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La Maison de la Méditerranée

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La Maison de la Méditerranée
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About La
   Maison de la
   Méditerranée
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A SPACE FOR PROGRESS

It has taken almost ten years to make a dream come true, namely to restore to the Mediterranean its central role, through the creation of the Maison de la Mediterranée as the Home of dialogue between the societies and cultures of the Mediterranean.

This institute has been strongly wished for by the Fondazione Laboratorio Mediterraneo and by the Academy of the Mediterranean. It has benefited from funding by the Regione Camapania and constitutes a point where the capacity to interrelate is met by a sense of solidarity and responsibility, and where the shared common positions between different cultures can be developed and expanded in a context of mutual understanding.

The capacity to interrelate is in fact what, in the era of global real time, makes possible the existence of this space that stands in contrast to the state of permanent war, and which through the re-evaluation of relations between the developed world and the poor countries, can offer freedom of choice and political action to all, for the enactment of democracy and universal rights.

The Maison represents a space that allows the practice of coherence and sense of connectedness and which, by mediating between contrasting elements can bring about shared initiatives. It acts as a means for the reappraisal of policy and the development of a new concept of community that is free from national cartography, and is not confined to the distinctions of identity. It works for the construction of an environment that expresses the fundamental rights of citizenship for men and women and the primary role of interface and solidarity.

La Maison de la Meditérranée :

  • promotes dialogue between cultures and societies in the Euro-Mediterranean area, in accordance with and in support of the Congress of Barcelona;
  • advocates the principles of solidarity for the understanding and respect of diversities;
  • Elaborates shared objectives and carries them out in contexts that are socially and culturally different;
  • acts for the promotion of dialogue and exchanges between civil Societies, local communities and the economic sector.
There have been numerous statements that support the work of the Maison de la Méditerranée, among which the following:
  • The General Assembly of the United Nations, which through resolution no. 217A dated 9th November 2001, requested the States to support the initiatives of Civil Society and NGOs in the dialogue between cultures (art. B.3) and invited international and regional organisations to promote dialogue and reciprocal understanding between them, and to report on such activities to the Secretary General of the United Nations.
  • In a message by the President of the Italian Republic, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi expressed his “great appreciation for the high objectives pursued by the Maison de la Méditerranée.
  • The President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, has stated that “the establishment of La Maison de la Méditerranée constitutes a great hope and contributes to the greater project for peace and prosperity for the peoples of the Mediterranean.
  • His Holiness Pope John Paul II, during his recent visit to Ischia, invoked concrete initiatives for dialogue for the promotion of peace, with particular reference to today’s Middle East.
  • Prince El Hassan Bin Talal of Jordan has reiterated the need for a common mentality for the removal of poverty, racism, terrorism, inequality, hatred and intolerance.

In Campania there are many traces of a fertile Mediterranean in which diversity constitutes wealth in the form of artistic, cultural and linguistic and artisan traditions that have contributed to the rich and varied beauty of these places.

Today, through the new role of the Regional authorities, this central role takes on a social and political character. It is increasingly necessary to build links of an ethical nature at both a local and a global level. Faith in one’s community and its human potential is what constitutes the heritage that mankind needs to preserve and protect.
Hence today the heritage of the “New Europe” is increasingly, not only the history of the past, but also the ability to look hopefully to the future.

This is an approach that concurs with the respect of cultural and linguistic diversity and a true dialogue between societies and cultures. However, it is not a utopia, but a political, economic and socio-cultural challenge for us all. Technological changes, economic and financial globalisation and the instant transmission of information have plunged mankind towards common destinies. Does this mean a common destiny? No doubt, in the long run. As evidence we see the increase of inequality and poverty in the world; a numerical discrimination that has been established between the possessors of information and the others! Further proof is constituted by the hegemony of some powers over rules of conduct and decisions that involve the future on a planetary scale.

The Maison de la Méditerranée, has offices and bureaux in the various Euro-Mediterranean countries and the support of all the institutions and organisations that have become a part of it. With its fully operational multi-medial premises, it represents an indispensable means for the rising to this challenge.
Therefore, with reference to the 1995 Congress of Barcelona, which proposed the promotion of intercultural dialogue in the Euro-Mediterranean area through the establishment by the year 2010 of a zone of free exchange, and by following the specific guidelines of the V Euro-Mediterranean Congress held at Valencia of 22-23 April, 2002, the Maison de la Méditerranée intends to visibly enact the Barcelona Process through exchanges between civil, cultural and intellectual Societies. The Maison also operates through the “Mediterranean network for dialogue between cultures” set up by the Fondazione Laboratorio Mediterraneo and the Independent Institutes. Its bureaux and offices are in operation in the Euro-Mediterranean countries. These resources give the Maison a potential that is not only physical but also that of global interconnection for the promotion of dialogue, peace and sustainable growth in the Euro-Mediterranean area.

The Maison de la Méditerranée operates with a horizontal organisational networking modality and carries out projects in which its partners are themselves actively involved . In this way the projects are reinforced by making them belong to all parties involved. The Maison constitutes an organism that in virtue of its objectives is made available to Euro-Mediterranean partnerships.

Among the tributes paid to The Maison de la Méditerranée we note the following :

  • The Italian Parliament, which is keenly aware of the role that Italy could play in partnership processes, has recently passed a law in support of the initial activities of The Maison de la Méditerranée (Law no. 111, dated 12-6-2002).
  • The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Italian Republic sees support for The Maison de la Méditerranée as a priority for the internationalisation of the areas of the South of Italy, and as a key element in the “Euro-Mediterranean Foundation” currently being formed.
  • The Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities recognises the Mediterranean Laboratory Foundation as a Euro-Mediterranean network”, among the national organisations acting for the promotion of dialogue between cultures and societies, and for the appreciation of the cultural heritage.
  • The Regione Campania (in motion no. 5762 dated 12-6-2002) of its Regional Operational Plan has specified the resources, which (through a special Project managed and integrated at Regional level), are required for the support of the Academy of the Mediterranean-Maison de la Méditerranée, its Central Offices in Naples and the offices that are already in operation in Campania. It has also nominated the Maison as a candidate for the central coordination of the “Fondazione Euro-Mediterranea” currently being constituted.

The Maison de la Méditerranée plans to act as host for many initiatives during the course of 2003, among which:

The organisation of the Euromed Civil Forum 2003 in Naples and in Campania which, during the second half of the year, will continue in the steps of the similar one that took place in 1997. This earlier one saw the participation of 2,248 representatives from 36 countries and the presentation of 86 projects, among which that of the Maison de la Méditerranée itself. The new “Forum” will concentrate on linking Civil Society and Institutions, and comprise an agenda of international seminars on specific themes, timed throughout the Italian Presidency of the European Union; it will end with a final meeting for proposals and recapitulation.

Michele Capasso
General Director of The Academy of the Mediterranean- Maison de la Méditerranée


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La Maison's Welcome
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A Home for dialogue
A Mission
A space for progress
A network for the
   Euro-Mediterranean
   Partnership
A resource for Europe
A space for peace
A space for events
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Michele Capasso
General Director
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