"Cultures grow through dialogue"
The seminar beginning on 29 October at the Instituto Cervantes in Stockholm was about the role of minorities and intercultural dialogue. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Instituto Cervantes and the embassies of Spain, Turkey, Greece, Kuwait and Morocco were jointly responsible for arranging the event.
Panel discussion with Mona Abousenna, Emilio Gonzalez Ferrin, Driss Khrouz, Kyriakos Babasidis and Jan Henningsson. Photo: Karin Nylund/MFA
Participants included thinkers from the Arab world, Turkey and Europe, including the Swedish Presidency of the EU. There were writers, diplomats, adult education teachers, sociologists, political scientists, experts on migration, integration and discrimination, experts on the history of ideas, criminologists, and researchers on religion and values systems.
The first item on the programme was a panel discussion, opened by Jan Henningsson from the Middle East and North Africa Department at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. He described how Arab clans formerly solved conflicts by holding poetry competitions rather than using violence.
"Cultures grow through dialogue," said Mr Henningsson. Cultures are not only the causes of clashes between values systems and traditions. Cultures emerge and grow through cross - fertilisation, through migration, through translation and noble competition. Throughout history, minorities have often played a major role in this process, both as bridge - builders between cultures and as catalysts within them.
The opening panel debate was about the historical perspective on minorities. It was followed by a panel discussion on multiculturalism and citizenship. The conference continued on Friday 30 October at the Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities.
