IN ‘TIME OF TENSION,’ ROLE OF ALLIANCE OF CIVILIZATIONS MUST BE ENHANCED, SAYS BAN

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From: UNNews <UNNews@un.org>
Date: 13 May 2013 17:00:00 -0400
Subject: IN 'TIME OF TENSION,' ROLE OF ALLIANCE OF CIVILIZATIONS MUST
BE ENHANCED, SAYS BAN
To: news11@ny-mail-p-lb-028.ptc.un.org

IN 'TIME OF TENSION,' ROLE OF ALLIANCE OF CIVILIZATIONS MUST BE
ENHANCED, SAYS BANNew York, May 13 2013 5:00PMIn an increasingly
interdependent world with diverse cultures exposed to each other more
than ever before, the United Nations-backed initiative seeking to
enhance cross-cultural relations must be improved to reflect the
international community's changing dynamics, Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon declared today.

<"http://www.un.org/sg/statements/index.asp?nid=6814">Speaking at a
meeting of the Group of Friends of the Alliance of Civilizations, held
at UN Headquarters in New York, the Secretary-General underscored the
importance of the six-year old intercultural Alliance amid a
fast-changing global backdrop of demographic changes and technological
advancements.

"At a time of tension, mistrust, and violence between communities, we
knew that we needed a forum for listening: listening to the concerns,
hopes and aspirations of people on all sides, and then, galvanizing
them to work together on shared challenges," Mr. Ban told the gathered
delegates.

He added that the creation of the Alliance in 2005 through the
initiative of Spain and Turkey, and under UN auspices, established a
much-needed forum where civil society, governments and the private
sector could learn from each other and "stand up for tolerance and
inclusivity and against extremism and polarization."

"We have created a globally recognized initiative that now attracts
thousands to its annual meetings, engages millions around the world
through its social media campaigns, and directly benefits young people
by empowering them through youth-led projects," he continued.

Among the initiatives spearheaded by the Alliance, the
Secretary-General recalled the training of hundreds of journalists in
different regions around the world on how to report on culturally
divisive issues as well as the establishment of better links with
Member States and civil society partners.

In one recent instance, following the release of an anti-Islam video
that led to protests in several countries in late 2012, the Alliance
launched a social media initiative to ensure that the voices of
moderation were not drowned out by the vocal and violent minorities on
any side. Called "Represent Yourself," the Twitter campaign engaged
more than 3 million people in just a few days.

However, Mr. Ban noted, the Alliance's past successes did not exclude
it from future improvements.

"How do we strengthen the Alliance's ability to act where others do
not or cannot on their own?" he asked before stating that now was "the
moment to refine and enhance" the Alliance's efforts.

In his address to the meeting, Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, the UN High
Representative for the Alliance, similarly highlighted the
initiative's role in uniting cross-cultural communities despite
pervasive economic and social difficulties the world over.

"This is a testing time for the international community. We face
urgent political challenges, from Africa to the Middle East to the
Asia Pacific Region. We also face serious development challenges, from
the aftermath of the economic crisis to climate change," cautioned Mr.
Al-Nasser.

"At such times, we need to pull together, showing that multilateralism
can serve people in a meaningful way as stipulated in the UN Charter,"
he continued.

Among the Alliance's planned programmes on priority areas such as
media, migration, youth and education, Mr. Al-Nasser singled out
initiatives to mobilize and strengthen youth-led efforts to build more
peaceful communities as well as a new agenda for diversity and
inclusivity in the Asia-Pacific region.

"The Alliance is an instrument of the United Nations that is here to
prove that diverse actors on the international arena can become
further aware of their shared responsibilities, and can forge
consensus on global challenges," he added.May 13 2013 5:00PM
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