Contents

Address by Dr. Moungi Bousnina

Director General of the Arab League

Educational, Cultural and Scientific

Organization - ALECSO

Praise be to Allah alone, and peace and prayers be upon

His Messenger, his family and companions.

Excellency Dr Mahatir Mohammad

Excellency Mr Amrou Moussa, Secretary General of the League of the Arab States,

Excellency Prof Ikamlu Eddine Ihssanuglu, Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference,

Excellency Dr Muhammad Ibn Ashour, Tunisian Minister of Culture and Heritage Preservation

Excellency Dr Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization- ISESCO-

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Assalamu alaikum warahmatu Allah wabarakatuh,

It affords me a great honour to be among you today to take part in the proceedings of this international symposium which convenes in Tunisia, the land of dialogue and openness, to address a topic of major concern in the last few years, namely: the subject of dialogue among cultures and civilizations, which turns out today to become an alliance among civilizations.

On this occasion, I am delighted to salute all participants on my own behalf and on behalf of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization -ALECSO. I should like also to extend my heartfelt thanks to my brother and friend, His Excellency Dr Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization- ISESCO- for kindly inviting us to take part in the symposium, thus giving us the chance to propound the view of ALECSO on dialogue and alliance among civilizations. His gesture bespeaks of the genuine coordination and complementarity marking the relations between our sister organizations in the fields of education, culture and science.

I am also delighted to extend my sincerest appreciation to his Excellency Dr Muhammad Ibn Ashour, the Minister of Culture and Heritage Preservation in the Tunisian Republic, and to highly laud the contribution of his Ministry to the convening of this symposium. The support extended by Tunisia to this event is no surprise to us, as this country places the values of dialogue, co-existence and tolerance at the fore of the mostly cherished values it is endeavouring to entrench both at the national and international levels.

Let me also reiterate, on this occasion, the highest appreciation lent by the Arab League Educational Cultural and Scientific Organization -ALECSO- to the efforts being deployed by His Excellency Zine El-Abidine bin Ali in the field of dialogue among cultures and civilization, the dissemination of the culture of peace, the acceptance of the “other” and tolerance among the different segments of the people, from pupils to professionals active in institutions specialized in cultural dialogue with the “Other”; topped by the Chair of Bin Ali for Dialogue among Civilizations and Cultures.

For its part, the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization has received full support from His Excellency in the implementation of programmes and projects relating to dialogue among cultures and civilizations. Such a valuable support has enabled ALECSO to remain faithful to the choices it made late in the elapsed century, and to contribute its part to the world dynamics integrating the theme of dialogue among civilizations and cultures into a legitimate human aspiration for shaping a world where peace and understanding prevail over theses foretelling “a clash of civilization” and inter-faith wars.

The Organization’s move in that sense has been underpinned by strategic visions of the quintessence of dialogue among cultures and civilizations. Dialogue was not unleashed by mere reactions to specific events. Rather, it is the fruit of a planning process started by the Organization since the 80’s, culminating in its integration into long –term and medium-term strategies.

The call for dialogue is primarily justified by the fact that the Arab and Islamic culture is one that has been advocating dialogue and openness on other since long ages. The diversity in local cultures is just an eloquent illustration of the inter-fertilization process of our culture with other civilizations.

Besides this civilizational background for dialogue among civilizations, the Organization has other motivations. These include a need to assuage the existing tensions in international relations, to end inequality between geo-cultural spaces and to break obstacles of ignorance among cultures and its corollary, such as the annihilation of the “other” or animosity against him on the grounds of his difference.

The Organization considers that dialogue among cultures and civilizations is likelier to end tensions, threats and all forms of inequality, provided that all parties to dialogue believe in a set of principles, such as the acceptance of the “Other”, belief in dialogue on equal footage, rejection of haughtiness of one culture over another, eliminating rough-and-ready judgements, and so forth.

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

These are the grounds against which the Organization held in the last few years cultural meetings with Africa, China, Europe, and the Arab League Educational Cultural and Scientific Organization Iberio-Amercian space, Russia and Germany, in anticipation of the dialogue with the Latin space within the few coming months ( Balirmo/ Italy : February 2006), and the second phase of the Arab-Russian dialogue (Kazan: April 2006), in addition to the preparation, in the long term, of an Arab-Japanese dialogue and the second session of the Arab-Sino dialogue. The Organization is also preparing for the convening of a symposium on the forms of Islam-phobia and the ways to address them, in cooperation with the Council of Europe, during the first half of the year 2006.

We consider that these dialogues will be opportunities to introduce the Arab and Islamic civilization and its pivotal role in the universal civilization, and to show its readiness to erect bridges of dialogue with other civilizations and cultures, in spite of the prevailing misconceptions.

Our approach to dialogue is not merely a theoretical one. Rather, it is supported by concrete activities, by signing a number of cooperation agreements with international and regional organizations (such as the Council of Europe) and with cultural and educational national institutions in Europe, Africa and Asia. These agreements have culminated in common achievements in many fields and projects being currently under implementation.

As part of its endeavours to diversify the bridges of dialogue with other cultures, the Arab League Educational Cultural and Scientific Organization is currently preparing the launching of two new projects. The first is concerned with the establishment of Arab and Islamic Chairs in Western Universities. The second concerns the setting up of a network of “friends of the Arab culture” to publicize this culture through scholars, intellectuals and journalists who have friendly relations with the Arab world.

Today, as we deal with the topic of “alliance of civilizations”, I should note also that the Arab League Educational Cultural and Scientific Organization was among the first supporters of Mr. José Luis Zapatero’s initiative, the Spanish Prime Minister, in international auras, and acclaimed it as a courageous initiative to block up violence and rough-and-ready judgements between two civilizations, and to address the roots of terrorism rationally, as Mr Zapatero himself puts it.

I believe that our symposium came in an appropriate time to profoundly address this new concept and its dimensions, with a view to reach a common understanding, then to find practical proposal and new mechanisms for the implementation of Mr. Zapatero’s initiative.

Pending the opening of debates over these subjects in our coming sessions, I reiterate my thanks to the organizers of this symposium, wishing its proceeding success. I hope also that we will be able to outline traits of the alliance among civilizations and to bring peoples together so as they can live in security and in peace.

Wassalamu alaikum warahmatu Allah wabarakatuh

Publications of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

-ISESCO- 1428H/2007 A.D