ACORNS 359: Intercultural dialogue & international exchange

16 February 2017, International

There have been a number of stories highlighting the importance and impact of intercultural dialogue and international exchange recently. Last week, Ministers of Culture from Algeria, France, Italy, Libya, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Portugal, Spain and Tunisia gathered in Tunis for the inaugural intercultural dialogue meeting within the framework of 5+5 Culture, which brings together countries of the Western Mediterranean. During the visit, the Ministers of Tunisia and France signed a twinning agreement that will support cultural sector reforms in Tunisia, as well as a bilateral agreement to fund the co-production of Franco-Tunisian films.

In Asia, cinema is also playing a part in international exchange with the recent launch of the2017 Year of Japan-India friendly exchanges – which seeks to build stronger ties through touristic, educational and cultural exchange – including a new film collaboration that brings together cultures from the two countries. Meanwhile, a number of collaborative projects between organisations in Wales and India have been announced, which will travel to India as part of the UK-India 2017 cultural season; and in Africa, Angola and Algeria have renewed conversations around cultural cooperation, the need for sector training, and the importance of exchange to cultural identity.

For those looking to develop opportunities for international exchange and learning, next month in London Visiting Arts will deliver an event on building partnerships and networks to support international artistic exchange; the Cultural Diplomacy Platform has issued a call for applications from young cultural leaders for the second edition of its Global Cultural Leadership Programme; and in May, Azerbaijan will host the 4th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue. For those seeking a sustained read on the history and significance of intercultural dialogue and exchange, the Council of Europe has recently released its free publication Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, which demonstrates how the heritage and cultures of different and distant regions of Europe contribute to a shared cultural heritage. 

To explore these topics further, visit our online Themes portal pages on intercultural dialogue and international exchange. As always, if you have news or resources that you would like us to share, please contact us at [email protected].
 

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