The Euro-Mediterranean partnership is making cultural dialogue central to its programme, writes El-Sayed Amin Shalabi* Since the early 1990s, when Samuel Huntington's concept of the clash of civilisations gained enormous currency, cultural factors have become a central issue in international relations. Huntington predicted that ethnic and cultural conflicts would weigh more heavily on international relations than economic or political concerns. The EU, which used to be only moderately interested in cultural cooperation, began, with the November 1995 Barcelona Declaration, to actively promote cooperation across the Mediterranean. The Malta Declaration, which followed the second Euro- Mediterranean summit in 1997, recognised the urgent need to encourage dialogue among cultures and civilisations, a message reinforced by the Stuttgart Declaration which followed the third Euro-Mediterranean summit in 1999. The Euro-Mediterranean world has not always interacted in a positive manner. Past conflicts have left a legacy of mutually negative imagery, a legacy we need to mitigate if we are to succeed in promoting cooperation between the south and north of the Mediterranean. And yet dialogue alone, at least in the short term, may not be enough. The debate has not yet reached the general public. Euro-Mediterranean cultural dialogue has so far been confined to ruling elites, most of which subscribe to secular, Western values. Clear differences have emerged between those supporting cultural globalisation and those defending cultural specificity. Euro- Mediterranean cooperation can, of course, take place on three levels, political, economic, and cultural, with some arguing that the three are unrelated, that progress can be achieved separately on the economic, political and cultural fronts. Others posit that the three are inseparable, that, for example, cultural cooperation will be all but meaningless unless accompanied by cooperation in the political and economic spheres. During and after the Barcelona conference analysts focussed more on economic and political aspects than the cultural. The cultural aspect involves participation in human, cultural and social affairs; development of human resources; furthering inter-cultural understanding and encouraging communication between civil societies. Unless the cultural aspect is re- emphasised, the Euro-Mediterranean project will forfeit its most original component. One of the most encouraging aspects of the Barcelona Declaration was its endorsement of cultural cooperation. It made partnership in human, cultural and social affairs the third prong of a tripartite strategy alongside political and security and economic and financial partnership. The Barcelona Declaration acknowledges that respect between cultures and religions is an essential component of bringing nations together. The second Euro-Mediterranean conference in Malta endorsed the cultural aspects of the programme, though they are likely to prove its most problematic component. One problem facing the Euro-Mediterranean partnership is South/North immigration. Some argue that the Mediterranean is a perfect example of the clash of cultures. No other place in the world is home to such conflicting identities, dissonant backgrounds, to such habits of exclusion and intolerance. And yet the Mediterranean -- because of geographic proximity, security considerations, and economic interdependence -- is of major strategic importance. The need for a new dynamic across the Mediterranean, one that is both forward-looking and non- sectarian, has become a matter of great urgency. Cultural cooperation is central to the process of revival. On both sides of the Mediterranean there is a growing sense that greater understanding is central to the move towards partnership. Differences in vision, varieties of culture and of religion will persist. The aim of the dialogue is not to conceal but to acknowledge differences and work them through. Through misleading imagery and rhetoric the European media has fuelled a growing panic towards Islam. This problem is compounded, says Arab analyst Mohamed El-Milli, by the fact that the mistrust felt in the North is mirrored in the South. And Europe shoulders a special responsibility in this regard. It needs a coherent Middle East policy, one that favours the establishment of a just and lasting peace. For starters, Europe should support the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people. Europe can also assist economic development south of the Mediterranean through the implementation of major social and economic projects that help the poor and stimulate growth. As for the governments and societies of the south Mediterranean, they need to do something about the economic and social chasm between rich and poor and to focus on cultural and political reform. Mistrust across the Mediterranean can be transcended only through cultural dialogue. Some commentators argue that the East-West division has been replaced by a North-South one, which includes the division between the West and the Arabs. The two worlds differ in culture, religion, politics, levels of development, population and immigration trends and economic patterns. These are all differences we must face with courage, clarity of vision and freedom from bigotry or demagoguery. It is disturbing to see Europe, gripped by fear of immigrants, closing its borders at a time when it is impossible for any country or region to live in isolation. Negative images of Islam have taken root at a time when European help is most needed in furthering efforts to promote human rights and democracy in the Islamic world. Meanwhile, the Arabs need to formulate a strategy through which to react to negative imagery concerning their cultural identity. Immense problems face the Euro-Mediterranean cultural partnership. And yet many academics and analysts on both sides of the Mediterranean agree that dialogue needs to be promoted, understanding encouraged, and exchange -- on the human, scientific, and technological levels -- maintained. The media must promote understanding and reciprocity across the Mediterranean. We must improve education and enhance awareness across the cultural field. Social, not just economic, development must be promoted. Exchange visits and interaction among young people are to be encouraged. We need to support democratic institutions, enforce the law and reinforce civil society. And we need to do something about demographic trends south of the Mediterranean because of the pressure these place on resources, development and cultural conditions. In a significant move the EU has chosen the Bibliotheca Alexandrina to house the Ann Lindh Foundation for Cultural Dialogue. This is a major step towards enhancing cultural partnership across the Mediterranean. The new foundation deserves the support of Arab academics and analysts so that it may become a beacon for Euro-Mediterranean cultural communication. * The writer is a former Egyptian ambassador and executive director of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs.
