Cultural Diversity as Driving Force for Sustainable Development - Perspectives from the Arab Region

26 June, 11:30 a.m., Room Aeltestenrat
Hosted by Deutsche UNESCO-Kommission e.V.

The workshop aims at highlighting the opportunities offered through the UNESCO Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions for developing cooperative cultural policy, cultural infrastructure and creative industries. Special emphasis lies on transition countries such as Tunisia and Egypt. The workshop will give practical examples and prospects on how to make use of the framework of this UNESCO Convention.

Cultural diversity and increased cultural participation strengthen democracy, tolerance and social cohesion. Cultural diversity is an investment in the future as well as a driving force of sustainable development. Enhancing people’s choices and responsibilities is key to human development. The UNESCO Convention is based on these values. Cooperative cultural policies can enhance development opportunities. In this process, an active, competent and organized civil society plays an important role.

Tunisiaand Egypt, as well as Germany, have ratified the UNESCO Convention. The changing context in these two Arab countries offers new opportunities and challenges to develop cooperative, sustainable cultural policy and creative industries.

With two experts from Tunisia and Egypt as well as with German experts for cultural policy and international cooperation, the workshop will explore concrete approaches and possibilities on how to increase cultural participation, specifically in those transition countries in the Arab region. Together with the workshop participants the current practice of implementing the Convention in the field of international cooperation will be examined and discussed. Special emphasis lies on capacity building for young experts in the Arab region to strengthen participation and a sustainable democratization process.

Panelists:

Bernecker, Dr. Roland
Secretary General, German Commission for UNESCO, Germany

Kessab, Ammar
Expert on Cultural Policy, Tunis / Algeria

Latif, Chokri
Director, Maison de la culture Ibn Rachiq, Tunisia

Merkel, Christine (Moderator)
Head of the Division of Culture, Memory of the World, German Commission for UNESCO, Germany

Riahi, Fatma
President of ATB, Tunisian Blogger Association, Tunisia

Salama, Hatem Hassan
Project Manager, Centre Rézodanse Egypt, Alexandria

Steinkamp, Anna
Division of Culture, Memory of the World, German Commission for UNESCO, Germany