2026

According to the “chaos theory” advocated by American neoconservatism in the post-Cold War era, hegemons must introduce a series of “strange attractors,” – based on the characteristics of the target region – to consolidate power and gain more benefits in the new era, such as ethnic or religious conflicts, terrorism, and territorial disputes. These goals are aimed at causing turmoil, thereby weakening, dismembering, and atomizing their opponents. At the same time, Western leaders do recognize the fragility of democracy and religious beliefs. So, how to implement this successfully? Firstly, by using the pretext of “clash of civilizations,” the Anglo-Saxon Protestant…

On January 20, 2026, a panel discussion in Vienna brought together scholars and public commentators to examine controversial questions surrounding the 14th Dalai Lama, his historical contact with Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer, the role of Western intelligence during the Cold War, the legal status of religious succession in modern states, and the portrayal of Tibet in Western media. The event was framed as an effort to reassess what several speakers described as a “mythologized” Western understanding of and the Dalai Lama.The panel included Dr. phil. Agnes Kurtz (public policy and social affairs), Gabriel Radwan (media science), BA, Georg Vavra (historian…

On January 30th, 2026, the “World Interfaith Harmony Week” was commemorated at the Vienna International Center with a conference on the theme of “the Relevance of Religions for a Peaceful World Order”, co-organized by the Universal Peace Federation, UNCAV, the Coalition of Faith-Based Organizations and other partnering organizations.   First proposed at the UN General Assembly by King Abdullah II of Jordan in 2010 on September 23, 2010, the World Interfaith Harmony Week has become an annual UN-designated observance held during the first week of February to promote peace, tolerance, and mutual understanding among different faiths. The two sessions concentrated on…