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CULTURAL ACTIONS FOR EUROPE - The Fifth Seminar in Athens, Greece 1994

                               

 

 

The 5th Seminar 'Cultural Actions for Europe' is a follow-up to the 4th Seminar 'Culture: Building stone for Europe 2002'. The latter was organized by Leonce Bekemans, while the one which took place in Athens 3 - 5 June 1994 was by Hatto Fischer. Both were done for the Flemish Government of Minister President Van de Brande.

In Athens, the organisational framework and support was provided by Thanos Contargyris / DIALOGOS.

As part of the coordination staff, there was Sissy who worked relentlessly to make it happen. She was assisted by Andrea Forget and her friend from Ottawa, Canada. Andrea had come to Athens to visit her uncle Hatto Fischer and stayed on to bring all her enthusiasm into the conference.

                  

                    Andrea Forget from Ottawa, Canada in Athens 1994

Since during those days there did not exist the Internet, but the FAX machine having already revolutionized means of communication, Andrea and her friend spend most of their time to send to over 150 people Faxes and other messages to ensure everyone was coming and knew where they were going.

                     

                       No internet as of yet - Andrea using the FAX machine

A key element was that on the day of arrival the workshops would meet with their corresponding chairpersons and go off to eat something at a place of their own choice.

Saturday evening there was a reception in the Plaka at the University of Athens building just below the Acropolis and where Savina Yannatou sang experts of the cassette she had prepared.

On Sunday, everyone took the ferry boat going to Aegina where there was a poetry reading at the tower following by dinner along the sea.

                   

Everyone stayed over night but some had to catch their flight out early in the morning. It was a miracle that everyone made it on time thanks to the agility of the travel agent of Aegina.

The Fifth Seminar held four plenary sessions with the 100 participants presenting their papers in ten workshops with following thematic orientations:

  1. cross cultural identities;
  2. urban and regional planning;
  3. traffic;
  4. unemployment and training;
  5. economy;
  6. civilization;
  7. education;
  8. literature, poetry and languages;
  9. health e.g. art therapy; and
  10. evaluation of cultural projects e.g. European Capitals of Culture.

The Fifth Seminar forms a basis for ongoing developments and actions in Europe.

The 100 delegates were joined by 35 poets from all over Europe. Prior to the 5th Seminar, they had came met in Crete to discuss 'poetry and mythology'. Together with the Greek singer Savina Yannatou they produced 'Voices in European Poetry'. For the recording she made with the voices of the poets and her voice in search of the human voice, see

http://poieinkaiprattein.org/beyond-images/poetry/in-search-of-the-human-voice/

All these contributions were made possible by outstanding people coming together and making fantastic contributitions with their papers and in their discussions.

In recognition of Van de Brande and his government, the theme 'cultural actions for Europe' was a challenge to become practical. These Seminars on Culture express a concept of the Flemish Government in the wish to gain as a cultural region a direct voice at European level. Hence these seminars were part of the process towards forming the Committee of Regions.

As a quest to draw attention to the need for culture in Europe, these seminars convey a philosophical, theoretical and practical impetus to contribute to the European debate with a main concern being about the role of culture in the European integration process.

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