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Official Launch of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue
04.01.2008, 16:38
When preparing the media launch of the European Year for Intercultural Dialogue in early December 2007, Ján Figel', the European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth said: "In the 21st century, Europe faces a new challenge: how to become an intercultural society, based on a respectful exchange of views between individuals and groups with different cultural backgrounds, on an equal basis. We want to go beyond multicultural societies, where cultures and cultural groups simply coexist side by side: mere tolerance is not enough anymore. We need to give an impulse for a true metamorphosis in our societies, so that we can create an intercultural Europe where cultures exchange and interact constructively, and where there is universal respect for human dignity."
On 7 January 2008, a conference entitled "Intercultural Dialogue as the Fundamental Value of the EU", will be organised in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in the presence of Commissioners Ján Figel' and Jánez Potočnik. Academics, thinkers, writers, artists and journalists from many European countries will discuss the challenges of multicultural Europe and set the stage for the official launch of the European Year the next day in Ljubljana Castle.
A press conference with Ján Figel' and Slovene Culture Minister Vasko Simoniti will be held on 7 January at 12:00. The topics of the conference will include culture, art, education, research, sustainable economic development and media, as well as aspects of migration, multilingualism and religions.
The Year will be officially launched in Cankarjev dom in Ljubljana on 8 January by the president of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša and the president of the European Parliament Hans Gert Poettering.
Source: Europa Rapid Press releases