Overview

An International Dialogue Forum on Arab-West relations with media, civil society and policy-makers.

On Wednesday, 6th April 2011, from 10.00 to 17.00 (registration from 09.30) at the headquarters of the Arab League in Cairo, Egypt.

Taking place in the context of the historical events that the Arab region has experienced since the New Year, the Forum will bring together around 150 media practitioners, policy-makers and civil society representatives to explore the implications for cross-cultural relations within and across societies.

The Forum will also see the regional launch of new reports into West-Arab relations and the potential of Media to bridge gaps in mutual perceptions:

  • The ‘C-1 Dialogue Report’, which combines data and research about Muslim-West relations, with a particular focus on work with Media and in Education
  • The Anna Lindh Report on Intercultural Trends, which is based on the very first Euro-Mediterranean Survey carried out with 13,000 people from 1 different countries about perceptions, values and intercultural behaviours
  • The Gallup ‘Measuring the State of Muslim-West Relations Assessing the New Beginning’

Opening speakers include: Amre Moussa (Secretary General of the Arab League); Mrs Gunilla Carlsson (Swedish Minister of Development and International Cooperation); Jorge Sampaio (United Nations High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations; and André Azoulay (President of the Anna Lindh Foundation for Dialogue between Cultures), and the main plenary debate will run in association with the ‘Global Experts’ initiative, and involve leading commentators including Gilles Kepel (Science Po Paris), Hafez El-Merazi (Egyptian Media Anchor previously worked for Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya), Sylvie Kauffman (Le Monde/France 24), David Ignatius (Washington Post), Marie Christine Saragosse (TV5 Monde), Hany Shukrallah (Shorouk Newspaper) and Dalia Mogahed (Gallup Center for Muslim Studies).

Organised by the Arab League, the Anna Lindh Foundation and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, the Forum is also taking place in the framework of the UN Alliance Regional Strategy for the Mediterranean and the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. Key partners involved in the initiative include: Media Tenor and the Swedish Institute of Alexandria.