Nominations Sought for the Melina Mercouri International Prize

The Melina Mercouri International Prize (UNESCO-Greece) is awarded every other year to recognize outstanding examples of action to safeguard and enhance the world's major cultural landscapes. It meets a need, clearly identified by the World Heritage Committee in Santa Fe in December 1992, to recognize that the protection of cultural landscapes -- a richer concept than the conventional one of 'monuments' or 'sites' -- is one of the main priorities of the present time.

Nominations for the Prize close November 1, 2006. They should be submitted by the State Department in consultation with the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO.

Cultural landscapes fall into three main categories, namely:
(i) The most easily identifiable is the clearly defined landscape designed and created intentionally by human beings. This embraces garden and parkland landscapes constructed for aesthetic reasons, which are often (but not always) associated with religious buildings and ensembles.

(ii) The second category is the organically evolved landscape, a landscape that results from an initial social, economic, administrative, and/or religious imperative and has developed its present form by association with and in response to its natural environment. Such landscapes reflect that process of evolution in their form and component features. They fall into two subcategories:

* a relic (or fossil) landscape is one in which an evolutionary process came to an end at some time in the past, either abruptly or over a period. Its significant distinguishing features are, however, still visible in material form;
* a living landscape is one that retains an active social role in contemporary society closely associated with the traditional way of life and in which the evolutionary process is still in progress. At the same time it exhibits significant material evidence of its evolution over time.

(iii) The final category is the associative cultural landscape. The inclusion of such landscapes on the World Heritage List is justifiable by virtue of the powerful religious, artistic or cultural associations of the natural element rather than material cultural evidence, which may be insignificant or even absent.

I would think that some of the Civil War battlefields, or the Navajo nation's Canon de Celly, or Mesa Verde would be interesting nominations. JAD

Nominations Sought for the Melina Mercouri International Prize

The Melina Mercouri International Prize (UNESCO-Greece) is awarded every other year to recognize outstanding examples of action to safeguard and enhance the world's major cultural landscapes. It meets a need, clearly identified by the World Heritage Committee in Santa Fe in December 1992, to recognize that the protection of cultural landscapes -- a richer concept than the conventional one of 'monuments' or 'sites' -- is one of the main priorities of the present time.

Nominations for the Prize close November 1, 2006. They should be submitted by the State Department in consultation with the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO.

Cultural landscapes fall into three main categories, namely:
(i) The most easily identifiable is the clearly defined landscape designed and created intentionally by human beings. This embraces garden and parkland landscapes constructed for aesthetic reasons, which are often (but not always) associated with religious buildings and ensembles.

(ii) The second category is the organically evolved landscape, a landscape that results from an initial social, economic, administrative, and/or religious imperative and has developed its present form by association with and in response to its natural environment. Such landscapes reflect that process of evolution in their form and component features. They fall into two subcategories:

* a relic (or fossil) landscape is one in which an evolutionary process came to an end at some time in the past, either abruptly or over a period. Its significant distinguishing features are, however, still visible in material form;
* a living landscape is one that retains an active social role in contemporary society closely associated with the traditional way of life and in which the evolutionary process is still in progress. At the same time it exhibits significant material evidence of its evolution over time.

(iii) The final category is the associative cultural landscape. The inclusion of such landscapes on the World Heritage List is justifiable by virtue of the powerful religious, artistic or cultural associations of the natural element rather than material cultural evidence, which may be insignificant or even absent.

I would think that some of the Civil War battlefields, or the Navajo nation's Canon de Celly, or Mesa Verde would be interesting nominations. JAD

Educating For Tomorrow's World

"As a leader of this Decade, UNESCO is assisting countries and regions develop plans and strategies that are relevant to their different realities and concerns. As the dossier of this issue of Education Today* explains, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for teaching about sustainability, and we are operating on a “learning-by-doing” basis. The United Nation’s Decade of Education for Sustainable Development is a chance for all of us to do something together and to learn from one another." -Peter Smith, Assistant Director General for Education

• Check out the dossier “Educating For Tomorrow’s World” (pdf)!
• More on Education Today, a quarterly newsletter on trends and innovations in education, on world-wide efforts towards Education or All and on UNESCO's own education activities.

* Publ. 16, February-May 2006

© UNESCO

Educating For Tomorrow's World

"As a leader of this Decade, UNESCO is assisting countries and regions develop plans and strategies that are relevant to their different realities and concerns. As the dossier of this issue of Education Today* explains, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for teaching about sustainability, and we are operating on a “learning-by-doing” basis. The United Nation’s Decade of Education for Sustainable Development is a chance for all of us to do something together and to learn from one another." -Peter Smith, Assistant Director General for Education

• Check out the dossier “Educating For Tomorrow’s World” (pdf)!
• More on Education Today, a quarterly newsletter on trends and innovations in education, on world-wide efforts towards Education or All and on UNESCO's own education activities.

* Publ. 16, February-May 2006

© UNESCO

Laura Bush Launches “Global Cultural Initiative”

Read the full announcement of the initiative from the Department of State.

The U.S. Government has announced a major new initiative to coordinate, enhance and expand U.S. cultural diplomacy efforts. In partnership with public and private cultural entities, the U.S. Department of State will build upon the work of other government agencies and the broader cultural arts community to emphasize the importance of the arts as a platform for international engagement and dialogue. Federal funding for cultural exchange programs has more than tripled since 2001 and this comprehensive initiative galvanizes the strong commitment of the Administration and the Department to cultural diplomacy.

The initiative will begin with partnerships of the State Department with

* The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,
* The American Film Institute (AFI),
* The President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities (PCAH),
* The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA),
* The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and
* The Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

These partnerships will leverage a broad range of resources for a multi-faceted series of projects designed to:

* Connect foreign audiences with artists and art forms from the United States;
* Share U.S. expertise in arts management and performance; and
* Educate young people and adults in the United States and abroad about the arts and cultures of other countries.

Read the article in the Voice of America on the initiative.

Laura Bush Launches “Global Cultural Initiative”

Read the full announcement of the initiative from the Department of State.

The U.S. Government has announced a major new initiative to coordinate, enhance and expand U.S. cultural diplomacy efforts. In partnership with public and private cultural entities, the U.S. Department of State will build upon the work of other government agencies and the broader cultural arts community to emphasize the importance of the arts as a platform for international engagement and dialogue. Federal funding for cultural exchange programs has more than tripled since 2001 and this comprehensive initiative galvanizes the strong commitment of the Administration and the Department to cultural diplomacy.

The initiative will begin with partnerships of the State Department with

* The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,
* The American Film Institute (AFI),
* The President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities (PCAH),
* The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA),
* The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and
* The Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

These partnerships will leverage a broad range of resources for a multi-faceted series of projects designed to:

* Connect foreign audiences with artists and art forms from the United States;
* Share U.S. expertise in arts management and performance; and
* Educate young people and adults in the United States and abroad about the arts and cultures of other countries.

Read the article in the Voice of America on the initiative.

The UNESCO Coalition of African Cities Against Racism and Discrimination is officially launched

On the occasion of the fourth Africities Summit held September 18^th-24^th, 2006 in Nairobi, Kenya, UNESCO launched the Coalition of African Cities Against Racism and Discrimination. The initiative is a follow-up on the Durban meeting of experts that drew up a Plan of Action reflecting the specificities and priorities of Africa last May.

As a response to the persisting practice of apartheid, xenophobia, ethnical and religious intolerance, and the legacy of historical slavery, UNESCO urged African leaders to formulate strategies and policies to fight racism and discrimination in their respective cities. Four cities have been called upon to take on the role of “lead city” – Bamako for West Africa, Durban for Southern Africa, Kigali for Central Africa and Nairobi for East Africa.

UNESCO also urged rights groups to continue in their fight against the discrimination of the victims of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, saying their acceptance in the society was critical.

Below are excerpts from remarks made during the Summit:

"It's sad to say in Africa ethnical backgrounds lead to racism and discrimination. This has hindered the continent's development in the fight against discrimination, a vice that needs total devotion to eliminate", said Pierre Sane, UNESCO Assistance Director General for Social and Human Sciences.

"The issue of racism and discrimination and the attitude in the mind threatens equality and security of our people and the responsibilities is on our shoulders as authorities to create room for all in tolerance of racism and promote mutual understanding among our people", added Nairobi City Mayor Dick Wathika.

Photo© Africities 2006