This report doesn’t say much about the nature of the group, the “Alliance of Civilizations.” This description by the great Bat Ye’or, from this article by Pamela Geller is a good starting point:
The Alliance of Civilizations, created to oppose the clash of civilizations, that is jihad, has also added pressure. On 13 November 2006, the High-Level Group of the Alliance of Civilizations presented its report, which sums up the request of the OIC at its Mecca Summit in 2005, after the Cartoons affair. First, it adopts the Islamic view of history and politics by claiming that everything was fine between the three monotheistic religions until the 19th century, when the evil of European colonialism and Zionism destroyed this harmony.”
… the Alliance “affirms that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the main source of Christian-Muslim antagonism, not the jihadist war and ideology that deny for others the right to exist.
In other words, it’s more business as usual for Obama, making enemies of friends in an attempt to make friends with enemies. More background on this group can be found here, and here.
“AP sources: US to join advisory group once shunned,” by Matthew Lee for the Associated Press, May 12:
WASHINGTON — U.S. officials say the Obama administration is preparing to join an international advisory group that the United States has largely shunned over fears it would adopt anti-Israeli and anti-Western stances.
The officials say the administration plans to announce soon it will begin a formal relationship with the Alliance of Civilizations.
The alliance is a United Nations-backed organization that seeks to ease strains between societies and cultures, particularly the West and Islam, and promote better ties. However, the U.S. boycotted the group when it was founded in 2005 over concerns it would become a forum for bashing Israel and the United States.
The officials say those concerns have now been addressed. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the move publicly.