Head of the Swiss Cultural Foundation, Pius Knozl, will discuss the Swiss culture experiment in forming independent, governmental and cultural organizations during his visit to Egypt that is scheduled to take place at the end of this month. The Swiss Cultural Organization office in Cairo, 'Pro Helvetia', is organizing meetings with Egyptian intellectuals and activists during Knozl's visit which will begin on June 24 and end on June 27, 2011. Knozl will meet different groups of independent intellectuals along with members of the official cultural organization in order to discuss the Swiss experiment and how it can be applied in Egypt after the January 25 Revolution. Knozl is the head of Pro Helvetia Organization, which is financed by the general Swiss fund but completely independent in terms of decisions, activities and its support for artists and intellectuals. Pro Helvetia was established in 1939 to support the arts and national and international culture during World War II. It also supported the Swiss cultural identity. The goals of the organization changed as the international, national, historical and political conditions changed. Its goals changed also, as it started by protecting the Swiss cultural identity and then turned to protect the mutual cultural dialogue in and out Switzerland. Pro Helvetia is currently working on receiving supporting project orders from individuals and organizations, organizing cultural programs related to its own cultural framework, enhancing cultural exchange through representative offices in Cairo and other countries and finally, connecting with the public and media.
