Serageldin hosted the inaugural meeting of the Middle East Council of Religious Leaders - Religions for Peace at the BA. Invited to be a pioneer member of the council, based on the important role he plays within the Islamic community, Serageldin gave an ardent presentation entitled Wealth, Poverty and Security . He posed the question “Are we doing enough to bring about peace?” In order to achieve our Millenium Development Goals we need to have peace, Serageldin said, but war is very much present and we have not succeeded in realizing peace. He quoted up to date figures comparing the vast amount of money presently being spent on war, to the meager amount spent on eradicating extreme hunger and poverty, figures which reflect a distortion of priorities. Speaking of the new challenges facing the world today: Food, Feed and Fuel, and Climate Change, Serageldin underlined the need to combine science and knowledge with wisdom and values. It is wrong , he said, to burn the food of the poor to drive the cars of the rich . He called on religions to emphasize shared heritage and pluralism, to find ways to work together, to reject extremism and shun extremists. Time is running out , Serageldin urged, but we must be bold and dare to dream, we will do things differently, we can change the world . Following the address, members of the council expressed much appreciation and gratitude to Serageldin for his presentation, and requested a copy to use as a basis for their future agenda.
The council is led by distinguished religious leaders in the Middle East and is committed to advancing multi-religious cooperation for peace on the regional level. It addresses pan-Middle East challenges that pose threats to the societies of the region.