Civilizations Exchange and Cooperation Foundation, CECF Civilizations Exchange and Cooperation Foundation Many civilizations have passed through time, prospered, and then became extinct. Some of these civilizations have left remnants indicating their presence, and some have disappeared altogether, leaving only their name. There were factors that aided the growth and prosperity of these civilizations more than others and there were also reasons that led to their collapse. It is for our benefit, in our short journey on earth, to study these reasons and factors to gain benefit from the positive, and to avoid the negative. Despite what humanity has accomplished in the twentieth century, we still need to look through the window of the ages to benefit from the lessons of past civilizations, and listen to the voice that is heard by the mind, not by the ear. The three Abrahamic religions – Islam, Christianity, and Judaism – call for peace, love, mercy, and cooperation. These values led to the prosperity of the civilizations in the past. Judaism flourished during the Golden Age of Islamic rule in Spain – which lasted for eight centuries, and during which the religious freedoms of the People of the Book were protected. The contribution of the Muslims in science, math, medicine, and astrology led to the Renaissance of the Christian Europe in the Medieval Age. It is no doubt that the revealed religions had, and still have, a tremendous amount of influence on the people of those civilizations and the events they experienced. From this point, Civilizations Exchange and Cooperation Foundation (CECF) will focus on this subject and how the people of these religions underwent positive (and sometimes negative) experiences. It will consider how the people of the new millennium could witness true cooperation rather than confrontation. We are blessed to be part of the human history in which people are able to travel and communicate with increasing ease and speed. CECF believes that the blessings of technology and mobility should be used to facilitate programs that will bring about better understanding and help to eliminate ignorance of the “other”. Mission Statement The mission of Civilizations Exchange and Cooperation Foundation (CECF) is to foster cooperation rather than confrontation among people of different religions and cultures. CECF focuses on the factors that have led to the rise and fall of previous civilizations and how people of this millennium can benefit from lessons of the past in a world literally changing to a global village. History of CECF Civilizations Exchange and Cooperation Foundation (CECF) was founded in 2000 as a non-profit organization and registered in the State of Maryland-USA. It is dedicated to enhancing awareness and appreciation of the multi-faceted and innumerable benefits each culture and civilization have to offer. Our primary endeavors are through people-to-people dialogues, cultural exchange programs, language learning experiences, inter-religious activities, conferences, academic seminars, religious and cultural orientations and specialized publications. A number of qualified clergy, professors and students are involved in these programs nationally and internationally. Members of the staff of CECF have also been requested to conduct numerous programs in Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia under the auspicious’ of the Office of Public Diplomacy at the U.S. Department of State.