  |
|||
| Background Forum Launch New & Events Sources Contact | |||
 |
   ______________________________________________________ |
||
• Culture and Civilizations
|
International
Conference on Background
UNESCO’s Mandate Promoting dialogue among civilisations and cultures is a key component of UNESCO’s mission and activities. The Organisation’s Constitution provides that peace must be founded "upon the intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind", and that UNESCO has been created "for the purpose of advancing, through the educational and scientific and cultural relations of the peoples of the world, the objectives of international peace and of the common welfare of mankind for which the United Nations Organisation was established and which its Charter proclaims". The contemporary relevance of this ethical and political message embodied in UNESCO’s Constitution justifies the place assigned to the Organisation in the implementation of the United Nations resolution on the dialogue among civilisations. For the forthcoming Medium-Term Strategy of UNESCO, covering the period 2002 - 2007, the subject of protecting cultural diversity and encouraging pluralism and dialogue between cultures and civilizations has been selected as a strategic objective for activities in the area of culture. Equally, throughout 2002 - 2003, the protection of diversity and promotion of cultural pluralism and intercultural dialogue shall be the principal priority for culture activities in UNESCO. Human Rights One of the essential foundations of both a culture of peace and a dialogue among civilisations is the respect for and enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinction as to ethnic or national allegiance, sex, language or religion, as embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). UNESCO works closely with the United Nations High Commissioner for human rights and has implemented numerous activities for the promotion of human rights and, in particular, human rights education throughout the world. As an example, since 1978 the UNESCO Prize for Human Rights Education is awarded, every two years, to an institution, organisation or individual in recognition of a significant activity aimed at developing human rights. Tolerance and Non-Violence Tolerance is one of the basic principles of both the United Nations Charter and the UNESCO Constitution. UNESCO has taken the lead within the United Nations system in a real "crusade" against intolerance. For UNESCO, tolerance is a key element in the prevention of violence and the emergence of a spirit of peace. It is also essential for the strengthening of cultural pluralism. In order to put this concept into practice, and according to the Declarations of Principles on Tolerance (1995), and the follow-up to the International Year of Tolerance (1995), awareness-raising is promoted through events and activities organised each year on the occasion of the International Day for Tolerance (16 November)and through the annual UNESCO Prize for Peace Education and the UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence. Among the standard-setting instruments and major declarations drawn up under the auspices of UNESCO special mention must be made of the Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice (1978) all of which are cornerstones for the advancement of international understanding and tolerance. Education for international understanding: The MOST Programme UNESCO develops a number of innovative education and training approaches, programmes and materials for international understanding and peace. This is promoted largely through the Associated Schools Project based on the 1974 Recommendation on International Education on Peace in the Minds of Men. UNESCO’s MOST Programme (Management of Social Transformation) focuses on issues related to the management of change in multicultural and multi-ethnic societies and on the development of strategies for poverty alleviation. Intercultural Dialogue: Cultural pluralism and Cultural diversity For many years, the Organisation has addressed the issues of cultural pluralism and cultural diversity through various intercultural projects examples of which include the "Routes" projects. These initiatives have attracted great interest from both the academic community and the general public. UNESCO’s approach consists of going beyond reciprocal knowledge in order to reach real interaction. The Organisation has endeavoured to analyse the dynamics of interaction and encounters between cultures. In doing so, it has highlighted the role of movement in the development of cultures and civilisations, as well as the contributions and borrowings that have taken place between peoples. This aims to strengthen the processes that favour a better understanding of convergence between cultures and the discovery of a common heritage and shared values. The establishment of international institutes, outcomes of the former Silk Roads project, which form the basis of a network of institutes and centres for intercultural dialogue, and the annual UNESCO Cities for Peace Prize and the setting up of UNESCO Chairs of the Scriptures, Spiritual Traditions and their Specific Cultures are examples of concrete actions that contribute to a dialogue among civilisations and cultures. As the dialogue about cultural pluralism and cultural diversity has evolved and developed, a consensus has emerged regarding the necessity to avoid both imposed homogeneity and forced heterogeneity. The conference entitled "Towards a constructive pluralism", held at UNESCO Headquarters in January 1999, concluded that a logical next step was for the development of more concrete strategies to bring about a dynamic equilibrium within society which fosters unity without requiring uniformity. Although no magic formula can be found for every situation and each society must create its own model. Pluralism should be channelled in a positive fashion in order to facilitate the creation of state and societal mechanisms to promote harmonious interaction between cultures. The Organisation has also been involved in efforts to encourage the acknowledgement, inter alia, in national constitutions, of the multicultural and multi-ethnic nature of societies, in particular in the framework of the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People (1994-2004). "For Peace and Tolerance, for a Dialogue among Cultures" One of the main objectives of the project "For peace and tolerance, for a dialogue among cultures" was the promotion of dialogue among civilisations, in particular in conflict regions. A major effort was made to mobilize representatives of civil society, and, primarily, personalities from the fields of culture and sciences as individuals or as influential groups within civil society. In the framework of this project several major international forums and meetings of well known personalities were organised, whenever possible in conflict regions. These forums may be seen as major stepping stones towards the international conferences and other events being organised in the framework of the United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilisations, 2001. United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilisations, 2001 The first major international event was the launch of the United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilisations which took place during a Presidential Round Table held at United Nations Headquarters, New York, on 5 September 2000, jointly organised by UNESCO and the United Nations. The ideas put forward during this Round Table, as well as the moral commitments made by the participating Heads of State, underline that a "dialogue among civilisations" is an essential stage in the process of founding a form of human development that is both sustainable and equitable, humanizing globalization and laying the bases of an enduring peace. Vilnius Conference The Vilnius Conference on the Dialogue among Civilisations will bring together leaders of states, decision-makers, distinguished scholars and artists in the debate about the complex issues of culture and civilisations in the contemporary world. Participants will be invited to share their insights on the present state of the communications among civilisations and to discuss better ways to build mutual understanding between the different civilisations. Conference proceedings will be accompanied by cultural events with the participation of performers from various parts of the world. The conference will not confine itself to stating the present-day situation but will also reflect upon historical aspects of the dialogue between different civilisations. It will further seek to develop forward-looking proposals for possible ways to pursue a dialogue among civilisations aimed at its logical outcome — e.g., mutual understanding, tolerance, solidarity, and co-operation among different cultures and civilisations of the world. The final declaration of the Vilnius Conference will be submitted to the 161st session of UNESCO’s Executive Board, for endorsement and inclusion in UNESCO’s Draft Programme and Budget to be submitted to the 31st General Conference (31C/5). At its 30th session held in November 1999, the General Conference decided to give UNESCO’s patronage to the planned Vilnius Conference. The Vilnius Declaration could, therefore, be seen as one of the first concrete steps to be taken by UNESCO and its Member States in the field of Dialogue among Civilizations. Equally, the Vilnius Declaration could become a valuable contribution to the preparations of the Summit of the "Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie" to be held in Beirut in October 2001 and dedicated to the theme of "Dialogue among Cultures". Lithuania having been admitted to this organisation as an observer since September 1999 wishes to participate actively in its projects. The idea to hold such conference in Vilnius was raised initially in April 1999. President Valdas Adamkus, and Mr. Vytautas Landsbergis, the then Chairman of the Parliament, during their meetings with the Assistant Director General of UNESCO, who was visiting Vilnius, raised the idea that Lithuania could be the principal organiser of an international European conference with participants from other continents dedicated to the dialogue among civilisations. In July 1999, H.E. Ugne Karvelis, Ambassador, Permanent Delegate of Lithuania to UNESCO, outlined to the representatives of several Lithuanian ministries and Lithuanian scholars, a proposal to organise a major international conference dedicated to the dialogue among civilisations. A national committee charged with the organisation of the conference was established and headed by the Lithuanian minister of culture and chaired by the Honourable Chairman of the Parliament. Its members include: Lithuanian vice-ministers of culture and foreign affairs, the adviser on cultural affairs to the President of Lithuania, Lithuanian ambassadors both to the UN and UNESCO, the Chairman of the National UNESCO commission and prominent scholars. In addition, the organising committee includes Swedish, Austrian, Polish, German, French and Iranian representatives as associate members.
|
||
________________________________________________________________ |
|||
