Dialogue among Civilizations as a New Approach for International Relations

Abstract

After the collapse of the bipolar system different views and theories were expressed by scholars and thinkers about the future of the world and the international system. One of them is the theory of "The clash of Civilizations" which was expressed in 1993 by the Samuel Huntington. This theory caused some anxieties in the world. In reaction to this theory, M. Khatami, the former president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, proposed the way of "Dialogue among Civilizations" as a paradigm in the international relations. 53(rd) General Assembly of the United Nations on 3 September 1998 accepted it and approved a resolution for the purpose of promoting dialogue among cultures and civilizations and nominated the year 2001 as "the year of Dialogue among Civilizations". This article presents the study of both mentioned theories and refers to the role of dialogue approach in creation of peaceful relations between nations and states.