attended by more than 130 renowned experts and scholars from around the world.
Mr. Jean-Christophe Bas (former top adviser to the UN Alliance of Civilizations and Minister of European Commission’s Democratic Citizenship and Participation Department), Mr. Michael Kahn-Ackermann (former president of Goethe Institute of China) Mr. Kim Kwang-ok (Chairman of South Korea’s 21 Century Human Value Forum and Professor of Seoul National University), Mr. Shaye J.D. Cohen (professor of literature and philosophy with the Harvard University) and Dr. Tong Yun-kai (President of the Hong Kong Confucian Academy) attended the third Nishan Forum and delivered speeches. Participants to the third Nishan Forum also include Mr. William Engdahl (world’s renowned geopolitics expert), Ms. Bani Dugal (chief representative of Bahai International Community to the UN Office), and Dr. Steven T. Katz (professor and director of the Elie Wiesel Center for Judaic Studies at Boston University).
4. The Fourth Nishan Forum
The fourth Nishan Forum, themed “Traditional Culture and Ecological Civilization: Human Life towards Greenness and Simplicity”, was held in Nishan, Shandong province on November 16, 2016, and was attended by more than 130 scholars from 19 countries and regions.
Distinguished guests attending the fourth Nishan Forum include Mr. Hans d’Orville (UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Strategic Planning) and his wife Ms. Mehri Madarshahi, Ms. Irene Giner-Reichl (Austrian Ambassador to China), Ms. Bani Dugal (chief representative of Bahai International Community to the UN Office), Ms. Julia Broussard (UN Women’s Representative to China), Ms. Sandra Salamanca (Colombia Counselor of Commerce in China), Mr. Patrick Nijs (former Belgian Ambassador to ChinaHonorary Chairman of Belgian Taoist Association), Mr. Peter Kreutzberger (German General Consul in Shenyang), Ms. Rita Vyas Nagar (founder and professor of the Learning, Development and Research Center of India) Mr. Ravindra Panth (former President of Nava Nalanda Mahavihara University), Ms. Rosukon Poompanvong (winner of UN Food and Agriculture Organization Award, Chairwoman of Thailand’s International Human Traditions and Culture Foundation), and Ms. Sally (Salwa) Kader (President of the United States Federation for Middle East Peace).
5. The Fifth Nishan Forum
The fifth Nishan Forum, themed "Integrated Progress, Shared Future: Integration of Civilizations toward a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind" was held in Qufu, China on September 26, 2018, and was attended by 240 experts and scholars from more than 30 countries and regions.
The Fifth Nishan Forum is jointly sponsored by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Education and the People's Government of Shandong Province. Compared with previous forums, this year's forum is highlighted by five of its merits: first, it boasts the largest scale and attendance, as its opening ceremony was held in unison with the 2018 China Qufu International Confucius Cultural Festival; second, it lays stress on the theme design of harmony between different civilizations and building a community of mankind with shared future; third, it gives prominence to the "Belt and Road" initiative by creating a meeting of dialogues by mayors of coastal cities; forth, it sets a sub-forum—a Forum on World Women, which probes into topics on empowerment of women and global development; fifth, it attracts many young scholars to air their views and suggestions on establishing a community with shared future for mankind.
6. Paris Nishan Forum
On April 16, 2012, invited by UNESCO and with the backing of the Foundation Chirac, Paris Nishan Forum was held at UNESCO Headquarters. Director-General of UNESCO Ms. Irina Gueorguieva Bokova, former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, President of Nishan Forum Organizing Committee Xu Jialu, former Chinese ambassador to France Wu Jianmin, Executive Director of the Confucius Institute Headquarters Xu Lin, Secretary General of Nishan Forum Organizing Committee Xu Xianghong, and over 300 representatives from the member states to UNESCO and religious, financial, diplomatic, media and intellectual communities in Europe took part in the grand event. The Forum on "Confucianism and New Humanism in a Globalized World" sparked vigorous debates focusing on three sub-topics of "harmony through diversity and the demands of a globalized world", "harmony through
diversity and dialogue between cultures" and "harmony through diversity and the New Humanism." Paris-Nishan Forum was acclaimed by Europe as a successful case for Chinese core values to make their way into mainstream Western society
7. New York Nishan Forum
The “New York Nishan Forum” was held from November 10-11, 2012, at the United Nations Headquarters with the theme of “Harmony based on shared values – beyond national identities and beliefs: dialogue between Confucianism and Christianity”. Over 100 leading Western and Chinese scholars addressed the forum, including Prof. Xu Jialu, President of the Nishan
Forum, Mr. Wu Hongbo, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Vuk Jeremić, President of the UN General Assembly, Mr. Wang Min, China's deputy representative to the United Nations. The occasion marked the first time that a non-government organization was allowed to host an event of this kind at the UN Headquarters, as well as the first dialogue between Confucianism and Christianity in New York held by the Chinese. It had great
influence among the U.N. and the Americans.
8. Beijing Nishan Forum
“Beijing Nishan Forum on World Civilizations” with the theme of “Beliefs and Values” was held at Beijing Normal University from Oct.12 to Oct.13, 2013. Thirty-nine well-known scholars from China, India, the United States, South Korea and other countries and regions as well as about 800 teachers and students from the Capital and Shandong University participated in the Forum. Beijing Nishan Forum was an important link between New York Nishan Forum and the 3rd Nishan Forum, which was the preheating and academic preparation of the 3rd Nishan Forum.
