United Nations Alliance of Civilisations & International Youth Day 2012
Our founding director Sadiq Miah recently attended the 3rd Annual United Nations Alliances of Civilisations summer event under invitation of President of the Portuguese Republic (1996-2006) Jorge Sampaio current acting High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations.
The event organized by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations is in cooperation with other partners, such as the League of Arab States, the North-South Center of the Council of Europe, the Euro-Mediterranean University (EMUNI), the Gulbenkian Foundation, the Aga Khan Development Network as well as the Government of Brazil.
The 2012 event was hosted by the University of Coimbra and took place from 5 August to 13 August 2012. The last two days were spent in Braga (Portugal) at the invitation of “Braga 2012, European Youth Capital” to celebrate International Youth Day.
Under the theme “Bridging Hearts, Opening Minds and Doing Things Together”, the aim of this UNAOC programme was to bring together young organisations to enhance their knowledge and reinforce their ability to communicate across difference, interact with the “other”, and look at diversity as an asset for cross-fertilization. This project was a week-long program using a variety of educational approaches such as methodological and political inputs, small group discussions, peer-led workshops, visits to religious sites, etc. Themes such as multiple identities, globalization, the role of media in breaking or reinforcing stereotypes, human rights and diplomacy, etc. were explored thanks to the contribution of several regional and international experts who came to Aveiro to share their thoughts and have dynamic discussions with the participants.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon made a point of sending a message to more than 145 youth who participated yesterday in Braga, the official ceremony to celebrate the International Youth Day. Ban Ki-moon congratulated Braga 2012: CEJ to celebrate the International Youth Day in conjunction with the participants of the Summer School of the Alliance of Civilizations, a UN initiative that brings together young people from around the world to learn and empower themselves to each other through of inter-cultural dialogue.
Future Voices International was able to gain fundamental new partners to assist with the implementation of new project ‘Unspoken World’ an innovative new approaches to using communication media to empower invisible communities facing social issues caused by the minerals exploitation industry.
For further details please visit www.unspokenworld.org & www.unaoc.org.
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