April 6: Major Media Conference in Tahrir Sq., Cairo

Major Media Conference in Tahrir Sq., Cairo with Journalists and
Policymakers on April 6

New York, March 31, 2011 The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations
(UNAOC) along with the Arab League and the Anna Lindh Foundation is
convening a forum focusing on media in the Arab World in the face of
ongoing regional changes, and its role in relations with the West. The
forum will take place next to Tahrir Square at the headquarters of the
Arab League in Cairo, Egypt on April 6, 2011.

A number of international dignitaries will speak at the opening
sessionincluding Secretary-General of the Arab League and current
Egyptian presidential candidate, Amre Moussa, former President of
Portugal and High Representative for the UNAOC, Jorge Sampaio, and Andr
Azoulay, President of the Anna Lindh Foundation and Counselor to the
King of Morocco.

Reacting to historic events in the Arab region since the New Year, the
forum will convene 150 policymakers, media managers, journalists, and
civil society representatives from around the world to debate the impact
of recent events on cross-cultural relations.

The forum builds upon the UNAOCs Regional Strategy for the
Mediterranean, adopted in Malta in 2010, which calls on governments to
promote mutual understanding, improve perceptions, and bridge divides
among societies, institutions and individuals in the Mediterranean region.

Recent events on the Arab street demonstrate the crucial role tools
connecting people and media play in the region. The UNAOC is committed
to fostering public conversations on this and to ensuring that both
media and governments do their utmost to encourage cross-cultural
interaction and learning between citizens across borders, said Marc
Scheuer, UNAOC Director.

The main plenary debate at the forum is being run in association with
the UNAOCs Global Experts resource, which connects journalists with top
experts around the world. A number of leading commentators will speak
on the role of media in the region, including Joe Klein from Time
Magazine, David Ignatius from The Washington Post, Sylvie Kauffman from
Le Monde, Hafez Mirazi from Al Arabiya, Gilles Kepel from Sciences Po,
Jamal Khashoggi of Al Watan, and Dalia Mogahed from Gallup.

ENDS

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