Ministry of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku International Multiculturalism Centre Azerbaijani Multiculturalism Textbook for Higher Education

6.3.3. International Conferences and Forums as Platforms for Cross-Cultural Dialogue and Multiculturalism

The Heydar Aliyev Foundation has held a number of conferences and forums to promote multiculturalism and the values of tolerance and the sustainable development of cross-cultural dialogue. The various events are listed below in chronological order:

On 19-21 April 2006 the Heydar Aliyev Foundation jointly with the Academy of Latin Culture held an international conference on Cultural Diversity in Eurasia: Azerbaijan: the Dialogue of Civilizations Past and Present. Scholars and artists from 30 Latin countries attended the conference. The conference heard that religious freedom and tolerance are at the highest level in Azerbaijan, where the best traditions of the cultures of East and West have merged.

On 1-2 November 2007, an international conference on Youth for the Alliance of Civilizations was held under the patronage of Mehriban Aliyeva. The conference opened with the film Youth for the Alliance of Civilizations: Dreams Come True, which tells of the care and attention shown to culture in Azerbaijan and the main goals of the initiative to create a dialogue of civilizations.

On 10-11 June, 2008, a two day international forum on Expanding the Role of Women in Cross-cultural Dialogue was held. This forum was organized on the initiative of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and with the support of ISESCO and UNESCO. It was attended by over 300 representatives of different countries. The

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forum was devoted to the contribution of women to strengthening the dialogue of cultures and civilizations.

On 29-30 June 2010 Baku hosted a forum on the topic Dialogue of Cultures in a Globalizing World, initiated by the head of the Russian representative office of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Leyla Aliyeva. The forum, dedicated to the memory of the National Leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev, was attended by well-known Azerbaijani and Russian scholars. Separate sessions at the forum heard papers on ‘The Dialogue of civilizations in the dialogue of cultures’, ‘Democracy, society and once again on the role of personality in history’, ‘Individual parameters of democratic values in modern society’, ‘Humanitarian education in Russia in the era of globalization’, ‘Dialogue as comprehension of the identity of others’, ‘Intercultural dialogue as the basis of sustainable development in the era of globalization’, ‘Philosophy and contemporary science together’, ‘Interaction between philosophical cultures in the era of globalization’ and other topics.

An international conference From Isolation to Integration was a joint project of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the Azerbaijani government and UNICEF. The conference on 20 September 2011 was attended by representatives of 20 countries, including Germany, Russia, Georgia and Turkmenistan, as well as by state and government officials, MPs and representatives of international organizations. The inclusion of disabled children into society and support for reform in this field were among the issues discussed at the conference.

A conference on Religious Tolerance: the Culture of Coexistence in Azerbaijan was held on 8 September 2015 as part of a project entitled Azerbaijan in the Heart of Paris. It was organized with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. The conference highlighted interfaith relations in Azerbaijan and France and

Section III

Chapter 6

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Azerbaijani Multiculturalism

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Azerbaijan’s experience in the field of religious tolerance. Following the conference an evening of classical music, Azerbaijani Music in the Heart of Paris, was held with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.