” “"The respect and promotion of cultural diversity are prerequisites to develop a caring society". This is one of the key concepts expressed in the White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue, presented in the Strasbourg HQ of the Council of Europe today. In 2008, the year dedicated to this topic, the CoE presents a long document (35 pages) as the starting point for a survey of the 47 member states in order to find ideas, plans and policies for cohabitation and mutual enrichment between the European peoples. The document begins with some keywords that define dialogue between different cultures and ends with guidelines and effective measures. "Intercultural dialogue is an open exchange of views it states which is respectful of and built around a mutual understanding of individuals and groups having different origins and a different ethnic, cultural, religious, linguistic heritage". It is "accomplished at every level: within society, between European societies, or between Europe and the rest of the world". The document will be presented at a conference by Lluís Maria de Puig, president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the CoE, Terry Davis, secretary general, the ambassador Eleonora Petrova-Mitevska, and Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, coordinator of intercultural dialogue at the CoE.
