The UNAOC recognized nine extraordinary organizations that have been
selected from hundreds of applicants from around the world.

“This is an exciting opportunity to connect these incredible grassroots
organizations with world leaders to collaborate and help these groups
expand their initiatives globally toward peace and common
understanding,” said Jean-Christophe Bas, Senior Advisor on Strategic
Development & Partnerships of the UNAOC.

Following this introduction, the UNAOC is establishing the World
Intercultural Fund for Innovation (WIFI) to foster the growth and
sustainability of organizations best positioned to promote peace.

About the Marketplace of Ideas Winners:

Chapters of World Faith, Various locations, Youth

Contact: Frank Fredricks, <a
href=”mailto:frank@worldfaith.org”>frank@worldfaith.org

A World Faith Chapter is a self-formed and self-governed group of
religiously-diverse young people tackling local community service needs.
Whether it be teaching children in Delhi or volunteering for Habitat in
North Carolina, Chapters apply World Faith’s interfaith community
service at local levels, World Faith supports chapters by developing
leadership, building partnerships with local organizations, and helping
to fund these local projects.

In order to better serve existing Chapters, as well as scaling up the
model by founding new Chapters, World Faith needs leaders, allies, and
funders. World Faith is always searching for more social entrepreneurs
to found Chapters. Allies are vital to Chapters, whether local
organizations partnering in projects, or media outlets illuminating the
possibility of positive religious collaboration. Finally, World Faith is
in high need of funding to create better support infrastructure for
existing Chapters, as well as mobilizing to help new Chapters launch.

EMAJ (Euro-Mediterranean Academy for Young Journalists): Making News not
Stereotypes, Middle East / Europe, Youth/Media

Contact: Pawel Krzysiek, <a
href=”mailto:pawel.krzysiek@gmail.com”>pawel.krzysiek@gmail.com

EMAJ is a network of young enthusiasts for fair, sensitive and
responsible journalism gathered around an annual highly intensive
professional training program. EMAJ eases intercultural tensions by
reporting from the inside: it creates opportunities for independent
professionals to tell their stories from inside action, culture and
context – in EMAJ Magazine, a unique intercultural web-based media
outlet outside the wires of giant news agencies.

In order to be scaled up and replicated, EMAJ seeks support from donors,
professional organizations and media decision-makers to develop its
long-term strategic goals: to expand its network, refine its products,
build the capacity of its members and achieve sustainability.

Forgotten Diaries, Various locations, Youth/Online Media

Contact: Anush Hayrapetyan, <a
href=”mailto:an.hayrapetyan@yahoo.com”>an.hayrapetyan@yahoo.com

Forgotten Diaries is an innovative online initiative that sheds light on
the most under-reported conflicts around the world. Forgotten Diaries’
unique platform fosters long-term intercultural dialogue between youth
in various conflict zones, bridging religious, cultural and ethnic
barriers. Forgotten Diaries also empowers youth in conflict zones,
through skills training and small grants, to design and implement
innovative community development and grass-roots peace-building projects
and they recently made a documentary showcasing some of these projects.

In order to be scaled up and replicated, Forgotten Diaries seeks more
publicity. Access to policy makers and media would allow Forgotten
Diaries to bring further attention to the transformational role that
young people can play in building a sustainable future if empowered.

Melantjong Petjinan Soerabaia, Surabaya (Indonesia), Education/Migration

Contact: Paulina Mayasari <a
href=”mailto:pitics@gmail.com”>pitics@gmail.com

Melantjong Petjinan Soerabaia is a cultural tour tracing the Chinese
heritage trails in the multi-ethnic city of Surabaya. This eye-opening
experience enriches people’s knowledge about the culture of Indonesian
Chinese, breaking down stereotypes and promoting diversity and
co-existence. See for yourself a fascinating example of how the
phenomena of acculturation can form unique cultures in terms of
architecture, food, fashion, and art.

In order to be scaled up and replicated, Melantjong Petjinan Soerabaia
seeks: professional human resources, financial support to make the tour
more accessible to the public and to restore heritage object, and
consultation on how to make this project sustainable.

Three Faiths Forum

Contact: Stephen Shashoua <a
href=”mailto:Stephen@threefaithsforum.org.uk”>Stephen@threefaithsforum.org.uk

The Three Faiths Forum’s Mentoring Programmes offer undergraduate
students of Muslim, Christian and Jewish backgrounds the opportunity to
work with leading professionals and to gain invaluable experience in
their respective fields. Trios of students, one from each faith, create
projects working towards positive social change while establishing new
personal and professional relationships.

In order to be scaled up and replicated, Undergraduate ParliaMentors
needs: funding to support more participants across the UK and
internationally, and to develop other streams of the mentoring model;
publicity to expose the students further, and to demonstrate the
effective work between faith communities to wider society; and
connections with leaders around the world to be involved and replicate
these programmes.

Akili Dada, Kenya, Women/Education

Contact: Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg, Ph.D, <a
href=”mailto:wanjiru@akilidada.com”>wanjiru@akilidada.com

Akili Dada is nurturing the next generation of African women leaders by
investing in education, mentoring, and leadership training for
brilliant, hard working, young women from impoverished families.
Currently working in Kenya, our highly successful model extends beyond
scholarships by connecting scholars to a diverse network of peers and
high level professional African women who serve as mentors. Our
leadership training program facilitates scholars’ growth into agents of
change beginning with action in their home communities. Recognizing
that poor women are underrepresented and underserved by policy-making
process across Africa, Akili Dada is inspiring and empowering our
brilliant young women scholars to become the kinds of leaders the
continent so desperately needs.

In order to be scaled up and replicated, Akili Dada needs strategic
partners to help with capacity building and infrastructure development
as we share our successful model with social entrepreneurs other
countries and plan to build an elite women’s leadership academy to
serving the continent starting with the Eastern Africa region.

Peace Camp, Barcelona, Youth/Education

Contact: Raimon Ramis, <a
href=”mailto:rramis@fundacioforum.org”>rramis@fundacioforum.org

The Peace Camp is an annual fun-filled and educational gathering of a
hundred 13-14 year-olds from cities all around the world, organized by
Universal Forum of Cultures Foundation. Through debate, discovery,
experience, reflection and fun, the Peace Campers not only learn about
intercultural dialogue, social integration, citizen participation and
sustainability, but also form lasting relationships with other teenagers
from different cultures.

In order to be scaled up and replicated, the Peace Camp needs
institutional recognition to get support for post-Peace Camp projects at
the local level; and financial support to extend the camp to other
cities and to introduce better technologies to improve the results of
the camp.

Peaceworks, Gujarat/Kashmir (India), Arts/Education

Contact: Meena Megha Malhotra, <a
href=”mailto:feedback@seagullindia.com”>feedback@seagullindia.com

Peaceworks is an initiative that grew out of the despair over the
Gujarat carnage of 2000. Addressing the need to foster a spirit of
peaceful co-existence, mutual respect across differences, and equality,
Peaceworks supports youth to make positive change through the arts. This
initiative illustrates that it is in the realm of attitudes and values
where long-term difference can be achieved.

In order to be scaled up and replicated, Peaceworks needs funding to
continue their work and go to regions where conflict is a reality for
youth.

RandomKid: The Power of Anyone, Seattle/Various global locations, Youth

Contact: Anne Royse Ginther, <a
href=”mailto:anne@randomkid.org”>anne@randomkid.org

A non-profit co-founded by New York Times op-ed pick for President (USA)
in 2044, 15 year-old Talia Leman, and USA Today’s Pied Piper of
youth-led initiatives, Anne Ginther. RandomKid empowers youth to work
across boundaries of culture, race, creed, economic circumstance,
ability and geography to solve real problems in the world – together.
With a 300%-1000% return on whatever is invested in them, 12 million
RandomKid youth from 20 countries have brought aid on four
continents-building schools, placing wells, providing medical care, and
ultimately fostering peace.

In order to spread the peace, RandomKid is offering their website
technology to be replicated around the world, and adapted to all
languages for all cultures.

Traveling Peace Academy, Asia, Religion/Education

Contact: <a
href=”mailto:rmurphy@uri.org”>rmurphy@uri.org

URI’s (United Religions Initiative) Traveling Peace Academy builds the
capacity of local leaders in conflict zones to create sustainable peace
in their communities. Its methods include: training grassroots leaders
in transformational conflict prevention, resolution and reconciliation;
fostering cross-religious and cross-cultural cooperation for peace and
community development; and building multi-stakeholder partnerships that
include religious, civil society, governmental and business groups.

After a successful launch in India and the Philippines in 2009, the
Traveling Peace Academy needs funding to scale up and bring this
critical training to grassroots leaders in conflict zones throughout
URI’s global network.

Contact: Jean-Christophe Bas

Senior Advisor-Strategic Development & Partnerships

United Nations Alliance of Civilizations

Tel: 1 212 457 1090

Email: <a
href=”mailto:basj@un.org”>basj@un.org

Hosted and organized by the Brazilian government, the forum convened a unique audience of journalists, NGOs, heads of state and members of government, business leaders, and youth. Among the many highlights, the following announcements were made:

Dialogue Café network: inauguration of the two first Dialogue Cafés in Lisbon and Rio de Janeiro. Dialogue Cafe uses the latest video conferencing technology to connect young people in different parts of the world.

Announcement that the 1st conference of the Global Youth Movement for the UN Alliance of Civilizations in Baku in October 2010 at the invitation of the government of Azerbaijan.

Expansion of the Alliance Fellowship Program—an exchange of young leaders between the Arab world, Europe, and the United States—which will take place in November 2010.

Announcement of the Alliance of Civilizations summer school – “Bridging hearts, opening minds and doing things together” (Aveiro, Portugal, one week in August) – a multi-stakeholder initiative, to celebrate the International Year of Youth.

Launching of the third round of the Youth Solidarity Fund, an initiative to provide seed funding to youth-led projects that promote cross-cultural understanding.

The 2nd Global Model United Nations organized by the UN will take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in August 2010 on the themes of the Alliance of Civilizations, in partnership with the government of Malaysia.

The creation of the United Nations University International Institute for the Alliance of Civilizations, based in Barcelona.

Launching of The Online Community on Migration and Integration in partnership with the International Organization for Migration.

Presentation of the new Global Expert Finder website, a free online resource of experts and opinion leaders, which supports the work of journalists.

Presentation of a new resource for journalists of the Mediterranean region in collaboration with the Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF) and the European Commission. It is to be fully developed in the context of the joint UNAOC – ALF – European Commission strategy and in the framework of the future Action Plan implementing the UNAOC Regional Strategy for the Mediterranean.

Memoranda of Understanding and partnership agreements were presented/signed:

renewed MoU with UNESCO

MoU with IRCICA

Action Plan implementing previous MoU with OIC and ALECSO

Letter of Intent with ILO

finalization of the preparation of the MoU with the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) and the World Bank

The Rio Forum further confirmed the global scope of the Alliance of Civilizations and provided new and existing partners a platform to collaborate with each other on substantive projects in the field of intercultural relations.

For media comment:

Stephanie Durand

+55 21 802 783 23

stephanied@unops.org

Dex Torricke-Barton

+1 917-514-5894

Torricke-barton@un.org

The UNAOC mobilizes concerted action toward reaffirming a paradigm of mutual respect among peoples of different cultural and religious backgrounds. It aims to bridge the world’s divides and to build trust and understanding across cultures and communities. Established in 2005 as a UN initiative, the Alliance emerged out of a conviction that in order to achieve sustainable peace, long-standing divisions between cultures need to be addressed.

LONDON, UK – May 27, 2010 – The Dialogue Café Association is excited to announce the launch of its first two cafés, in Lisbon and Rio de Janeiro, to coincide with the 3rd Annual Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations on 27-29th May 2010. Dialogue Café is a non-profit initiative, which uses state of the art video technology to enable face-to-face conversations between diverse groups of people from around the world so that they can share experiences, learn from each other and work together to make the world a better place. They will be linked by life-size, high-definition video and sound allowing people from different cities and cultures to talk and meet despite being located on different sides of the world.

Facts/Highlights:

· With support from the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, Cisco, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, the Anna Lindh Foundation and others, the Dialogue Café Association is creating a global network of physical spaces – Dialogue Cafés – which will provide access to Cisco TelePresence technology to enable city-to-city and multi-city conversations and activities.

· These cafés will be connected through a global exchange that links cafés across the world to enable informal conversations as well as more structured multi-city activities such as workshops, seminars, conferences, concerts and lectures.

· Dialogue Café results from the radical but simple idea that people have many things in common and given the opportunity, they will explore their common interests, sparking collaborations and stimulating ideas that address the major issues of today.

· Dialogue Café believes that these kinds of conversations and collaborations can lead to new ways of thinking and doing: they can empower individuals and communities, break down prejudice and misconceptions and promote greater understanding and co-operation across cultures.

· The first two Dialogue Cafés will open on the 27th May in Rio de Janeiro at the Cândido Mendes University and in Lisbon at the Museum of Fashion and Design (MUDE). Soon, Dialogue Cafés will be opened in London, Amsterdam, Florence, Toronto, Doha, Ramallah, Tel Aviv, Cairo, Istanbul, New York, San Francisco and Seoul.

· Each Dialogue Café will be managed by a local partner – in Lisbon by MUDE with the support of local partners including the Municipality of Lisbon and in Rio by Cândido Mendes University. These local partners will oversee the day to day management of the Dialogue Café.

· Dialogue Café is created for individuals and organizations with a social, environmental, educational or cultural mission – such as foundations, civil society organizations, community groups, universities, schools, social enterprises, public sector bodies and agencies.

· Dialogue Cafés are spaces for innovation and creativity – with a particular focus on cross-cultural dialogue, social innovation, civic participation and arts, creativity and culture. The following examples illustrate the range and variety of activities that will be enabled by Dialogue Café as the network grows and develops around the world.

Ø Young people in Istanbul, London and Toronto sharing stories about their heritage.

Ø Women from Cairo, Doha and Amsterdam discussing the role of education and employment in empowering women.

Ø Multi-city conferences and events on topics such as climate change, creativity and innovation, ageing and social exclusion connecting London, New York, Amsterdam, Florence, Doha and Ramallah.

Ø Joint projects linking schools in Lisbon and Rio de Janeiro, and Seoul and San Francisco.

Ø Social entrepreneurs from Cairo, Tel Aviv and Toronto talking about potential commercial collaborations.

Ø Simultaneous theatre workshops run in Rio de Janeiro, New York and San Francisco.

Ø Concerts from Rio de Janeiro live to London, Lisbon, Amsterdam, Florence and New York.

Supporting Quotes:

· Diogo Vasconcelos, Chairman of Dialogue Café Association

“In a changing world globalization means collaboration – not standardization. Innovation can act as a bridge between countries and cultures. Dialogue Café is about “we” and “them” co-creating a better future together.”

· Jorge Sampaio, United Nation’s High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, former president of Portugal

“Dialogue Cafés are perfect for celebrating and promoting diverCities”

· Professor Cândido Mendes,

“Dialogue Café is at the nexus of the encounter of cultures in our times: relaxed conversation that leads to the discovery of the other.”

Supporting resources:

For more information on Dialogue Café visit www.dialoguecafe.org http://www.dialoguecafe.org/

· Cisco: http://www.cisco.com/ http://www.cisco.com/

· United Nations’ Alliance of Civilization: http://www.unaoc.org/ http://www.unaoc.org/

· Anna Lindh Foundation: www.euromedalex.org http://www.euromedalex.org/

· Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation: http://www.gulbenkian.org.uk/ http://www.gulbenkian.org.uk/

· MUDE: http://www.mude.pt/ http://www.mude.pt/

· UCAM: http://www.ucam.edu.br/ http://www.ucam.edu.br/

Contact information

Universidade Cândido Mendes, Kátia de Marco

<a
href=”mailto:katia@dialoguecafe.org”>katia@dialoguecafe.org

MUDE – Museu do Design e da Moda, Bárbara Coutinho

+ 351 21 888 61 22 | <a
href=”mailto:mude@dialoguecafe.org”>mude@dialoguecafe.org

Dialogue Café Association, Julie Caulier-Grice,

+ 44 207 831 3404 | <a
href=”mailto:julie@dialoguecafe.org”>julie@dialoguecafe.org

These recommendations will be presented by the young leaders on May 28 to a plenary audience of world leaders.

The leaders are representatives of youth-led organizations, including national youth councils, youth NGOs, youth networks and youth media that are active in their communities and are committed to the UNAOC principles and objectives. The young leaders will also exchange ideas for the celebration of the International Year of Youth on Dialogue and Mutual understanding.

During the Youth Event, participants will discuss and draft recommendations to world leaders, including heads of states and governments, on issues pertaining to specific policies that affect their lives and can as such enhance the ability and work achieved by young people in bridging cultural divides.

Young people will seek to develop partnerships with governments to implement the recommendations. Continuity of their efforts will be partly ensured through the UNAOC Youth Website discussion platform.

A key element of the Youth Event is the discussion on and adoption of the action plan for the Global Youth Movement for the UN Alliance of Civilizations.

The Youth Event is an integral part of the UN Alliance of Civilizations Forum and a vital opportunity for youth to meet and interact with decision-makers from various fields, including politics, civil society, media and religious institutions.

For more information, contact Isabelle Legare per email <a
href=”mailto:isabellel@unops.org”>isabellel@unops.org or Stephanie Durand per phone +55.21.21.80.27.83.23

Developed jointly with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), this website (www.unaoc.org/communities/migrationintegration) will convene a worldwide community of policy makers, practitioners and civil society activists who work together to improve relations among migrants and host communities.

This online community features ideas and innovative projects from around the world, highlighting successful models and inspiring new initiatives. It also illustrates the positive impact of migration and the benefits it can bring to host societies, as migrants contribute to the economic, cultural and social life of their new country.

The migration and integration website includes a global interactive map, links to resources on migration policies and relevant events, a gallery of socially engaged artists and a forum allowing migrants and professionals who offer answers to complex integration issues.

From fighting racism with humor in France to welcoming Sudanese refugees in Australia, from using graphic design as an integration tool for migrant women in Germany to enhancing the role of religious leaders in mediation, from promoting the right to health in South Africa to enhancing bilingual education in Phoenix, Arizona, the online community connects a wide range of partners to help migrants adapt to their new home and host communities to integrate newcomers in an increasingly diverse environment.

Log on to: www.unaoc.org/communities/migrationintegration http://www.unaoc.org/communities/migrationintegration

For media requests, please contact Ms Florence Laufer (laufer@un.org ; +1.917.655.4723)

UNITED NATIONS, May 24, 2010 (IPS) – Since its inception in 2005, the Alliance of Civilisations (AoC) has worked to improve understanding and cooperation across nations, cultures and religions in order to counter the forces that fuel polarisation and extremism.

At the helm is seasoned statesman Jorge Sampaio, who served as president of Portugal from 1996 to 2006. As the AoC high representative, he brings an enormous wealth of experience to the table. During his time in office, Sampaio championed numerous international causes, including HIV/AIDS, human rights and the independence of East Timor. He also served as the U.N. Special Envoy to Stop Tuberculosis.

Next on his agenda is the upcoming AoC conference in Rio de Janeiro on May 27-29, which aims to build bridges across cultures and countries. Excerpts from the interview follow.

Q: What is your hope for this year’s Forum?

A: My hope? Commitment, partnerships, and dialogue that delivers. A conference that produces a momentum that will last until the Forum in Doha next year.

I hope that this Third Forum will be a rare opportunity where world, political and corporate leaders, mayors, civil society, youth, journalists, foundations, international organisations and religious leaders from all around the world come together, all focused on the theme of contributing to “Bridging Cultures and Building Peace”.

In more concrete terms, the importance of this Forum is that it is the first outside the European area, thus stressing the global scope of the Alliance and its universal outreach. Also, it is the first time for participation from a number of new and important members, such as the U.S. There is relevant representation of African and Latin American regions, not to mention the steady presence of Asian countries.

Third, it is the first time that AoC partners will have the opportunity to take part in a very proactive way in the organisation of a whole working day, which is the Pre-Day Forum, with a parliamentary session organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

Q: The Alliance aims to forge new partnerships. What is one of the most unique relationships you’ve seen under your tenure?

A: With no doubt whatsoever, the “Dialogue Café” project, which was announced in Istanbul last year and will be now inaugurated with its two first outlets, in Rio and Lisbon.

“Dialogue Café” is based on a true public-private partnership – between the Alliance of Civilisations, CISCO, the Anna Lindh Foundation, the Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon Municipality, the Museum of Fashion and Design (Portugal), Cândido Mendes University (Rio).

Dialogue Café is a non-profit initiative, which uses leading edge video conferencing technology to enable face-to-face conversations between diverse groups of people from around the world so that they can share experiences, learn from each other and work together to make the world a better place.

Dialogue Cafés are spaces for innovation and creativity – with a particular focus on cross-cultural dialogue, social innovation, civic participation and arts, creativity and culture. These cafés will be connected through a global exchange that links cafés across the world to enable informal conversations as well as more structured multi-city activities such as conferences, concerts and lectures.

Dialogue Café is for individuals and organisations with a social, environmental, educational or cultural mission – such as foundations, civil society organisations, community groups, universities, schools, social enterprises, public sector bodies and agencies. This project is based on a radical but simple idea that people have many things in common and given the opportunity, they will explore their common interests, sparking collaborations and stimulating ideas that address the major issues of today.

After Rio and Lisbon, the project is to extend the network to a significant number of places around the Mediterranean and to some other big cities around the world. The next stop will be Florence, but I hope that new Cafés will be open very soon in London, Amsterdam, Toronto, Doha, Ramallah, Tel Aviv, Cairo, Istanbul, New York, San Francisco and Seoul.

Q: As the world becomes smaller, how can different societies live together in harmony?

A: The world is one, whether you like it or not. So the only way to live together is inter-culturally.

Q: What is the best way to foster mutual respect and peace between cultures and countries?

A: I don’t think there are magic wands or formulas that can be applied to achieve these goals. We need to develop a multiplicity of activities and simultaneous action. We need to use all tools available, but also all our will.

Education is key. This includes education on human rights, on citizenship and respect for others, cultural diversity, intercultural understanding, as well as cultural and media literacy. In addition, we need education and dialogue on religions and beliefs.

Cooperation with the media is crucial. It is necessary to prevent the media and the Internet from being used to spread hatred, intolerance and misconception, while safeguarding freedom of opinion and expression.

We also have to address the world’s imbalances, cooperate for more justice, more rights, and more opportunities for all. Otherwise it is difficult to achieve an agenda for peace, security and development, an aspiration shared by all individuals.

Q: What is the most difficult obstacle to creating the conditions for long-term peace?

A: Reconciliation in the hearts and minds among former enemies.

Q: The U.S. recently became the 100th country to join the Alliance. How is this significant?

A: Having the United States on board is not a zero-sum game. What is at stake is to ensure that all the parties involved benefit sufficiently. I hope that the United States will bring into the community new perspectives, fresh thinking and additional will to turn the goals of the Alliance into results.

Q: How can more positive relationships with the Muslim world be forged?

A: By recognising that a prerequisite for fruitful dialogue is that both sides have problems. Denial and victimisation halt action.

Q: What global problem keeps you awake at night, and if you had one wish to put towards this problem, what would it be?

A: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict. My wish: to have Israelis and Palestinians talking about opportunities, sharing common hope for future generations and working together to build a better world for their children.

The inauguration will be followed by a drinks reception and a celebration of musical traditions from Lisbon and Rio de Janeiro.

Rio Dialogue Café Card Invitations Rio [pdf]

Lisboa, Portugal – 27 de Maio de 2010 – A Organização Dialogue Café anunciou o lançamento dos seus dois primeiros cafés inovadores, em Lisboa e no Rio de Janeiro, coincidindo este lançamento com o 3º Fórum Anual das Nações Unidas para a Aliança das Civilizações que acontece entre os dias 27 e 29 de Maio de 2010.

O Dialogue Café é uma iniciativa, sem fins lucrativos, que utiliza a arte das tecnologias de vídeo de ultima geração, permitindo a conversa cara a cara entre vários grupos de pessoas em todo o mundo, proporcionando diferentes trocas de experiências, permuta de aprendizagens e facilitando trabalhos conjuntos, com o intuito de tornar o mundo um lugar melhor. Os participantes vão estar ligados através de vídeo e som em alta definição, em ecrãs que permitem ver os interlocutores em tamanho real assegurando que, estando em diferentes pontos do globo e pertencendo a culturas distintas, estas pessoas possam conversar e partilhar experiências.

Factos/Destaques:

· Com o apoio das Nações Unidas para a Aliança das Civilizações, da Cisco, da Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, da Fundação Anna Lindh, entre outros, a Associação Dialogue Café está a criar uma rede global entre espaços físicos – Dialogue Cafés – que dará acesso a tecnologias de videoconferência promovendo actividades e diálogos entre diversas cidades distantes.

· Estes cafés vão estar ligados através de uma rede global de hiperligações entre cafés em todo o mundo, permitindo não só os diálogos informais, mas também algumas actividades mais estruturadas entre as diversas cidades, tais como workshops, seminários, conferências, concertos e sessões de leitura.

· Os Dialogue Café são o resultado de uma ideia simples mas no entanto radical, baseada no facto de que as pessoas têm muito em comum e que havendo oportunidade vão explorar os seus interesses comuns, estimulando em simultâneo ideias que abordam os principais problemas da actualidade.

· O conceito Dialogue Café acredita que esse tipo de diálogos e cooperação conduzem a uma nova forma de pensar e agir: preparam os indivíduos e as comunidades para quebrar preconceitos e equívocos, promovendo uma maior compreensão e cooperação entre culturas;

· Os dois primeiros Dialogue Cafés vão abrir no dia 27 de Maio no Rio de Janeiro, na Universidade Cândido Mendes, e em Lisboa no Museu da Moda e do Design (MUDE).
Brevemente vão ser abertos mais Dialogue Cafés em Londres, Amesterdão, Florença, Toronto, Doha, Ramallah, Telavive, Cairo, Istambul, Nova Iorque, São Francisco e Seul.

· Cada Dialogue Café será gerido por um parceiro local – em Lisboa essa gestão será feita pelo MUDE, com o apoio de parceiros locais, que incluem a Câmara Municipal de Lisboa, e a Universidade Cândido Mendes no Rio de Janeiro. Estes parceiros farão a gestão diária do Dialogue Café.

· O conceito Dialogue Café foi criado para pessoas individuais e organizações com dimensão social, ambiental, educacional ou com missões culturais, tais como fundações, organizações de sociedade civil, grupos comunitários, universidades, escolas, empresas sociais, órgãos públicos e agências.

· Os Dialogue Cafés são espaços para inovação e criatividade focados em especial no diálogo inter-cultural, na inovação social, na participação cívica e nas artes, na criatividade e na cultura.

Os seguintes exemplos ilustram o carácter e a variedade das actividades que serão abrangidas pelos Dialogue Café enquanto potencial rede em desenvolvimento em todo o mundo:

Ø Jovens de Istambul, Londres e Toronto trocam as suas histórias;

Ø Mulheres do Cairo, Doha e Amesterdão discutem o papel da Instrução e do Emprego para a emancipação.

Ø Conferências e eventos em diversas cidades sobre temas como as mudanças climatéricas, criatividade e inovação, envelhecimento e exclusão social, fazendo a ponte entre Londres, Nova Iorque, Amesterdão, Florença, Doha e Ramallah.

Ø Projectos conjuntos que ligam escolas de Lisboa ao Rio de Janeiro, de Seul a São Francisco;

Ø Empreendedores sociais do Cairo, Telavive e Toronto a falar sobre potenciais colaborações sociais;

Ø Workshops de teatro a acontecer em simultâneo no Rio de Janeiro, Nova Iorque e São Francisco;

Ø Concertos no vivo do Rio de Janeiro para Londres, Lisboa, Amesterdão, Florença e Nova Iorque;

Citações de apoio:

· Diogo Vasconcelos, Presidente da Associação Dialogue Café,

“Num mundo em mudança a globalização significa colaboração e não standardização. A inovação pode actuar como uma ponte entre países e culturas. O Dialogue Café é sobre o “nós” e o “eles” na criação conjunta de um mundo melhor.”

· Jorge Sampaio, Alto Representante das Nações Unidas para a Aliança das Civilizações, ex-presidente de Portugal,

” Os Dialogue Cafés são perfeitos para celebrar e promover diverCidades”

· Professor Cândido Mendes,

“O Dialogue Café está no centro do encontro de culturas dos nossos tempos: é a conversa descontraída que leva ao conhecimento do outro.”

Recursos de apoio:

Para mais informações sobre o Dialogue Café visite: www.dialoguecafe.org

· Cisco: http://www.cisco.com/

· Nações Unidas para a Aliança das Civilizações: http://www.unaoc.org/

· Fundação Anna Lindh: www.euromedalex.org

· Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian: http://www.gulbenkian.org.uk/

· MUDE: http://www.mude.pt/

· UCAM: http://www.ucam.edu.br/

Contactos para informações:

Universidade Cândido Mendes, Kátia de Marco
href=”mailto:katia@dialoguecafe.org”>katia@dialoguecafe.org

MUDE – Museu do Design e da Moda, Bárbara Coutinho
+ 351 21 888 61 22 | href=”mailto:mude@dialoguecafe.org”>mude@dialoguecafe.org

Dialogue Café Association, Julie Caulier-Grice,
+ 44 207 831 3404 | href=”mailto:julie@dialoguecafe.org”>julie@dialoguecafe.org