Annual Meeting of UNESCO Honorary and Goodwill Ambassadors 2015

15.06.2015 - UNESCOPRESS

This year’s Annual Meeting of UNESCO Honorary and Goodwill Ambassadors, convened by the Director-General, Irina Bokova, took place at UNESCO Headquarters on 15 June, and brought together outstanding personalities from the worlds of art, film, music, literature, charity and public affairs.

The Honorary and Goodwill Ambassadors such as Her Royal Highness Grand Duchess  Maria Teresa  of Luxembourg, Her Royal Highness Princess Firyal of Jordan, Mrs. Ivonne A-Baki, Mr. Metin Arditi, Mr. Pierre Bergé, Mrs. Claudia Cardinale, Ms.  Cecile Guidote-Alvarez, Mrs. Bahia Hariri, Mr. Alain Husson-Dumoutier, Mr. Jean Michel Jarre, Mr. Cyprien Katsaris, Countess Setsuko Klossowska de Rola, Mr. Jean Malaurie, Mr. Serguei Markarov, Mrs. Mariana Nicolesco, Mr. Eijin Nimura, Mr. Ali Mahdi Nouri, Mr. Jordi Savall, Mr. Zurab Tsereteli, Mrs. Marianna Vardinoyannis, and many others joined this important gathering.

In this very special year celebrating the 70th anniversary of UNESCO, the main topics of discussion were focused on actions such as the World Education Forum 2015, UNESCO’s thought on the issues related to youth and Internet, the "UNITE4HERITAGE" campaign, as well as UNESCO’s participation at the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21/CMP11) to be held in Paris from 30 November to 11 December 2015.

The Goodwill Ambassadors also presented their work over the past year and discussed their experiences. Another highlight of this year’s meeting was the performance by the troupe “Al Buggaa”, directed by Mr. Ali Mahdi Nouri, UNESCO Artist for Peace.


The UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors are an outstanding group of celebrity advocates who have generously accepted to use their talent and status to help focus the world's attention on the Organization’s mission. They extend and amplify UNESCO's work in its fields of education, culture, science, communication and information.

Jean Michel Jarre, pioneer and composer of electro-acoustic music, Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg. Annual Meeting at UNESCO today of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors Honorary and, with Irina Bokova, Executive Director of Unesco.The main topics of discussion will be focused on actions dry as the World Education Forum in 2015, the thought on the issues related to youth and the Internet, the Unite4Heritage campaign, as well as Unesco participation at the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in December 2015.

Source: unesco.org

Culture is our future: we must protect it! Appeal of UNESCO Honorary and Goodwill Ambassadors

Honorary and Goodwill Ambassadors of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, whilst gathered in Paris on 30 June and 1 July 2014 on the occasion of their annual meeting, have launched an appeal to protect culture considered as a driver of development and as a source of dialogue.

Concerned by the growing number of deliberate attacks against cultural heritage, and facing the instrumentalization of culture, oftentimes taken hostage and used as a pretext for division and conflict; 

Noting recently inflicted irreparable damage to cultural heritage in Syria, Iraq, Mali, and in other places, as well as actions aiming to prevent the transmission and perpetuation by the communities of the intangible cultural heritage; 

Convinced that damage to cultural property belonging to any people whatsoever constitutes damage to the cultural heritage of humanity, since each people makes its contribution to world culture, as mentioned in the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, of which we celebrate the 60th anniversary this year; 

Recalling that cultural heritage in all its forms is a fundamental component of the cultural identity of communities, groups and individuals; 

Considering that culture as such plays a fundamental role in the development of all societies, both from an economic point of view, because culture is a source of employment, income and a way to fight against poverty but also from a social point of view, because culture is a vector of cohesion, dignity and confidence in the future; 

Welcoming the efforts of UNESCO to safeguard and rehabilitate destroyed and threatened cultural heritage worldwide, as well as initiatives of the Director-General to mobilize the world public opinion and policy makers around the culture; 

Encouraging the Organization to continue its efforts to ensure that the importance of culture in policies of development and peace be better known, especially in the context of the elaboration of the United Nations post-2015 development agenda; 

Adopt and proclaim this Appeal: 

Culture is the essence of humanity, it carries the values ​​and identities of peoples;

We refuse that it is ignored or neglected, as is still too often the case in public policies for development in times of peace and during emergency actions in times of conflicts, where it is considered sometimes as a luxury; 

Faced with the violence of current conflicts, we refuse the false rhetoric according to which in an emergency one must choose between the protection of human life and the protection of heritage, because the two are inseparable and protection of heritage in the same way as the protection of schools and hospitals, is a part of the categorical imperatives of international solidarity; 

We affirm that the current forms of conflict show that culture is at the heart of reconciliation, dialogue and rapprochement. The protection of culture, and therefore the protection of people’s identity, is at the heart of any sustainable effort to build peace; 

We affirm a fundamental link between culture, protection of cultural heritage in all its forms - tangible and intangible – as well as education for citizenship in a globalized world, in multicultural societies where the understanding of the diversity of cultures is more than ever an essential condition of the social cohesion; where the transmission and understanding of cultural heritage are essential elements for citizens in the 21st century; 

We appeal to the Member States of UNESCO to redouble their efforts and make all necessary arrangement so culture is protected  during times of peace and in times of conflict, and to see in it a privileged mean to understand the current issues of sustainable development, dialogue among cultures and religions as well as peace-building; 

We appeal that the Post-2015 international development agenda clearly incorporates the role of culture and of cultural diversity as accelerators and facilitators of sustainable development, fully recognizing culture as our common source of creativity, innovation and renewal, whereby humanity is constantly reinventing, develop and build a better future.

• Chico Bouchikhi, Jean Michel Jarre, Μαριάννα Β. Βαρδινογιάννη

 Source: unesco.org

Appel des Ambassadeurs honoraires et de bonne volonté de l’UNESCO

02.07.2014 - UNESCOPRESS

La culture est notre avenir : protégeons-la ! 

 

Appel des Ambassadeurs honoraires et de bonne volonté de l’UNESCO

 

Les Ambassadeurs honoraires et de bonne volonté de l'Organisation des Nations Unies pour l'éducation, la science et la culture, rassemblés à Paris les 30 juin et 1er juillet 2014 à l'occasion de leur réunion annuelle, lancent un appel à protéger la culture, moteur de développement et source de dialogue.

 

Préoccupés par le nombre croissant d’attaques délibérées perpétrées contre le patrimoine culturel, et devant l’instrumentalisation de la culture, trop souvent prise en otage et utilisée comme prétexte à la division et au conflit ; 

Constatant les dommages irréparables infligés récemment au patrimoine culturel en Syrie, en Iraq, au Mali, et ailleurs, ainsi que les actions visant à empêcher la transmission et la perpétuation, par les communautés, du patrimoine culturel immatériel ; 

Convaincus que les atteintes portées aux biens culturels, à quelque peuple qu'ils appartiennent, constituent des atteintes au patrimoine culturel de l'humanité entière, étant donné que chaque peuple apporte sa contribution à la culture mondiale, ainsi que rappelé dans la Convention de La Haye pour la protection des biens culturels en cas de conflit armé, dont nous célébrons cette année le 60^ème anniversaire ; 

Rappelant que le patrimoine culturel dans toutes ses expressions est une composante fondamentale de l'identité culturelle des communautés, groupes et individus ; 

Considérant qu’à ce titre la culture joue un rôle fondamental dans le développement de toutes les sociétés, à la fois du point de vue économique, parce que la culture représente une source d’emplois, de revenus et un moyen de lutte contre la pauvreté, et aussi du point de vue social, parce que la culture est un vecteur de cohésion, de dignité et de confiance en l’avenir ; 

Saluant les efforts de l’UNESCO pour sauvegarder et réhabiliter le patrimoine culturel détruit ou menacé dans le monde, ainsi que les initiatives de la Directrice générale pour mobiliser l’opinion publique mondiale et les décideurs politiques autour de la culture ; 

Encourageant l’Organisation à poursuivre ses efforts pour que l’importance de la culture dans les politiques de développement et de paix soit mieux reconnue, en particulier dans le cadre de l’élaboration de l’agenda des Nations Unies pour le développement durable post-2015 ; 

Adoptent et proclament le présent Appel: 

La culture est l’essence même de l’humanité, elle porte les valeurs et les identités des peuples ;

Nous refusons qu’elle soit ignorée ou négligée, comme elle l’est encore trop souvent dans les politiques publiques de développement en temps de paix, et dans les opérations d’urgence en temps de conflits, où elle est parfois considérée comme un luxe ; 

Face à la violence des conflits actuels, nous refusons la rhétorique fallacieuse qui affirme que dans l’urgence, il faudrait choisir entre la protection des vies humaines et la protection du patrimoine, car les deux sont inséparables et la protection du patrimoine, au même titre que la protection des écoles et des hôpitaux, fait partie des impératifs catégoriques de la solidarité internationale ; 

Nous affirmons que les formes modernes des conflits prouvent que la culture est au cœur des processus de réconciliation, de dialogue et de rapprochement. Que la protection de la culture et avec elle des identités des peuples est au cœur de tout effort durable pour la construction de la paix ; 

Nous affirmons le lien fondamental entre la culture, la protection du patrimoine culturel sous toutes ses formes – matérielle et immatérielle - et l’éducation à la citoyenneté dans un monde globalisé, dans des sociétés multiculturelles, où la compréhension de la diversité des cultures est plus que jamais la condition essentielle de la cohésion sociale ; où la transmission et la compréhension du patrimoine culturel sont des bagages indispensables pour les citoyens au 21ème siècle ; 

Nous appelons les Etats Membres de l’UNESCO à redoubler d’efforts et à tout mettre en œuvre pour que la culture soit protégée, en temps de paix comme en tant de conflit, et à voir en elle un moyen privilégié d’appréhender les enjeux contemporains du développement durable, du dialogue des cultures et des religions et de la construction de la paix; 

Nous appelons à ce que l’agenda international de développement post-2015 intègre clairement ce rôle de la culture et de la diversité culturelle comme accélérateurs et facilitateurs du développement durable, reconnaissant pleinement la culture comme notre source commune de créativité, d’innovation et de renouvellement, par quoi l’humanité se réinvente sans cesse, se projette et se construit un avenir meilleur.

• Jean Michel Jarre, Μαριάννα Β. Βαρδινογιάννη

Source: unesco

Jean Michel Jarre - Space of Freedom (originally March 23) "Water for Life"

"Water for Life" was a concert given by Jean Michel Jarre on the night of December 16, 2006 amidst the dunes of the Sahara desert at Merzouga, Morocco. 

The concert was held under the auspice of UNESCO as 2006 had been designated the International Year of Deserts and Desertification by the United Nations General Assembly.

          

Jean Michel Jarre hará conciertos benéficos contra la intolerancia

22 de diciembre de 1994

El músico francés ha sido nombrado embajador cultural de la Unesco

 

El músico francés Jean Michel Jarre hará el próximo año una serie de conciertos benéficos en los cinco continentes como embajador de la Unesco y para celebrar el Año de la Tolerancia, instituido por la ONU, en el 50º aniversario de ambas instituciones. Jarre, conocido por sus espectaculares montajes audiovisuales en lugares públicos, pretende integrar a artistas locales y dar un carácter único a cada concierto.

"Ofreceremos uno o dos conciertos por continente que empezarán a mediados de julio hasta fines del 96", explicó Jean Michel Jarre en su visita a Madrid. "Serán acontecimientos cívicos, gratuitos, que involucrarán a artistas locales, músicos o escritores, de cada país que serán invitados. En la parte visual y escenográfica se usarán elementos gráficos de pintores de cada sitio. Deberá empezar en París el 14 de julio, después irá a Beirut, Tokio, Shangai, Suráfrica, México, Sáo Paulo, La Habana, y en alguna ciudad de Estados Unidos, Rumania o Rusia".Jean Michel Jarre, que acaba de lanzar un doble disco compacto de sus conciertos en Hong Kong, parece muy ilusionado en trabajar con músicos de diferentes culturas. "Habrá una serie de composiciones comunes a todos los conciertos y otras especialmente creadas para cada lugar. Estoy ya trabajando sobre ideas de la música árabe, con poetas calígrafos árabes. En cuanto a la escenografía, no pienso llegar con un decorado, sino aprovechar la arquitectura -o la falta de ella, como en Beirut- para cada concierto".

"Siempre estuve muy interesado en las músicas étnicas, las he estudiado en profundidad. No es algo que tenga que ver con las modas actuales. Con la Unesco, el proyecto encaja con coherencia, pero no me gusta la actitud de varios músicos norteamericanos o británicos que definen las músicas del mundo como músicas del Tercer Mundo. Una actitud condescendiente que sigue considerando la música occidental como superior. Mi Intención no es llegar con ideas preconcebidas, sino integrar, a esos músicos en el proyecto", dice.

"Existe una gran diferencia entre ser internacional y ser universal", afirma. "Muchos proyectos norteamericanos son internacionales, más ligados a lo comercial; las culturas latinas tal vez comprendan mejor lo universal".

              

Jean Michel Jarre: 'Kafkaesque' EU ignores world culture

30 septembre 2013

The "administrative monster" of the EU is blocking one of the keys to sustainable development, culture, by diminishing its importance in development aid, renowned musician and composer Jean Michel Jarre told EurActiv in an exclusive interview.

In a wide-ranging interview  (which can be found here) Jarre spoke at length about the symbiosis between his art and the protection of world heritage under Unesco, of which he is a goodwill ambassador.


                 

Jarre said that he was attracted to Unesco, the cultural arm of the United Nations, because it was the only international organisation capable of communicating mankind's problems of over the next 25-30 years.

He gave as an example his interest in the destruction of the environment in the 1970s, represented by the cover of his 1976 album Oxygène, which shows the Earth peeling away to reveal a human skull.

“We see that today everyone is conscious of the environment and is aware that better care should be taken of the planet for future generations. Even if everything is not perfect, we have succeeded. And I think the same is needed concerning education,” he said.

Jarre paid tribute to Unesco Director General Irina Bokova who he said led the organisation by “making politics in the ancient Greek sense of this word”. He called her “one of the greatest intellectual leaders of the world” and praised the action of Unesco in fields such as education, gender equality, children rights, environment, water and culture.

To Jarre, culture and the future of the planet are intimately entwined. “I think that culture is today more than ever key to sustainable development."
But the musician criticised the European Union for its “Kafkaesque” administrative complexity, and regretted that culture was relegated to “second rank” in EU development aid.

"Brussels suffers the nightmare of all the administrations of each of the country which adds itself to this city like a mille-feuille," he said. "It is clear that everyone is full of good intentions, but they gave birth to a monster, with the administrative system in Brussels. They wanted to control what must remain specific by definition."

However, Jarre paid tribute to his own country, France, for having spearheaded the “cultural exception” in international trade talks (see background). This was not just a French concern, he said, but an international one, as it created the idea that culture everywhere should be “considered in an exceptional manner”.

“One has to understand once and for all that culture is one of the foundations of democracy, one of the pillars of freedom, of one's identity. And in defending our culture, we defend the culture of others. And when France says "attention, the cultural exception exists," it doesn’t mean that the French cultural exception should be given special treatment,” he said.

'Europe has a role to play'

Jarre also said that the European Union had a role to play in promoting culture worldwide, because the old continent “ was and still is ahead in those questions”.

“In how to respect culture and in how culture is one of the pillars of our societies, it is Europe that has always been at the forefront of this process, and that has to continue, with the Chinese, with Asia, with the United States, and also to have this discussion between the North and South," he said.

Jarre gave thanks for the support he had received as a young musician in Eastern Europe, well before the fall of the Berlin wall, where his music was seen as a symbol of freedom.

“This gave from the very beginning an additional meaning to my work of artist and musician. From the very beginning, I developed personal relations with a number of countries, with Bulgaria, which was one of the first countries from where I received letters of encouragement. Paradoxically, as many as from my own country. This is something that deeply impacted on me, which became part of my DNA,” he said.

Jarre, a pioneer of electronic music known for enormous outdoor concerts, has for many years promoted the world's cultural heritage by performing at locations such as the pyramids in Egypt or the Morrocan Sahara.

The Frenchman was the first Western musician invited to perform in China, gained considerable Eastern Europe extensively and has broken the Guinness World Record for the largest concert three times (in 1979, 1990 and 1997). He is also the author of a fundraising initiative to combat illiteracy.

 Read the full-size interview in French here.

Source: euractiv.com

Jean Michel Jarre - UNESCO Hangzhou Congress 2013 (Discussion on Peace and Reconciliation)

The International Congress "Culture: Key to Sustainable Development" took place in Hangzhou (China) from 15 May to 17 May 2013. This is the first International Congress specifically focusing on the linkages between culture and sustainable development organized by UNESCO since the Stockholm Conference in 1998.  As such, the Congress will provide the very first global forum to discuss the role of culture in sustainable development in view of the post-2015 development framework, with participation of the global community and the major international stakeholders.

                    

Source:  unesco.org
MORE:  unctad.org
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UNESCO Honorary and Goodwill Ambassadors to Attend Annual Meeting in Paris

26.06.2013 - UNESCOPRESS

UNESCO’s Annual Goodwill Ambassador Meeting will be held on 26 and 27 June at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. The meeting brings together Goodwill Ambassadors from every corner of the globe to discuss the Organisation’s priority programmes and initiatives, in particular education of girls and women, culture and development, as well as key issues concerning the ocean.

 

During the two-day meeting, representatives from the Programme Sectors of the Organization will be providing the Honorary and Goodwill Ambassadors with more information on these areas, to obtain their views, feedback and advice on how better to promote, raise awareness and increase visibility on these global goals.

On the evening of June 26 there will also be an event to recognise the work of Bibi Russell, who was named a UNESCO Artist for Peace in 1999 for her work in promoting and protecting the traditional artisanal crafts of her Bangladeshi homeland. Director General Irina Bokova will be speaking at the event about Ms Russell’s tireless work to alleviate poverty through culture and creativity, a vision that UNESCO shares.


The UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors are a group of eminent personalities who are chosen to represent the values and mission of UNESCO as an Organisation. They work to promote these values through their careers and humanitarian activities, and use their visibility to bring attention to the Organisation’s work. The Ambassadors come from all walks of life, from artists and actors to politicians and businesspeople, and make an invaluable contribution towards the objectives and aims in UNESCO's four fields of competence – education, culture, science and communication/information.

The Honorary and Goodwill Ambassadors expected to attend the two-day meeting are: Amri Aminov (Tajikistan), Metin Arditi (Switzerland), Pierre Bergé (France), Chantal Biya (Cameroon), Chico Bouchikhi (France), Esther Coopersmith (United States of America), Manu Dibango (Cameroon), Miguel Angel Estrella (Argentina), Vigdís Finnbogadottir (Iceland), Princess Firyal of Jordan (Jordan), Cecile Guidote-Alvarez (Philippines), Alain Husson-Dumoutier (France), Vitaly Ignatenko (Russian Federation), Jean Michel Jarre (France), Michaëlle Jean (Canada), Sumi Jo (South Korea), Dani Karavan (Israel), Charles Kaye (United Kingdom), Nasser David Khalili (United Kingdom), Setsuko Klossowska De Rola (Japan), Rabah Madjer (Algeria), Jean Malaurie (France), Kitin Muñoz (Spain), Mariana Nicolesco (Romania), Ali Mahdi Nouri (Sudan), Alexandra Ochirova (Russian Federation), Ute-Henriette Ohoven (Germany), Danilo Perez (Panama), Samuel Pisar (United States of America), Bibi Russell (Bangladesh), Sen Genshitsu (Japan), Hedva Ser (France), Boris Trajanov (The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia), Salif Traore - A’Salfo (Ivory Coast), Zurab Tsereteli (Russian Federation), Marianna Vardinoyannis (Greece), Sunny Varkey (India), Gérard Voisin (France) and Zhang Jun (China).

Romanian soprano Mariana Nicolesco, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador: ‘Nothing can bring people closer than singing’

Romania’s well known soprano Mariana Nicolesco (in picture), laureate of the UNESCO Medal for Artistic Accomplishments and UNESCO Artist for Peace “in recognition of her commitment to musical heritage, artistic creation, dialogue between cultures, and of her contribution to promoting the ideals of the Organization”, attended the recent UNESCO meeting in Paris, as Goodwill Ambassador of the organization.

The Romanian soprano held a speech during the UNESCO meeting, in which she concluded that “nothing can bring people closer than singing.”

“No book will ever teach us to sing. The direct transmission, from master to pupil, of this art’s laws and eternal values will always be an assurance that they will not get lost in any way. It would be tragic if it got lost, as the voice and the singing are our primary connection with the Creator and our mean of communion. Because, indeed, nothing can bring people closer than singing,” said Mariana Nicolesco.

The Romanian soprano was born in 1948 in a small village in Giurgiu County, in Southern Romania. She studied violin at the Music High School in Brasov and canto at the Music Conservatory in Cluj.

She performed in famous operas houses at Teatro dell’Opera di Roma (Luchino Visconti’s invitation), Metropolitan Opera in New York, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona or the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich as well as in prestigious concert halls like Carnegie Hall in New York, Royal Festival Hall in London, Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Musikverein in Vienna, Salle Pleyel in Paris and the Great Conservatory Hall in Moscow.

Mariana Nicolesco created the Romanian National Festival and Song Competition, celebrating the International George Enescu Year (2005) proclaimed by UNESCO with the world premiere of the great composer’s complete songs in Japan at the World Exhibition in Aichi, then in Tokyo and Nagoya , as well as in Prague, Rome, Paris and New York.. She initiated the Hariclea Darclee International Voice Competition and Festival at Braila, offering young artists the opportunity to attend Master Classes.

Mariana Nicolesco

Mariana Nicolesco & Irina Bokova

Mariana Nicolesco & Jean Michel Jarre

Source: unesco.org

We previously wrote about the Romanian artist here: A family of famous Romanians – Radu Varia and Mariana Nicolesco.

              

Culture vital for development progress, Deputy Secretary-General tells meeting

The International Congress "Culture: Key to Sustainable Development" will be held in Hangzhou (China) from 15 May to 17 May 2013. This is the first International Congress specifically focusing on the linkages between culture and sustainable development organized by UNESCO since the Stockholm Conference in 1998.  As such, the Congress will provide the very first global forum to discuss the role of culture in sustainable development in view of the post-2015 development framework, with participation of the global community and the major international stakeholders.

Culture, as exemplified by thriving creative industries around the world, has many positive spillovers for human development, UNCTAD’s Deputy Secretary-General has said in China.​


"Culture has to feature prominently in global thinking about the world we want," Deputy Secretary-General Petko Draganov told the Hangzhou International Congress on 15 May. The theme being explored by the Congress is Culture: Key to Sustainable Development.

Speaking at a high-level discussion on culture in the post-2015 sustainable development agenda, Mr. Draganov emphasized the role of culture and the creative industries in promoting inclusive development growth and poverty reduction.

He highlighted recent UNCTAD statistics on markets for creative goods and services that are based on local culture, which indicate that the sector has grown dramatically in recent years, at a rate of more than 10 per cent annually. "Creative industry exports reached $624 billion in 2011," Mr. Draganov said.

"While developed countries continue to dominate the market for high-value creative products, exports of creative goods from the South climbed to $184 billion in 2011, underlining the clear potential that this sector has for future growth," the Deputy Secretary-General told the meeting.
He noted that creative industries were often small businesses based on traditional cultural resources and operating at low investment levels. Therefore, he said, governments needed to support the growth of such creative industries, including by instituting policies, and public and private partnerships, as well as strategies to provide access to advanced technologies.

Petko Draganov, Deputy Secretary-General of UNCTAD speaking with  Jean Michel Jarre

Mr. Draganov said that culture and the creative industries had many positive spillovers for human development, which included poverty reduction, gender and youth empowerment, and the sustainable use and conservation of natural resource and ecosystems. Hence, culture was key to inclusive sustainable development.

"Collaboration at the international level is important for building on these strengths, including through joint work by UNCTAD, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)," he said.
Collective work between these agencies had gone into the preparation of the Special Edition of the Creative Economy Report 2013, Mr. Draganov noted. He also underlined that UNCTAD, UNESCO and other United Nations agencies could offer a platform through which governments could exchange best practices and highlight policies to foster creative industries in developing countries.

The panel session was chaired by Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO, and included His Highness the Aga Khan, and Fazle Hasan Abed, Founder and Chairperson of the BRAC Foundation.

UNCTAD was invited to the conference by UNESCO, the Government of the People's Republic of China, and Hangzhou Municipality. The organization is contributing to deliberations at the meeting that will result in the adoption of an outcome document on The Hangzhou Agenda: Placing Culture at the Heart of Sustainable Development Policies. The aim of the Congress is to inform and influence policymakers with regard to fully integrating culture into the post-2015 United Nations development agenda.


      

 Source: unesco.org
MORE:  unctad.org
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Jean Michel Jarre cree que la cultura es tan importante como el medio ambiente

UNESCO MÚSICA | 16 de maio de 2013

El músico francés Jean-Michel Jarre (d) pionero y revolucionario de la música electrónica en los años setenta y ochenta, junto a Jan Pronk (i), profesor holandés y presidente de la Sociedad para el Desarrollo Internacional, durante su participación en el congreso sobre cultura y desarrollo sostenible que celebra esta semana la Unesco. EFE

El músico francés Jean-Michel Jarre (d) pionero y revolucionario de la música electrónica en los años setenta y ochenta, conversa con un asistente al congreso sobre cultura y desarrollo sostenible que celebra esta semana la Unesco en la ciudad china de Hangzhou. EFE 

 

 

Hangzhou (China), 16 may (EFE).- El músico francés Jean-Michel Jarre, pionero y revolucionario de la música electrónica en los años setenta y ochenta, dijo a Efe hoy en China que algún día la "cultura debería ser considerada tan importante como lo es hoy el medio ambiente".

Jarre, ahora también embajador de buena voluntad de la Unesco, participa esta semana en un congreso de esta organización en la turística ciudad china de Hangzhou, con el que se espera conseguir que la cultura entre en la agenda política internacional como un pilar básico para el desarrollo sostenible de la humanidad.

El músico, convencido del poder del arte y la educación en ese sentido, asegura que "lo más importante (de este congreso) es llegar a convencer a la comunidad internacional de que la cultura no es una noción abstracta, sino que debe ser considerada hoy como hemos podido considerar la ecología y el medio ambiente hace 30 años".

"Más o menos en la época en la que compuse 'Oxygène' (su disco de 1976 con el que revolucionó la música sintética), se nos consideraba un poco como unos iluminados que hablaban de defender el planeta", dijo, pero "poco a poco nos hemos dado cuenta de que (la naturaleza) se estaba convirtiendo en una preocupación cada vez más importante".

"Y hoy en día, aunque no todo el mundo separa aún sus desechos correctamente al tirar la basura, todos somos conscientes de que tenemos que prestarle un poco de atención a nuestro planeta para las generaciones futuras", y auguró que algo parecido ocurrirá con la toma de conciencia de la importancia de la cultura.

"La noción de cultura interesa a todo el mundo y al mismo tiempo no interesa a nadie, porque es demasiado abstracta".

"Cuando ya no queda nada -continúa-, cuando los países y la moral de la gente están en ruinas, ya sea por guerras, por catástrofes naturales o por los problemas de todo tipo que debilitan a una sociedad, al final la cultura y las formas de expresión son el oxígeno del alma, el último cimiento que al final nos reúne".,

Jarre fue en su día el primer músico extranjero autorizado a dar un concierto en la República Popular China desde su fundación, en 1949, y esa experiencia, dijo hoy, "es un ejemplo muy bueno de cómo la cultura y la expresión artística pueden reunir y reconciliar".

En 1981 Radio Pekín recibió de una embajada extranjera varios discos de Jarre, incluido su emblemático "Oxygène", y aquel mismo año el músico francés fue invitado a dar dos conciertos en Pekín y Shanghái, que fueron publicados en Europa en 1982.

"La primera vez que vine a China fue justo después de la caída de la Banda de los Cuatro, que vino después de la época de Mao, a comienzos de los ochenta", recuerda Jarre de aquel país tan distinto de la China actual.

"De un solo golpe, todo un pueblo al que se había cortado todo contacto con el exterior en materia cultural, ya que había mucha gente que no tenía ni idea de lo que era nuestra música, nuestro cine, nuestra literatura en Occidente, pudo abrir, de alguna manera, una puerta, o una ventana, al resto del mundo", dijo.

Lo mismo se ha demostrado en Sudamérica, señaló, "donde hay una cultura tan importante y donde en momentos de una crisis económica enorme, la música, el cine, la pintura, la literatura, son las últimas murallas de la civilización, que nos permiten saber que seguimos vivos y que pertenecemos a una comunidad".

"Por eso creo que el interés de este foro es que todo el mundo tome conciencia de que la cultura es una prioridad absolutamente tan importante como el medio ambiente", por lo que "diría que tendríamos que empezar a hablar de cultura sostenible".

"Para que los gobiernos lo comprendan hace falta que las calles lo comprendan, y para eso es necesario que los medios lo pongan de relevancia", añadió.

De esta manera, es importante que "tanto nosotros, los artistas, como ustedes, la prensa, contribuyamos a que la gente de la calle comprenda que la cultura, para sus hijos, para sus padres, y para las generaciones que vienen detrás, es algo esencial", concluyó.

Source: 
efe.ikuna.com

The BBC Insider's Debate - 19/07/2008

A new series of BBC Insiders Debates discusses three topics in depth with those who know most about them.

The Goodwill Ambassadors

At UNESCO headquarters in Paris, Owen Bennett-Jones meets five UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors - a pop-star, a princess, a space scientist, a global icon and a former prime minister - for a lively and frank discussion about what they do and whether there is any point to their roles.

The participants are musician Jean-Michel Jarre, Princess Firyal of Jordan, scientist Cheick Modibo Diarra, Phan Thi Kim Phuc, who was photographed as a seven-year-old burned by napalm in Vietnam, and the former president of Iceland, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir.  

            

Source:  bbc.co.uk

radiolistings.co.uk
 

Programme of UNESCO Eminent Personalities - 2010

 

 

                      

Open publication

UNESCO - No 8 1st April 2009

Programme of UNESCO Celebrity Advocates. UNESCO Director-General Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, surrounded by the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors, during the Annual Meeting on 20 May 2008 at the Organization’s Headquarters. Lower row from left to right: Mrs Basma Irsheid, Chief of Programme of UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors, Mrs Susanna Rinaldi, Mrs Ute-Henriette Ohoven, Mrs Marianna Vardinoyannis, Mr Jean Michel Jarre, H.R.H. Princess Firyal of Jordan, Mrs Mehriban Aliyeva, Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, UNESCO Director-General, H.R.H. Princess Lalla Meryem of Morocco, H. Exc Mrs Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, Mrs Christine Hakim, Mr Pierre Bergé, Lady Cristina Owen-Jones, Mr Cheick Modibo Diarra, and Mrs Kim Phuc Phan Thi. Upper row: Mr Miguel Angel Estrella, Mr Patrick Baudry, Mr Ivry Gitlis, Mr Madanjeet Singh, Prof Jean Malaurie, and Mr Zurab Tsereteli.

                    

Open publication

MEMORY OF THE WORD!

                      Dec 10th is the UN Human Rights Day.

Nelson Mandela, ok. 1937

Dec 10th is the UN Human Rights Day. Here's a look at 3 watershed documents in human rights history that are on the UNESCO "Memory of the World" Register. They include files from the Rivonia Trial that sent Nelson Mandela (our Goodwill Ambassador) to prison for protesting apartheid; photos from the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum archives in Cambodia; and the original petition from the 1st ever Women's Suffrage movement in New Zealand.

Open publication

MORE: www.unesco.org
Nelson Mandela: Nelson_Mandela
unesco.org
memory-of-the-world

MANDELA DAY

Ｊｅａｎ Ｍｉｃｈｅｌ Ｊａｒｒｅ: Music at the service of education

   

It is very painful to see young children who are suffering.
The worst thing is that one alone can not change the world into a better place.
Eternal question: why must the innocent suffer..

Peace, freedom and happiness for all peoples of the world!
All children of the world have the right to education!

Special thanks to Jean Michel Jarre!

A special message from UNESCO's Director-General for Nov 29, the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People

                                  Intl Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People

  

 

                                                   Roger Waters - We Shall Overcome

"Over the new year 2009-2010, an international group of 1500 men and women from 42 nations went to Egypt to join a Freedom March to Gaza. They did this to protest the current blockade of Gaza. To protest the fact that the people of Gaza live in a virtual prison. To protest the fact that a year after the terror attack by Israeli armed forces destroyed most of their homes, hospitals, schools, and other public buildings, they have no possibility to rebuild because their borders are closed. The would be Freedom Marchers wanted to peacefully draw attention to the predicament of the Palestinian population of Gaza. The Egyptian government, (funded to the tune of $2.1 billion a year, by us, the US tax payers), would not allow the marchers to approach Gaza. How lame is that? And how predictable! I live in the USA and during this time Dec 25th 2009-Jan3rd 2010 I saw no reference to Gaza or the Freedom March or the multi national protesters gathered there. Anyway I was moved, in the circumstances, to record a new version of " We shall overcome". It seems appropriate."

Roger Waters

Lyrics
We shall overcome
We shall overcome
We shall overcome some day
Deep in my heart
I do believe
That we shall overcome
Some day

And we'll walk hand in hand
we'll walk hand in hand
we'll walk hand in hand one day
Deep in my heart
I do believe
That we'll walk hand in hand
One day

And we'll break down the prison walls
We will tear down those prison walls
Together we will tear down the prison walls on that day
Deep in my heart
I do believe
That we will tear down all those prison walls
On that day

Deep in my heart
I do believe
That we will tear down those prison walls
On that day

And the truth will set us free
The truth will set us free
The truth will set us all free
On that day

And deep in my heart
I do believe
That the truth will set us all free
And we shall overcome
On that day

 

Source: un.org/en/events/palestinianday/