Mawlana Jalal-ud-Din Balkhi-Rumi © Unesco

This ceremonial event will be inaugurated by the Director-General of UNESCO, Mr. Koïchiro Matsuura, and the 3 Ministers representing Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey, followed by aday-long international seminar on Mawlana’s thought and philosophy, to be held at Headquarters, Room II, on 6 September. The seminar will be composed of three consecutive sessions, in which Afghan, Iranian and Turkish scholars and philosophers, together with other international experts, will discuss the following themes:

• Humankind in the Thought of Mawlana
• Ethical and Spiritual Message of Mawlana
• Universality of Mawlana in the 21^st Century

The books, manuscripts and paintings relating to Mawlana and his works will be exhibited between 6 and 14 September 2007 in the Miró Hall at UNESCO. An inauguration ceremony will be held with the participation of high level officials from UNESCO and the 3 countries on 6 September at 6.30 p.m. A cultural evening by Afghan, Iranian and Turkish artists and musicians will follow in Room I at 7.00 p.m.

Within the framework of the 800th birth anniversary of Mawlana Jalal-ud-Din Balkhi-Rumi, a UNESCO medal in his honour will be issued, and a block of stamps on this theme, displaying the UNESCO logo, will also be distributed by post offices in Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey. Throughout the year, international conferences are being held in the three countries.

An International Conference will be held in Tehran from 28 to 30 October 2007, aimed at reflecting on the thought and works of Mawlana, which surpass all political and geographical boundaries. The secretariat of this conference is formed by the Research Association of Wisdom and Philosophy in the Islamic Republic of Iran, which requests eminent experts, scholars and philosophers of UNESCO Member States to submit their articles on the following subject matters in order to arrange their participation in the afore-mentioned conference:

1. The life and works of Mawlana: their impact and interpretation;
2. Mysticism and love in Mawlana’s thought and works;
3. The philosophy and wisdom of Mawlana: his cosmology, ontology and epistemology; the place of reason in Mawlana’s thought; his philosophy of ethics and spirituality;
4. Mawlana and religion: his contribution to Islamic civilization; his vision of good and evil, predestination and free will;
5. The literature and language of Mawlana: his poems, prose and literary school; comparative studies of his literature;
6. Art in the works of Mawlana: his concept of art; aesthetics, music and artistic creativity in his works;
7. Miscellaneous: the importance of Mawlana’s thought for contemporary humankind; women in Mawlana’s works; the intellectual environment in his era; education in his works; etc.

Queries can be e-mailed to academy@irip.ir. Articles should be sent to the following address:
Mrs. Kazempour
Secretary of the Scientific Secretariat, International Conference on Mawlana
Research Association of Wisdom and Philosophy in Iran
6, Araklian Street
Neuphle-le-chateau Avenue
Tehran
Islamic Republic of Iran