The Anna Lindh Foundation has published a new copyright handbook for illustrators and writers in Lebanon, in the framework of its Children’s Literature Regional Programme.
The EU Delegation to Israel has published the second edition of its electronic newsletter “Europe in Israel”, highlighting the new ‘blue card’ system for skilled foreign workers in the EU.
The EU’s action to fight poverty around the world, driven by the UN Millennium Development Goals, are described in a lively and interactive webpage available on the EuropeAid website, mainly aiming to mobilize citizens in member states. Hosted by “Jack and Kate” the webpage includes a ‘virtual journey’ based on real-life situations, a downloadable video on ‘Music Against Poverty’ and a section on “How to get involved”.
Want to find out more? Click here for more details.
Two of the region’s leading supporters of civil society in North Africa and Middle East, the Anna Lindh Foundation and the Foundation for the Future, have joint efforts in support of civil society involvement in intercultural dialogue and the achievement of good governance.
The President of Foundation for the Future, Nabila Hamza, and the Executive Director of the Anna Lindh Foundation, Andreu Claret, signed today, in Alexandria (Egypt), a Memorandum of Understanding which constitutes a framework for common actions in favour of ‘an empowered, active and vibrant civil society in the region’.
Read more on the ALF website
The Anna Lindh Foundation has presented to the Deutsche Schule der Borromaeerinnen the ‘Golden Dove of Peace’, an international symbol of peace created for the 60th anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights.
The life-size, gold-coloured sculpture is one of thirty identical doves which represent individually one of the 30 articles of the Human Rights and are now passing across the world from person to person and from institute to institute.
More information is available on the ALF Website.
The organisers of the PalFest meant to “confront the culture of power with the power of culture”. None but Jerusalem could be as prominent, so that’s where they decided to inaugurate and close the second edition of this touring literature festival, in the honour of Al-Quds 2009 (Jerusalem, capital of Arab culture).
PalFest brings writers and artists from around the world to Palestinian audiences. It initiates and organizes cultural festivals with international and local participation. It organises workshops with students in Palestinian academic institutions in co-operation with Palestinian academics.
Read more on the event here.
An eight-year-old from Egypt and a ten-year-old from Algeria are the winners for the Mediterranean region of EuropeAid’s third drawing competition on gender equality, the organisers of the competition have announced.
The EU-funded Eurojar media project is officially being launched in Beirut on 24 June, with a press conference and multimedia presentation in the presence of EU and local officials.
The EU funded EuroMed News project is conducting a workshop on TV magazine co-production in Algiers this week.
The EU-funded Gender Equality Programme – Enhancing Equality between Men and Women in the EuroMed Region – has produced a trilingual publication outlining the Ministerial Conclusions on strengthening the role of women in society from the 2006 the Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference.
The EU Delegation in Morocco is organising a Jazz Festival bringing together Moroccan and European artists for a musical event that promises to cross boundaries and cultures.
The European Cultural Foundation and Babelmed launched last year a cycle of interviews with artists, creators, cultural operators from the Maghreb and the Middle-east in order to question the dynamics and the relationships created by the Euro-Mediterranean co-operation.
The ECF explore areas that play a key role on the cultural map. The Mediterranean is one of them. So, together with regional partners we explored the ins and outs of cultural cooperation. This book is the result. It is available online and as hard copy.
More information on the book is available here.
Saturday June 20th (midnight Egyptian time) will be the deadline to apply for a grant in the framework of the Restore Trust, Rebuild Bridges Initiative.
You can get involved by logging on to: http://euromedalex.org/restoretrust
The actions, granted in the framework of the Initiative will have to take place between July 1 and September 21, 2009, culminating in a regional event around the International Day of Peace, where the initial outcomes of the Initiative will be presented.
More information on the project is available here.
All born in Jerusalem, they are part of the first generation of artists. Some portray the city they have always lived in. Others, in exile, lay on a canvas their childhood memories or their claims.
Ranging from figurative to abstract style, from the 60’s to the 80’s, “Jerusalem, Lexicon of Colours” collects works with various styles and from different periods, where the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967 marks a fracture.
To read more and view some of the art work click here.
André Azoulay, President of the Anna Lindh Foundation, seals the collaboration of the Principality of Monaco to play host for the next three years to the international ceremony of the Mediterranean Journalist Award.
H.S.H Prince Albert II announces his participation in the forthcoming ceremony which will bring together the best journalists in the Union for the Mediterranean and include a special recognition for conflict reporting in the aftermath of Gaza.
The latest edition of the Mediterranean Journalist Award was officially launched in Istanbul in April, with this year’s competition open until 15th July 2009 to practising journalists based in one of the forty-three countries of the Union for the Mediterranean.
The 2009 international award ceremony will take place at the start of November in Monaco, and will include prizes for printed press, television, radio and online blogs, as well as the special recognition for conflict reporting.
Read more here
The Anna Lindh Foundation and its efforts to promote reading among children in Lebanon is the focus of the latest in the series of articles on EU-Mediterranean cooperation published by the EuropeAid-funded ‘Eurojar’ project in the Lebanese daily L’Orient Le Jour.
The Embassy of the Syrian Arab Republic in collaboration with The Syrian Arab association
cordially invite you to a book launch for the writer
Yasmin Alibhai- Brown
On Thursday 11th June 2009, 6:30 pm at the Syrian Embassy in London (8 belgrave Square SW1X 8PH)
The Anna Lindh Foundation is to present its new teaching manual on ‘How to cope with diversity at school: teaching and learning about religious diversity’ at an International Conference on Dialogue among Civilizations and Cultural Diversity in Tunisia on 2-4 June, underlining the importance of such a resource in promoting a better understanding of religious diversity and acceptance of the ‘Other’.
The Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF) and Institut Europeu de la Mediterrània (IEMed) have the pleasure to announce the launch of the Second Edition of the Sea of Words Literary Competition.
We encourage the production of short stories that portray the different realities of the Euro-Mediterranean region from the point of view of the young people who live there, through the organisation of a Euro-Med short story competition.
This year, the theme is restoring trust, dialogue and reconciliation in situations of crisis and conflicts in line with the objectives of the Restore Trust, Rebuild Bridges Initiative launched by the Anna Lindh Foundation in collaboration with the Alliance of Civilizations.
Applicants must be under 30 years of age and residents in one of the forty three countries of the Union for the Mediterranean , and write in one of the languages of the countries of the Union for the Mediterranean .
The short-stories should be submitted by e-mail before midnight (Spain Local Time) 20 June 2009.
For more information please visit the competition website. For further queries, please write to: concurso(AT)iemed.org
In July Colchester will be seeing the first MUJU festival, celebrating Muslim and Jewish music, song and dance – traditional, contemporary and devotional.
Mother and daughter team Madeline and Daisy Lees (Arts La’Olam) are producing the event which endeavors to show that, despite current tensions, Islamic and Jewish cultures have much in common historically and artistically, and share a musical heritage which is as diverse as the people. Included in this festival are some of those musical genres which continue to develop, crossing boundaries and transcending difference.
All the artists have a strong willingness to work together, and some of the bands have both Muslim and Jewish musicians and work collaboratively. The Festival is promoted as one that respects and celebrates the two cultures and faiths and is focused on bringing alive the traditions of both.
Profits will go to Medicins Sans Frontieres for their work in the Palestinian Territories.
If you’re interested to join and would like more information/bookings for the event, please contact Madeleine Lees: madeline(AT)fair-green.net
Furthermore the tour, a part of “Al Quds Cultural Capital of the Arab World” festival, also celebrates the cultural heritage of Jerusalem by placing Arabic Hip Hop on the local music scene as a contemporary cultural expression speaking the minds of the youth of Palestine.
“Shadia Mansour” from the United Kingdom, her DJ “Vega Benetton” and rapper and break dancer “Mazzi” from the group S.O.U.L. Purpose will be performing with their Scandinavian counterparts “Marwan” and “Zaki” from Denmark and “Ledr P” aka “Palestine” from Sweden. They are all Hip Hop artists with Arabic backgrounds who will be performing in shows side by side local artists such as Dam, Saz & G-Town.
From 9 to 11 october 2009, will take place Medimed festival in Sitges (Spain), in front of the Mediterranean Sea, to celebrate the 10th birthday of this euro-med documentary market.
Medimed will present a selection of documentary projects and programmes, aiming to enhance the professional and creative exchange between the 12 MEDA countries and the European Union.
Until June 30th 2009, the Mediterranean Producer’s Association (Apimed), with the financial support of the MEDIA Programme of the European Union, is calling for entries of:
- New productions: documentary, any length & genre produced in 2008 or 2009
- New projects: documentary, any length & genre having in place 25% of the finance in place (minimum), and/or a broadcast guarantee, and/or a co-production agreement.
For further information on costs/deadlines e.t.c, please click here.
Talents flourish on the Southern coast of the Mediterranean and Moroccan directors and artists are there to remind us. However there is a need for training and education and production and diffusion conditions are still lacking. To make up for this shortage, and in particular for the absence of high level professional training schools for cinema, television, multimedia and graphic design, the ESAV (Superior School of Visual Arts) was created three years ago.
The ESAV is also a cultural space open to the public and to Marrakesh’s various cultural figures. Viewings are screened each evening followed by animated debates between students, teachers and professionals of the film industry. This place of crossing and exchange also allows to get acquainted with the various artistic practices, thanks to the permanent presence of international artists in residence: graphic designers, plastic artists, choreographers, musicians…
To find out more, click here.
The Greenhouse project was one of 12 selected by the EU in the framework of the EuroMed Audiovisual II Programme. It fosters documentary filmmaking in the MEDA countries by organising a year-long seminar where filmmakers with projects for development work with highly professional personal mentors.From the Source is an interactive multi-media platform for water issues in the Middle East that seeks to put a human face on the region’s rapidly worsening water problems and thus create a new awareness of the value of water among users in the region and beyond. The platform serves as a vehicle for intercultural dialogue and to foster interactive debate on a commonly shared problem in the Middle East; the water crisis. It aims to contribute to an environment of peaceful cooperation and intercultural dialogue. It involves media producers both in the Middle East and Europe who will enter into a dialogue and cooperation facilitated by “From the Source”.
This is an long-term application for the 1st phase of “From the Source” focusing on the countries that share the Jordan river: Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Israel. After the 1st phase, the programme will enlarge its countries base and include water issues beyond the Jordan river basin.
The beneficiaries will be young local established and non-established media producers, reporters and filmmakers between 16-40 yrs old in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine and Israel. The aim is to create understanding of each other’s shared water problems. It will also involve young media producers from the Netherlands and the UK and put them in a dialogue with their peers in the five target countries in the Middle East.
If you’d like more information, please contact Mrs. Joshka Wessels (the initiator of ‘From the Source’) on: info(AT)sapiensproductions.com
The Jordan Youth Innovation Programme (JYIF) is currently searching for Long Term Project partners. The group is an active national youth volunteer group in Jordan.
Their Target group is all JORDANIAN Youth, age between (15-32) male/female with larger focus on Gender balance and inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities, leaders and pioneering youth initiators. The group is covering land of Jordan and providing easy access for intercultural activities.
If you would like further information on JYIF and their upcoming projects, please contact Project Manager, Emad alFugaha: office(AT)jyif.org
The Civitas Institute are currently looking for a partner in a long term project, specialised in the English Language .
They have a partnership with MAAT Center for Legal and Constitutional Studies from Egypt, and Ideaz Institute for intercultural and comparative research from Austria.
The Civitas Institute run a long term project in capacity building for NGO’s administrators in Gaza. This is through a long term capacity building programme through SIDA fund in partnership with Broderskap International and cooperation of the Palme Center from Sweden.
Civitas Institute look for developing the capacities of their target beneficiaries through the proposed project that assumed to be carrying a comparative study between 4 countries titled: “The Role of Civil Society in improving the public institutions’ practices of Demcracy” or “The gap between the theoretical context and practical practices… A comparative study between Palestine, Egypt, Austria, and U.K.”
If you’d like more information and/or are interested to join, please contact (Director General) Maher Issa: maher(AT)civitas.ps
Community Advocacy and the Jordanian National Red Crescent Society are interested in building a joint project through their Storefront Advocacy Centers in Amman, Jordan and in Lod, Israel. These centers work in disadvantaged mixed neighborhoods where individuals are disenfranchised and unaware of their social rights and entitlements.
The project will be located in new centers which are currently being established by both organisations, modelled on their existing advocacy centers. The new center in Lod serves a neighborhood in which 70% of the residents are Palestinian Israelis. The new center in Amman will serve a neighborhood consisting of Palestinians and Iraqi émigrés.
The project will begin in September 2009 and continue for two years.
If you’d like more information and are interested to join, please contact Curt Arnson: development(AT)advocacy.org.il no later that Thursday 21st May.
General objectives:
Agenda of the event:
November –December 2009: composition of the actors’ group in Egypt and France
January 2010 – June 2010: rehearsals in Egypt
July 2010: rehearsals and showing of a stage of the work in France
October – November 2010: Creation, performances and meetings in Egypt
December 2010; performances and meetings in the Near East (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan).
January – July 2011: performances and meetings in Europe
Deadline for applications: 25th May 2009.
If you are interested and would like more information on the Long Term Poject Call, please contact Association Corpus, Maïa Kanaan/Emma Cardonne at; corpus.asso(AT)free.fr
The Palestinian national football team played its first European match on 6 May, in a match that was watched avidly by Palestinians and football fans across the Middle East. The match took place in Brussels and was a friendly against the Belgium Molenbeek team. The match was one of UNRWA’s 60th anniversary events and was organised with the help of the EU as part of the EU-UNRWA Partnership for Peace and Humanity. Assembling the Palestine team in Brussels for the match was in itself a considerable challenge. The Palestinian side had to make do with a squad of 16 rather than the standard 22, due to travel restrictions – and it took seven of the Gaza bas ed squad members three days to get to Belgium. But at least a full team was present and able to play.
To read more, click here.
Visiting Arts is submitting a proposal to the Anna Lind Foundation under its call for Long Term Programmes. They are looking for arts organisations from the Euromed region to partner us for the proposal.
Visiting Arts is piloting a project called 1Mile2 in 2009. This is an innovative global arts project that enhances the traditional artist residency, engaging people in an investigation of their attitudes to their neighbours, their communities and their environment. It links communities across the world in an on-line art work and dialogue to help break down negative stereotypes and, by working on a series of problems in common, devising new ways of working together to solve them.
If you would like to know more, please contact Will White at: will.white(AT)visitingarts.org.uk
The association Atelier Culture of Malta is currently search for a partner for a long term project: “Women in the creative industries: entrepreneurship and diversity in the Euro Med region.”
Objectives:
If you’re interested and would like to find out more, please go to: http://www.atelierculture.com/ and/or contact: info(AT)atelierculture.com
The project aims to raise awareness of young generation on development issues by providing it with knowledge and skills necessary to contribute to development processes in the world.
Project partners are going to work with youth leaders from various in-country organizations in order to work on sound leaders programme for chosen topics in partner countries, to prepare trainers- multipliers, to encourage youth to develop educational, awareness raising projects, to select the best ones and use them for social advertisement in mass media.
In order to organize all those activities by themselves, young leaders first will learn about development education and will be taught by external, experienced experts in the field.
Youth projects, leaders programme as well as external experts methodical materials will be used as resource materials long after the project ends.
To find out more, please contact Daiva Penkauskiene at: daiva.penkauskiene(AT)sdcentras.lt
The Greek Council for Refugees is conducting a long-term (2 year; 2009-2011) project: “Food as culture. A tool for teaching diversity and understanding of social, cultural and religious complexity”
The Anthropology of Food is an analysis of food in culture. What we consume, how we acquire it, who prepares it, who’s at the table, and who eats first is a form of communication that is rich with meaning. While the primary purpose of food is nutrition, it also has a cultural dimension.who might be interested to join us in this initiative.
The proposed project explores the role of food in Mediterranean cultural and religious practice, as an important part of showing respect and responding to the needs of people from a range of religious communities.
If you are interested in joining this initivative please contact the programme manager at: prog.manager(AT)gcr.gr
The Project’s name implies its basic goal – deconstructing the patriarchal and male-centred discourse within the Mediterranean ( The Odyssey as that discourse’s prototype), and promoting a feminine plural discourse on Mediterranean.
The goal’s are as follows: To strengthen women’s cultural identities – feminine letter in Euro-Mediterranean countries (researching, linking up, joint publishing project, translating); and in that way, by promoting possible feminine discourse in the Mediterranean, to re-construct the idea of the Mediterranean as a place for connecting and meeting diversities.
Penelopia – Feminine Letter from Mediterranean is long-term project which would take some 17 months. It consists of a series of activities aimed at connecting and cooperating between women writers from the Mediterranean coastal countries (Europe and South East Mediterranean), and at promoting Mediterranean multicultural identity.
Five partner organizations from Europe and South-East Mediterranean would join in the project realization, but its final goal is for as many as possible partner organizations from Mediterranean region to be included in Penelopeia network after the project completion.
To find out more, please contact Executive Director Natasha Nelevic on: nova-fkc(AT)t-com.me
Kehys ry – The Finnish NGDO Platform to the EU and TAPRI, the Head of Finnish National ALF Network are preparing a common long term project proposal (2009-2011) with the title “Facilitating Political Dialogue in the Baltico-Mediterranean Axis”.
Union for the Mediterranean, established in 2008 for revitalising the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, and the Baltic Sea Region Strategy, which will be presented in June 2009, are good examples of regional strategies having major influence for whole European and Mediterranean cultural and political environment.
If you would like more information and/or are considering applying, please contact Tuomo Melasuo before the 18th May on: tuomo.melasuo(AT)uta.fi
Povezave/Connection (Project of Active Cultural Linking) is currently seeking a partner active in the field of organising art exhibitions and events to be a host for an already existing exhibition.
The set up of the Exhibition requires area of 50 to 150 square meters for a time period of only three up to seven days. It is simple yet effective. To view their previous production please see the link on their web site www.galeriart.net for now available only in the Slovenian language. For more about authors and exhibition itself please click connection.
Artists show the boundlessness of one’s ideas in the POVEZAVE / CONNECTION project that mirrors the pulse of present reality and delivers our message to everybody. Exhibition gathers many original artistic works interesting to broader public. All styles and techniques are accepted and presented in the frames of a group exhibition.
The Exhibition delivers the experience of meeting a variety of cultural backgrounds promoting Civil dialogue in the name of 147 artists from 26 countries. It exposes and reflects the Authors broader Identity, promoting the dialogue among citizens about differences, communicates values and motivates “The international Civil Dialogue”.
For further information, please email: info.ds3p(AT)gmail.com
The European Research Institute (ERI) of the University of Birmingham will be holding a conference on the 14/15th May 2009, titled: ‘Bringing the Policy Back In: A Substantive Agenda for the New European Union’
The focus of the conference is placed firmly on policy issues and our overarching aim is to assess how the EU’s existing resources and capabilities can be better employed. If you would like to attend, please contact Jelena Obradovic: j.obradovic@bham.ac.uk to register.
Confirmed speakers include:
For further details on the conference/itenary, go to: http://www.futureofeurope.bham.ac.uk/
Ma’agalei Daa’t (Circles of Knowledge) is a programme conducted by a member of the ALF at two universities: Bar Ilan University and Ben Gurion University.
The project uses texts from Jewish religious literature to attempt to relate to the issues involved in relations between Israelis and Palestinians. In the programme, teachers from this religious community are trained to present the challenges of these issues in their classrooms. Another document is attached describing the kind of partnership that the programme seeks.
The Organisations/institutions appropriate for Partnership are as follows:
If you are interested, please contact the head of the project Yohanan Tzoreff: tzury4(AT)gmail.com
The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute are currently looking for a partner for an ALF long term project.
The project is conducted with the Israel Association for Immigrant Children. It will be based on Immigrant women and Human Rights abuses, education and democratic values, dialogue and changes of perception, and building a network of organisations involving these issues.
If you are interested, please contact Dan Wollner at: danwoll (AT) smile.net.il
The Long Term Project Deadline is: May 30th 2009
The Anna Lindh Foundation has the pleasure to announce the launch of the Restore Trust, Rebuild Bridges Initiative with a total budget of 330,000 EURO.
The Initiative includes TWO Calls for co-organized local and regional actions in the fields of culture of peace and co-existence and taking place between July 1 and September 21, 2009.
On September 21, which marks the International Day of Peace, the Anna Lindh Foundation will hold a visibility action to present the results of the Initiative.
Participate now and join the Initiative. For more information, please go to www.euromedalex.org/restoretrust
Deadline for applications to the Calls for co-organized local and regional actions is June 20, 2009.
Six films on conflict resolution are to be produced and distributed to Palestinian schools and universities as a result of the EU-funded ‘Peace Education through Modern Media’ project conducted by AlQuds Educational TV / the Institute of Modern Media / AlQuds University, in partnership with the Center for Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation.
A press release said the project, which has just concluded, aimed to raise awareness on the importance of communication to solve conflicts in the Palestinian society. It conducted training on conflict resolution and scriptwriting targeted at school and university students, teachers and media professionals. The best were chosen to write scripts for shortdrama films on conflict resolution.
To find out more, go to: http://www.euromedinfo.eu/site.170.news.en.5642.html
The 5th In.F.o.Ma.T, will be held in Athens, Greece, July 5th – 12th 2009.
During a whole week of creative interaction, Theater Makers from different parts of the world will have the chance to share and get acquainted with new working methods and ideas, regarding the following three sectors: Acting, Movement and Voice.
The festival’s program is the following:
Sunday July 5th Arrival day
Monday July 6th – Friday July 10th Workshops, Performances, Discussion.
Saturday July 11th Excursion to Epidaurus U.K. National Theatre’s production of Racine’s “Phedre”
English will be the official language of the festival
CulturePolis-International Cultural Partnership Forum (former Europe of Cultures Forum: Adriatic-Ionian Chapter), intend to submit a project proposal under Long Term projects entitled “Euro-Med Cultural Antennas Network”.
CulturePolis-International Cultural Partnership Forum co-organised in 2008 the “1st Adriatic-Ionian Intercultural Dialogue “conference, Corfu 27-28 June 2008, where many of ALF members have participated.
For more info about CulturePolis and its networks please visit our website : culturepolis.org and in particular on Cultural Antennas: http://culturepolis.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=10&Itemid=35
They are seeking ONE organisation per country for ALL eleigible countries – preferably a ALF network member, or more than ONE per country if located in different regions/cities. Selected organisations will be called to play the role of coordinators for establishing new cultural antennas in their regions/countries on the basis of the existing Cultural Antennas Network of CulturePolis and its recently launched “Get Culturally …Connected” internet besed collaboration platform (press “Get Culturally …Connected” on culturepolis.org).
Interested? Please send an email to secretariat@culturepolis.org with an organisation profile in English NO LATER than 5 May 2009.
The following project proposal is by a research group at The Van Leer Jerusalem Institue. It is addressing environmental issues in cooperation among Israelis and Palestinians.
A Joint Israeli-Palestinian Study Group on Environment and Regional Sustainability has started working together at the beginning of 2008 under the auspices of the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute and the Palestinian House for Professional Solutions (HPS), Ramallah. This group of young professional environmentalists was formed to discuss cross-border regional issues of environment and sustainability and initiate ideas for joint cooperation. The significance of a joint group of this nature is two-fold: it brings together young, active, and involved Israelis and Palestinians to communicate and study a topic of clear interest to both sides, and it aims to place the importance of cooperation on issues of regional environment and sustainability on each side’s national agenda.
Summary: The two partner organizations believe that the environment is a joint concern of all people live in the country and should be dealt with in a cross-border equal manner. We also believe that cooperation around these issues can overcome disputes and hatred and build bridges of trust between the two sides.
Thus, environmental peace-building is the ultimate goal of this project.
If you are interested or would like further information on this project, contact (project initiators) Dr. Sarah Ozacky-Lazar and Ms. Shahar Sadeh at: shahars@vanleer.org.il or Dan Wollner at, danwoll@smile.net.il
The Deadline for Submission of Proposals: 30th April 2009
To apply using the online application, go to: http://www.euromedalex.org/grants/call/short-term
To view the Guidelines, go to: http://www.euromedalex.org/grants/call/guidelines
Good luck with your applications!
The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy is delighted to announce the details of the forthcoming Week-long Seminar for the programme Cultural Diplomacy in the Mediterranean: A Forum for Young Leaders, which will take place in Berlin from 9-13th June, 2009.
Now accepting Applications.
Cultural Diplomacy in the Mediterranean: A Forum for Young Leaders (CDM) was developed from the recognition that the Mediterranean region is instrumental in the future of international affairs.
Who can apply? The programme is open to applications from young professionals and current students with an active interest in international affairs and the Mediterranean region.
Further information about the next Weeklong Seminar, including the online application forum, can be found under:
http://www.culturaldiplomacy.org/index.php?en_program_cdm_next-weeklong-seminar
Any enquiries regarding the program can be sent to cdm@culturaldiplomacy.org
The Palestinian national football team is to play a friendly with FC Molenbeek Brussels at the Belgian team’s stadium on 6 May, in an event funded by the European Commission (EC).The EU Delegation to Israel is now publishing its newsletter ‘Europe in Israel’ in an electronic format.
The new electronic newsletter – published in English and Hebrew – contains a balance of news about the European Neighbourhood Policy, EU-Israel relations and events, and stories from inside the European Union itself.
To view the newslestter, go to: http://www.delisr.ec.europa.eu/eu-news/index.cfm
The EU-funded regional programme Enhancing Equality between Men and Women in the EuroMed Region is organising a regional meeting on gender-based violence in Tunis from 20 to 23 April.
European Commissioner for External Relations and the ENP Benita Ferrero-Waldner has launched the EuroMed News project, which aims to broaden knowledge about the EU’s policies in the region and the relationship between the EU and individual Mediterranean countries.Proposal for Artistic Collaboration – Dance of the Sacraments
The “Dance of the Sacraments” is a project designed and created in order to promote diversity and inter-cultural dialogue. Through classical ballet and combining dance, music and fine arts the “Dance of the Sacraments” presents the birth, development and modern expression of the three monotheistic religions. The sacraments of Islam, Judaism and Christianity dance and celebrate world spirituality while promoting inter-cultural dialogue. It is a 75-minute long classical ballet, created in collaboration with the religious leaders of Islam, Christianity and Judaism and supported by national embassies in Greece.
The “Dance of the Sacraments” features an original musical composition and includes an intercultural core of professional dancers who will be joined by youth dancers recruited from the Muslim, Christian and Jewish communities included on the tour. Following its debut in Athens the “Dance of the Sacraments” will tour Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.Greece. The production time of the “Dance of the Sacraments” is six months.
For more information on the event/If you would like to become a potential partner, please contact:
Magda Roussi (M.A.),
E-Mail: mroussidemo@unipi.gr
The BISS will be holding a forum on:
Date: 1-19 July 2009
Where: Taking place in Valmiera, Lativia.
Search for Partners: A Latvian University is currently looking for partners from within the Mediterranean region: Universities, NGO’s, associations concerned with the subject – project will cover the traveling, subsistence, programme costs for international partners who will share their perspective in the summer school programme.
If you’re interested, reply back to: liga.tuca@va.lv by April 15, 2009.
For more information on the event, go to: http://biss.va.lv/about-us
International dialogue forum involving UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon kicks off with unveiling of the Anna Lindh Foundation’s regional media prize. On the opening morning of the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations Forum, the world’s premier event and gathering for intercultural dialogue, the 2009 edition of the Mediterranean Journalist Award was officially launched.For more detailed informatio, go to: http://www.euromedalex.org/news/mediterranean-journalist-award-launched-during-un-alliance-civilizations-forum
The Award theme for 2009 is Intercultural dialogue for Peace and Coexistence
Deadline for nomination: May 31 2009
Information and applications: www.euromedalex.org
A joint rapid response framework to serve the needs of journalists working across the Mediterranean region will be launched in Istanbul on 6 April at the Alliance of Civilizations Forum. The joint initiative will provide user-friendly access to information and expertise in the context of crises with cultural dimensions as well as a support mechanism to bring together international journalists, editor and relevant experts for media dialogue.
The mechanism is being launched by the Anna Lindh Foundation, the European Commission and the UN Alliance of Civilizations. In addition, the three organizations will announce the launch of the Mediterranean Journalist Award 2009 and the presentation of their joint work in the field of media.
This event will be part of the Alliance of Civilizations Forum, hosted by the Government of Turkey. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey, President of the Government of Spain José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and President Jorge Sampaio, High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations will open the Forum. Heads of Government and over 50 Ministers will participate in the event. The President of the United States, Barack Obama, is expected to be present on the second day of the Forum.
A powerful network of opinion leaders, heads of international organizations, corporations, media, foundations, civil society, religious groups and youth will convene at the Istanbul Forum. The event will also provide new opportunities for policy-makers, funders and grassroots organizations to work together to develop practical projects.
Fr more detailed information on this events, go to: http://www.euromedalex.org/news/launch-joint-rapid-response-media-mechanism
The British Council is organizing a regional tour of the British play (Damascus), written by David Greig, during March and April of this year in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia, and the Palestinian territories.
The British Council is organizing a regional tour of the British play (Damascus), written by David Greig, during March and April of this year in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia, and the Palestinian territories. The tour is also produced by the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, and Michael Edwards and Carole Winter.
This theatrical tour is organized within the framework of a broader British Council project that aims to explore the growing interest of UK theatre in the Arab culture, while providing an opportunity for the Arab audience to view plays that address their image in the UK and to create platforms for commenting on and debating about these plays directly with the UK theatre makers, critics and journalists who have and interest in the region, and their Arab counterpart.
To find out more on ‘Damascus’ and the tour dates, go to: http://www.babelmed.net/Countries/Mediterranean/a_scottish.php?c=4093&m=9&l=en
The BBC World Service Trust (who is an ALF network member) has successfully concluded a specialised training course in television news production for two television stations in the West Bank and a series of consultations for five local radio stations in the Gaza Strip, as part of the ‘Support to the Palestinian Media Sector’ project funded by the European Union and the Dutch Government.
A one-day conference on ‘Europe and Progressive Islamist Movements: Perceptions of Democratisation in the Middle East’ was held at the University of Birmingham, UK on Friday, 6 March, 2009.
This ESRC project focuses on Egypt and Palestine, two cases from the Middle East which have experienced recent controversial elections and which challenge the EU’s rhetoric on democracy promotion. These two cases offer a huge amount of unexplored data on which this project will draw.
Paradoxes and Contradictions in EU Democracy Promotion Efforts in the Middle East is a three year Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded research project that has been awarded to Dr Michelle Pace, a UK network member of the Anna Lindh Foundation .
The research project came into effect on February 2008 and will run until February 2011. It is under the auspices of the Political Science & International Studies (POLSIS) Department.
To view the British Academy Final Conference Report, go to: http://www.eumena.bham.ac.uk/conferences.shtml
London: 18-27 March 2009
The Human Rights Watch International Film Festival has carved a niche in the busy London film festival calendar as the place to see socially and politically engaged documentary and feature films from across the globe and to meet the filmmakers.
From March 18-27 the respected and popular Human Rights Watch International Film Festival returns for its 13th year in London with nine days of screenings and discussions focusing on some of the most pressing stories of our times.
Out of the many films screened at the upcoming International Film Festival, the following screenings are directly related to the Anna Lindh Foundation’s Thematic areas:
Eden is West: Location: The Ritzy, Brixton Oval,London
Laila’s Birthday: Location-The Ritzy, Brixton Oval, London
Look into my eyes : Location: ICA, The Mall, London
For further information (i.e film reviews, date and time of viewing) on the 13th International Film Festival, go to: http://www.hrw.org/en/iff/london
Morocco is making steady progress in building an effective enterprise policy framework, but could develop further by better coordinating policies and programmes, by implementing measures across the whole country and by developing an evaluation culture.The EU heads of state or government have called for the acceleration of the work to establish the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) permanent secretariat and the resumption of the implementation of projects identified.
Relations between the EU and its partners participating in the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) are becoming stronger, and cooperation is expanding in a number of fields.For more detailed information, go to: http://www.euromedinfo.eu/site.168.news.en.5462.html
The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) is:
For more Information on the EMHRN, go to: http://www.euromedrights.net/frontpage
EuroMeSco has released five new Papers dealing with interesting issues, from migrants in Israel and flexible multilateralism in the framework of the Euro-Med partnership, to national immigration policies and their development in relation to the Euro-Med process, Tunisia and the Maghreb Union and from Barcelona to the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM).
To view these papers, go to: http://www.euromedinfo.eu/site.171.news.en.5416.html
This “impossible dream”, turned successively into an “ambitious project” and a “quest”, lasted seven long years and was made possible by several foundations, associations and corporate entities in Turkey and elsewhere. No less than twenty-three authors offer their comments. The resulting book is monumental not only in size (450 pages, 31 x 29 cm) but above all par the sociological and political meaning of the underlying research.
As a matter of fact, to illustrate through photographs and texts that today’s Turkish population is composed not only of a majority of Sunni Muslims, but also of a multitude of other ethnic and religious groups, was tantamount to political provocation in the country’s current political context.
For more information on Ebru (which is well worth a read!), copy and paste this link: http://tinyurl.com/cf8te4
Empowerment of women remains high on the EU’s global agenda, with European Commissioner for External Relations and Neighbourhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner reiterating the EU’s commitment to fight for equality, according to a Commission press release.
The Yacoubian Building is an Egyptian Drama based on the novel by Alaa Al Aswany and set in the early 1990s. The film offers a scathing portrayal of modern Egyptian society since the coup d’etat of 1952. The setting is downtown Cairo, with the renouned apartment building serving as both a metaphor for contemporary Egypt and a unifying location in which most of the primary characters either live or work and in which much of the action takes place.
The Egyptian film sports some of the most renouned Middle Eastern actors such as Adel Imam, Youssra and Nour el Sherif. After premiering at the Berlin Film Festival in 2006, the film opened in Egypt in June. The Yacoubian Building was Egypt’s official submission to the 79th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.
It’s a must-watch film, reflecting the truths of modern-day Egyptian society.
Currently it is showing on BBC iPlayer until the 12th of March. To view, go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00j0gnp/b00jcfl2/The_Yacoubian_Building/
One way in which the Anna Lindh Foundation fulfills its mission is by providing grants to civil society organisations, through an annual Call for Proposals to select the best initiatives for intercultural dialogue. The Call is focused on thematic issues in line with each year’s priorities.
For information on guidelines and applications (for short and long term projects), go to: http://www.euromedalex.org/grants/call
A one-day conference on ‘Europe and Progressive Islamist Movements: Perceptions of Democratisation in the Middle East’ will be held at the University of Birmingham, UK, on Friday 6 March, 2009.
The Political Science and International Studies (POLSIS) Department at The University of Birmingham will be launching an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) project website on Paradoxes and Contradictions in EU Democracy Promotion Efforts in the Middle East.
The funded research project has been awarded to Dr Michelle Pace, a network member.
The research project came into effect on February 2008 and will run until February 2011.
For more information on the Conference day’s itenary and the research project, go to:
An article about the ALF network meeting, held at the University of Westminister, 16th February 2009 is available to view on the Visiting Arts web-page.
Titled: ‘Anna Lindh Foundation-Gaza Initiative’, the article summarises the day’s events.
To view go to: http://tinyurl.com/b3ozzz
London: 18-27 March 2009
The Human Rights Watch International Film Festival has carved a niche in the busy London film festival calendar as the place to see socially and politically engaged documentary and feature films from across the globe and to meet the filmmakers.
From March 18-27 the respected and popular Human Rights Watch International Film Festival returns for its 13th year in London with nine days of screenings and discussions focusing on some of the most pressing stories of our times.
Out of the many films screened at the upcoming International Film Festival, the following screenings are directly related to the Anna Lindh Foundation’s Thematic areas:
Eden is West: Location: The Ritzy, Brixton Oval,London
Laila’s Birthday: Location-The Ritzy, Brixton Oval, London
Look into my eyes : Location: ICA, The Mall, London
For further information (i.e film reviews, date and time of viewing) on the 13th International Film Festival, go to: http://www.hrw.org/en/iff/london
Convening in London, the Anna Lindh Foundation’s Advisory Council warn of the impact of the Gaza war and the economic crisis on civil society in the Euro-Mediterranean space, and endorse a programme of action aimed at restoring trust and rebuilding bridges in the region.
To read more on the event, go to: http://tinyurl.com/cgoyrc
Media practitioners gathered in London to discuss “conflict reporting and media perspectives” after Gaza.
For the first time since the war in Gaza, more than a hundred journalists, academics and experts from Europe and the Middle East met in London to discuss how the media reported on this war, and to assess the impact on public opinion in Europe and the Arab-Muslim world.
The forum was organized by the Anna Lindh Foundation in partnership with the European Commission, the Arab Media Center (University of Westminster), the Foreign Press Association, Chatham House and the Alliance of Civilizations (UN), to discuss the intensification of polarized perceptions after the conflict and analyzed the different, even contradictory, approaches in media reporting.
To read more, go to: http://tinyurl.com/avycoe
Pete Owen Jones’s epic journey exploring the world’s beliefs continues in the Middle East, where he encounters an unknown side to a land scarred by religious strife.
In a moving and at times disturbing film, Pete travels to Israel where he meets the African-Americans who have settled in the Holy Land to live by the principles of the Old Testament – including polygamy. He travels to Syria to explore Islam and meet the Sufi Whirling Dervishes, to Samaria to witness the 3000-year-old Passover sacrifice, and to northern Iraq to track down the ancient and obscure Yazidi sect, who have a curious reputation for devil worship.
Pete also visits Jerusalem, revered as the ultimate city of spiritual power, where he takes part in two great rituals – the Christian Via Dolorosa and the Jewish Purim festival.
His journey is full of uncomfortable revelations about the roots of religious intolerance, but ends with a redemptive message of peace.
The documentary is available on BBC iplayer (accessible only within the UK) until 27th February 2009. To view the programme, go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00h35t7/Around_the_World_in_80_Faiths_The_Middle_East/
The Delegation of the European Commission in Egypt has launched the annual call for proposals for cultural activities in Egypt. A total of € 250.000 will be awarded to projects that promote the dialogue and exchange between cultures, the mutual understanding and the visibility of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership.
All information is available on the following internet sites:
EC Delegation’s web-site: www.delegy.ec.europa.eu
EuropeAid’s web-site: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/funding/index_en.htm
The Guidelines for Applicants are available for consultation at:
Delegation of the European Commission in Egypt
37, Gamaet El Dowal El Arabeya St.
El Fouad Office Bldg., 11th floor (Documentation Centre)
Mohandessin, Giza (Cairo)
The reference for the call is: EuropeAid/128030/L/ACT/EG
The deadline for submission of proposals is Wednesday 1 April at 12:00h (Cairo time).
An information session of this call for proposals will be held on Wednesday 4 March at 12:00h at the Delegation of the European Commission in Egypt.
Books’ Name Publishing House/Country
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كشكول الرسام
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Shourouk Publishing House دار الشروق Egypt مصر |
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مناظر مصرية
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Shourouk Publishing House دار الشروق، Egypt مصر |
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مشمش
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ASALA Publishers دار أصالة للنشر والتوزيع Lebanon لبنان |
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في مدينتي حرب
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ASALA Publishers دار أصالة Lebanon لبنان
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تحت السرير
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Dar Adab Publishing House دار الآداب للنشر و التوزيع Lebanon لبنان |
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حسن في كل مكان
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Qattan Foundation مؤسسة عبد المحسن قطان Palestine فلسطين |
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ماذا ترى |
Child world promotion مؤسسة تنمية عالم الطفل Jordan الأردن |
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احك لي- الزليج
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Yanbow El Kitab ينبع الكتاب Morocco المغرب |
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جنان ذات الجوارب الطويلة
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Dar Al Muna دار المنى Sweden السويد |
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سر النار
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Dar Al Muna دار المنى Sweden السويد |
Selected among one hundred other books, the Anna Lindh Foundation announces today the Honour list including the best ten Arabic children’s books, to be rewarded at the Cairo International Book Fair. The reward is part of the Foundation’s activity “100 Books Exhibition”, organised in the framework of its Programme for Children Literature, an activity which intended to circulate 100 Arabic children’s books between Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria, and where books were displayed to the public in order to see and handle quality books from diversified origin.
The honour list announcement was done in the presence of authors, publishers and illustrators of the honoured books; journalists; partners coordinating and leading the activities in the focus countries, as well as the Programme’s management team at the Anna Lindh Foundation.
Among the ten honoured children books, some provided moral lessons related to friendship, honesty, jealousy or respect. Others aimed to promote children’s creativity and self-confidence. The books have been praised by the jury for the simplicity of the language use, the depth of ideas, the originality and quality of illustrations which make Arabic children more enthusiastic about reading.
The selection was made by the Programme’s stakeholders in the five focus countries, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria, who evaluated the 100 books of the exhibition and selected 5 books each, that were then submitted to a jury which decided the honour list including 10 books.
The honoured books will be purchased and distributed to libraries in the focus countries and especially to libraries which are frequented by poor children and girls, the primary target groups of the Programme.
About the Children Literature Regional Programme
In 2006, The Anna Lindh Foundation, launched a three years regional programme to promote children’s literature and reading in five Arab countries, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, which is funded by Sida “Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency “.
The objectives of the programme are to strengthen the intellectual, spiritual, moral, social and emotional development of children in the MENA region. Increase the access and availability of quality children’s literature in the MENA region. Increase the production and use of children’s literature with a human rights perspective, a cultural diversity perspective and the perspective of the child. Furthermore, it aims to increase the dialogue between MENA countries as well as with the EU, in the field of children’s literature and reading promotion.
The Euro-Med Youth Platform has re-launched its website to provide a “fresh, revamped and more user-friendly” portal.
In the aftermath of the war in Gaza, the Anna Lindh Foundation and Alliance of Civilisations prepare joint region-wide initiative to ‘restore trust and rebuild bridges’ between people across the Mediterranean.
Friday 6th February: the Anna Lindh Foundation and the Alliance of Civilisations jointly issued the conclusions of a Paris Meeting on the ‘consequences of the war in Gaza in relations among and within societies in the euro-mediterranean region’.
The conclusions are the result of the Foundation-Alliance co-organised meeting of 3rd February 2009, held at the Gulbenkian Cultural Centre in Paris, and set out the framework for joint actions aimed at: restoring trust in Euro-Mediterranean dialogue; rebuilding human and cultural bridges among societies; and supporting the consolidation of a wide platform of civil society.
The meeting was co-chaired by President Jorge Sampaio, United Nations High Representative for the Alliance of Civlisations, and Mr André Azoulay, President of the Anna Lindh Foundation, and brought together representatives from a number of important international organizations and bodies.
During the meeting, participants stressed ‘the need to restore trust and rebuild cultural and human bridges as the best way to prevent the aggravation of conflicts, avoid extremism and radicalization fuelded by the instrumentalization of culture and religion’.
For further information and to access a full copy of the conclusions, log on to:
www.euromedalex.org or www.unaoc.org
The Programme, launched through the new ENPI South Regional Programme, builds upon the achievements of the Euromed Programme, the Role of Women in Economic Life (RWEL), which came to an end in January 2009.
The newsletter introduces the Programme, which has a budget of €3,342,000 and was launched through an international tender won by a consortium of three partners from the EuroMed Region. It outlines its three main objectives as the full implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the strengthening of strategies on fighting gender-based violence against women, and support to the follow-up of the 2006 Istanbul Conference held on ‘Strengthening the role of women in society.’
The main feature of the newsletter is an interview with Carla Montesi, Head of Unit in charge of Regional Programmes and Neighborhood at EuropeAid, in which she outlines the thinking behind the programme. She expresses her optimism that “a constructive partnership will lead to full recognition of the human rights of women and the importance of their integration into development on equal footing to men”, and underlines “the close relationship between democracy, development and equality between men and women”.
To view the newlestter, go to: http://www.roleofwomenineconomiclife.net/newsletters/PDFs/07DecEN.pdf
Venue: Athens, Greece
Date: July 5th – 12th 2009.
English will be the official language of the festival.
During a whole week of creative interaction, Theater Makers from different parts of the world will have the opportunity to share and get acquainted with new working methods and ideas, regarding the following three sectors: Acting, Movement and Voice.
For more information visit http://www.toc.gr/
The festival’s programme is the following:
Sunday July 5th
Arrival day
Monday July 6th – Friday July 10th
10.00-13.00 Workshops
13.00-14.00 Lunch break
14.00-17.00 Workshops
17.00-17.15 coffee break
17.15-20.15 Workshops
20.30-21.30 Discussion & Presentation
Saturday July 11th
Excursion to Epidarus ( http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/3/eh351.jsp?obj_id=2374 )
Sunday July 12th Departure day
In.F.o.Ma.T.’s preparation plan will be completed in two phases:
• The first phase – completed by March 31st 2009 – regards the INVITATION for TEACHERS. Teachers are considered all acting, movement and voice teachers. Their response will finalise the festival’s syllabus which will be announced no later than April 30th 2009.
• The second phase – which will be completed by June 30th 2009 – regards the INVITATION for PARTICIPANTS. Participants are considered all those interested in attending the festival’s workshops.
INVITATION for TEACHERS
Theater of Changes invites acting, movement and voice teachers to take part in the 5th International Festival of Making Theater (In.F.o.Ma.T.) which will be held July 5th – 12th 2009, at the Theater of Changes, 19a 3is Septemvriou str, 104 32, Athens, Greece.
The selected teachers will have the opportunity to present their work three times to a different group of participants each time, over a three-hour workshop. Furthermore, teachers – in their turn – will be able to witness and keep themselves updated with other teachers’ methods and working techniques.
The selection will be completed in three phases:
a) All teachers should express their interest by sending an
email with all the necessary information (short CV, workshop
description, max 50 words).
b) Agreeing with the terms and conditions that will be emailed
as a preapproval, teachers should send the official Application Form no later than no later than February 28th 2009: http://www.toc.gr/cmsel/toc-form-teachers.htm
c) Having sent the official Application Form, the selected
teachers will receive the final approval of their participation at
the Festival.
No final approvals will be made after March 31st.
Venue: Porto, Portugal
Date: 4-8 February 2009
Overview: With the High Patronage of the President of the Republic, the support of the UNESCO Portuguese Commission, and invited to be the 1st event of the official calendar of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation, FCC09 is aimed at fostering the entire cultural and creative sectors, enhancing the role of its professionals and helping the industry to fulfil its potential in creating wealth, jobs and promoting the development of sustainable territories and creative cities. Detailed information available at: http://www.inovaforum.org/cgibin/eloja21.exe?myid=inovaforum&cli=sn&id=66&tpl=textos
To view EuroMed Info Centre feature stories on RWEL projects, click: http://www.euromedinfo.eu/site.169.news.en.5202.html
EMYAN is a youth initiative established in January 2007 to provide its members operating in the Euro-Mediterranean cultural field with a vehicle for communication, and a clear and distinct voice with the purpose to support the young artists’ creativity. It is also considered the first initiative coming from the south to promote Euro-Med cooperation.
The idea behind EMYAN is to facilitate/promote/encourage communications between young artists/culture institutes of Europe and the Mediterranean countries in order to have a great impact on the communities of these countries; so it’s all about the relation between art and community with the link - young artists.
To view information on their current network members, opportunities to participate and upcoming events, go to: www.emyan.org
Conference: ’Europe and Progressive Islamist Movements: Perceptions of Democratisation in the Middle East.’
It will be held on Friday, 6 March 2009. Venue: European Research Institute (ERI), University of Birmingham.
For information on the conference day’s itenrary, go to: http://www.eumena.bham.ac.uk/programme.shtml
This event is co-funded by the British Academy, the European Politics research group of the Department of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Birmingham, the British International Studies Association (Working Group on International Mediterranean Studies) and the University Association for Contemporary European Studies.
Registration is now open via https://www.bhamonlineshop.co.uk/events/eventdetails.asp?eventid=35
Early registration is highly recommended!
The sitcom series ‘Coiffeur Ashwaq’ co-funded by the European Union through the Delegation of the European Commission in Egypt, has received its first airing on the ART satellite station, according to a statement from the Delegation.
To read more visit: http://www.delegy.ec.europa.eu/en/News/596.asp
A number of activities taking place in 2009 in the framework of the EU-funded SALTO-Youth Euromed Resource Centre have been announced and are now open to participation. Among them is the long-term training course on ‘Protecting the Mediterranean environment’, which aims to train EU and Meda youth organisations to enhance the impact of their involvement in projects. Other activities focus on intercultural dialogue, education, democracy, training and workshops, youth programmes and networking.
To read more visit: http://www.euromedinfo.eu/site.171.news.en.5121.html
Date: 22 January-5 February
Location: Cairo International Book Fair, Salah Salem Street
Welcome from British Ambassador: Dominic Asquith
Culture and commerce have characterised many of the exchanges between Egypt and Britain over the years. What is rarer is for the two so closely to overlap. The United Kingdom is delighted to have been invited as guest of honour at this year’s Cairo International Book Fair, where the business of publishing will be as much of a feature as the cultural debates between intellectuals, writers, scientists and the reading public. Some of Britain’s top writers – novelists, poets and children’s authors – will be at the fair to take part in events with their Egyptian counterparts. They will be joined by scientists, musicians and actors to complete a programme of cultural events, managed by the British Council, which we hope will fire everyone’s imagination.
Culture and trade also came together at last year’s London Book Fair. On that occasion many of the leading writers and publishers from the Arab World met their British counterparts – some for the first time and some continuing longstanding relationships – and got down to business. A large number of the delegation was from Egypt so the Cairo International Book Fair is a wonderful chance to renew these friendships and make the most of the opportunities offered by the one of the biggest cultural festivals in the world. A delegation of UK publishers – led by The London Book Fair, The Publishers Association and The Independent Publishers’ Guild – eager to learn about Egypt, will be meeting local and regional publishers and looking for the next Yacoubian Building.
Writers may write and publisher may publish, but both activities are pointless unless they find readers. So an important part of our cultural programme will focus on encouraging reading for everyone, whatever their age. A one-day conference will discuss ways of developing reading habits in children that will stay with them their whole lives and fun activities at the book fair itself will put it all into practice.
I hope you will find something to interest you at the fair and that you will visit more than once. Do take some time to visit the UK guest of honour stand and participate in our events. You will find a warm welcome from an old friend.
Click here for more information on the full programme in English and Arabic, with additional information on all the attending speaker’s and their biographies: http://www.britishcouncil.org/egypt-arts-culture-cairo-book-fair.htm
Physicist Jim Al-Khalili tells the story of the great leap in scientific knowledge that took place in the Islamic world between the 8th and 14th centuries.
Al-Khalili turns detective, hunting for clues that show how the scientific revolution that took place in the 16th and 17th centuries in Europe had its roots in the earlier world of medieval Islam. He travels across Iran, Syria and Egypt to discover the huge astronomical advances made by Islamic scholars through their obsession with accurate measurement and coherent and rigorous mathematics.
He then visits Italy to see how those Islamic ideas permeated into the West and ultimately helped shape the works of the great European astronomer Copernicus, and investigates why science in the Islamic world appeared to go into decline after the 16th and 17th centuries, only for it to re-emerge in the present day.
Al-Khalili ends his journey in the Royan Institute in the Iranian capital Tehran, looking at how science is now regarded in the Islamic world.
Broadcasts:
The Second of a three part series ‘Science and Islam: The Empire of Reason,’ is currently available to view (only within the UK) on BBC iplayer.
To view go to, http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00gq6h7
Beirut is the ninth city to be designated World Book Capital, after Madrid (2001), Alexandria (2002), New Delhi (2003), Antwerp (2004), Montreal (2005), Turin (2006), Bogotá (2007) and Amsterdam (2008). According to the selection committee, the city of Beirut was selected “in the light of its focus on cultural diversity, dialogue and tolerance, and of its diverse and stimulating programme.” The Director-General was delighted “to see that the city of Beirut, which is facing great challenges in terms of peace and peaceful coexistence, is recognized for its commitment to dialogue, which is necessary more then ever in the region, and that the book is able to contribute actively towards this goal”. Every year, UNESCO and the three major branches of the global book industry – the International Publishers Association (IPA), the International Booksellers Federation (IBF) and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) – designate a city as World Book Capital for the 12 months between two celebrations of World Book and Copyright Day (23 April). This initiative is a collaborative effort between representatives of principal stakeholders in the book sector and the cities which have committed themselves to promote books and reading. The city may hold the title for one designated year, from 23 April (UNESCO World Book Day) until 22 April of the following year. During that year it undertakes to organise and run a larger number of events around books, literature and reading. The programme brings together the local and national book industries and puts books and book culture into the public eye. It attracts sponsorship and extra funding for book related institutions. The programme raises awareness for literacy and reading issues, libraries and books shops and highlights the overall benefits of a lively book culture. The title is also used to promote tourism and draw national and international attention to the literary heritage of a city and nation. This year, the Selection Committee was made up of Ana Maria Cabanellas, representing the International Publishers Association (IPA), Françoise Dubruille, representing the International Booksellers Federation (IBF) and Peter Lor, representing the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA).
Three more EuroMeSCo Papers are now available online. In Paper 72 a new model for Euro-Israeli cooperation is critically outlined, Paper 73 analyses Moroccan views of Western democracy promotion efforts, particularly in terms of their legitimacy and credibility, and Paper 74 considers the impact of the democratisation process on the fragility of Middle Eastern states, using Lebanon and Palestine as case studies.
EuroMeSCo is a network of independent research institutes and university centres dedicated to the analysis of Euro-Mediterranean issues.
To view all EuroMesco Papers, go to: http://www.euromesco.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=category§ionid=11&id=61&Itemid=48&lang=en
In literary matters, Cyprus acts to a large extent as a satellite to the larger Greek (or Turkish) space. Although it has a fairly vigorous poetry tradition to contribute, it largely depends on the mainland when it comes to novels and prose. With very little of the already scant literary activity having been translated into other languages, visitors looking to discover the island’s cultural face might have to look elsewhere, such as in art and history books.
Poetry and Prose
Costas Montis, A small Selection From His Poetry, Nicosia 2003
Costas Montis, Nobel Prize nominee and Corresponding Member of the Academy of Athens, is considered one of the greatest living Greek poets, and one who renewed in a unique way modernistic lyric poetry, and enriched Modern Greek poetry from the point of view of Cyprus. With an uninterrupted literary creation of 70 years, he has, in the words of a Greek professor, “been able to depict artistically the authentic rhythms, the temperature, and the action of the deepest historical and emotional fluctuations of the soul and breath of Cyprus and her people. In his powerful work he has recorded every vibration of the island (erotic, social, political), and all the thoughts of the people of Cyprus have been set down. He has made use of the whole wealth of the linguistic, historical, and cultural tradition of greater Hellenism, and entrenched in his work, with unprecedented poetic force, the indelible character of the deep-rooted values of the Greek nation”.
Much of the author’s prolific work has been translated into other languages. For more information on the man and his work, one may consult the English-language website set up by his daughter: The Official Website of Costas Montis- http://www.costasmontis.com/index.html
For more information on current Cypriot poets, historians and artists go to: http://www.babelmed.net/Countries/Mediterranean/Travel/index.php?c=48&m=145&k=5&l=en
In “Istanbul tales”, the city is both the protagonist and the narrator of the film. She becomes for an hour and a half the queen, the mother and the punisher of an attaching and moving group of underdogs. While watching them, “She” also tells her own fairy tales… A gypsy clarinet player as the Pied Piper… Cinderella, an ill-fated prostitute in love with an innocent youngster… A broke Kurdish youth newly arrived in Istanbul meets Sleeping Beauty… “Istanbul tales” tells the dark, gritty, angry, heart-rending stories of those who believed in Istanbul’s fairy tales and shattered their lives. The five stories, written by Ümit Ünal, are told with surprising integrity by five directors.
An interview with Screenwriter and Director Ümit Ünal around the fascination with this city, the difficulty of this “exercise in style” and why Istanbul can be both a beautiful woman and a whore…
To view the Interview conducted by Catherine Cornet (Babelmed), go to: http://www.babelmed.net/Countries/Mediterranean/Arts/istanbul_at.php?c=258&m=142&l=en
The project produced the constitution of a mobile confectionery representing the harmonious cohabitation among different Mediterranean cultures, by offering its special sweets.
Almost one year on, Catherine Corent (Babelmed) goes back to analyse the impact of the Love Difference Project.
Fillipo Fabbrica, the manager of the Love Difference project, argues that the kitchen is often seen as an ancestral heritage, the expression of its roots and traditions. If Love Difference is aimed at fostering intercultural dialogue, he reminds us, we should first “enquire on the reality of traditional dishes”. By questioning traditions and allowing them to mingle, this first meeting of Love Difference Pastries actually proposes to look for an identity as open as possible.
To see how speaking of your dessert allows you to open a field of creation and to include different personal and artistic experiences that merge together, view Catherine Cornet’s analyses at: http://www.babelmed.net/index.php?c=3045&m=&k=&l=en
To view theOfficial Website on ‘Love Difference: Artisitic movement on InterMediterranean Politic’, go to: http://www.lovedifference.org/eng/map.htm
Harif, The Sephardi Centre and Spiro Ark proudly presents the Book Launch of:
Iraq’s Last Jews, Tuesday 20 January 2009, 7.30pm
This important book – one of the most comprehensive to-date – tells the story of the last generation of Iraqi Jews, collecting the oral histories of wealthy businessmen, communists, popular musicians and reformist writers, Iraqi patriots and early Zionists.
Iraq’s last Jews – Stories of daily life, upheaval and escape from modern Babylon, edited by Tamar Morad, Dennis Shasha and Robert Shasha (Palgrave Macmillan, two-thousand and eight) will be on sale at a generous discount.
A total of 64 Iraqis living in the US, Canada, the UK and Israel were interviewed. Two of the UK interviewees, Aida Zelouf and Dia Kashi, whose stories were selected for the book, will attend the launch.
Copies ofof Iraq’s last Jews – Stories of daily life, upheaval and escape from modern Babylon (edited by Tamar Morad, Dennis Shasha and Robert Shasha (Palgrave Macmillan, two-thousand and eight) will be on sale at a generous discount.
Entry: £5 including light refreshments
At Sephardi Centre, 2, Ashworth Road, W9 lJY
Advance booking essential for security reasons:
By telephone on 0207 723 9991 or email
http://www.harif.org/iraqs_last_jews.html or www.spiroark.org
The Empire of Reason is the second part of a three part series on BBC4.
Physicist Jim Al-Khalili travels through Syria, Iran, Tunisia and Spain to tell the story of the great leap in scientific knowledge that took place in the Islamic world between the 8th and 14th centuries.
Al-Khalili travels to northern Syria to discover how, a thousand years ago, the great astronomer and mathematician Al-Biruni estimated the size of the earth to within a few hundred miles of the correct figure.
He discovers how medieval Islamic scholars helped turn the magical and occult practice of alchemy into modern chemistry.
In Cairo, he tells the story of the extraordinary physicist Ibn al-Haytham, who helped establish the modern science of optics and proved one of the most fundamental principles in physics – that light travels in straight lines.
Prof Al-Khalili argues that these scholars are among the first people to insist that all scientific theories are backed up by careful experimental observation, bringing a rigour to science that didn’t really exist before.
Bradcast times:
The first of a three part series is now available for viewing (accesible only within the UK) on BBC iplayer: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00gksx4
This is an event you do not want ot miss!
Middle-Eastern acoustic music from the golden age of Arabic song
With a heritage that connects Egypt, Palestine, Morocco, Belgium and the UK, the unique singer Natacha Atlas represents a one-woman Migration. Indeed, she has described herself as “a human Gaza strip”. An international star for two decades, she is famed for her collaborations with Transglobal Underground, Nitin Sawhney, David Arnold and Jah Wobble. Tonight Natacha goes acoustic to present the music from her acclaimed album ‘Ana Hina’, a sensuous evocation of the Egyptian and Lebanese singers she first heard through her father’s record collection, and in which her incredible voice takes centre stage.
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Now moving around from the clubland sound of Transglobal Underground, the queen of Arabian fusion is now forging a distinctly impressionistic style, emphasising the drama and passion rather than the beats. This new acoustic direction suits her awesome voice, the star attraction of tracks by Nitin Sawhney, David Arnold and Jean Michel Jarre.
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“somewhere in the borderland between East and West there lies an intriguing little country – and Natasha Atlas is its national living treasure” Songlines Magazine
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Venue: St George’s Bristol-West End.
Date: 30/01/2009
Ticket Information:
| Adult | from £8.00 to £16.00 per ticket |
| Concession | from £6.00 to £14.00 per ticket |
For more infomation go to: http://visitbristol.co.uk/site/things-to-do/events/migrations-09-natacha-atlas-and-the-mazeeka-ensemble-p764453
Also performing at:
Venue: Union Chapel-Islignton London.
Date: 01/02/2009
For tickets go to: http://www.seetickets.com/see/event.asp?e%7Cartist=NATACHA+ATLAS+%26+THE+MAZEEKA+ENSEMBLE&filler1=see&filler2=suggestion
Dr Michelle Pace (Senior Research Fellow) at the European Research Institute of University of Birmingham and Federica Bicchi, PhD, (Lecturer in International Relations of Europe Department of International Relations LSE) will be organisin the second meeting of the ESRC research group on the EU and Democracy Promotion in the Middle East will be held at the London School of Economics on Friday, 9th January, 2009.
The meeting’s programme includes four paper presenters and registration is now open. For those intending to participate, the programme and registration form are available at:
http://www.lse.ac.uk/Depts/intrel/eudemocprogramme.html
And here:
http://www.lse.ac.uk/Depts/intrel/eudemocregistration.html
For those new to the group you may also wish to visit the web site of the
ESRC project to which this group is attached at www.eumena.bham.ac.uk
<http://www.eumena.bham.ac.uk
Tha Language of Science is one of a three part series on BBC 4.
Physicist Jim Al-Khalili travels through Syria, Iran, Tunisia and Spain to tell the story of the great leap in scientific knowledge that took place in the Islamic world between the 8th and 14th centuries.
Its legacy is tangible, with terms like algebra, algorithm and alkali all being Arabic in origin and at the very heart of modern science – there would be no modern mathematics or physics without algebra, no computers without algorithms and no chemistry without alkalis.
For Baghdad-born Al-Khalili this is also a personal journey and on his travels he uncovers a diverse and outward-looking culture, fascinated by learning and obsessed with science. From the great mathematician Al-Khwarizmi, who did much to establish the mathematical tradition we now know as algebra, to Ibn Sina, a pioneer of early medicine whose Canon of Medicine was still in use as recently as the 19th century, he pieces together a remarkable story of the often-overlooked achievements of the early medieval Islamic scientists.
For more information go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00gksx4
The Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF) expresses its concern and deep anxiety about what has been happening in Gaza over the last few days, and in particular it deplores the number of civilian deaths caused by the Israeli aviation bombings. It also deplores the deaths of Israeli civilians caused by the shells launched from the Gaza territory. The Foundation feels directly concerned by the fact that the Gaza Islamic University was hit by bombs, as it is an institution belonging to our Palestinian network, which counts no less than 150 NGOs and cultural and academic institutions that represent the multiplicity of Palestinian society.
Since the beginning of the bombings, the Foundation has been working with the various NGOs in Gaza that form part of our Palestinian network, in order to be directly informed of the situation, and to be able to meet the expectations of the Palestinian civil society working for peace and dialogue. The Foundation recalls to mind that it recently organised a video conference with the participation of certain NGOs in Gaza and the two main universities there, where they described the extremely difficult conditions in which they work. This took place during the Euromed Civil Forum in Marseilles, just before the ministerial conference of the Union for the Mediterranean…
To view the full statement, go to the following link: http://www.euromedalex.org/News/EN/NewsDetails.aspx
There’ll be plenty happening with the ALF in the UK and internationally in 2009. So-keep checking the webpage to keep upto date with all the up-coming events and information.
As we have come to the end of 2008- the EuroMed Year of Dialogue between Cultures, the following newlestter takes a look at the achievements and events which took place this year. In addition, the ALF looks forward to the future with an officially approved new treinnial programme taking place 2009-2011.
The newlestter is available at: http://www.annalindhforum.org/sites/default/files/Internal%20News-end%20of%20year-EN_0.pdf
