Intercultural Institute Of Montreal is at work since 1963 for promoting the comprehension of the cultural pluralism, intercultural relationships and social change. It aims at elaborating alternative solutions to the economic, ecological and social challenges of our time, through dialogue, understanding and cooperation between cultures of the world.

Its objectives are to fight against prejudgments and promote social harmony among various ethnic-cultural communities, through interracial, intercultural and interreligious dialogue; to carry out research action on pluralistic societies and intercultural relationships; to promote rights of people to their cultural identity; to carry out intercultural research on contemporary social matters; to find out intercultural alternatives to socio-economic development and international cooperation.

The research journal ‘Interculture’ is devoted to the discovery and emergence of viable alternative solutions to the contemporary problems, both from the point of view of spirit and practice. Its approach is, at one and the same time, intercultural (in the light of the various cultural traditions), transdisciplinary (having recourse to various scientific disciplines, ethnosciences and indigenous knowledge) and dialogical (based on non-duality between ‘mythos’ and ‘logos’, theory and practice, science and wisdom).

Contact: Institut Interculturel de Montreal
4917 rue St-Urbain, Montreal (Quebec), H2T 2W1 CANADA
Tel. 1-514-288-72 29 - Fax 1-514-844-68 00
E-mail: info@iim.qc.ca - Website: www.iim.qc.ca

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Network Cultures is first and foremost a network of people. People concerned with the relationship between local cultures and development, be it fieldworkers or researchers. Among members are the representatives of the regional bases who organise seminars and carry out or coordinate research and training in their countries: Rubem Cesar Fernandes in Brazil, Siddhartha in India, Luis Lopezllera Mendes in Mexico, Badika Nsumbu Lukau in Zaire, Edith Sizoo and Thierry Verhelst in Europe.

Network Cultures offers those who are concerned by the relationship between culture and development the opportunity to explain, record and share their practices. Embracing both practice and research, Network Cultures also enables the taking into consideration of social alternatives and different solutions people have found to face the challenges of their social and natural environment. Network Cultures' collective knowledge is passed on through its training, publications and journal. It refines its work by creating a methodology capable of helping the actors in the development field to pinpoint and take account of socio-cultural dynamics. Finally, it seeks ways of communicating the results of its research to major decision-makers.

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‘Mediterranean’: the recalling of this word, undoubtedly sends back each one of us to a world of fond memories and imagination, inherited from a distant past and enriched by our own life experience. Mediterranean stands as an obvious entity, an essential part of our identity.

The Mediterranean region, undoubtedly, constitute a ground where history, geography and cultures of several peoples meet. Thus, it represents a specific geographical entity and is a bearer of a great human, cultural, social and economic richness. Despite of this, the present worldwide political break-up does not make any mention of this region. Instead of establishing a familiar link between the people, the Mediterranean region gives rise to a horizontal rupture, which stands no chances of getting diminished. This rupture results in the sowing of the seeds of hatred on the borders.

Should we finally accept to see Mediterranean coasts turn each other backs? Should we leave the mutual discovery to prejudged notions, arrived at on the basis of a poorly evaluated history? Does it signify anything, today, to be of the Mediterranean region?

An alliance among the peoples of the Mediterranean region

Aiming at a reconciliation among the people of the Mediterranean region, we propose to undertake an initiative, which will result in organising a workshop of civil society representatives. The meeting will enable us:

• To work on the image of the other people, as we perceived them based on our cultures and experiences;
• To identify the points which strengthen our affiliation to a common entity;
• To bring out the points which alter our vision of the other people and hamper the communication between the civil societies of the Mediterranean region.

We belong to a group of people who are convinced that one of the major challenges of the next century is the formation of an intercultural community in the Mediterranean region. We dream of a region where brotherhood, peace and collaboration prevail, where people would put together their human potential and cultural wealth. We dream of that and we will achieve it together.

Mounir Bencharif, Mira Chalal, Nadia-Leïla Aïssaouï (Algérie), Agusti Nicolau Coll (Catalogne, Espagne),Thierry Brésillon (France)

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The world can be different and we can have an endless process of discovering and thrilling experiences if we understand the value of cultures and respect the differences. The Diwan concept (started by Association DIA, France) was envisaged as a platform to be built by participation of young individuals and groups in the Euro-Mediterranean area to get a chance to mix together through understanding one another’s culture and enjoying the differences without loosing their essential identity. It soon became centres of young people for building together a social and moral force with the vision to humanise the society.

Asia being a multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-lingual society, our aim is to experiment this concept in Asia and set-up Diwans in the process of the Alliance Youth Workshop, as to open a new door of happy coexistence for the young generation of this region. We are starting the campaign for Diwan with the support of Fabrice Coppin (Association DIA, France), Nacéra Aknak Khan (Youth Workshop Coordinator) and Philippe Guirlet (Editor Caravan) from May 99. We welcome your valuable suggestions to realise the Diwan concept in Asia.

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