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IICS AS A PARTNER OF CULTURE CLASH – REGISTER TODAY!

The International Institute of the Civil Society has become a partner of an international project called CULTURE CLASH. The registration to participate in this event is possible between 25th October and 15th November 2012. Students from European and Arabic countries, Israel, Canada, Africa, Asia and South America may register to participate. The number of participants is limited (44 persons). The project CULTURE CLASH is aimed at carrying out discussion concerning Samuel Huntington’s book –“The clash of civilizations” – artistic and content wise – and also seeking an answer to a question whether multiculturalism is a source of threats for national cultures or is – to the contrary – a chance for growth and enrichment. The international group of 44 participants, hailing from different countries, will participate in the project. Therefore there will be a true clash – within CULTURE CLASH - of people with different cultural, religious and ideological traditions.

The execution of the project entails two stages. On the first day the participants of the project shall have an opportunity to listen to speeches of experts concerning multiculturalism and afterwards will be able to individually debate on a thesis: “Multiculturalism in the modern world – a threat or a chance”? and present their opinion (max. 3 minutes). Each participant will end his/her speech by drawing a symbol/sign, which is supposed to graphically express the opinion. Afterwards, after hearing one another, the participants shall work on joint opinion and present it in a form of an artistic project. An artist will help the participants in creating a concept of the painting. 

On the second day, in the public space of the Library of the University of Warsaw all participants together with the passers-by shall start creating a painting (10 m x 5 m).

The Project CULTURE CLASH is financed from the sources of the Government of the United States of America and the Program “Youth in action”.

 

CULTURE CLASH Program


Day One, 29th November 2012, Library of the University of Warsaw, hall 256

Part One, 10.00 – 14.00
Debate on multiculturalism with domestic and foreign experts

Part Two, 15.00 – 18.00
Presentations – each participant will show in a 3-minute speech his/her opinion in the debate (each presentation will be ended with a summary in a form of graphic sign) 

Part Three, 18.00
Creation of a concept of the painting

 

Day Two, 30th November 2012, main alley of the Library of the University of Warsaw

The entire Day, 9.00 – 22.00
Creation of the painting together with passers-by/students.

 

History of CULTURE CLASH


The idea of the project called CULTURE CLASH was created during the meeting of Barack Obama, The President of the United States of America with the representatives of the Polish Parliament and institutions connected with forming democracy in Poland, which took place on 27th May 2011 in Warsaw. The discussion with Barack Obama concentrated on social changes which at that time were occurring in Arabic countries, Tunisia and Egypt. It was natural that during the discussion the question arose about the way Poles might contribute to the process of social changes in the Middle East. And despite lapse of time, the issue of social changes in the Arabic countries is still a topical issue.

Undoubtedly Poles’ precious achievement was the experience of 1989 when crucial social changes started to take place in Poland which in turn sparked the process of the creation of the civil society. The crucial aspect of the process was the fact that changes took place on the basis of dialogue, without violence. And this aspect was chosen by us as an issue worth sharing with the people of Tunisia, Egypt and other Arabic countries in which the societies started demanding such changes as the ones demanded in Poland in 1989.

However we do not think that social system in Poland or the democracy itself is the best form of a social system and that it should be forced upon others. What we perceive as valuable in our Polish experience is that the changes took place in a peaceful manner. We want to share the idea that the changes, whatever direction Arabic countries may be heading, may take place in a peaceful manner. Therefore we have decided to invite representatives of Arabic countries to participate in the project. Moreover, we believe that it will be a valuable, educating experience for us as the representatives of Western Europe Culture. In other words, we want to learn from one another.