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22 March 2012 General Assembly GA/11216 Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York Sixty-sixth General Assembly Interactive Thematic Debate AM & PM Meetings CULTURAL DIVERSITY, MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING FORMED BEDROCK OF UNITED NATIONS; RETURN TO SUCH PRINCIPLES VITAL FOR WORLD TORN BY EXTREMISM, FEAR, GENERAL ASSEMBLY TOLD Holds Thematic Debate on Fostering Cross -Cultural Understanding; Panels: Peace and Development — What Works; Youth as Partners — Best Practices Cultural diversity, freedom of thought and mutual understanding formed the bedrock on which the United Nations had been built, and returning to those principles was vital in a world increasingly characterized by extremism and an entrenched fear of the “other”, the General Assembly was told today, as senior Government officials gathered for a thematic debate on fostering cross-cultural understanding. Convened jointly with the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, the one-day interactive debate aimed to support international and grass-roots initiatives that advanced intercultural dialogue and promoted collaborative relations among cultures. It featured two panel discussions, respectively on “Cross-Cultural Understanding for Peace and Development — What Works?” and “Youth as Partners in Advancing Cross-cultural Understanding — Best Practices and Challenges”. In her opening remarks, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro welcomed the many young people in the audience, saying: “The work we are discussing today is not only about you — it depends on you”. She had seen time and again how easily young people forged relationships across the very cultural and religious borders that had kept older generations apart. So-called “grown-ups” needed to follow the lead of young people and leave stereotypes behind. Over the past year, in the Arab region, and recently in Senegal, young people were showing they were ready to fight for social justice, democracy, good governance and their right to contribute to development, she said. Just as important, they wanted the values of equity, equality and fairness to prevail. For its part, the United Nations was moving youth and cross-cultural understanding to the forefront of its agenda with the appointment of the first Special Adviser on Youth. It also would expand the United Nations Volunteer Programme. Beyond that, the Organization needed young people to contribute to the “crucial exercise” of setting policy, she said. Indeed, today’s emerging generation was at home in a world of cross-cultural connection and adept at using new forms of social mobilization. As such, the United Nations was convinced that young people could make a crucial difference in building peaceful and inclusive societies, both at home and in the global order. Echoing the thoughts of the Secretary-General, she said: “Our job is to help them build the future they want”. General Assembly President Nassir Abdulaziz al-Nasser said a shared sense of responsibility had led him to organize the thematic debate with the Alliance of Civilizations, a global initiative launched in 2005 under the auspices of Spain and Turkey, which had since emerged as a “new hope” for stemming the tide of intolerance. The Alliance had created a clear shift in the way people viewed issues of “us” and “them”. The world had seen how feelings of superiority and contempt could lead to war, as had been the case in Cambodia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Rwanda. Now, a shared duty compelled States to ask why — again — culture was being seen as a source of division, and why fear of the other had led to exclusion. Unless the benefits of globalization were shared justly throughout the human family, culture and identity would become the refuge sought by those left behind. “This need not be so,” he said. The Alliance’s role as a mediation tool should be strengthened, and he urged States to give it the capacity and resources required to meet its objectives. He could see a role for the Alliance — and the Office of its High Representative — in appeasing tensions, preventing misunderstandings and mediating disputes that arose from cultural grievances. Doing so would elevate the consideration of peace and security to a universal level. “We should seize this historic opportunity,” he asserted. Agreeing, Jorge Sampaio, High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, said it had become crystal clear that the growing ethnic, religious and cultural diversity of societies — and the increasing contacts among peoples — were key features of the twenty-first century. They also posed decisive challenges for peace and development. Dealing constructively with diversity was important, primarily because global communications were fostering a sense of isolation, which had bred mistrust and exclusion. It was also important, he said, because cultural diversity held the potential for conflict, and could therefore not be neglected. The ability to deal constructively with diversity, he said, was a learning process — the contrary of arrogance — and must be developed in a proactive way. Making diversity an asset was a priority for ensuring humanity’s ability to experience peaceful coexistence at global and local levels. “It’s our shared responsibility to meet this challenge,” he said, stressing that business and religious leaders, academics, civil society actors, the media and the vibrant participation of youth all were needed to break down walls and build shared spaces in the search for commonalities. Beşir Atalay , Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey, said that, in the age of instant communication, “we are still lacking the fundamental components of understanding each other”. True understanding meant seeing each other in a relationship. It meant connecting as human beings, opening ourselves to new horizons and reaching out those who were different. Action — through social, economic and political programmes — must then be taken to bring about greater understanding and cultural affinity. In that vein, Turkey would hold a replenishment meeting for the Alliance in Istanbul on 31 May, followed by a one-day conference on justice, peace and the initiative’s core values. Gonzalo de Benito , Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain, said the diversity of beliefs and cultures must be viewed as a positive factor in overcoming the challenges of mass migration, energy security and terrorism. Diversity was an added value from a socio-economic point of view as well, in that inclusive societies were more creative and, therefore, more competitive. Education played an essential role in that regard, as character was formed in the early stages of life. For such reasons, he urged supporting teacher exchanges, saying that if young people understood their cultural identity, it would help decrease risk of threats. During the first interactive panel, speakers shed light on the key elements of effective approaches to fostering cross-cultural understanding and how to address the issue from a youth perspective. They focused on whether the increased use of social media allowed for meaningful interaction, and the role of educational institutions as spaces for such understanding. They also considered whether mediation could advance the search for peace in a world of competing aspirations. During the afternoon panel — on youth — speakers considered young people’s expertise in fostering intercultural dialogue through innovative means. They underlined that such knowledge and creativity were assets to be harnessed by Government decision-makers in creating, carrying out and monitoring national policies and programmes related to cultural diversity. In closing remarks, Mr. Al-Nasser said he had taken serious note of all points raised throughout the day’s events and that a summary of the discussions would be prepared and made available to Member States. He hoped that the views and suggestions expressed today would trigger a rethinking of the challenges ahead and how to effectively tackle them. Panel: “Cross -cultural understanding for peace and development — what works? ” Moderated by Riz Khan, reporter and broadcaster, Al Jazeera English, the panel featured presentations by Homi K. Bhabha, Professor of Humanities, Department of English, and Director, Humanities Centre, Harvard University; Ibrahim Kalin, Chief Adviser to the Prime Minister, Turkey; Vitaly Naumkin, Director, Institute of Oriental Studies; Farhan Nizami, Director, Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies; Emad El-Din Shahin, Associate Professor of Religion, University of Notre Dame; and Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations. The panel considered the fact that, despite global consensus that all societies were bound together by their humanity and quest for prosperity, stability and peaceful coexistence, translating that quest into concrete action could be daunting. Panellists shed light on the key elements of successful and effective approaches to fostering cross-cultural understanding and how to address the issue from a youth perspective. They focused on whether the increased use of social media allowed for meaningful cross-cultural interaction and the role of educational institutions in fostering such understanding. They also considered whether mediation could reduce tensions and advance the search for peace in a world of diversity and competing aspirations. Opening the discussion, Mr. KHAN asked the panellists to discuss how much cross-cultural encounters really changed people’s behaviour. Mr. BHABHA said people worldwide were

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