"Religions and Cultures: the Courage to forge a New Spiritual Humanism"

(MILAN - Italy)-The 2004 Sant'Egidio meeting opened under the shadow of the Breslan tragedy: the very first speaker was the Orthodox Bishop from the Ossetia Region (Feofan Azhurkov) who brought a vivid personal testimony of the unfolding events, with a passionate denunciation of terrorism as a weapon for any cause. It closed as a second shadow took shape, the kidnapping of two young Italian women, humanitarian workers in Iraq. The problems of HIV/AIDS and the threats to Africa were at the center of much discussion. The dangers of our world today were close and vivid.