Intercultural Dialogue for Sustainable Development

Abstract

Climate change, new economic and social-cultural issues have changed peoples’ lives significantly, forcing states and civil societies to take action which is why sustainable solutions and development are attracting more attention. ‘Intercultural Dialogue’ has been applied in different fields to build peace, promote education skills and enhance mutual understanding. This study scrutinises why ‘Intercultural Dialogue’ should be used to achieve sustainable development and comments on its role in different areas, particularly focusing on the work of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) - an organisation which specifically works on this issue in Pakistan. Using analytical and a combination of qualitative methods, the study finds that ‘Intercultural Dialogue’ has been relevant in sustainable development because it enriches mutual understanding of different stakeholders who deal with issues such as gender, human rights and climate change, gain deeper knowledge about citizen concerns and inform policy.