CELEBRATING DIVERSITY: OPEN AIR JAZZ CONCERT IN YEREVAN
Lragir.am
02-07-2007 16:04:01
Combating racism, xenophobia and promoting intercultural dialogue
are the main themes of the Council of Europe All Different-All Equal
youth campaign.
The aim of this campaign is to inspire people across our continent
to be more involved in constructing pluralistic societies based on
respect for diversity and inclusion.
Originally launched in 1995 by the Council of Europe to mark the
fiftieth anniversary of the end of the Second World War, the campaign
was re-launched on 29 June 2006 in Strasbourg and has become an
important mobilizing tool for young people across Europe to act
jointly against racism, anti-Semitism, xenophobia and intolerance.
To celebrate diversity and inclusive democratic participation, the
Council of Europe Information Office in Armenia together with the
Cafesjian Museum Foundation are organizing an open air concert of
live jazz music.
The concert will take place on Thursday, 5 July, from 20:00 to 22:00
at the Cascade park area. Armen Martirosyan’s Armenian Jazz Band
will perform well-known tunes by famous musicians that cut across
cultural boundaries, in celebration of the diversity and richness of
international culture.
The event will be opened by Armen Baiburtyan, RoA Deputy Foreign
Minister, and Bojana Urumova, Special Representative of the Secretary
General of the Council of Europe.
Tolerance and intercultural dialogue are at the heart of the Council
of Europe activities and form significant part of the Organisation’s
conventions. In this regard Armenia has signed and ratified the
European Cultural Convention, the European Charter for Regional and
Minority Languages, the Framework Convention for the Protection of
National Minorities and the European Convention on the Protection of
the Archaeological Heritage (Revised).
Armenia has signed but not yet ratified the Convention for the
Protection of the Architectural Heritage of Europe and the Council
of Europe Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage
for Society.
Other related conventions – which have yet to be signed by the South
Caucasus countries – are the European Convention on Offences Relating
to Cultural Property and the Convention on the Participation of
Foreigners in Public Life at Local Level.
The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) is
the Council of Europe’s independent human rights monitoring body
specialised in questions relating to racism and intolerance.
ECRI has issued two reports on Armenia. In its second report the
Commission recommends that the Armenian authorities adopt a law on
national minorities which takes into account, as much as possible,
national minorities’ suggestions and points of view. It recommends that
the Armenian authorities take more steps to address the problems faced
by the Yezidi community, particularly with regard to policing, land,
water and grazing disputes. ECRI also urges the Armenian authorities
to take measures to ensure minority access to the country’s public
and political life and ensure better access to higher education.