Serageldin Participates in an Action-oriented Forum in Istanbul
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Alexandria— As Ambassador of the Alliance of Civilizations, Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Director of the Library of Alexandria, is participating as a panelist in the Second Forum of the Alliance being held in Istanbul from 6 to 7 April 2009. Serageldin played a critical role in the creation of the Alliance of Civilizations, as one of 18 members of a panel appointed by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Anan to present a report analyzing the increase in cross-cultural polarization and to make a set of proposals to counter this trend. He was appointed in November of last year, by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, as Ambassador of the Alliance of Civilizations.
Established in 2005, at the initiative of the Governments of Spain and Turkey, under the auspices of the United Nations, the Alliance aims to improve understanding across cultures and religions and to counter the influence of extremism and its threat to world peace.
Several top-level political leaders will participate in this year’s event:, Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan; President of the Government of Spain José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero; UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; and the UN Secretary General’s High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, Jorge Sampaio Former President of Portugal. US President Barack Obama, who is currently visiting Turkey, is also expected to participate in the Forum.
This year’s forum lays great emphasis on delivering concrete projects and practical outcomes. It presents a number of initiatives including a group of Euro‐Mediterranean projects aimed at restoring trust and rebuilding bridges in this region.