International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures (2010)
2010 has been declared the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures by the UN General Assembly, and UNESCO has been assigned a leading role in its celebration, drawing on the Organization's invaluable experience gained over the past 60 years to advance "the mutual knowledge and understanding of peoples."
The events that took place during the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures were centered on:
- Conversation between religions and cultures.
- A year of peace depends on cooperation and understanding.
- Discussions at a high level or informal, participatory hearings with civil society.
Within the framework of the United Nations, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) takes the lead in commemorating this day. The International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures is being observed by a large number of nations. These nations include, but are not restricted to:
- Armenia.
- Brazil.
- Burundi.
- Chile.
- Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Egypt.
- France.
- Germany.
- Greece.
- Italy.
- Kazakhstan.
- Mexico.
- Oman.
- Poland.
- Russian Federation.
- Tunisia.
Background
2010 has been designated the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures by the General Assembly (resolution 62/90), which was adopted on December 17, 2007. The assembly encouraged member states to take into consideration initiatives that identify areas for practical action at all levels of society to promote interreligious and intercultural dialogue, tolerance, understanding, and cooperation, affirming that mutual understanding and interreligious dialogue constitute important dimensions of the dialogue among civilizations and the culture of peace. Additionally, it promoted the development of communication between media outlets representing all world cultures.
Events
The following are some of the anticipated activities and events for the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures:
- Conferences with a focus on issues like globalization, religion, and civilisations and cultures.
- Exhibitions, conferences, and workshops on subjects like heritage, populations, and civilizations.
- Exhibitions in museums and works of art centered on tolerance, culture, and peace.
- Festivals that celebrate culture, the arts, and music.
Symbols
For online or printed promotional materials connected with the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures, UNESCO's logo is utilized, which includes a temple with the words "United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization" underneath the temple and the UNESCO acronym within the temple. An explanation of the organization's acronym is given when the full name is used in English together with one or more additional languages. French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, English, and Russian are UNESCO's six official languages.
Comments