The respect of cultural diversity, promotion of creativity and participation of all in the cultural life, the protection of cultural heritage are the three pillars of an Appeal launched Friday by the participants in the First Cultural Forum for Iraq, organised by UNESCO. The Forum, held in presence of the Iraqi Minister for Culture, Moufid Al Jazairi, was attended by intellectuals and artists from Iraq and the Iraqi diaspora, and was convened to lay the ground for a new cultural policy in the country.
Their appeal identifies a series of priority actions. On respect for cultural diversity, it recommends that "religious, linguistic and cultural rights" of all of the constituent groups of Iraqi society, along with freedom of expression and academic freedom, be guaranteed by the Constitution. It also proposes diverse measures to promote creativity and the participation of all in the cultural life.
On the issue of safeguarding cultural heritage, it recommends the establishment of an inventory of architectural and urban heritage, opening the way for a debate on the future of monuments built by the former regime, and the implementation of the objectives proposed earlier this week at the first session of the International Co-ordination Committee for the Safeguarding of Iraq’s Cultural Heritage (ICC). The Appeal, it is hoped, will form the basis of discussions at a more comprehensive meeting of Iraqi intellectuals, which could take place in Baghdad later this year, security conditions permitting. |