Love Difference Pastries: such a sweet project!

From the 22nd to the 24th of February 2008 at the CAMeC , Museum of Contemporary Art in La Spezia, Michelangelo Pistoletto invited artists and confectioners coming from different Mediterranean areas who developed the basis of the project “Love Difference Pastries”, by meeting and working together.

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

Iraq’s Last Jews – Book Launch

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

Science and Islam: The Empire of Reason, Tonight.

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:

1. 12 Jan 2009
   21:00
   BBC Four
2. 13 Jan 2009
   02:30
   BBC Four

The Language of Science: Science and Islam

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

EU official to coordinate humanitarian aid with Israel

An official from the European Commission will be arriving in Israel in the coming days to set up coordination of EU humanitarian aid with the Israeli authorities.

 

Simon Horner a spokesman for the Commission’s humanitarian aid department ECHO, told journalists Tel Aviv that the role of the liaison officer would be to facilitate smooth and continuous access of EU humanitarian aid to Gaza as well as to coordinate the EU’s relief efforts between the Commission and the various EU Member States. The Presidency of the EU has repeatedly expressed its deep concern for the increasing number of civilian casualties and the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza.

For more information on EU humanitarian aid to Gaza, go to: http://www.delisr.ec.europa.eu/english/whatsnew.asp?id=1064

EU film support goes global through MEDIA MUNDUS

The European Commission has adopted a new MEDIA MUNDUS programme, a broad international cooperation programme for the audiovisual industry, aiming to strengthen cultural and commercial relations between Europe’s film industry and film-makers of third countries. The EU will provide €15 million of funding from 2011-2013 for projects submitted by audiovisual professionals from the EU and third countries.

 

Viviane Reding, EU Media Commissioner, described MEDIA MUNDUS as “the right cultural answer to this global technological challenge. The successes of the current MEDIA programme and MEDIA International have shown the need for a sequel: It’s time to go global. I expect EU citizens to see the results of our new efforts very quickly in a cinema nearby!”

 

EuropeAid’s Regional Programme has already supported cooperation with the Mediterranean Partner Countries in this field through the Audiovisual Programme, the second of which ended in December.

For more info on Media Mundus, go to: http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/media/mundus/index_en.htm

EP President calls for immediate end to violence in Middle East – Contact with interested parties

President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering, has briefed the Conference of Presidents (political group chairs) of his contacts in connection with the situation in the Middle East and called for an immediate end to the violence, from which the civilian population is suffering most.

 

President Pöttering held talks with Israeli President, Shimon Peres, Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, Salam Fayad, and the EU’s High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, and with Knesset President, Dalia Itzik.

 

A few days ago the Parliament President, who is also President of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly (EMPA), had contacts with the Vice-Presidents of the Assembly

Karel Schwarzenberg: “Suffering of civilians troubles us the most”

The Summary of the speech of the President of the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council Karel Schwarzenberg at the press conference held after the arrival of the EU delegation from the Middle East to Prague is available on the website of the Czech EU Presidency. “The participants of the conflict have not reached an agreement on this issue yet.  However, we have registered certain elements of hope that, nevertheless, need to be further developed,” said Schwarzenberg who also stressed the need to remain aware of the suffering of all the citizens of Gaza, who are under direct fire and in a difficult situation.

To read more go to: http://www.euromedinfo.eu/site.168.news.en.5049.html

Natacha Atlas with the Mazeeka Ensemble

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.

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. http://www.myspace.com/natachaatlasofficial

“somewhere in the borderland between East and West there lies an intriguing little country – and Natasha Atlas is its national living treasure” Songlines Magazine

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

Reminder: Second Meeting of the Research Group on the EU and Democracy Promotion in the Middle East‏

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

Science and Islam: Language of Science on BBC4 Tonight

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.

Broadcasts:

1. 05 Jan 2009
2. 21:00
3. BBC Four
4. 05 Jan 2009
   23:00
   BBC Four
5. 06 Jan 2009
   03:00
   BBC Four
6. 06 Jan 2009
   19:30
   BBC Four
7. 06 Jan 2009
   20:00
   BBC HD
8. 07 Jan 2009
   00:45
   BBC Four

For more information go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00gksx4

The European Commission launches €3 million emergency funding decision for humanitarian aid in Gaza

The European Commission will provide an extra €3 million relief assistance in the Gaza Strip.  An emergency humanitarian aid decision has been launched with this in mind. The aid will be deployed as rapidly as possible to meet the basic needs of people affected by the Israeli air strikes and by continuing access restrictions.  The funds are channelled through the Commission’s Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO) under the responsibility of Development and Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Louis Michel, who called on the Israeli authorities to respect their international obligations and ensure a “humanitarian space” for the delivery of vital relief. Close cooperation is taking place with Czech presidency.

 

In 2008, the European Commission provided more than €73 million in humanitarian assistance for victims of the ongoing crisis in the Palestinian Territories of which 56% was for relief activities in the Gaza Strip. EU-funded humanitarian projects are implemented by international NGOs, specialised UN agencies and the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement.

Enlarged European Troika meets leaders in the Middle East

The Enlarged European Troika headed by the Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs and new EU Council President, Karel Schwarzenberg has started a visit to the Middle East as part of the European Union’s efforts to secure a cease-fire and to facilitate humanitarian relief for the victims of the conflict, and will meet today and tomorrow with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. A Joint Press Conference is scheduled to take place later today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem. 

 

The delegation comprises Javier Solana, European Union High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Commissioner for External Relations, Carl Bildt, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden and Bernard Kouchner, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of France. Mr Solana will remain in the region until the 8 January and will travel on Tuesday to Syria and Lebanon for talks with leaders in Damascus and Beirut.

ALF’s statement on the situation in Gaza

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

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE ALF UK

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.

Round-up of the ALF in 2008

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

Season’s Greetings from the ALF UK and info. on what’s to come in 2009!

The EuroMed Committee, which brings together High Officials and Ambassadors of the forty-three countries of the Union for the Mediterranean, approved the Anna Lindh Foundation’s new triannual programme during its last meeting in Nice.

 

The programme, which will commence on the 1^st of January 2009, centers on regional flag-ship projects in fields impacting on mutual perceptions across the two shores of the Mediterranean, including the fields of culture, media and education, as well as new areas of work on ‘religion and spirituality’, ‘ideas and ideologies’, ‘cities and diversity’.

 

The new programme will also see the Foundation assuming the role of observatory of intercultural relations across the forty-three countries of the Union for the Mediterranean, publishing an annual report on the socio-cultural trends contributing to coexistence in the region.  The very first report, which is scheduled for the end of 2009, will focus on the theme of ‘The impact of media in shaping mutual perceptions’.

 

President Andre Azoulay has commenced the meeting with an intervention highlighting the importance of this new phase of the Foundation and its political centrality inside the Union for the Mediterranean, where the cultural and human dimension are one of the major fields for the strategic definition of this partnership.

 

As the first common institution of the EuroMed Partnership, the Foundation is in a unique position to implement such a large-scale programme, with an intergovernmental Board of Governors and acting as a network of over two thousand civil society organizations: NGOs, associations, schools, youth groups, universities and local authorities.

 

In the presentation of the Programme at the Board, the Executive Director, Andreu Claret, said : “With our new programme approved and shared by all forty-three countries of the Partnership, we are ready to put the Foundation on a new course of action: more ambitious, more valuable and more visible to those interested in the construction of a common future in the Euro-Mediterranean region”.

EuroMed AudioVisual II-Final Newsletter

What it does: Enhances the audiovisual and cinema sectors in Mediterranean Partner Countries, thus promoting cooperation and mutual understanding with the EU.

 

Budget €15 million (MEDA)

Timeframe 2005-2008

Mediterranean Partner Countries Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey

 

Objective

 

It aims at bringing both European and Mediterranean cultures together, through enhancing audiovisual and cinema fields which are excellent vehicles for information in Europe as well as in the Mediterranean countries, through cooperation and training.   It also encourages the promotion and distribution of films in the countries of the EU and the Mediterranean. It is a follow-up to Euromed Audiovisual I (2000-2004) that was geared more specifically towards supporting production, to bring about the emergence of a Mediterranean film market.

To find out more about the AudioVisual Programme, its objectives and achievements, go to: http://www.euromedinfo.eu/site.328.content.en.html?PHPSESSID=131c62d6f36564c5ffddbe3d66ca5079

 

Now that the Project is coming to an end, the final newsletter has been published. An interview with the Project Manager of Euromed Audiovisual II regarding its achievements and the possibility of a third such project features in the Programme’s final newsletter, now on-line. Among the articles is a farewell note from the Programme’s team.

This can be accessed at: http://www.euromedaudiovisuel.net/nletdetail.aspx?treeID=148&lang=en

ENPI Call for proposals: Cooperation between local actors

A restricted Call for Proposals to promote mutual understanding, dialogue and cooperation between local actors in the EU and in the partner countries of the Neighborhood region (ENPI region), through the provision of capacity building for the modernization and strengthening of local and regional government, has been published. A total of €11.000.000 are available for the purpose of awarding co-financing grants. To read more visit: http://www.euromedinfo.eu/site.168.news.en.5038.html

New experiences for the Jordan Youth

 Thousands of youth from all shores of the Mediterranean and Europe have gathered under the umbrella of the Euro-Med Youth Programme and the Salto Euromed Resource Centre. Through youth exchanges, training courses, seminars and voluntary service they burrowed into different topics and issues affecting their lives with aspirations for mutual understanding and self development. With the third phase of the programme coming to a close, Jordanian participants, youth leaders and coordinators reflect on their past experiences and future hopes.

To view Razan Nasser’s story covering this event, click:  http://www.euromedinfo.eu/uploads/File/Success%20stories/810123%20Jordan%20Youth%20(en).v.3.pdf

SALTO-Youth educational report: Let’s meet the three cultures

“Let’s meet the three cultures” (Christianity, Islam and Judaism) is the focus of the latest educational report (Issue eight) produced by the Euromed SALTO-Youth project, comprising details of four training courses on this theme carried out by the Resource Centre. These are:

• 1st in Cordoba in 2004, the focus was cultural, rather than religious – how was it, how is it and how can it be, using the past as a starting point;
• 2nd in Jerusalem in 2005, due to the uniqueness of the place, the focus was on the history of the city and the three monotheistic religions;
• 3rd in Antwerp in 2006, the training course was linked to the political power and the communities, the connivance of the communities within a multinational city;
• 4th in Paris in 2007, focusing on laïcité vis-à-vis the three cultures. The challenge was to tackle the four topics – four cultures living in Paris in peace nowadays;

Each educational report is intended to be used as a ‘resource pack’ for youth workers dealing with the kind of issues and activities examined during the trainings.

To view the full, detailed report online, go to: http://www.salto-youth.net/reportscollection/

Arab Media Centre Conference: ‘African and Arab Media Audiences: Shared Agendas for Research’

Conference jointly organised by the

Africa Media Series, Arab Media Centre and Audiences Group

Communication and Media Research Institute (CAMRI), University of Westminster

 

Dates: 30-31 March, 2009

Venue: University of Westminster, New Cavendish Campus, 115 New Cavendish Street, London W1

The Topic:

Media research to date has largely neglected the fast growing and diverse media audiences in African and Arab countries. These countries share painful histories of colonization and broadly comparable experiences of post-independence media development. Today they share the challenge of adjusting to global trade and investment regimes that affect local media production and distribution systems but are crafted elsewhere. Yet when we speak of media reception in the Global South, we tend to think in terms of isolated geographies: of ‘Latin America‘, ‘Africa‘, or the ‘Middle East‘. By contextualizing primarily in terms of place, we overlook memories, issues and features that media users in different regions have in common. We foster artificial boundaries and separate research agendas. As a result, opportunities for productive joint debates about Arab and African media consumption are missed.

 

Blogs, chatrooms, social networking sites, and the use of SMS indicate that African and Arab audiences, like audiences generally, are highly active in sending and receiving messages in innovative ways. This conference, organised by the University of Westminster’s Communication and Media Research Institute (CAMRI), will explore this activity, taking in the old, the new, and processes of change and transformation. It draws on the combined resources of CAMRI’s African Media Series, Arab Media Centre and Audiences Group. It focuses on media use and media users in two overlapping regions, where the culture and politics of former colonial powers have combined with internal influences to shape the audience experience in particular ways.

For more information on the pogramme and registration, go to: http://www.wmin.ac.uk/mad/page-1660

Call for artists – A.I.R. International Artists Residencies- BUDAPEST, Hungary

The Hungarian Multicultural Center (HMC) is currently accepting applications for the Budapest -International Artist/Writer Residencies.  The HMC invites interested visual artists, musicians, film makers and writers to submit application for its residencies program.

‘Understanding of World Cultures’: Culture is the true identity power.  In this context the major role of the artists is to promote through art cultural diversity and preserve common values. Intercultural dialogue through art is an important instrument.   Art is not a means – art is a space in which everything is possible, in which different times, subjects and objects, sometimes divergent, coexist.  And not just coexist, but communicate and create values.   Through art, culture, tolerance, initiating a dialogue among nations, among various artistic expressions, a real dialogue among real people.  Culture communicates in the language of heart, which is understood by everybody. For artists, communication is essential – both with the audience – the art consumer, and with representatives of national and international art
groups.

2009 Dates:
1. 27th AIR. Tuesday, March 3 – Tuesday, March 17 –Deadline (must be received) by January 06
2. 28th AIR. Tuesday April 7 – Tuesday, April 21 –Deadline (must be received) by February 06
3. 29th AIR. Tuesday, May 19 – Wednesday, June 10 –Deadline (must be received) by March 06
4. 30 AIR. Tuesday, June 16 – Thursday, July 09 –Deadline (must be received) by March 06
5. 31st AIR. Tuesday, July 14 – Wednesday, August 5 –Deadline (must be received) by March 06
6. 32nd AIR. Tuesday, September 22 – Tuesday, October 6 –Deadline (must be received) by June 06
7. 33rd AIR. Monday, December 28 – Monday, January 11 –Deadline (must be received) by September 06

For an application form or questions please write to:
Beata Veszely: veszelyb@gmail.com or
Beata Szechy: bszechy@yahoo.com

www.hungarian-multicultural-center.com

EuroMedScola participants draw up ‘key phrases’ on Euro-Med Partnership issues

“Key phrases” in areas of concern to the Euro-Mediterranean partnership were drafted by young people from both shores of the Mediterranean who had gathered in Strasbourg recently, at the initiative of the European Parliament (EP), for the first “EuroMedScola” meeting.

Some 250 young people aged 16 to 18 came together and debated key issues facing the Mediterranean region, such as education, energy and transport. The students, who in the course of their debates stepped into the shoes of members of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly (EMPA), presented their findings to Hans-Gert Pöttering, EP President and EMPA President-in-Office.

The “Key Phrases” drawn up by working groups and then adopted in plenary session, refer to: Education and the Future, Equal opportunities – a vehicle for democratic change, Environment, transport and renewable energy, Immigration and integration, and Freedom of information and citizenship.

To view the Brochure and the ‘Key Phrases’ document, go to: http://www.euromedinfo.eu/site.168.news.en.4986.html

Tempus gives € 60 m to University cooperation projects

The European Commission has given its approval to 63 university co-operation and 13 other high quality projects under the new phase of the Tempus programme, selected from 530 applications. All 28 Tempus partner countries are involved, with a total budget of € 60 million. 600 universities from the partner countries and 300 from the EU will participate in these projects.

The Tempus programme supports the modernisation of higher education and creates an area of co-operation in countries outside the EU. Established in 1990 after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the scheme now covers 28 countries in the Western Balkans, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, North Africa and the Middle East.

The Tempus projects are based on multilateral partnerships between higher education institutions from the EU and partner countries. They can develop, modernise and disseminate new curricula or teaching methods, boost a quality assurance culture, and modernise the management and governance of higher education institutions.

For further information on the selected projects, and Tempus in general, please refer to: http://ec.europa.eu/tempus

Second Meeting of the Research Group on the EU and Democracy Promotion in the Middle East‏

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/>

Journeys to Europe

‘Journeys to Europe’ took place on 9 December 2008 on a dark wintry evening in Brussels. Despite the weather, over 80 people attended the event to discuss issues of migration and identity and view a series of short films about the thoughts, hopes and aspirations of young migrants and refugees living in Europe.

The films were made as part of our Living Together project, where 18-25 year old participants from minority, migrant and refugee communities across South East Euorpe were trained in script-writing, recording voiceovers, and editing photos and drawings. Using these skills they created a seris of 2-minute films that express new perspectives of their lives in their countries as well as their hopes for the future. You can watch the films here, and, if you’d like to comment on any, double-click on the video and make your comments on youtube (you will need to create an account in order to do so).

To view short films produced by participants, go to: http://www.britishcouncil.org/brussels-europe-journeys-to-europe

Mr. André Azoulay visits Egypt from 13 to 15 December 2008

The objective of André Azoulay’s visit to Egypt

On the eve of launching the Anna Lindh Foundation’s new three year programme, Mr. André Azoulay, President of the Foundation and Counsellor of His Majesty King Mohamed VI of Morocco, visited Egypt from 13 to 15 December 2008. Taking into consideration the prominent role played by Egypt in forging the future of the Arab World, the visit of Mr. Azoulay represents a great opportunity in the way of building on the new momentum of “Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean”.

Seen as one of the major leaders in the region, Egypt was the initiator of Middle East peace process, a process in line with the Barcelona Process’s long-term objective to build a region of cooperation, exchange, peace and stability. Furthermore, Egypt  is leading an important process, co-chaired with France, on the “Union for the Mediterranean”, a process which will involve and has considerable implications for people living and working across Egypt, the Mediterranean region and Europe.

In this context the visit of President Azoulay is two-folded. From one side it aims to coordinate with Egyptian officials on the role Egypt has to play in this Union. And from the other side to mobilize  Egyptian Media and civil society to actively participate in shaping this “Union for the Mediterranean”. Accordingly, the Anna Lindh Foundation is co-organizing together with the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs a conference on “the role of Egypt in the Union for the Mediterranean”, as well as the central role played by the Anna Lindh Foundation in this Union.  Members of the panel are Mr. Boutros Boutros Ghaly, Ambassador Ahmed Maher, Dr. Farouk Hosny, and Dr. Ismail Serrag El-Din The conference is taking place on 15 December, and will gather more than 200 participants, including Euromed ambassadors in Egypt, local and foreign journalists, representatives of civil society organizations, Egyptian artists, researchers, intellectuals and businessmen. André Azoulay will also meet with Mr. Amr Moussa, Secretary General of the League of Arab States, to discuss the current political and cultural situation in the region.

 

For more information on André Azoulay and his role as an advocate of intercultural dialogue, go to: http://www.euromedalex.org/News/EN/NewsDetails.aspx

Exhibitions in London

Byzantium: At the Royal Academy London until March 22nd 2009

A thousand years of sprawling empire is cajoled into display cases and colourful icons. Much of what is in the award winning Museum of Byzantine Culture in Thessaloniki in now placed here…in London.  Michael Hodges (timeout.com.london/art) highlights that for ‘Byzantium’, ‘it stands for complication and intrigue, but it is simplicity and honesty that shine out from the works.’  Worth checking out…

Babylon: At the British Museum until March 15 2009

Most of the exhibits at the show are other artist’s versions of Babylon, be it Rembrandt, Durer or Blake.  What is impressive is that the exhibition is telling a story-a story of how a culture develops and spreads its influence long after the fall of the empire.  Colourful and impressive!

Euro-Med/Mena in the Film Industry (November-December 2008)

Films to watch out for this month: ‘Waltz with Bashir’ and ‘Mustafa’.

Both have made headlines over its controversial story-lines, sparking off much commentary and debate forums.

‘Waltz with Bashir’ (Winner of Best Foreign Independant Film-at the British Independant Film Awards 2008) is an an extraordinary animated documentary by Israeli Film Maker Ari Folman-about the Lebanese Sabra and Chatila massacres of 1982.  Just flicking through the reviews, you get a real sense of just how thought provoking this film is.  For a more in-depth look into reviews, commentary on the film and discussion groups, click on the following link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/movie/124299/waltz.with.bashir

The film is our in the UK from 21st November 2008.

 

‘Mustafa’, is a documentary that chronicles the renouned Turkish leader, Mustafa Kamal Ataturk’s life from childhood to his death on November 10th 1938.  This film presents an intimate and flawed Ataturk rarely seen before.  The film which has drawn large crowds, has fed into a climate of soul searching in Turkey where democratic reforms, social changes and impassioned debate over secularism is shaking the pillars of an autocratic state left by the infamous Ataturk.

Whilst the film has angered hardline secularists whi have called for a boycott, stating the film is an enemy polt to ‘himiliate Turkishness’, Director Can Dundar said, ‘I wantd to show a more human Ataturk than the Ataurk they teach us about at school and in the military service,’. 

‘Mustafa’ has spawned extensive commentary in the media since its opening on 29th October 2008 (coinciding with the 85th anniversary of the foundation of the Repulic of Turkey).  Nearly half a million film seekers saw it within the first five days of its release.  Could be a film worth looking out for…

For more details on ‘Mustafa’ go to:  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/mustafa-the-movie-divides-turkey-with-a-portrait-of-the-real-ataturk-998232.html

Anna Lindh Foundation 7th Annual Meeting of Heads of National Networks

From the 27th to the 30th of November 2008, the Heads of the Anna Lindh Foundation National Networks of the Euro-Mediterranean region gathered in Nice, France – currently holding the Presidency of the European Union – to have a debate over the Foundation’s triennial programme 2009 – 2011 and the development of the work with Euro-Med civil society. The meeting was co-organized by the Anna Lindh Foundation and Fondation René Seydoux, Head of the Anna Lindh Foundation French National Network, and hosted by the city of Nice.

 

The discussion centred on the strategic fields of action which the Foundation proposed to focus on in the next three years, fields which have an impact on our ways of thinking and on mutual perceptions, as well as new tools for supporting and mobilizing civil society actors in the region. 

 

 

To view the conclusions of the meeting, go to: http://www.euromedi.org/page/1655/1655_E-M_Award_Presidency_CONCLUSIONS.pdf

London-Palestine Film Festival 2009

The Palestine Film Foundation (PFF) programmes and runs the annual London Palestine Film Festival. The two-week Festival is the largest event of its kind in Europe, showcasing dozens of videos and films dealing with the subject of Palestine each year. Art, fiction, documentary, and experimental work by artists from across the world are screened alongside panel discussions, question & answer sessions, and book talks. 

The 10th London Palestine Film Festival will open in mid-April 2009 and run for 2 weeks. The PFF is now inviting submissions from filmmakers and distributors. The Festival embraces a wide variety of genres and encourages filmmakers of all nationalities to participate in the festival.

Submissions should reach PFF via post before 20th December 2008. Please see the SUBMISSIONS PAGE on the PFF site for information on how to submit films for the 2009 Festival. 

For more information, click this link:  http://www.palestinefilm.org/

POLSIS Conference: EU Democracy Promotion in the Middle East

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.

The site is available at:

http://www.eumena.bham.ac.uk/

Anna Lindh Foundation-Euromed: October 2008

From the EuroMed Ministerial Conference held in Marseilles to current programme Development, the following link gives you an update on the Anna Lindh Foundation’s activities:

bc-internal_news-oct_08-en

Also, there’s plenty to look forward to for the rest of 2008.  A detailed diary (also included in the above link) will keep you informed on the events taking place in the remaining quarter of this year…

Going Global3

Going Global3 is the UK’s largest International Educational Conference!

Held every two years (2004, 2006), it will be coming to London: 3-5 December 2008.  This year the three day programme will be hosting the Opening Reception at the new Saatchi Gallery and the conference at ExCel London. 

Attracting hundreds of senior strategy and policy makers from more than 40 countries, including a large delegation of Vice Chancellors from China, India and Pakistan, Going Global 3 will be an event to look out for.

For more information on the event held by the British Council, click on the following link:  http://www.britishcouncil.org/goingglobal3.htm

European Union of Coptic Organisations

The European Union of Coptic Organisations held their annual meeting in Paris, November 8th 2008.

Members (organisations) attending in the European Union countries were:

France – Netherlands – Switzerland –Austria – Greece – Ireland – Hungary – Germany – Sweden – United Kingdom.

Based on the desire of the Coptic organisations in the ten countries mentioned and delegates who met in Paris, it had been agreed on the establishment of the European Union of Coptic organisations for Human Rights EUCOHR the following Declaration: Copts-Declaration-Paris-2008.

The following Conference will be held on 27th January 2009 in Amsterdam.

Women’s economic empowerment in the EuroMed region

New Study Reveals Legal Impediments to Women’s Economic Participation in South Mediterranean

 

Brussels, 17 November 2008 – A new study reveals that laws regulating marriage, divorce, custody and inheritance are the main barriers to women’s economic empowerment in ten South Mediterranean countries, and that despite significant strides made in the region, women’s rate of participation in economic activity remains the lowest in the world.

 

The study shows that while labour codes prohibit sexual discrimination, practice is another matter and women are still constrained by a ‘culture of shame’ – for example, they may face prosecution for libel if they bring a case of sexual harassment against an employer and lose it. In some instances there is outright discrimination, e.g. job advertisements that call for male applicants only.

The Study which is commissioned by the EC-funded Regional Programme Euromed Role of Women in Economic Life and implemented by the British Council in co-operation with the Mediterranean Institute of Gender Studies, looks at the root causes for discrimination against women’s economic participation, focusing on four main areas: right to work, right to equality and marriage and the family, rights to social security and nationality, and rights to freedom of movement and equal legal personality. It provides an in-depth account of the contradictions between constitutional rights, which provide for equality and non discrimination, and domestic laws and practices that prohibit women from fully exercising their equal rights.

The following link gives a further detailed information on the findings of the study:  http://www.britishcouncil.org/brussels-euromed-press-release-1108-word.doc

Alaa Al Aswany in London

“The Yacoubian Building” has been one of the most successful contemporary Egyptian novels in recent years.  Together with the film it has opened up many of the social and cultural issues in Egypt. It demonstrates how a work of literature, with its own integrity, can also identify the direction for intercultural dialogue.

Alaa Al Aswany is in London, speaking at the Royal Society of Arts, on 4 September.   His new novel, Chicago, explores the world of the emigre; another key area of cultural inter-action.  Details at

  http://www.thersa.org/events/our-events/rsa-thursday-Emigre-identity-in-post-911-America

For those who can’t get along to the discussion there is a long article in the Guardian at

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/aug/23/fiction9

ArtVenture Freedom to Create Prize

UK network members, Article 19, have teamed up with ArtVenture to launch a major new prize for artists.  This international prize will recognise artists who use their talents to promote human rights, including the freedom of expression, empathy, equality and understanding

In all societies, the development of the arts has been a sign of culture and light. Yet not all governments provide citizens with the ‘freedom to create’ needed to foster innovation, commerce and prosperity. Some governments harass and impoverish their citizens, steal resources, stifle entrepreneurship and undermine human ingenuity and hope. In these societies, art can play an important role in giving a voice to those who are denied opportunity and resources.

ArtVenture Freedom to Create Prize will consist of three categories. The main prize will be open to individuals or artistic groups in all creative fields including the visual and performance arts, music, crafts, design and literature. The winner of this award will receive US$ 50,000.

ArtVenture Freedom to Create Youth Prize will be open to artists who are under the age of 18 with the winner receiving US$ 25,000 scholarship and advocacy prize. The final category, the ArtVenture Freedom to Create Imprisoned Artist Prize, will focus on artists who are currently imprisoned for their artwork. The winner will receive US$ 25,000 towards supporting their family, paying legal costs and supporting advocacy efforts.

This is not an art prize. It will not simply judge the skill of the artist but recognise how the artist has used their work in speaking out in defence of human rights and freedom of expression. The inaugural prize will be a unique and significant award and will be judged by a panel of eminent artists, and human rights experts and philanthropists.

 Details are here.   Closing date is 31 October 2008. 

Lighting lamps

One of the pre-conditions for effective intercultural dialogue is surely the freedom to voice viewpoints which challenge the status quo.   An exhibition on in London now shows how Arabic political cartoonists make their points.  Of course different media laws and conventions means topics have to be addressed in different ways but the impact remains the same.

The exhibition is at the Guardian newspaper and marks the final stage in a British Council project with Arab media. 

Here is a report from the Daily Star, a Lebanese newspaper.

Orientalism at 30

It is 30 years since the publication of Edward Said’s book “Orientalism”.  It revolutionised academic studies and attitudes.  Have his arguments stood the test of time?   How do they relate to the present?  His underlying ideas are at the heart of discussion today about inter-cultural dialogue, the rationale of the Anna Lindh Foundation.

In London, and later this year in Istanbul, Orientalism is explored through an exhibition of British and French painters from the nineteenth century.  The “Lure of the East” is on show at Tate Britain until 31 August.   It then transfers to Istanbul’s Pera Musuem which is currently showing paintings from the Ottoman era.    The exhibition allows an exploration of Orientalism now and then.  In a linked symposium at the Tate these ideas were explored from an art historical context (showing how portraits were commissioned from British painters by Turkish rulers and used in political struggles with Egyptian rulers), from a gender basis (differing interpretations of the harem) and from a positive curiosity and willingness to engage with and observe another society.  A feature of the exhibition is the commentary next to each painting by a commentator from outside the arts world.  Robert Fisk admires an Edward Lear painting of Beruit, updates its location but sadly points out that even in the 1860s there was internal conflict.

 As the debate came up-to-date current issues dominated the intepretation of Orientialism.  Contemporary images showed that the visual image has the power and is used to convey strong messages. 

The Guardian has marked the 30th anniversary of Said’s book with a series of wide ranging and thought provoking commentaries.  The Anna Lindh Foundation’s core purpose is to further intercultural understanding and these essays give us pause for reflection.  

 

 

26 EuroMed films supported

 

 

 The Euromed Cinema project will support 26 film releases with a total of 378,400 euros with the aim of improving the distribution and reach of films in the MEDA countries and EU Member States.

The support was given as follows:
11 releases of MEDA films to be exhibited in the European Union
4 releases of MEDA films to be screened in the MEDA region
11 releases of European films to be showcased in the MEDA region
The supported MEDA films to be screened in the EU are:
Caramel by Nadine Labaki (LB/FR); Lemon tree by Eran Riklis (IL/DE/FR); Falafel by Michel Kammoun (LB); The band’s visit by Eran Kolirin (IL), Une chanson dans la tete by Hany Tamba (LB/FR), L’insoumis by Liazid Kammoun (LB), Le Sel de la mer by Annemarie Jacir (AP/FR), Bes Vatik (Times and Winds) by Reha Erdem (TR).

Support for the screening of MEDA films in MEDA countries goes to: Le chaos by Youssef Chahine & Khaled Youssef (EG); Je veux voir by J. Hadjithomas & K. Joreige (LB/FR), Fumée sans feu by Samir Habchi (LB/EG), Number One by Zakia Tahiri (MA).

Finally, support for the exhibition of European films in MEDA countries goes to: Son of Rambow by Garth Jennings (GB), La Zona by Rodrigo Plà (ES/MX), Happy-Go-Lucky by Mike Leigh (GB), Caos Calmo by Antonio Luigi Grimaldi (IT), Ben X by Nic Balthazar (BE), Captain Alatriste by Augustin Diaz Yanes (ES/FR/US), La masseria delle Allodole by P.&V Taviani (IT), La graine et le mulet by Abdellatif Kechiche (FR), Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi & Vincent Paronnaud (FR), Dante 01 by Marc Caro (FR).

Euro-Med University launched

A new Euro-Med University is formally launched on 9 June in Slovenia.    Based in Piran, on the Adriatic coastline, the University will initially be developed by the Centre for Euro-Med Studies. 

Universities and research insitutes are invited to become partner insitutions.  So far , from the UK, the Universities of Westminister, Cambridge and Bristol have expressed interest.

More details at www.emuni.si.

Details of the opening are at  http://www.euromedinfo.eu/site.168.news.en.4014.html

 

 

Journalism testing: legal boundaries

The University of Westminster’s Arab Media Centre is holding a one-day conference on ‘Journalism Testing Legal Boundaries: Media Laws and the Reporting of Arab News’, at the University of Westminster’s New Cavendish Campus, starting at 9.15am in the Large Lecture Theatre on Friday June 20th. Details and registration form available at www.wmin.ac.uk/arabmedia.

New Director appointed

Andreu Claret was appointed the new Director of the Anna Lindh Foundation by the Board of Governors (the ministries of foreign affairs of the 39 member states).

Andreu was the first head of the Spanish national network of the ALF when he was Director of the IeMED in Barcelona.  Most of his career has been in communications and media.

He will take over from the actiing director in June.

Dr Sara Silvestri of City University was appointed to the Advisory Council.

 

 

New ALF and 1001 Actions website

Both the ALF and 1001 sites have been updated and bear new features.

The ALF website 

The Foundation’s new website includes recent activities of ALF and of its 37 networks. 

www.euromedalex.org

 The 1001 Actions website 

With over 1,500 registered users, representation from 37 countries across the Euro-Med region and exciting new features, 1001actions.org is fast becoming the essential online portal for euromed intercultural dialogue in 2008

The 1001actions.org website has been updated to help 1001 Action Members get more involved in the campaign and to develop their actions with partners, and promote their work to the world.

Here are just a few of the best new features:

*Public Platform*

http://www.1001actions.org/en/action_search

The actions section of the website has been opened to the general public. Each action group has its own unique web address allowing you to post a link to your pages on your own website and e-mails.

*New Interactive Features*

http://www.1001actions.org/en/actions/my

Users can now subscribe, rate and add comments to action groups. If an action group has been added, new documents, links, votes and blogs can be added to the action group page.

  *1001 Actions Map*

http://www.1001actions.org/en/actions/map There is a new Actions Map that plots all those actions that have set their locations in one easy to navigate page.

*1001 Actions Downloads*

http://www.1001actions.org/en/downloads

The latest logos, flyers, posters and promotional material can be downloaded.

*1001 Actions Facebook Group*

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=11002305058

In addition, the new Facebook group is growing fast (275 users in a couple of weeks). Anyone logged into facebook can join 1001 Actions by following the link above, and invite friends.

Welcome to the UK network of the Anna Lindh EuroMed Foundation

Welcome to the website of the UK’s network of the Anna Lindh Euro-Med Foundation. The Foundation seeks to improve and develop the dialogue between the cultures in and around the 27 members of the European Union and the 10  Mediteranean partner countries (Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco)

Over 1,500 organisations in 37 countries are members of the ALF national networks. All share the aims of increasing and deepening cultural awareness and understanding across and around the European Union and the Mediterranean countries.   The Foundation is co-funded by the European Commission and the member countries.

This website covers the activities of the members of the UK network.  Follow the links in the Pages column (or the tabs at  the top of the screen) to see what we are doing. If you wish to join go to “Want to join?” tab.

For more information contact Steve Green at the British Council in London.