For centuries, Paris has been a city where ideas take shape before they leave the drawing board. Ideas for revolutions, new philosophies, and movements for freedom were born in the city’s cafés, salons, and halls of the university. It is here, surrounded by a particular history and the unique pattern of controversy, that a new global movement of a different kind is quietly starting. It is not a political movement. It is not a protest. It is a movement of a different kind, a revival of the belief in the power of dialogue, dignity, and humanity.

Tayeb Benabderrahmane is the founder of Concordia – Defending Rights and Civilizations (CDRC), an international humanitarian organization based in Paris. In a world defined by a lack of unity, Benabderrahmane’s work is remarkably clear in showing the world that differences are not walls, but doors. In the face of the discourse on differences between cultures, religions, and civilizations, he aims to create a unique humanism, a concept of global citizenship where every belief, every nation, and every citizen contributes to peace and harmony.

Paris The Birthplace of a Global Movement

Beginning in 2021, Benabderrahmane further developed the Centre for Dialogue Research and Cooperation (CDRC) based on over 20 years of experience in intercultural dialogue, humanitarian diplomacy, and human rights advocacy. For him, building the organization in Paris was a testament to his vision.

He has said, “Paris is where the world meets. It is where civilizations converse without needing translation.” As a crossroads of ideas and civilizations, Benabderrahmane wished to build a civil platform in a city with a long history of being a crossroads of ideas. For a civil platform to be built held the potential to unite nations in civil discourse through respect.

Within the framework of the Law of 1 July 1901, the CDRC was designed to be a bridge institution, serving all Governments, NGOs, Universities, and faith leaders. It aims to protect rights from the extremism of violence, the indifference of discrimination, and arbitrary detention, while also serving to promote and encourage the peaceful pursuit of their attainment.

Now, based on the Avenue de l’Opéra, the organization’s initial growth from those modest first offices has evolved into a respected global organization, with its main offices strategically positioned to serve on each of the five continents in cities such as Dakar, Washington, Córdoba, and Jakarta. Each office was envisioned to be a listening post for the discourse on peace and human rights, so that the needed but silenced voices in the conversation could be amplified.

From Human Rights Defender to Humanitarian Diplomat

The organization built by Tayeb Benabderrahmane is compelling, but so is his personal story. Prior to founding the CDRC, Tayeb built a reputation as a defender of human rights and a champion of intercultural dialogue, being equally at home in the corridors of diplomacy and on the streets, fighting for change.

As for his colleagues, he is both a visionary and a pragmatist. He is a thinker and a doer, someone who understands that peace is not a talk, but is built through structure, education, and the hard work of people coming together. His belief in constructive dialogue is not just theoretical. He has witnessed how misunderstandings generate mistrust.

Over the years, he has built relationships with religious leaders, scholars, and policymakers. He has learned that real diplomacy is rooted in true empathy. He has collaborated with the UN, intergovernmental orgs, and NGOs not as a bureaucrat, but as a facilitator, someone who views dialogue as an act of courage.

Under his leadership, the CDRC has built a multidisciplinary team of academics, lawyers, and humanitarian specialists, which he describes as a team focused on preventive diplomacy, implementing strategies that remove the need to intervene during a conflict in situations that have escalated.

Shared Humanism Explained: Diversity as Enrichment, Not Division

At the foundation of Benabderrahmane’s philosophy is his idea of shared humanism. It is an idea that seems simple yet has unprecedented implications.

In a world that is becoming increasingly divided by identity politics and ideological isolation, shared humanism offers a model for coexistence that is distinct. Rather than viewing human diversity as a problem to be fixed, shared humanism views it as an opportunity for enrichment and growth. As he has said, “Every culture, every faith, every language, adds color to the same human canvas.”

Through the CDRC, this belief takes tangible form. The organization runs training programs on human rights, international law, and cultural diversity, helping participants from students to diplomats develop the skills and empathy needed to work across divisions. It also conducts research and analysis on extremism, discrimination, and arbitrary detention, ensuring that dialogue is grounded in evidence rather than mere sentiment.

The CDRC’s approach is holistic. It combines legal support for victims of human rights violations with education, advocacy, and intercultural exchange. Its conferences and symposiums invite thinkers and practitioners to examine how tolerance can be institutionalized, not just encouraged.

Such concern for humanism is not limited to principles alone. The CDRC defends victims of arbitrary detention, advocating for their release, rehabilitation, and reintegration. Abstract ideals become concrete human relief.

Global Footprint: From Dakar to Jakarta

What started in Paris has now spread to other regions of the world. In Dakar, the CDRC joint teams in West Africa work to foster intercultural understanding, where religious diversity coexists with socio-political tension. It has helped foster local training centers and community support systems for peace building.

In Washington, the CDRC collaborates with policymakers, think tanks, and human rights advocates. As a peace building advocate, the CDRC aims for international collaboration through dialogue, highlighting the balance between power and justice.

In Cordoba, a city whose medieval history once embodied the coexistence of Muslims, Christians, and Jews, the CDRC has found a nurturing environment for its interfaith initiatives. It is grounded in history, a living testament that civilizations once thrived together.

And in Jakarta, where Islam and modern democracy coexist in complex balance, the organization has become a bridge between Asia and Europe, promoting pluralism and interfaith cultural dialogue.

The CDRC functions through regional offices and, rather than being centralized, operates as a network of local, integrated voices in a global system. Each office tailors the principles of humanism to their local culture, responding to its peace building needs in innovative and flexible ways.

Leadership and Legacy: A Philosophy of Universal Dignity

Tayeb Benabderrahmane does not fit the mold of how many international organizations operate. He views the CDRC not as a hierarchy, but as a circle. He embraces the idea of a community of equals and the conviction that everyone bears the responsibility of peace.

Every person, no matter their nationality, religion, or other identifiers, deserves to be heard and respected. This idea is central to the partnerships the CDRC engages in with universities, cultural organizations, and interfaith groups.

Because the CDRC is politically neutral, it does not have to worry about affecting its ability to assist in situations where opposing sides would otherwise be unwilling to negotiate. The research conducted at the CDRC interreligious and intercultural research center demonstrates how constructive dialogue serves as a preventive and healing force.

To Benabderrahmane, the vision of peace is not abstract. Practical reconciliation is essential. He teaches that violence and peace cannot coexist, and that the only way to achieve peace is through education, understanding, and a collaborative attitude. It is for these reasons that the CDRC is active in developing training and awareness programs.

The testimonials from his colleagues highlight the fact that Tayeb Benabderrahmane practices the humanism he preaches. An international law expert regards the CDRC as “an essential contribution to bringing people together and combating extremism,” while a partner from an NGO appreciates its “humanistic and pragmatic approach to a more peaceful and united world.”

A World United Under Shared Human Values

If Paris gave birth to the CDRC, the world is now its home. From the organization’s founding to its far-reaching partnerships, it is a quiet yet determined response to the divisions of our time. It reminds us that peace does not begin with policies; it begins with people.

Tayeb Benabderrahmane’s vision of shared humanism is a call to return to the things that bind us. It is not a denial of difference but an embrace of it. It is a recognition that the various civilizations, with all their histories, are but chapters of a single story of humanity.

In an age of suspicion and isolation, the CDRC offers something rare: hope without fear, dialogue without conflict, justice without indignation, and solidarity without division. Even in a fractured world, the CDRC’s work proves that humanity can find its common ground.

The CDRC builds bridges that are not just diplomatic but human. From Paris to Dakar, and from Córdoba to Jakarta, those bridges testify to a truth that Benabderrahmane has spent his life proving: that peace, when guided by dignity and dialogue, is not only possible, but inevitable.