United Nations Cultural Organization DIALOGUE AMONG CIVILIZATIONS SUMMIT OF THE HEADS OF STATE OF SOUTH-EAST EUROPE MUSIC AS A METAPHOR OF CULTURAL DIALOGUE IN SOUTH-EAST EUROPE Abdullah Gül Irina Bokova Gabriella Battaini - Dragoni Bamir Topi Haris Silajdžić Georgi Parvanov Ivo Josipović Filip Vujanović COUNCIL OF EUROPE CONSEIL DE L'EUROPE In cooperation with 2010 Boris Tadić Kelemen Hunor Pavlos Geroulanos Gheorghe Postică Melpomeni Korneti STANBUL, TURKEY, 22-23 JUNE 2010
DIALOGUE AMONG CIVILIZATIONS SUMMIT OF THE HEADS OF STATE OF SOUTH-EAST EUROPE MUSIC AS A METAPHOR OF CULTURAL DIALOGUE IN SOUTH-EAST EUROPE İSTANBUL, TURKEY, 22-23 June 2010
The authors are responsible for the choice and the presentation of the facts contained in this book and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization. The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. This publication was directed and overseen by Hans d Orville, UNESCO Assistant Director General for Strategic Planning Published in 2014 By the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) 7 place de Fontenoy 75352 Paris 07 SP France Edited by Ann-Belinda Preis Senior Programme Planning Officer Bureau of Strategic Planning and Maria Linda Tinio Le Douarin Assistant Programme Coordinator Foresight Programme Bureau of Strategic Planning UNESCO 2014 All rights reserved Photo credits: Composed and printed in the workshops of UNESCO BSP-2014/WS/3
FOREWORD The Annual Summit Meetings of Heads of State of South-East Europe is an important initiative that reflects a strong commitment to promote regional cooperation and new bridges of dialogue, on the basis of shared values and solidarity. As UNESCO Director-General, I was honoured to co-organise the 8th Annual Summit Meeting with President of the Republic of Turkey, H. E. Abdullah Gül, in Istanbul on 23 June, 2010. The 2010 Summit explored the theme of "Music as a Metaphor for Cultural Dialogue," taking place in the context of the 2010 International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures, for which UNESCO was designated the lead United Nations agency. The Istanbul Declaration stated that music is "a bridge among the people of the region". The Heads of State recognized music as an integral part of the region's intangible heritage and as "a catalyst for joint initiatives in order to nurture cultural diversity, thus instilling peace and harmony among the peoples of the region". This echoes with UNESCO s work to draw on the power of the arts as bridges for respect and mutual understanding across borders. Music is a source of peace -- through the links it forges, the bridges it builds, and the emotions it evokes. At the heart of music lies a passion that must be shared to have full meaning, and this is why it is such a force for peace. 3 Making the most of this power requires the active engagement of all States. This is the importance of the Istanbul Declaration, which calls for increased networking and joint projects to preserve and sustain cultural heritage, to support exchanges and research, to work at the local level, and with youth, and to develop audiovisual materials. Culture needs to be safeguarded, nurtured and promoted. This was the strong message emerging from Istanbul. Setting a rich agenda for further cooperation, the Istanbul Summit confirmed the importance of such meetings at the highest levels. UNESCO is proud to be a partner in this project to strengthen peace in the region through dialogue and on the basis of cultural exchange, guided also by the spirit of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage and the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
In Istanbul, President Gül stated: "I believe music is one of the best expressions of our cultural identity." The societies of South-East Europe have a deep wellspring of cultural diversity to share with the world, drawing on a long and distinguished history of exchange and dialogue. This is a force for creativity and innovation, as much as it is for reconciliation and understanding. I wish to thank President Gül and the Turkish Government for organizing this Summit Meeting and for helping to shape a new vision of the power of culture for cooperation. Irina Bokova Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword 3 İstanbul Declaration 7 STATEMENTS OF WELCOME 11 Abdullah Gül President of the Republic of Turkey 13 Irina Bokova Director-General of UNESCO 17 Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni Director-General of Education, Culture and Heritage, Youth and Sport and Coordinator for Intercultural Dialogue, Council of Europe, representing the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe 21 STATEMENTS 23 Bamir Topi President of the Republic of Albania 25 Haris Silajdžić* Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Georgi Parvanov President of the Republic of Bulgaria 27 Ivo Josipović President of the Republic of Croatia 29 Filip Vujanović President of the Republic of Montenegro 31 Boris Tadić President of the Republic of Serbia 33 Kelemen Hunor Minister of Culture and National Heritage, representing the President of the Republic of Romania 37 Pavlos Geroulanos Minister of Culture and Tourism, representing the President of the Hellenic Republic 41 Gheorghe Postică Deputy Minister of Culture, representing the President of the Republic of Moldova 43 Melpomeni Korneti Ambassador of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to Turkey, representing the President of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 45 5 PHOTO GALLERY 49 ANNEXES 57 SUMMIT DECLARATIONS 59 Message from Ohrid adopted at the Regional Forum on the Dialogue Among Civilization (2003) 61 The Tirana Summit Declaration on Inter-religious and Inter-Ethnic Dialogue in South-East Europe (2004) 65 Varna Declaration on Cultural Corridors in South-East Europe, Common Past and Shared Heritage: A Key to Future Partnership (2005) 69 Opatija Declaration on Communication of Heritage (2006) 73 Sibiu Declaration on Cultural Diversity a Bridge Between Cultural Heritage and the Culture of Future (2007) 79 Athens Declaration on Intercultural Encounters on Maritime, River and Lake Routes of South-East Europe (2008) 85 Cetinje Declaration on Management of Heritage Diversity and its Promotion for Tourism (2009) 93 LIST OF DELEGATIONS 99 * The statement of Haris Silajdžić, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was unavailable at the time of printing.
MUSIC AS A METAPHOR OF CULTURAL DIALOGUE IN SOUTH-EAST EUROPE SUMMIT OF THE HEADS OF STATE OF SOUTH-EAST EUROPE İSTANBUL DECLARATION, 23 JUNE 2010 We, Heads of State and other high-level representatives of South-East Europe, UNESCO and the Council of Europe gathered in İstanbul, 2010 European Capital of Culture, on 23 June 2010, to hold the Eighth Meeting of the Summit of the Heads of State of South-East Europe devoted to the theme Music as a Metaphor of Cultural Dialogue in South-East Europe, organized under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Turkey, Mr Abdullah Gül, the Director-General of UNESCO, Mrs. Irina Bokova, and the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, Mr Thorbjørn Jagland : Reaffirming the ideals and principles laid down in the Charter of the United Nations, the Constitution of UNESCO, the Statute of the Council of Europe, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights as well as the European Convention on Human Rights; 7 Emphasizing that İstanbul Summit coincides with the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures-2010 proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly for which UNESCO was designated as lead agency; Recalling that the International Year seeks to underscore the significance of the intercultural dialogue as a hallmark of mutual understanding and culture of peace, which should inform all policy-making at local, national, regional and international levels and should involve all relevant stakeholders; Recognizing the importance of safeguarding and enhancing the promotion of cultural heritages, both tangible and intangible, as a fundamental source for building sustainable peace, a vector for reconciliation and harmony throughout the region and catalyst for regional cooperation; Welcoming the focus of İstanbul Summit on Music as a Metaphor of Cultural Dialogue, which highlights the role of music as an integral part of the intangible cultural heritage in South- East Europe as stipulated in the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible
Cultural Heritage (2003), and which aims at celebrating the wealth of cultural diversity of the region and its mutual influences through music; Emphasizing that the present Declaration is in continuity with the Message from Ohrid on Dialogue Among Civilizations (2003), the Tirana Summit Declaration on Inter-Religious and Inter-Ethnic Dialogue in South-East Europe (2004), the Varna Declaration on Cultural Corridors of South-East Europe, Common Past and Shared Heritage - A Key to Future Partnership (2005), the Opatija Declaration on «Communication of Heritage» (2006), Bucharest and Sibiu Declaration on «Cultural Diversity - a Bridge between Cultural Heritage and the Culture of the Future» (2007), the Athens Declaration on Intercultural Encounters on Maritime, River and Lake Routes of South-East Europe (2008), and the Cetinje Declaration on Management of Heritage Diversity and its Promotion for Tourism (2009); Expressing our satisfaction that significant progress has been achieved in the pursuit of the above-mentioned Declarations, including through the annual conferences of Ministers of Culture, ongoing relevant regional programs as well as the commitment of the National Commissions for UNESCO; 8 Also acknowledging the important role played by arts education, including music, in the strengthening of intangible cultural heritage and reinforcement of intercultural dialogue, mutual understanding and harmony; Admitting that the access, protection and promotion of the cultural heritage of South-East Europe constitute the very basis for a strengthened regional cooperation, We, therefore, underscore the crucial role of culture in all its dimensions for development and concur that this aspect should be explicitly acknowledged in the outcome Document of the High-level Event of the UN General Assembly on the Millennium Development Goals in September 2010 in New York; We acknowledge that: a. Cultural heritage is an indispensable part of national identity, however no cultural heritage is formed by a uniform civilization or culture; every cultural heritage is an outcome of centuries of communication and exchange between various cultures and civilizations; b. South-East Europe has been at the crossroads of various cultures which have given birth to rich and diverse cultural heritages and constitute the indispensable basis for lasting peace and harmony in the region;
c. Cultural routes, corridors and itineraries provide effective means of safeguarding and promoting cultural diversity with full respect to each other s heritage as a platform for establishing a genuine cultural dialogue in South-East Europe; d. The intangible cultural heritage is a core element of cultural diversity, a mirror of human creativity, and its safeguarding and enhancement contribute to the fostering of good relations, improved communication and effective cooperation, tolerance and mutual understanding in the region; e. Music, as a part of intangible cultural heritage, plays an indispensible role in the life of nations, communities, groups and individuals, and serves as a bridge among the peoples of the region; f. Throughout history, South-East Europe has developed a regional culture of music which has served as means of both communication and reconciliation; diverse cultures of South-East Europe rally around the same melodies, which represent the shared heritage of all the cultures of the region; We reaffirm our common commitment to: a. Underscore the significance of cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible, as means for encouraging regional cooperation and intercultural dialogue; 9 b. Explore and encourage all opportunities in order to preserve, sustain, use and promote intercultural dialogue and cooperation in South-East Europe through cultural routes, itineraries and corridors of the region; c. Improve cultural cooperation in the region by intensifying joint scientific, academic and artistic endeavours and exchanges; d. Integrate the principles of safeguarding cultural heritage in joint projects particularly in the areas of culture, education, sciences, communication and information. We declare our determination to: a. Safeguard and ensure mutual respect for the cultural heritage of the region by underscoring its significant role in bringing cultures closer together and providing an enabling platform for exchange and dialogue for deepening mutual understanding; b. Encourage the establishment, consolidation and networking among the relevant institutions dealing with cultural heritage throughout South-East Europe and facilitate the access thereto;
c. Focus on preserving, sustaining, using and promoting joint projects on routes, corridors and itineraries in cultural heritage to create an environment of cooperation, dialogue and better understanding in the region; d. Highlight music as a catalyst for joint initiatives in order to nurture cultural diversity, thus instilling peace and harmony among the peoples of the region; e. Provide support for initiatives, academic interdisciplinary studies and common projects for mapping, documenting, inventorying and promoting intangible cultural heritage of music in the region; f. Make use of local and regional festivals, fairs, media and youth exchange programs for a better interaction of cultures through the music and melodies of the region; g. Encourage organization of trainings and preparation of audio-visual materials for creating awareness in the region for the safeguard and transfer of common musical cultural heritage to the next generations. In conclusion, We welcome the proposal of the President of Serbia, to host the Ninth Meeting of the Summit of the Heads of State of South-East Europe in 2011 in Belgrade.
STATEMENTS OF WELCOME 11
ABDULLAH GÜL PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY I am very pleased to host a second Summit within the same day in İstanbul. I have also opened the Eighth Meeting of the Cultural Corridors Summit Forum of the Heads of State of South- East Europe. I greet all of you with my heartfelt sentiments at this İstanbul Summit Forum, which assembles us on this converging venue of cultural dialogue and conciliation in the year 2010, proclaimed by the United Nations as the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures, which is also the year when İstanbul has the title of European Capital of Culture. The Cultural Corridors Summit Forum Meetings of South-East European Countries were launched through an initiative by UNESCO in 2002, in order to enhance intercultural dialogue. By the common will of the countries of the region and the cooperation between UNESCO and the Council of Europe this event has been realized every year since 2003. I take this opportunity to reiterate my pleasure for the election of an esteemed and experienced female diplomat from our region as the Director-General of UNESCO. 13 I am of the opinion that this Forum, oriented towards safeguarding, improving and optimizing common cultural heritage among the Balkans countries, is critically important in terms of strengthening intercultural dialogue and regional cooperation. I observe with pleasure that the Summit Forums, organized with the aim of preserving and promoting cultural heritage, constitute an important cooperation mechanism, which enables us to confirm our common will towards establishing closer relations at the regional level, and generating an area of peace, stability and prosperity. The Summit Forums also allow to voice the opinion that cultural diversity in South-East Europe establishes the basis of our cultural richness. Taking this opportunity, I would like to reiterate the appeal which I made during the 35th General Conference of UNESCO: I wish that the financial and economic crisis, which the world is experiencing, would not constitute a pretext for cutting our cultural and educational resources, because, at times of crisis we need more investments than usual in education and culture to render our societies vigorous.
In addition, cultural diversity should be included in development strategies as a driving force behind economic and societal progress. To this effect, the proclamation of the year 2010 as the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures has been very appropriate. UNESCO employs the notion of route as a metaphor for defining the history of humanity. This history consists of itinerary narratives, and throughout this journey, every culture has brought and introduced its own experiences, opinions, values and goods. They have also taken the values of "travelled geographies" and utilized, transformed and appropriated them. As a matter of fact, today, determining the routes of these journeys has become one of the best means to improve intercultural dialogue, and for this reason, the concept of "cultural corridors" has been adopted by UNESCO. South-East Europe has been an intersection point of civilizations and religions. It is the location where East and West, North and South meet. Throughout centuries, cultural corridors have come into being in this geographical area in a natural way. At present, there is a living shared memorial heritage of civilizations and strong ties among nations underlying these cultural routes. Currently, many projects are being conducted by national commissions in the region for the designation of cultural routes in this area. 14 Turkey is honoured to be part of these studies carried out in the sphere of cultural corridors. Our country contributes to the preservation and improvement of common heritage of humanity and shared values of diverse cultures, as well as to ensuring and enhancing of intercultural dialogue by implementing concrete projects. The projects of shared musical culture and common cultural cuisine were carried out with Bulgaria and Macedonia respectively and concluded successfully. I believe that music is one of the most significant components of intangible cultural heritage, and on this account it should be valued as a metaphor of cultural dialogue. The most vigorous way of activating the potential of unity and brotherhood in the Balkans is to protect and improve the elements of our shared cultural heritage. The values which provide the possibility of joining in a common destiny and sense of belonging rather than separating in differences and conflicts, are manifestations of our trans-boundary closeness. With this understanding, I am of the opinion that music as a friendship bridge for regional peace, dialogue and cooperation must be reinforced. Providing support for these endeavours, which are directed towards documenting and inventorying the cultural heritage of the region, by developing collective projects on the ongoing journey of music in the South-East European
region for thousands of years, constitutes one of the substantial steps that we must take to achieve this aim. The implementation and promotion of academic interdisciplinary studies in the musical sphere, oriented towards the preservation of cultural heritage, which exist in the region, the transmission of it to the new generations through mapping, and by this way improving it, is of major importance. I believe that introducing our countries similar melodies and musical instruments through the organization of regional musical training programs, will also facilitate the transfer of our common musical heritage to the next generations. We are elaborating one of our intangible cultural heritage assets for first the time at the Cultural Corridors Summit Forum Process. By intensifying the trans-boundary strength, the utilization of our regional musical values effectively and efficiently for cultural closeness, compromise and cooperation, is in accordance with the basic principles of the Summit Forums organized up to date, and also with the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. In this context, I consider that the İstanbul Declaration entitled Music as a Metaphor of Cultural Dialogue in South-East Europe, which we will adopt today, is to become a guide for the future steps that we will take towards protecting, improving and introducing this component of our cultural heritage through our common effort. 15 Our musical heritage, which is a symphony having resounded in our ears for thousands of years, is as colourful, trans-boundary and lasting as the mountain ranges, broad plains and wild rivers of our shared geography. I would like to conclude by emphasizing my wish that the Eighth Meeting of the Cultural Corridors Summit Forum of the Heads of State of South-East Europe will contribute to peace, stability and friendship in the Balkans and the world.
IRINA BOKOVA DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF UNESCO It is an honour for me to join you, here in my home region, for this Eighth Meeting of the Summit Forum of Heads of States of South-East Europe. Thank you, President Gül, for generously hosting this Forum in the magical city of Istanbul, whose designation as European Capital of Culture, 2010, I had the pleasure of celebrating last week at UNESCO Headquarters. Allow me also to greet all Heads of State and our distinguished partners from the Council of Europe gathered today. You can imagine my emotion being here for the first time as Director-General of UNESCO. I am proud to be Bulgarian, proud to be from South-East Europe, proud to be European and proud to be at the head of an Organization that has consistently stressed the central role of culture for reconciliation, development and peace. Over the past eight years, these Summits have led to a constructive and engaging meeting of minds. Each one has demonstrated your joint commitment to cultural cooperation as an avenue for building stability and security in the region. 17 More fundamentally, they reflect a commitment to shared values that are inherent to the process of European integration: respect for human rights, democracy, rule of law and cultural pluralism. UNESCO is proud to be a partner in this ambitious political, social and cultural journey. From the emblematic silhouette of the Blue Mosque to the Byzantine church of Hagia Sophia, from Topkapi Palace to the Golden Horn, the city of Istanbul, at the crossroads of East and West, stands as a symbol of the cultural and spiritual encounters that have shaped our identities over thousands of years. This diversity -ethnic, religious and linguistic - has been a source of intense creativity, but it also painfully divided us. I myself grew up in a town where 80 percent of the population was Muslim. We lived side by side in a spirit of respect and tolerance. But as we know too well, this region has been torn by civil strife. We have witnessed intolerable suffering on the basis of ethnic or religious belonging. We are best placed to know that peace can never be taken for granted. The only way to resolve tensions, resentment, fears of identity loss in the face of globalization is to build bridges, to create opportunities for discovering and trusting one another.
There is no better route than through cultural dialogue and respect for cultural diversity, the message of this United Nations Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures for which UNESCO has been designated as lead agency to pass. Today we are gathered around the theme of Music as the metaphor of cultural dialogue. Two days ago, cities in over forty countries, including here in Istanbul, celebrated World Music Day with an outpouring of talent in the streets. I think we would all agree that there is no language more universal than music to unite people of all origins and beliefs, to breach cultural and linguistic barriers. It is a language that touches upon profound common bonds and awakens a deep desire to share together. Music is deeply ingrained in our identity. You will hear in the music from our region all the cultures that compose our heritage the Byzantine, the Ottoman, the Romani, the Slav and the Jewish to mention a few and that testify to the longstanding links between us. It is only natural that music should become a new feature of the cultural corridors which we have been establishing in recent years, enabling us to further reach out to civil society, communities and citizens. 18 As the only agency in the United Nations system with a mandate for culture, UNESCO has gradually expanded the vision of universal heritage to encompass the tangible and the intangible. Why? Because by showing the unique nature of expressions that have been passed from one generation to the next, we create an impetus to protect and promote these ephemeral living treasures. Such is the vocation of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which has been ratified by over 120 countries and counts some 160 elements on its Representative List. You will find there the Calus Ritual from Romania, the Mevlevi Sema dance ceremonies from Turkey, and the Bistritsa Babi polyphonic songs, dances and rituals from Bulgaria. These traditions were chosen because they have shaped our identity, providing a sense of continuity and belonging. They must be preserved, protected, promoted and passed to the next generation. In a similar vein, the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expression strives to create an environment in which cultures can flourish and interact by strengthening the creative chain, from the act of creation itself, to the production, distribution, access and enjoyment of cultural expressions. Let me note that from the outset, South-East Europe has shown its commitment to safeguarding intangible heritage. The Intergovernmental Committee held sessions in Sofia
and Istanbul in 2008, while the General Conference approved the creation of a Regional Centre on Intangible Heritage in Sofia. The world may be more connected and integrated than ever and people more mobile, but the velocity of the process has brought new tensions to the fore. New approaches to peace must be found in the face of globalization. This is why UNESCO is reinforcing ties with the Alliance of Civilizations, which held its regional conference in the highly symbolic location of Sarajevo last December. It is, I believe, more than symbolic that Turkey has been a major co-sponsor of this initiative, along with Spain. The involvement of your country, Mr President Gül, with the Alliance testifies to your longstanding commitment to intercultural dialogue. The success of the recent Forum in Rio of the Alliance of Civilizations is further proof of the firm commitment of leaders across the world to bridge cultures through dialogue. I was very pleased last month to sign with President Jorge Sampaio, High Representative of the Alliance of Civilizations, a Memorandum of Understanding between our Organizations. The agreement will give fresh impetus to our cooperation in the field of education, intercultural exchanges, the use of the media in promoting dialogue and reaching out to new audiences. Allow me to add three points. First that UNESCO is stepping up its campaign to make culture a force for peace in international relations. 19 Regrettably, culture is not included in the 2000 Millennium Declaration. Right now we are pushing for culture s role in development to be explicitly acknowledged in the outcome document of the High-Level Plenary meeting on the Millennium Development Goals next September at the United Nations. I hope that I can trust on your support in this regard. Second, and linked to the above, we are highlighting the fact that culture is an economic driver. It creates jobs and can account for a significant share of national revenue. UNESCO s World Report on Investing in Cultural Heritage and Intercultural Dialogue makes a number of policy recommendations to overcome stereotypes, safeguard linguistic diversity and facilitate the exchange of artists and artistic productions. Finally, we cannot speak about cultural dialogue without inclusive quality education that provides children and youth with specific intercultural competencies, values and learning experiences that promote tolerance, respect and understanding about their heritage and history.
This brings me back to music as a metaphor for dialogue. Over the centuries music has served as a medium of both communication and reconciliation. The region is now home to a dynamic and emerging musical scene that has to be supported and strengthened. I am thinking of festivals, youth exchange programmes, co-productions of audiovisual materials, common initiatives and projects to document, inventory and promote this heritage. As societies advance to the beat of rapid change, we have but one choice - to open up to others, to make our region s mosaic of cultures and people a genuine force for peace, for building our future as Europeans. As a Turkish proverb wisely notes: Baş başa vermeyince taş yerinden kalkmaz. (The stone will not move unless you cooperate.) 20
GABRIELLA BATTAINI-DRAGONI DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF EDUCATION, CULTURE AND HERITAGE, YOUTH AND SPORT AND COORDINATOR FOR INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE, COUNCIL OF EUROPE, REPRESENTING THE SECRETARY- GENERAL OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE I would like to convey to you the greetings of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Mr Thorbjørn Jagland. He very much regrets that he cannot be here today due to the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe being held this week in Strasbourg. I would also like to thank the Turkish Chairmanship-in-Office of the SEECP for the organisation of the Summits here in Istanbul and for inviting the Council of Europe to participate in them. Turkey is one of the oldest and most active Member States of the Council of Europe and we look forward to Turkey s Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in November this year. All of the current Members of the South East European Co-operation Process are Member States of the Council of Europe. As such, they are all contributing to an ever greater unity in Europe. Increasingly, the European Union is a major partner for the region, giving a different meaning to the words European perspective. For those countries with an EU accession perspective, the Council of Europe stands ready to continue its assistance towards fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria, which are substantially the CoE standards for democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Secretary General Jagland confirmed this position most recently at the EU-Western Balkans meeting on 2 June 2010 in Sarajevo. 21 Fostering and encouraging regional co-operation has always been one of the main priorities of the Council of Europe. So, I can only express real appreciation for the current dynamic and deeply constructive climate for bilateral and regional dialogue which reigns in the region. One of the CoE s earliest initiatives in this region, the network of Schools of Politics, will meet in Strasbourg next week for its 5th Summer University of Democracy under the theme Crisis of leadership. Many of the developments in South East Europe over the past months can be considered as illustrations of just the opposite, and this is good news. In South East Europe, the CoE has been particularly active in the fields of judicial co-operation, human rights protection, social cohesion, local government, the situation of the Roma people
and national minorities, education and cultural heritage. You are likely to be already familiar with the Ljubljana Process funding heritage rehabilitation in South East Europe. The CoE has therefore very naturally given its support to the SEECP, also in its parliamentary dimension. The President of the PACE took part in the 8th Conference of Speakers of Parliament from the countries of the South-East European Co-operation Process (SEECP) recently held in Antalya. The CoE is also regularly involved in the work of the Regional Anti-corruption initiative and of the Education Reform Initiative. It is in this spirit that we have actively contributed to the drafting of the Strategy and Work programme of the Regional Co-operation Council for 2011-2013. We fully support the adoption of this programme and are ready to help with its implementation. We are looking forward to the enhancement of the RCC s activities, notably in relation to its new responsibilities for the Ljubljana Process. In this connection, we will be pleased to enjoy an even greater level of regular co-ordination and joint action with the RCC and will be happy to welcome again Secretary General Biscevic in Strasbourg. 22 We have always maintained that the protection and preservation of our tangible and intangible European cultural heritage, in all its diversity, is a necessary condition for all Europeans to live peacefully together in the 21st century. For this reason, the Council of Europe Member States adopted the European Cultural Convention already in 1954. It has since been complemented by other pan-european legal instruments, most recently the Framework Convention on the role of heritage in society. The development of European Cultural Routes, the launching of the European heritage days and our collaboration with UNESCO to support the Cultural Corridors, are all examples of regional co-operation at the service of European cultural heritage, and vice versa. This November, it will be 60 years since the European Convention on Human Rights was signed. Europe, our Europe, is based on the values enshrined in this text. In the past six decades, these values have become the indispensable foundation of peace and security on our continent and serve as a guide from our shared history to our common, European, future. The Council of Europe is happy to see that these values are reflected and re-affirmed in the Declaration to be adopted today. I conclude by confirming that the Council of Europe remains a steadfast partner in the endeavour to strengthen regional co-operation as part of the overall objective to consolidate democracy, human rights and the rule of law in South-East Europe.
STATEMENTS 23
BAMIR TOPI PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA When I received the invitation to participate in this Summit of the cultural pathways with the significant theme Music as a metaphor of cultural dialogue to be held here in Istanbul, the symbolic city of the presence of early civilizations, I admitted to myself that, our musical pathway is one of the historic pathways of communication that has remained unconditional among us. It was never closed. I would like to extend my gratitude for the hospitality and perfect management of this important meeting with full faith that its message will be a leitmotif of our countries and peoples in order to increase their cultural dialogue, not just in form but also in spirit. This spiritual pathway: invisible at a first look, but wonderful, multicolour, multiform, multisubject and diverse, established by our peoples for thousands of years, kept alive by singing, dances and musical instruments. It has always excited us and kept us connected in the most difficult times, times when reason was missing and in its place there was force by mistake. Observing beyond the diversity of languages, colours of costumes, rhythm of dances and the different kinds of musical instruments, in all our countries, a part of the larger world, the peoples inserted in their folk music, in this cultural inheritance, a spiritual matter that is indispensable for the continuation of human life. Even more so it is an artistic food produced by peoples for people, through the world wide language of musical sounds. 25 In my country, in Albania, there is a wise folk saying that goes: Songs and fairytales have no God. I believe that its true meaning is found through the way that a musical work is created, through a long and difficult artistic process, which involves hundreds and thousands of people, during a time limit that extends in tens and hundreds of years. This process, human and artistic in the same time, uninfluenced by political climate or systems, hides in its depth the creation of musical language as a measure of communication and as a culture of peace. After all music and popular songs are transformed slowly through the language of sounds, into cultural symbols precious for the identity of peoples and our countries. Our peoples have thrived on this multitude of musical traditions and continue to do so with regard to cultural diversity as the heart of life and humanism. They have raised the pathways
of communication and friendly relations between different communities beyond, and have dialogued culturally with other neighbouring countries, and beyond. A clear proof of the values established by our peoples is also the fact that our region has a number of major attractions well known worldwide through the UNESCO recognition as Masterpieces of oral and spiritual inheritance of humankind. Such artistic folk musical masterpieces as Albanian Folk Iso-polyphony, as well as others of our peoples and nations, which are realistically transformed into cultural inter-regional pathways of communication and, now through our music into common spiritual inheritance. These musical masterpieces stand there very simply, without any concrete names of authors that have created them, but more like an artistic testimony that comes with the names of our countries; as such they are able to prove that our artistic humanism is also able to make valid masterpieces for all of humankind. 26 This extraordinary mosaic of cultural values is not threatened or deformed, instead it is enriched and redecorated, especially when it frees our peoples from prejudice and political ambitions and even more so from the objectives of hindering universal processes of development and integration towards the freedom of the soul of and values. That is how I consider it the unstoppable process of independence and consolidation in the Republic of Kosovo, as a undeniable contribution of our ancient spiritual inheritance, cultural and musical, which is being enriched by multiple dimensions and by the undeniable value of ethnic co-existence. The Republic of Kosovo is an example for us and for the coming generations of how we should not remain hostage of the political past, but should become part of the joint future through the spirit of tolerance and search for the inheritance that united our peoples towards their inevitable fate. That is why in the musical range of our region, the mark from Kosovo is so much in demand and necessary for the ears and minds. Not just for our peoples, but also for the institutions towards which we have decided to advance, by enriching them with the values of our inheritance, of which we should all be proud. I personally believe even more in the power of the human spirit than in the physical force of the body. Moreover, the force of the spirit expressed through music is one of the golden treasures that our peoples have created for hundreds of years and today, it is a special occasion for me to invite all others to go through our spiritual pathway of communication, which is nothing but: our joint spiritual inheritance, in the purpose of peace, democracy, cooperation and tolerance.
GEORGI PARVANOV PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA Above all, I would like to thank our hosts, and President Gül in particular, for their warm hospitality and the excellent conditions provided for the holding of the present Eighth Regional Forum. I am confident that all of us understand the symbolism of the venue chosen for today s meeting, because to all the peoples of the South-East of Europe, the city on the Bosphorus is the place strongly linked to our history as well as our culture. But the Forum at which we are gathered once again is by itself symbolic, as it no doubt constitutes a major tool for the development of this region, for building a new outlook, for its social and economic upsurge. If we look back, we can see that since 2003 this project of ours has blazed a trail via different cities and countries, where we have discussed a wide variety of subjects. This has been our goal: to choose together the milestones and signposts marking a common space. A space that enables the combination of various traditions, beliefs and skills, while providing conditions for their preservation, revival and development. 27 The theme of today s Forum, Music as a Metaphor of Intercultural Dialogue, is also a symbolic expression of the qualitatively new level of cultural exchange in the region. Such a choice of subject corresponds to our aspiration to communicate fully and without barriers, and to the sense of seeking roads which, just like sounds, know no barriers. It is a commendable fact that a number of joint projects have been completed in the sphere of music. A good case in point is the successfully realized project on Traditional cultures and live music forms of the population in the Strandja Region on both sides of the border, initiated by the National UNESCO Commissions for Turkey and Bulgaria. At the same time, we are deeply convinced that the Sofia-based Regional Center for Cooperation in the Sphere of the Intangible Heritage, established under UNESCO auspices, will likewise become a catalyst for other joint initiatives for the study and promotion of the Balkan folk music heritage. We could even consider a joint entry of The Wealth of Balkan Folk Music, to be submitted for inclusion in the Representative UNESCO List of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Music has invariably been a very important part of the Balkan cultural identity, while the magic of Balkan rhythms, voices and melodies that stem from the depth of Balkan tradition
is undoubtedly a major contribution to the musical culture of Europe and the world not to mention that we even have songs that are sung in different languages but to the same tune. What excellent example of the preservation of multiculturalism, what strong metaphor of our cultural closeness! What we have aspired for at our fora, as I have personally emphasized in my statements, is the need for us to be as pragmatic and result-oriented as possible in the pursuit of our goals. 28 Therefore, I would like to go back to our idea of setting up a joint youth network, which we tentatively named Heritage Academy. In 2008 and 2009, I presented this idea and it was subsequently discussed at expert level. Recently, the idea was supported in Montenegro at the Meeting of Ministers of Culture, and was commended by the representatives of the Council of Europe. I believe that the adoption of a final document, supported by UNESCO and the Council of Europe, that would help us realize this initiative with the active involvement of all countries, would be an important achievement. In our view, such a document should incorporate not just ideas concerning the preservation of the cultural and historical heritage, but we should also develop a model to possible interaction in other spheres as well: cultural policy at a local level, cooperation between museums and related institutions, cross-border applications for entering on the UNESCO List. I am confident of UNESCO s support for the drafting of such a document, as well as of the necessary assistance on the part of experts from all states participating in this forum. I am happy that today we have among us the Director General of UNESCO Mrs. Bokova. Her election brings us much satisfaction, because in addition to constituting recognition of her own merits as a person, politician and diplomat, this is also a tribute to Bulgaria. At the same time, I believe that this election is of major importance for the entire region, as I am sure that Ms Bokova will manage to enrich this prestigious international Organization with the spirit, diversity and tolerance of the community where she was born and raised. In conclusion, I would like yet again to share my understanding that the passing on of the diversity and millennia-old preserved past to the future generations is not just our duty as politicians; it is also our response to the wishes and aspirations of the millions of people living in the areas stretching from the Adriatic, the Danube and the Carpathian Range all the way to the Black Sea, the Bosphorus and the Peloponnesus. Perhaps in this way we will manage to realize the prophetic words attributed to the greatest singer, poet and musician of antiquity, the mythical Orpheus, who once lived in these lands of ours: The world can be conquered by the lyre, not by the sword.
IVO JOSIPOVIĆ PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA It is my great privilege and pleasure to participate for the first time as President of the Republic of Croatia in the cultural summit of countries in the region, held this year in the millennial city of Istanbul, ancient hub of cultures of the East and the West, and European Capital of Culture 2010. Indeed, is there a better place for the discussion on the theme of this year s Cultural Corridors, that is, Music as Metaphor of Cultural Dialogue? As a musician and composer discharging since recently the office of President of the Republic, I certainly find the topic close to my heart, as I have been dealing with it almost all my life. Of course, in a different way, I admit that I would find it much easier to talk about music with music and notes rather than words. And I believe that you would even then understand me quite well, if not better. Because music is indeed universal, and its force breaks down all linguistic, political and civilization barriers. Music is understood by everybody in all the different parts of the world and it arouses similar feelings in everybody. Music has for centuries created cultural bridges between states and nations even when they were at war and on opposing sides. 29 The best proof of that is the fact that even during the latest bloody and unnecessary war in the former Republic of Yugoslavia, people continued to listen to music performed by musicians and singers on both sides of the border even if their governments had no political relations. Most of the artists and musicians fostered their mutual friendly relations at times when that seemed to be impossible, and as soon as the war ended they were the first to open the door to cooperation between the recently warring sides. I have myself taken part in major musical projects with fellow musicians from the entire region. Even in times of the greatest war danger, musicians from the whole world came to play and hold concerts in Croatia in order to offer moral support in this way to Croatian citizens and draw the attention of the world to the war tribulations. It is through music, first as a student and then as a professor, that I acquired many friends and met many like-minded people on the international scene, and as the long-standing director of Zagreb s well-known Biennale, a musical event of great international renown, which promoted intercultural dialogue from the very beginning, I understood that there was a tie between music and politics. That was precisely the theme of the twenty-fifth Zagreb Biennale last year.
Of course, the theme was not chosen at random. As a politician, but also as a musician, I understood that after the post-war crisis in South-eastern Europe was overcome, a new, economic crisis was coming, a crisis which swept through almost the whole world. With the onset of that crisis society has become intensively politicized. In Croatia, in the region, and in Europe. The time before us will be a period of renewed stock-taking of many social values. During this period, art will again have to provide its own contribution with its humane messages. I am convinced that at a time characterized by moral crisis, economic collapse, loss of jobs and general resignation prevailing in many countries, it is precisely music that can best convey messages of peace, cooperation, non-violence, social justice and optimism. As regards countries in the region, as President of the Republic of Croatia I shall repeat a message that I have recently sent out as a musician: politicians certainly need to follow the example of artists and condemn all the evil policies during the period of national insanity and war in the former Yugoslavia, and the leaders who implemented them, and work instead, for the sake of the future, in the interest of the vast majority of normal people, who were not blinded by such policies and were not imbued with hate. In this respect, music can also help them in the future just as it can help us to return together to the cultural sphere to which we all belong, the sphere of the European family. 30
FILIP VUJANOVIĆ PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF MONTENEGRO Defining music, the most mysterious of all arts by many people, has remained a philosophical issue until today. Countless are those who attempted to explain its essence from the dawn of mankind, often by contradicting each other, but agreeing upon its special place in the spiritual world particularly due to its inexplicable origin, language and the perfection of the instruments played qualifying music as the most sublime of all arts. Therefore, when comparing music with anything, we have to admit its mysterious properties and the advantage deriving from its inexplicability. Music, most certainly does not exist only for itself, but for the others. And existence of others always means dialogue. Dialogue, the first of numerous forms of communication among people, possesses somewhat of the sublimity of music itself it came about in order to connect people, and it ultimately aims at bringing people together. Dialogue among individuals, peoples, cultures and states is the characteristic of our social being and a confirmation of the planetary superiority of the human race. The link between these two values, which are almost mutually explicative, is so deep that there is no harm in saying that music does not exist without dialogue and that every successful dialogue is a consonance of harmonious tones, i.e. music in itself. 31 Music in its primary form, as a musical work of art, has in its conception the dialogue of the composer with the outer world and at the same time is a resounding of this outer world in his personality. This initial dialogue further exists through the new dialogue between the performer and the audience. When a musical work of art becomes a specific expression of an individual or a feature of a people among whom has it originated through its artistic properties, then it opens an uninterrupted dialogue through a boundless space and time. That is where the power of music lays, perhaps more than in other arts: to testify through its existence, its continuous renewal through various interpretations in various spaces and at various times, to the time and space from when and where it originated, with a completely special language that is so varying, but equally comprehensible to everybody. Spiritual music of various religions, art music of all times, ethno music from all continents has always been a common cultural heritage of the world, while certain instruments, dances, songs and anthems are at the same time symbols of certain peoples and states. We perceive our musical tradition as an expression of centuries-long existence - and oftentimes within
conflicts of differences until the harmony of the present coexistence as a common wealth of the Southeast Europeans States, We perceive our music, which we create today, both as a deep reverence for tradition and a noble message to the present and future times. Present day Montenegro belongs to a civilization, which cultivates a centuries-long intercultural dialogue, which appreciates indivisibility of overall musical heritage and intertwining of musical tradition of various peoples, and which also understands the continuous need for communication among contemporary musical cultures. Intercultural dialogue, through which we can present ourselves and understand others in music as well, is part of the social harmony of our time and our world, and is metaphorically part of the Harmony of spheres; music which according to the Pythagoreans is a driving force of art and creator of the entire universe. The need for its existence and its duration is one of the methods to preserve cultural heritage and national identity, and one of the most important conditions for further development of the Montenegrin modern music and culture. 32
BORIS TADIĆ PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA I would like first to thank our Turkish colleagues for their exemplary hospitality and organization of the Istanbul Summit forum. Since ancient times, South-East Europe has been seen as an important cultural crossroads. Our unique and lasting meeting place of civilizations with major centres of knowledge, art and economy has left a mark on every nation, every religion, and every culture in the region and beyond. Our theme this year is music as a metaphor for cultural dialogue and building bridges of understanding. UNESCO and the Council of Europe sponsored programs such as this one, and have stood fast throughout this decade of accomplishment and through setbacks, such as the unilateral declaration of independence by the ethnic-albanian authorities of our southern province of Kosovo and Metohija, and their attempt to artificially separate a foundational part of Serbian patrimony from the rest of it in other parts of our country, by politicizing cultural heritage or destroying it whole-scale. 33 These bridges have held even though some in Pristina have tried to use Serbian patrimony in Kosovo as pawns in a dangerous game of identity creation. They have held despite the fact that hundreds of our holy sites remain at risk something that has been recognized by the Council of Europe, and also by UNESCO and its Center for World Heritage. All four of our World Heritage-designated sites that are located in our province of Kosovo have been placed on UNESCO s List of World Heritage in Danger, where they must unfortunately remain. Serbia greatly appreciates UNESCO s strict status-neutrality, and the Organization s sensitivity in this fundamental area of our cooperation. It is imperative for this to continue, without exception. Music has been a metaphor for cultural dialogue for more than two millennia. It is a universal bridge-builder, a way to cement good relations and improve communication. In South-East Europe, we all know how common it is to hear similar melodies sung in different tongues and with varying lyrics, whose meaning changes over time. It is no secret that for centuries, we have borrowed freely and openly from each other, each adding something of one s own. Music, for all of us, is thus at once an element of mutual recognition as well as understanding, a way to unify while preserving something distinct.
As we have gathered in Istanbul, I would like to recall that in 1895, Serbia s most renowned composer, Stevan Stojanovic Mokranjac, travelled to this incredible metropolis of culture in the company of the Belgrade Choral Society, which he directed. They gave a series of concerts, culminating in the world premier of a number of pieces he wrote especially for the occasion. They were based on traditional Turkish folksongs, yet sung in the Serbian language. Putting together the best of our musical legacies, Mokranjac was thus able to produce intangible pieces of universal heritage that continue to be standards of excellence more than a century after they were first performed. One of his most eclectic musical inheritors is Goran Bregović, who was born in Sarajevo and lives in Belgrade just like myself. He has combined various styles and traditions to produce something that is uniquely South-East European, and has defined his musical feeding ground as spanning from Budapest to Istanbul. Consider that his intriguingly-named Orchestra for Weddings and Funerals is made up of a Roma brass band, traditional Bulgarian polyphonies, Romanian percussionists, electric guitar players, string instruments, and Serbian church singers echoing a diverse set of themes ranging from Jewish weddings, Orthodox chants, Turkish Dervish invocations and much in between. 34 By promoting heritage through music, each and everyone of us can help bring to life the provisions of the Istanbul Declaration, which the Republic of Serbia fully endorses. In conclusion, I would like to propose that Serbia hosts this important regional event in 2011. The theme we propose for next year s Summit is From Roman Tolerance to European Understanding. It is intended to draw attention to this region s under-emphasized tradition of reconciliation and inter-cultural bridge-building. I will briefly mention three historical episodes that we would seek to highlight as sources of contemporary inspiration: First, the Edict of the Emperor Constantine (Edictum Mediolanens), which was born in the Serbian city of Niš. It established religious tolerance throughout the Roman Empire, and set a precedent for the entire world to emulate. Second, the Code of Dušan, which was the most progressive constitutional document of the Middle Ages. The brainchild of this great Serbian ruler, it reaffirmed the supremacy of the rule of law throughout much of our region, while establishing the principle of equal rights for all, irrespective of ethnicity and geography.
And third, the many achievements of the sixteenth century s Grand Vizier Mehmed Pasha Sokolović, a proud son of our lands and one of the most distinguished of all Ottoman statesmen, who restored the Serbian patriarchate in Peć into a religious and educational centre. Artfully combining his Serbian upbringing and his peculiar sense of Ottoman identity, his integrity and prudential judgment encouraged all communities he came into contact with to look to the future with optimism. Next year in Serbia, we propose the building of many more such bridges across time, enhancing our European understanding of diversity for the sake of the generations to come. 35
KELEMEN HUNOR MINISTER OF CULTURE AND NATIONAL HERITAGE, REPRESENTING THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ROMANIA It is a special honour for me to participate in the Cultural Corridors Forum, an event of outstanding importance for the cultural co-operation in our region. The President of Romania, Mr Traian Băsescu, passes his cordial greetings to His Excellency Mr Abdullah Gül, President of the Republic of Turkey and our distinguished host of this year, to Mrs. Irina Bokova, General Director of UNESCO, to Mrs. Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, General Director for Education, Culture and Heritage of the Council of Europe, under whose auspices this event takes place, and to all the delegations of the other States represented here. The concept of cultural corridors, the red thread running through the all Forum meetings since 2005, is a concept with which Romania has a privileged relationship. In fact, this notion was coined approximately thirty years back by the Romanian Academy member, Prof. Răzvan Theodorescu, one of the most prominent researchers in the field of mutual interactions and influences between the cultures in this part of the world. But the remarkable career of this term started in 2005, in Varna, when Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, then General Director of UNESCO, mentioned it in one of his speeches. And that was no accident: this notion, which is based precisely on the idea of mobility, of exchange, of a continuum, in which the cultures of different ethnic groups influence and shape each other, could only reach its full consecration within the new paradigm of democracy, of putting all nationalist obsessions behind us, of understanding the fact that it is equally important to discover what we have in common, not only what separates us. 37 The second reason why we feel so connected to the theme of cultural corridors is that, among the seven such corridors identified in Southeast Europe, three of them pass through Romania. They are the Danube Road, the Eastern Trans-Balkan Road and the Via Pontica. The Danube Road is a water cultural corridor formed along the river that springs in Germany and connects Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania. It is all the more important since the European Union has recently devised the Danube Strategy. The Eastern Trans-Balkan Road is the second axis, which crosses the region from North to South, connecting Romania to Bulgaria and Greece. Finally, the Via Pontica lines the Western and Southern shores of the Black Sea and unites Romania to Bulgaria and Turkey. The Balkanic cultural interactions were forged along these axes, but it was along the same axes that centuries of cultural exchanges between our region
and Western or Northern Europe unfolded. Thus, South-East European cultural corridors are not only the connecting bridges for our respective cultures, but also the gates through which this cultural continuum is integrated within the wider space of European culture. But the victory of this paradigm does not derive from the use of the term cultural corridor by major international organizations, though this step has been essential, but from its pervasion into the collective mindset. The notion is now to be found on youth travel websites as well as in local development projects conceived by various associations and NGOs. I seize this opportunity to salute the fact that the Romanian association Mioritics has been awarded a grant to implement the Cultural Itinerary of Fortified Churches by the Governments of Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein and Norway, through the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism. The project is jointly coordinated by Mioritics, by the Luxembourg based European Institute for Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe and by local partners. 38 It is also worthwhile mentioning the efforts of another NGO, TUNA, to create Romanian- Turkish cultural bridges by organizing depoliticised debates that bring together historians, Academy members, specialists in South-East European studies and journalists. These debates, which have taken place on a yearly basis since 2006, are aimed at finding concrete ways through which the cultural affinities created along the Via Pontica can be better exploited. This endeavour generates doable, mature ideas, like the project to digitize written culture, or the one that will enable historians to make research trips to Turkey. Examples like these are ever more frequent, and they demonstrate the manifold replication of the positive outcomes of the efforts undertaken by the participants in every meeting of this Forum. The focus of this meeting music and its immeasurable value for the lives of individuals and separate communities on the one hand, and for intercultural dialogue on the other hand is in perfect agreement with Romania s approach to its legacy and with our firm commitment to safeguard and promote our cultural heritage, especially the intangible heritage, which is more vulnerable to the challenges of the global, hyper-techonologized world of today. Music accompanies every major event in the lives of individuals and is part of the rites of passage of all communities. Throughout the history of mankind, there have been civilizations, which did not produce a written culture for instance, but none that did not create music. A community s music contains essential clues for the anthropologists, who endeavour to decipher its mechanisms. And the affinity between the traditional as well as recent music of the countries that we represent today holds a valuable clue to the way in which our cultures engage in dialogue, and a key to future actions that will allow us to better understand each other.
Moreover, at a higher level of reflection upon European culture, the music of the Orient has long occupied an undeserved secondary place, though it often provided fertile grounds of inspiration for Western musicians and composers. Recently, a famous Western musician, Jordi Savall, has had the surprising revelation of Turkish music, after having consulted the treatise dedicated to it by the Romanian scholar Dimitrie Cantemir! And let us keep in mind that another legendary Western artist, Yehudi Menuhin, considered the works of George Enescu his master and our countryman to be the perfect synthesis of Eastern and Western European music. The time has come for this imbalance to be corrected, for the prestige of South-East European musical creation to be asserted without hesitation. This is, in fact, one of the goals that the George Enescu Festival tries to achieve every second year, by bringing together the most talented musicians and the best creations of Europe and of the entire world. Thus, we hereby affirm our commitment to the achievement of the goals laid out in the Istanbul Declaration Music, A Metaphor of Cultural Dialogue in South-East Europe and we express our hope that they might be transformed into many concrete initiatives, like the one I just mentioned and why not? It would be like a music festival bringing to the same stage the sounds of each of the cultures hereby represented. Allow me to finish in this note and to convey my gratitude to our hosts for their hospitable welcome, and for the great care they put into organizing this event, and to the entire audience for listening with such graceful attention. 39
PAVLOS GEROULANOS MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM, REPRESENTING THE PRESIDENT OF THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC I would like to express my country s appreciation of this wonderful effort of the Turkish Presidency, and warmly welcome the Declaration on Music as a metaphor of cultural dialogue in South-East Europe. It comes at a very opportune time where cultural heritage and new creativity are becoming once again the only possible foundation for peace and prosperity. As the world shrinks and becomes richer, as we find our future more and more intertwined, we seek global values that can move our world forward in a sustainable manner. If we hope to succeed in identifying and adopting global values, we need to find a common language, a common platform for our dialogue. And culture, in all its forms, whether tangible or intangible,has historically been our most reliable tool. The more we understand each other, the more open we become to each other. And the more open we become, the more we trust each other for help. From dance to painting, from architecture to gastronomy, culture seeks to learn and to teach, and by doing so, it becomes an instrument of peace. Music, in particular. 41 Culture is expansionist by nature; almost aggressive in its quest to interact. It refuses to stay in one place for, if it does, it shall perish. It tends to move through the paths of least resistance in order to influence others. And in doing so, it changes its own self. This very nature of culture has created the corridors we are exploring in our region today. For centuries, South-East Europe and the Middle East have become areas with, probably, the richest cultural dialogue in the world. In looking back to the cultural corridors of South-East Europe, we find all the necessary elements that can help make culture an instrument of peace. And we need to explore them and learn from them. We also find reasons for war. As culture seeks to influence and be influenced it needs corridors of expression. It demands open pathways. And it refuses to accept walls.
A wall placed in the path of cultural exchange is very often the reason for violence. Any and every time we have tried to keep our people away from each other, we have caused unnecessary tensions. In fact, many of the wars in our respective histories were due to the limits we placed in exchanges between our people, their trade and their cultures. So, in exploring corridors of culture, we are exploring pathways to peace. And this is why I believe this conference could not come at a more opportune moment. By learning all that our ancestry has to offer in its successes and its failures, we expand our capacity to create the foundation for the path ahead. For in the place of corridors, pathways and routes, we have recently managed to build superhighways. The internet is to cultural corridors what the jet is to travel. It makes cultural exchanges a routine, not an event. Our children are exchanging ideas, music, art and confessions of love and hate over the internet faster than our generations could think. And here lie the opportunities for, and the dangers to, peace. 42 If this new tool becomes open, democratic and self regulated, it will become an open corridor of peace. And as such it will become a tool for cultural and economic prosperity. If it becomes closed, phobic, anarchic or dictatorial, it will do the opposite. We have in our hands the most powerful tool for culture, and hence for peace, that humanity ever owned; the most powerful tool to open the paths of our dialogue, to explore our common fears but also our common hopes and aspirations. As we jump onto this super-highway of cultural exchange, lets take our time and explore what worked and what failed in our region. Let us be generous in acknowledging the wealth we have helped each other create, and lets be daring in admitting our failures and shortcomings. In doing so, we can teach the world all what we know, and provide it with a most valuable lesson. And in doing so we can provide the framework for it to find the values it so desperately seeks.
GHEORGHE POSTICĂ DEPUTY MINISTER OF CULTURE, REPRESENTING THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA It is an honour for me to attend the eight meeting of the Forum of the Summit of the Head of States, and Governments SEECP Cultural Corridors. In this context, I want to thank the organizers of this meeting for creating this unique opportunity for getting together to ponder on the development of new joint cultural corridors related to the use and protection of cultural heritage as one of the essential components for sustainable stability and development of this region. The Republic of Moldova pays special attention to South-East European cooperation. Our active participation in the processes and initiatives in this zone are determined by the fact that they constitute, for my country, complementary mechanisms and tools for realizing a clearly set objective: advancement on the path of cultural integration into the European Union. We are firmly convinced that cooperation in this field will be extended, beyond the official framework of the region in the near future, in order to achieve a better knowledge of the cultural values of each country of the region. This will inevitably lead to finding the true value and promotion of this heritage in each of the South-East European countries, as we are discovering more and more the existence of common points at the regional level for understanding the significance of the common cultural heritage. 43 This region s cultural heritage undoubtedly constitutes a key dimension of each country s identity, and is simultaneously a decisive contribution to the creation of the region s identity. Towards this end, it is important that we here in South-East Europe adopt a joint, responsible, and effective attitude vis-à-vis this common heritage. The heritage represents the specific differences between us, yet simultaneously offering a basis for dialogue, reciprocal knowing of each other, and development. The cultural heritage is not only an identity thesaurus, but also a factor of sustainable development. In this regard, the involvement of UNESCO, the European Union, and the Council of Europe in the drafting and adoption of programs and projects dedicated to culture have been, and continue to be, extremely important for the region. As it is widely known, the territory of the Republic of Moldova occupies a geographically strategic position at the Northern extreme of South-East Europe, by forming the intersecting point between the Carpathian-Balkan world of South-East Europe and the Great Euro-Asian Steppe.
Starting from the geo-spatial aspects, the territory of the Republic of Moldova is being defined by researchers as the eastern corridor of South-East Europe. Passing through this zone throughout millennia, ever since the Neolithic and up till the modern era, various peoples settled in South-East Europe, spreading traditions taken from Nordic and oriental civilizations and, likewise contributing to the cultural diversification and enrichment of the Carpathian- Balkan world. Bounded by the rivers Nistru and Prut which run from North to South, the territory of the Republic of Moldova comprises four big cultural corridors, which have powerfully influenced South-East Europe at all historical stages. The first is the Baltic-pontic corridor, which supplied cultural values on the North-South axis, especially through the route of the Nistru River from the Baltic towards the Black Seas, was one of the main ways of the penetration of the Germans and old Slavs into the Balkans and also one of the penetration routes for Greeks. 44 The second corridor is the Euro-Asian Steppe, which supplied cultural values from East towards the West, through the steppe region of the Pruto-Dnestr space, starting off in Central Asia, then on to the North of the Black Sea to reach Central and South-East Europe, hence being the penetration route in this region of nomadic civilizations and of others coming from the East; a process attested to have been going on from the Neolithic era until the Middles Ages. The remaining well-known corridors are the pontic and the danubian ones, which are intersecting the Pruto-Dnestr space on its Southern end. Up till now, the first two mentioned cultural corridors do not figure in the official register of South-East European Corridors, a fact which compels us to propose them for being included into the list. At the same time, through those four routes, the Republic of Moldova declares itself committed to the system of Cultural Corridors of South-East Europe, and, hence, is ready to actively participate in research, improvement, and promotion of common cultural heritage including that of music, which largely claims its origin from the millennia-old connection of the Carpathian-Balkan space with outside civilizations. In this context, the Republic of Moldova underscores the special importance of the cultural inatgible values, of their active circulation within South-East Europe, including those of music, which thanks to its qualities: tonality, rhythm, vibration, etc., managed through many millennia to forge joint features for the entire region, and, hence, represents one of the main pillars of the Balkan identity. The music was and will be in the future a fundamental factor in the intercultural dialogue of South-East Europe. Thus, the Republic of Moldova commits itself to the generic of today s meeting in Istanbul and fully supports the draft Declaration Music - Metaphor of the Cultural Dialogue of South-East Europe.
MELPOMENI KORNETI AMBASSADOR OF THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA TO TURKEY, REPRESENTING THE PRESIDENT OF THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA Let me express my gratitude for bringing us together at this successful regional meeting and for the opportunity to speak on dialogue and cooperation through the metaphor of music. Creating art from sound or simply, music. I believe, you will all agree that some nations whose language we do not know, become closer to us when we hear their music. The power of music is a divine and natural blessing that has not been mastered by any syncretic poet. The seventh art shows this most directly in the movie The Mission of Roland Joffè, in which the Gabriel s oboe brings the indigenous Guaranís closer to their faith and turns the musician himself, Rodrigo Mendoza, from enslaver into a liberator and guardian of the highest human values. Surely, each of us recognizes the universal message of Beethoven s Symphony No. 9. Not making any distinctions between ages, faiths, national background, genders, music penetrates to the most immanent part of the human being, clarifying the decisions in the right side of the brain and piling them up in layers on a common denominator called... humanity. Music might be the most successful moral prism of human existence that inspires human emotions in a most analytical manner. Simple, real... a counting to ten factor. Advisor, patron and mediator of every successful dialogue. The most successful psychosomatic medicament, sacredly powerful. An indicator of the human desire for creation, research and dialogue with the unknown. 45 The music is simply the soul of the movie, says the grand aesthete Ricciotto Canudo, who undoubtedly is right when calling the most syncretic of all arts, the seventh art, The Music of the Light. Born out of the rituals of the ancient tribal communities, music has embedded in itself the immanent DNA code of the past and the development of humanity, as a multilayered, invisible and still obvious (tangible) creation, most suitable for the spectrographic research of our very existence and art of living.
The human attempt to capture music and preserve the works of art with Mozart s accuracy and resisting time, begins with many wordings, Latin phrases, neumas and idioms. The goal is unique, exactly under the influence of music itself, to be transformed into a final, universal stave and score, shaped novels of the musical legacy and the existence of the peoples and countries. When Tomas Alva Edison created the first phonograph, music received factual history for the first time, and supported by the technology development, returned more honestly to its roots and nature, to the Zen, which created it. Archaically or logogenically repeated, expressed through the rudimental or heterophonic singing, or through bordun or cannon, it is always in front of, or beyond, everything the most universal language, by which its composers captured the successes of their dialogue with time, space and people, their contemporaries. As a powerful diaphragm, Macedonia, the navel of the world (region), has given birth to creations written with the Kukuzel s neumes, which today witness the cultural past of the Balkans. The Macedonian History, written in the works such as the opera Lydia from Macedonia most successfully represent this piece of the Balkans in the Zodiac of the modern world legacy, bringing the world closer to Labin and Dojrana which is as powerful as the Gounod s, Tchaikovsky s or Prokofyev s Romeo and Juliette. 46 Even today, this musical tabernacle is the treasure by which the Balkan s modern musical legacy enriches the world s treasury with new valeries, tones and signs, metamorphosed into its universality. It is the voices of the Balkan artists sent to the eternity of the universe that once again reiterate the truth that the most successful ambassador into the unknown is music. For almost 20 years musicians from our countries in the region have created a number of distinguished ensembles and performed together, interweaving the traditions, ideas, sensibility, mainly based on ethno music. Having expressed the need of re-creating together the music of our ancestors, they also confirm in their own artistic way that music is dialogue Here, I am speaking more about music than about its metaphorical dimensions. The point is that there is so much to explore in the substance and chemistry of music for it to be transformed it into a means of human communication and dialogue, something which we in the Balkans have definitely achieved and yet, we need to enrich it in a more profound way. Let us praise UNESCO and the Council of Europe for all their efforts and contribution to the protection of intangible heritage.
In conclusion, let me mention some other analogies and metaphors related to music Architecture is sculptured music, or, about the Symphony orchestra: An analysis of its functioning show that the orchestra is the perfect model of management. The relation of the conductor with the musicians is a simultaneous interaction, with almost no intermediation, and in a clearly determined hierarchy. The result is divine harmony. So, music can teach us a lot more than cultural dialogue. The Republic of Macedonia has recently proposed a new project within the frame of SEECP: to establish a Cultural Capital of the year. Hopefully, its candidature will be submitted under the next Presidency. One of the proposals following that is to create a Symphony orchestra of the SEECP, to gather for special performances, and to develop programs promoting music from the region, musical productions and related cultural and creative industries. At last, returning to the extremely inspiring topic of the Cultural Corridors, The Music as Metaphor for Cultural Dialogue in South-East Europe. I would like to stress that, undoubtedly, the most beneficial advice for a successful dialogue among people, religions, and ourselves with nature is the massage that music is the greatest architect of the modern cohabitation and of common future. We should follow in its paths 47
PHOTO GALLERY 49
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Opening of the Summit 51
52 The Director General of UNESCO, Ms Irina Bokova, listening to President Gül's address
Expert Participants at the Summit 53 The Ortaköy Mosque and the Bosporus Bridge
54 The Çırağan Palace The Dolmabahçe Palace
Heads of State and Government representatives at the Summit 55