Greetings from ” GREEK NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR UNESCO” Catherine
Tzitzikosta
1st Festival of Arab World
It is a great honor for me to welcome you today, as President of the Greek
National Commission for UNESCO, the attendees at the first Festival of Arab
World, organized by the Corfu M.KO. CulturePolis.
The UNESCO, an international organization of the United Nations, founded in
1945 and has since consistently strives for the development of culture, promote
cultural diversity, spread of education, strengthen science and promoting
effective communication, between people with respecting the values of each
civilization and culture.
Furthermore, functions as a laboratory of ideas and as a center providing and
disseminating information and knowledge to establish criteria for solving the
multifaceted problems of our time, helping Member States to develop human
and institutional capacity, promoting international cooperation and
coordinating regional and global networks to promote research, lifelong
education and training.
The target of the International Agency is both the rapprochement of cultures
and strengthen an international cooperation due to achieve global peace.
The globalization and the increasing mobility of populations have reach a new
and more complicated meaning in the societies; complicating issues of
homogeneity, languages, religions, ethnic and cultural identity and
intercultural dialogue by raising the duty incumbent of all of us.
The year 2008 was declared by the European Union as the "Year of
Intercultural Dialogue", in 2010 as "International Year for the Rapprochement
of Cultures" by the United Nations, based on the common assumption that
cultural diversity can be a unique advantage for developing a new European
identity , helping peace and global unity.
The main objective of UNESCO is to ensure and preserve freedom of expression
for all citizens in education, culture, science and communication, taking into
account that while each culture draws from its unique cultural heritage, also
interacts fueled by an ongoing dialogue with other cultures, which contributes
to European unity and avoid the risk of isolation and marginalization of
peoples and nations.
In this direction, all the programs of UNESCO run, the organization of
conferences, publications, and numerous related actions based on 4 pillars: 1)
promotion of cultural, linguistic and inter-religious pluralism and diversity, 2)
develop of a framework with widely accepted values and principles for the
above, 3) strengthening of quality education and 4) strengthening the dialogue
on sustainable development.
Furthermore, UNESCO, plays a catalytic role for the protection and effective
implementation of human rights with emphasis on the following areas:
awareness of people
strengthening and coordinating partnerships between governmental and non
governmental institutions at national, international and regional level
advice and expertise in Member States
In its fight against discrimination, UNESCO, through the Education for Human
Rights, working to ensure the full exercise of human rights, reduction of sterile
nationalism and religious intolerance, addressing poverty, exclusion and of
inadequate access to health services and education.
At the same time, promotes research to curb the phenomenon of violence and
develops regional projects, implemented in both the primary and secondary
schools, aimed at transforming the educational policies on human rights. The
main object of the programs in the organization is the learning process focuses
on the acquisition of values, attitudes and skills necessary to meet the
challenges that arise in modern societies.
The Greek National Commission for UNESCO, aiming to highlight the various
aspects of Greek culture, leading to mutual understanding, mutual respect and
osmosis, supports the first World Festival Arab belief that through crosscultural perspective, achieving the acquaintance with ourselves and the respect
in what is not ours. Conquered a common culture, the culture osmosis of
cultures and thus the peaceful coexistence of peoples.
At this point I would like to point out that in the Greek National Commission
for UNESCO operates 7 Seats UNESCO, 3 of which deal with human rights and
intercultural dialogue:
1) UNESCO Chair on Education for Human Rights, Democracy and Peace at
the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), the head teacher, Mrs. Dimitra
Papadopoulou
2) UNESCO Chair for Human Rights, Democracy and Peace, University of
Panteios, Social and Political Sciences, headed by the professor, Mr. Stelios
Perrakis
3) UNESCO Chair for "Multicultural policy for an active and inclusive
citizenship", University of Macedonia, headed by Prof. Mrs. P. Naskou Perrakis.
In a period that too many people like to underline the elements supposed to
differentiate our cultures, UNESCO is opposed to the confrontational logic,
promoting and utilizing the elements that unite cultures for the benefit of the
global community through an open, substantive dialogue based on respect for
each cultural values and civilization.
This dialogue, however, requires knowledge, real knowledge of the cultures and
traditions that will allow to all the people to coexist in harmony, prosper, create
and envision.
The world needs us now, more than ever to ensure sustainable development
based on mutual respect between cultures, to respect human rights, respect
for the environment, solidarity and communication.
I wish you success in your future initiatives.