International Forum on Music as a Catakyst for Environmental Awareness ANNOTATED AGENDA OBJECTIVE Under the patronage of UNESCO and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and with the support of the Swiss National Commission for UNESCO,, the Association Melody for Dialogue among Civilizations (www.melodydialogue.org) is organising a two-part programme with the theme « Music for a Green Planet ». One is an International Forum to be held at Geneva’s International Conference Centre (CICG). High-level participants will explore the relationship between music, the environment and sustainable development. I twill focus on the potential of music and musical dialogue to heighten awareness of environmental issues – such as water, the oceans, forests, energy and climate change. This Forum will be followed by the second part of the programme, an innovative multi-cultural concert at Geneva’s prestigious Victoria Hall. Over centuries, music has served in all societies as a tool for education and for awareness-raising about the protection of the environment. It has become a vector for promoting an environmental ethic and justice as well as a point of reference for debates on ecology at the community level. The Forum shall indeed be a multi-disciplinary platform of reflection for musicians, composers, academics, policy-makers, media professionals, ecologists and the public at large about the important and creative role music and artists can play in promoting environmental awareness, advancing social change and stimulating concrete action. The concert « Music for a Green Planet » will present works and artists from different origins and cultures. It seeks to highlight the role of music as a vector for awareness and ecological engagement and to emphasize the power of music as a tool for intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding, and above all, to extol cultural diversity. The concert programme will include major musical works by Heitor Villa Lobos (Forest of the Amazon), Claude Debussy (La Mer), Antonio Vivaldi (La Tempesta), select works by the Chinese composer Tan Dun and « Cosmos », a new composition by the contemporary French composer Yann Robin,. The Prague Philharmonic Orchestra will perform under the direction of Maestro Constantine Orbelian, and will dialogue with an ad hoc ensemble of master musicians playing their traditional instruments. The Concert will also support UNEP’s initiative « Let’s Plant the Planet: the campaign for a billion trees. The organizers of the concert fully subscibe to its objectives. For more information, please visit www.melodydialogue.org Mehri Madarshahi, President Melody for Dialogue among Civilizations Preserve our green planet! Programme 30 Septembre 2009 16h00-17h00 Parc Beaulieu Planting of a symbolic tree by his Honorable Mayor Remy Pagani, Mayor of Geneva to inaugurate the event. The tree has been offered by the Director-General of CERN (European Nuclear Research Center) “Plantation d’un arbre symbolique (donné par le CERN) en présence de M. Rémy Pagani, Maire de Geneve et M. Manuel Tornare (précedent Maire de Geneve)”. 19h30-22h30 Change of color to green on “jet d’eau” on Lac Leman (Geneva, Quai du Mont=Blance). At participants will be transported from this location to the US Mission for the reception (see below) “Lac Léman- Changement de couleur du “jet d’eau” en vert sur le Lac Léman. Point de rencontre: Quai du Mont- Balanc devant Hotel Kampinski “ 19.30- Mission Permanente des Etats-Unis aupres de l’UNOG Réception (sur invitation exclusivement) 1 October 2009 International Forum At the opening plenary session, the focus will be on setting the stage for the forum discussions. Keynote speakers will address the overarching issues of the agenda from their respective perspectives and experiences. It is also hoped that this high- level intervention may provide strategic orientations and guidance for action in linking music and cultural dimensions to the national and global awareness initiatives in support of environmental protection and climate change action. Each intervention will be allocated between 5 to 8 minutes of speaking time. Following the welcoming statement by the organizer of the Forum, the President of the Melody for Dialogue among Civilizations Association and by a representative of the host country/canton/city, the speakers will intervene in the following order: • President Olusegun Obasanjo (former President of Nigeria) • President Andres Pastrana (former President of Colombia) • Prof Rolf Heuer (Director-General, CERN) • Prof. Walter Erdelen (Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences, UNESCO) • Angela Cropper (Deputy Executive Director, UNEP – to be confirmed) • Dr. Julia Marton–Lefevre (Director-Geeneral, IUCN) • Prof. Adama Samassekou (former Minister of Mali; Chair of ICV) • Andre Ducret (Directeur de choeur de Suisse Romande) • Jean-Marie Curti (Conductor) Following a musical interlude with the New York Virtuosi Quartet, there will be dedicated session on “water as the future gold?” At this session, speakers are invited to address the importance of ecosystems for sustainable development and how their relevance can best be introduced into educational systems and policy initiatives. A particular issue will be what particular role could music play in this regard. It is hoped that the exchanges will also lead to recommendations at various levels and to different stakeholders how a better linkage between music and sustainable development initiatives can be pursued. – The deliberations will be preceded by short film by the Chinese composer Tan Dun addressing the session’s subject and an extract from a film by Amy Hart “Water First”. Speakers: Dr Magdy Hefny (recherche sur l’éthique de l’eau), Dr Susan Lisa Toch (Commission sur la Gestion des ecosystemes), Amy Hart (Conservationist-film maker), Ruth-Gaby Vermot (Peace Women across the Globe), Jorge Chaminé (Barytone), Catherine Strehler-Perrin (spécialiste du développement durable), Prof Anthony Lehmann (Université de Geneve) Following lunch, there will be a Media Round Table on “The role of culture in environmental awareness-building”. At this session, participants, including highly experienced media personalities, will discuss the role of culture in general, including music, in the promotion of environmental awareness among the population at large. The Round Table may also identify possible courses of action and specific innovative measures that could be taken in this regard. Speakers: Guy Méttan (Directeur, Club Suisse de la Présse), Matthieu Chenal (Journaliste-24 Heures), Nadia Sikorsky (Tribune de Genève), Tristan Cerf (Chief Editor-Matin Blue) Darius Rochebin (Télévision Suisse Romande), Mr Olivier Delhoume (Radio Cite) Olivier Föllmi (artiste/ photographe),, Mr Laurent Aubert (Conservateur au Musee, Ehnomusicologue) Thereafter follows a dedicated session on forests, which is also preceded by a short film with music inspired by forests. Against the background of the crucial role of forests in the environmental context and particularly for climate change action, participants are invited to focus on the potential of linking forests and music. What makes this linkage particularly relevant and promising? The role of traditional knowledge and practices and on social, cultural and spiritual values may be of particular interest in this regard. What recommendations can be developed for national policy-makers and community stakeholders as well as for the actors in the worlds of culture at large and music in particular? Speakers: Bertrand Dagallier (OECD-Paris), Prof Luis Aragon (UNESCO Chair on South-South Cooperation on Sustainable Development), Clayton Lino (President of the National Council of RBMA-Brazil Forest), Andres Wijkman (Vice President - Club of Rome), Eva Aroutunian (Conservatoire de musique de Geneve), MsViola Crebs (IVC) •Jean-Marie Curti (chef d'orchestre). The last working group will deal with energy. Introduced by a film on solar energy, produced by Bertrand Picard, discussions will centre on the impact of alternative energy choices on greenhouse gas emissions and hence on climate change. Participants are expected to discuss the beneficiary impact of solar and other renewable energy options. What role can music play to convey information and provide education in this regard? How can the critical role of energy choices be highlighted through musical creativity, compositions and shows? Recommendations identified by this workshop will be submitted to the plenary session. Speakers: Adama Samassekou (Président de la session), Mme Manjit Dosanjh (Life Sciences), Jasper Kirkby (CERN – nuages), Thomas Cullane (Scientifique, Explorateur du National Geographic), Hugo Spowers (Inventeur-“Riversimple” Hydrogen car), Hugues Reiner (Chef d’Orchestre), Matthieu Chenal (Journaliste, 24 heures). The International Forum will conclude with a plenary session at which the results of the working groups will be presented and consolidated into a Statement by the Forum, which could be addressed to Governments, international organizations, cultural organizations, NGOs and civil society actors, academia and scientific institutions, the media and other stakeholders. 20h (***) Concert multiculturel- Musique pour une planète Verte Orchestre philharmonique de Prague Chef d’orchestre: Maestro Constantine Orbelian Elizabeth Vidal (Soprano) Wolfgang David (Violon) Guo Gan (Erhu) New York Virtuoisi Quartet with Liu Fang (Pipa) Traditional Ensemble (Shyamal Maitra, Jason Carter, Mucahi Isik, Fawzi Al Langawi, Philip Botta) Victoria Hall, Genève .