Beirut, May 14, 2011: In the presence of several EU ambassadors and heads of cultural institutes of Romania, Germany, Italy, France and Britain, and under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture represented by His Excellency Minister Salim Sayegh, the European Union National Institutes for Culture in Lebanon (EUNIC) was launched in collaboration with IndyACT and the Delegation of the European Union in Lebanon, during an environmental and cultural festive day in Sanayeh garden, Beirut, under the slogan “Green Your Culture”.
On 21 January, 2011, five European cultural centers based in Beirut, namely British Council, Goethe Institute, The Romanian cultural Institute, the Italian cultural Institute, and French Cultural Center, signed an agreement to form a national cluster for European Union National Institutes for Culture. EUNIC in Lebanon aims at establishing partnerships and networks amongst the European cultural institutes in any country. In Lebanon, the formation of such a network seeks to achieve a better coordination of the activities between the different European cultural centers, organize joint initiatives, and respond collectively to European open calls for proposals in order to benefit from additional cultural funding.
Dan Stoenescu, President of EUNIC in Lebanon said, “With the cluster being launched today, we hope to facilitate action and cooperation in the cultural field between Lebanon and the EU; we would also be interested in reflecting European culture in the Lebanese cultural arena”.
The environmental and cultural festive day aims at inspiring Lebanese youth to live a greener life through the integration of environmental behavior in their culture. The activities of this day combine culture, art and environmental thinking.
The main event of the day was the international live graffiti art on a 30-meter mural depicting climate change by international and Lebanese artists from Britain, Germany, and Lebanon. The festival included theatrical performances from Romania, Lebanese hip-hop music and dance shows, Romanian classical music shows, a DJ from Italy, and a photo exhibitions on climate change from France and EU.
The graffiti artists painted a mural using paint that is harmless to the environment, sending an eco-responsible message to artists to adopt environment-friendly alternatives. The Romanian theater company Teatrul Ludic opened the festival with a play entitled “The Man - The Trash Can”. Then there was a performance by the Lebanese hip-hop band “Fareeq El Atrash”, which presented environmental songs accompanied by the Lebanese hip-hop dance group “961”. Afterwards, the band “Rebellious Phoenix” performed a unique music show where the members played percussion instruments made from recycled materials. Italian Letizia Renzini was the DJ of the festival.
“There is an urgent need for Arabs and Lebanese to incorporate the environmental behavior in their lives and culture. If it is not adopted right now, life as we know it will cease to exist on this planet”, said Ali Fakhry, IndyACT Communication Director. “Environmental problems such as climate change now have the greatest influence on all requirements of life, namely food, health and economy”, added Fakhry.
IndyACT promotes the adoption of environmentally friendly alternatives by Lebanese and Arab youths in their daily lives. It emphasizes the methods that limit carbon dioxide emissions, the primary cause of climate change. IndyACT also pushes Lebanon and Arab countries to develop long-term plans and policies to combat climate change; as well as working at the United Nations towards a global binding and just agreement that protects the people of the region from the devastating effects of climate change.
Note:
You can find the latest news about the EUNIC on the website of the Agenda Culturel [www.agendaculturel.com] The official web partner of the EUNIC.
For more information:
Ali Fakhry
Communication Director
IndyACT - The League of Independent Activists
Phone: 71-421593
Email: comms@indyact.org
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