The central focus of the Granada Conference (27th - 28th April) will be the dialogue between cultures inside and outside Europe, in accordance with the Commission’s project to make 2008 the Year of Intercultural Dialogue. The conference will expect a high level attendance, including Commission President J-M Barroso. This event is the culmination of a series of meetings that have been held in order to promote the process of European construction and citizen integration, that began in 2004. These conferences have highlighted the importance of the role of culture in building a new Europe. The meeting will include work sessions on the intercultural dialogue between Europe and third parties, with special attention on the Euromediterranean and Iberoamerican contexts, the participation of civil society in intercultural dialogue, the role of regions and local corporations, and the mechanisms for the exchange of cultural exports. For more information, CLICK HERE. Courtesy of the European Forum for the Arts and Heritage's newsletter 1 February 2006.