The European Year of Intercultural Dialogue was officially launched in Ljubljana on 8 January by Commission and Parliament presidents José Manuel Barroso and Hans-Gert Pöttering, alongside Slovene Prime Minister Janez Jansa.
The main objectives of EYID 2008 are the promotion of intercultural dialogue among EU citizens to help them deal with a "more open and more complex environment" and raising awareness of the importance of developing "active European civic participation" which is "open to the world, respectful of cultural diversity and based on common values."
Commission spokesperson John Macdonald said that dialogue between Islam and Christianity would be a "key part" of EYID, with the aim of "improving mutual understanding and better living together".
Inter-religious dialogue - particularly social integration and "encouraging employers to pay close attention to culture" - is an important aspect of EYID in the context of the Growth and Jobs agenda, Macdonald added.
EU Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth Ján Figel told a launch conference that intercultural dialogue would become "a common feature in other policy areas covered by the Commission", involving the investment of a "considerable amount of resources over the next few years".
The €10m budget for EYID in 2008 will fund an information campaign promoting its objectives and provide grants for EU-level actions to raise awareness of intercultural dialogue among young people, such as major festivals or sporting events, as well as co-finance actions at national level. There will be one national project per member state.
Examples of projects to be co-financed by the Commission and the member states include information campaigns on cultural diversity and the development of lifelong learning competences such as foreign languages and digital competence.
Announcing the establishment of a civil society platform, Commissioner Figel stressed that civil society involvement is "the key factor" in reaching a large number of people during the year. Moreover, the aims and messages of EYID will be reflected in major arts and culture festivals across Europe.
Meanwhile, Liverpool and Stavanger both mark the beginning of their year as European Capitals of Culture on 12 January, with events set to continue in both cities throughout 2008.
