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SPEECH BY SECRETARY W. SCHWIMMER Ladies and gentlemen, In my capacity as secretary general of the Maison de la Méditerrannée I would like to welcome all of you and express my satisfaction being with you tonight. This concert is an extraordinary event. It is a particular cultural event of big political significance. Since September 11 many people, too many people, have beeb taking about a "clash of civilisations". But those people who were taking about a clash of civilisations did not know much about other civilisations if they have even known about their own one. So what is really there is a clash of ignorance. This must be overcome by more knowledge about the other, by mutual understanding and by an alliance of civilisations. The threats and challenges we face today in a more and more globalized world are the same - terrorism, poverty gap, lame economies, polluted environment, the change of climate and just recently we learned about the immense and uncredible power of unpredictible natural desasters. The Tsunami did not differentiate and killed natives and tourists, Muslims and Christians, Jews, Buddhist and Hindus. Facings these threats and challenges we need a collective response and the alliance and solidarity of all people of good will. I hope that the global solidarity we see today with the victims of the Tsunami will maintain and function also in other circumstances. But this is not obvious and cannot be taken for granted. We have to work for it and we have to begin with it. The Mediterranean which was in ancient times as mare nostrum united in one civilisation can become the laboratory of a new alliance of civilisations. Artists from both shores of the Mediterranean who perform tonight music from both shores of the Mediterranean have already joined their forces, let civil society and politics follow. The Mediterrenean could and should become again a space of peace and mutual understanding. This is the message of tonight and I thank you for your presence which proofs that you understood this message. Thank you very much. Torna indietro |
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