THE PRESIDENT CAPASSO MET VAQIF SADIQOV AMBASSADOR OF AZERBAIJIAN IN ITALY

In the occasion of the Third Forum about intercultural dialogue, the President Michele Capasso met up with Vaqif Sadiqov ambassador of Azerbaijian in Italy and showed to him the Fondazione project and that one of RIDEItalian Network for Euromediterranean Dialogue established in cooperation with Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Among the various projects was showed also the “Totem of Peace” dedicated to Azeri martyrs and the realization of an area of MAMT museum in Naples and to be dedicated to Azerbaijian with specific sections dedicated to “Memory”, “Art”, “Music”, Traditions” of Caucasian country as an example of pacific cohabitation between cultures and faith. The president Capasso gifted Ambassador Sadiqov of the book dedicated to the 25 º of FM.

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THE PRESIDENT CAPASSO MET ISESCO GENERAL DIRECTOR ABDULAZIZ OTHMAN ALTWAIJRI

The  President Michele Capasso met the General Director of  ISESCO dr. Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, who is one of the organizators of Baku 2015. Altwaijri praised the 25 years old of activity of Fondazione Mediterraneo and remembered how this organism opened the path of Forum about intercultural dialogue especially with Forum of Naples in 1997 and 2003. The president Capasso gifted Dr. Altwaijri of his book “La Grande Méditerranée”.

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PRESIDENT CAPASSO MET CARDINAL ONAIYEKAN

The president Michele Capasso met the Cardinal John Onaiyekan, Arcibishop of Abuja (Nigeria).
The meeting was occasion to face the problems concerning Christians and Catholics and the need of political interventions which could put an end to the slaughters of innocent in name of intolerance and religions.

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FONDAZIONE MEDITERRANEO JOINS THE 3° FORUM ABOUT INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE

“Culture and sustainable development” as tools to contrast violence and wars which are spreading phenomenons.This is the goal of Fondazione Mediterraneo, which for 25 years is engaged in the promotion of intercultural dialogue and peace. The Fondazione joined the Italian delegation – among its exponents were Pl. Min Enrico Granara, Italian Ambassador in Baku Giampaolo Cutillo, MIBAC General Secretary Emilio Cabasino – in the Third Edition of the Forum for intercultural dialogue which gathered in the Azeri capital of Baku high profile exponents during the 18/19 May 2015. Among the sponsor of the event, of which the first edition was held in 2008, we can mention UNESCO, United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, World Tourism Organization and the Council of Europe: the event got the patronage of the President of Azerbaijan. During this meeting the reached goal had been faced as well as strategies to increase the dialogue between cultures and nations. In the opening speech the president Ilham Aliyev highlighted the importance of Azerbaijan as an example of Caucasian cultural melting pot in which ethnic and religious coexistence are an important topic of discussion. “Exponents from more than 100 countries. It is so important that so many people gathered here to share their ideas. Today this world is plenty of territories in war. Too much violence. Too many bloody conflicts. Our Country is a solid island in the region”, affirmed the President Aliyev. The most important topics faced were security issue and the struggle to all forms of extremism. As the French senator Nathalie Goulet pointed out important steps has been taken on these issues. “It is an important result to see gathered at the same table rabbi, exponents of Gulf Country, coming from countries in war which don’t speak one with the other. We need better education for a brighter future. We need to share common values. And these values need to be acted. It is time to stop with theory. I’m aware it is long and difficult process”, declared Goulet. The world is not safe. There is so much violence compared to 10 years ago”.
Another issue to be discussed is the problem of how contrast the Nigerian Islamic State in Western Africa. Without taking in account the advance of integralist of ISIL. “In my country Boko Haram represents a little group of terrorist and fanatical Muslims. The other Muslims in Nigeria are for the peace between populations. There will be also this division until when the divisions between different religions will come to an end. We cannot think to find resolution everywhere. We have the same problems also with Christians, we are not that close” as the Archbishop of Abuja, John Onaiyekan pointed out. The Forum for intercultural dialogue is a biennial event organized in collaboration with UNESCO. And the general director Irina Bokova – which recently visited Fondazione Mediterraneo – showed which strategies can be used in order to avoid worse situations: “The situation is day by day more problematic, the number of conflicts is increasing.” We are becoming day by day more intolerant. We don’t pay attention to culture, our cultural heritage and diversity”. We don’t pay attention to education programs. We need to focus about the contents of school books. We need to know our culture and that one of other populations.”
“We need dialogue, tolerance and competence”. This is the message launched by the Forum of Baku by the president Michele Capasso which highlighted the role of Italy – with its organs which since years are working about dialogue and solidarity : “We need to be able to share differences, we need to learn to live together without killing ourselves. This is our hope, this is the involvement of Italy: a big Country, natural step of Europe in the Mediterranean, which in our recent history showed the right characteristics , giving value to the examples of good practice in order to let us live together. Diversity and mutual comprehension between nations and populations are the pillars to build a peace future.”

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HOLY SEE: TO KILL IN NAME OF GOD IS A BLASFEMY

Baku, Azerbaijan, hosted the third world Forum about intercultural dialogue, sponsored by ONU and European Council, under patronage of Azeri president Aliyev. The forum is an occasion to discuss about the goals reached until today for what concerns the intercultural dialogue and to promote the mutual comprehension between civilisations and nations. The topic of this year Forum is “Culture and sustainable development in the agenda for the period after 2015. Also Monsignor mons. Melchor Sanchez de Toca y Alameda, undersecretary for the Vatican Conseil of Culture. As follows this is what the monsignor declared to Patricia Ynestroza:

R. – This is the third of a series of meeting which gave birth to the so called “Baku spirit” in order to foster the dialogue in an area which is particularly sensitive. Obviously this should be done in cooperation with United Nations and several initiatives for intercultural dialogue. The object of this international forums is close to the spirit of Pontifical Council for Culture: the idea of culture as meeting point, in which is possible to meet. If sometimes, about dogmatic question, is difficult to find an agreement, at least it is possible to do so in the field of culture. Let’s think about the great universal languages: which are cultural phenomenons and thanks to them the populations can understand each other: the music, the sport, the science and the beauty which are universal languages able to link the populations one to another. At the same time can also be reason of struggle: and we are aware of this...

D. – What is the position of the Holy See in the Forum?

R. –The delegation of Holy See is strong about some questions: in primis cultures should not be isolated, because even though the safeguard of national identity should be protected we should not forget to isolate the culture and avoid any contact. As a second step we should remember that in the core of every culture and intercultural dialogue there are some questions which dunk their roots in the religion, because they concern the sense of existence, of the world, the origin and the destiny of the universe and the problems of sufference and evil. So it is not possible to divide the intercultural dialogue by inter religious dialogue. And we should remember to the governs that the dialogue between religions is important in this times of struggles to religious freedom in several places of the world, should be driven by believers and not by governs which should not replace individual believers. We should remember that Pope Francis said several times that “killing in the name of God is a blasphemy”.And this was also reported that without hypocrisy that freedom of expression has always a limit, as was recognized by all the civil systems: the right to freedom of expression doesn’t allow the right to say every thing of anyone. Also religious beliefs of people should be safeguarded in front of excess and public blasphemy

During a meeting with the delegates from Holy See the president Capasso shared the president Capasso finding them coincident with those of Fondazione Mediterraneo.

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RIDE JOINS THE 3° FORUM ABOUT INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE

RIDE –Italian Network for Intercultural Dialogue – joined with an its delegation to the 3° World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, organized by Azerbaijan Government in partnership with members such UNESCO, Council of Europe, Alliances of Civilizations (ONU).
Joined the forum in Baku the honorary president of RIDE Michele Capasso, the Pl. Min. Enrico Granara – cofounder of RIDE in behalf of MAECI - Sergio Yahe Pallavicini (CO.RE.IS.), Laura Enriello (ISA Academy), Isa Benassi (Halal Italia).
The RIDE members joined the several work sessions bringing their contribution and Italian experience in the sphere of intercultural and interreligious dialogue.
The members of Consultative Board Antoine Messarra and Michele Capasso joined the meeting in behalf of Fondazione.

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2° WORLD FORUM OF MINISTRIES OF CULTURE AND TOURISM

The 2° World Forum of Ministries of Culture and Tourism took place in Baku and was presented by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for Azerbaijian prof. Abulfas Garayev.
Among the topics faced were“Culture and substainable development  2015” and “The Role of Cultural Heritage in International Relations”.
The Italian ambassador in Baku Giampaolo Cutillo and Dott. Emilio Cabasino, General Secretary for the I Office of the Ministery of Cultural Heritage, Activities and Tourism joined the forum as exponents for the italian delegation.
The president Capasso joined the work session.

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PRESENTATION OF THE UNESCO BOOK “AGREE TO DIFFER” AND AWARD TO PARTNER ORGANS

In conclusion of the opening session of the “3° World Forum about Intercultural Dialogue” the presentation of the UNESCO published book dedicated to Intercultural Dialogue took place and was dedicated to the tenth anniversary of reconciliation among cultures.
The book, titled “Agree to differ”, was presented by UNESCO General director Irina Bokova, before Ilham Aliyev president of Azeri Republic, the UNESCO ambassador Mehriban Aliyeva – and exponents from partner institutions as ISESCO, AOC, UN World Tourism, Council of Europe.
These ones were awarded with the symbol of the “Forum”.
The president Michele Capasso, praised Aliyeva and General Director for their struggle for the safeguard and promotion of world cultural heritage.

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TURKEY BETWEEN SECULARISM AND FUNDAMENTALISM

During a meeting with students from Turkish universities, the President Michele Capasso illustrated the essential role that the Country can act in the peaceful coexistence process between different cultures and faiths.
The two opposites, secularism and fundamentalism, must be softened by a system of values based on the respect for fundamental rights and dignity of the human being.
In particularly, the President Capasso 25 years activity in favour of dialogue and peace got high approval.
The President Capasso highlighted the values called upon by Francis Pope during his visit to Turkey at the end of 2014.

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TURCHIA AS JOIN COUNTRY BETWEEN EUROPE AND ASIA

In occasion of a “Lectio”at Ankara University, the President Michele Capasso highlighted the importance of Turkey as join country between Europe and Asia. Capasso remembered the most important moments of the meeting held in Fondazione Mediterraneo with president Erdoğan along with some ministries of Turkish government. These are topics which are still actual, in particular due to the increase of fundamentalism and terrorism.

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