National Plan for the Alliance of Civilizations

Background

On 14 July 2005, the UN Secretary-General formally launched the Alliance of Civilizations. This project, presented by the President of the Spanish Government to the Organization’s General Assembly on 21 September 2004, became, as of that date, a United Nations initiative. Around it, a Group of Friends has taken shape, which supports it politically and is made up today of over eighty countries and international organizations. Thus, its universal nature has become firmly established.

The President of the Government’s original proposal was based on the evidence of the urgent need to bridge the gap that is opening up between the Western world and the Arab and Muslim world. It also responded to the principles of international ethics underpinning the Government’s foreign policy: the commitment to international legality, full respect for human rights without any gender discrimination and resolute support for the multilateralism that is represented by the United Nations. 

In 2005, Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General, set up a High-Level Group with the mandate to analyse the causes of the current polarization between societies and cultures. In its Report, the Group made a series of political recommendations aimed at addressing a threat that might endanger international peace and stability, and proposed a body of practical measures – in the fields of youth, education, the media and migration – to contribute to that purpose. These measures should be materialized in the implementation phase that is beginning now. The High-Level Group also recommended that the Secretary-General appoint a High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, and that an Alliance Forum be held, bringing together governments, international organizations and civil society.

The Spanish Government offered to host the Forum. It was held for the first time in Madrid on 15 and 16 January 2008. Last 26 April, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed as High Representative Dr. Jorge Sampaio, who, in June, presented the Alliance Action Plan for 2007-2009, and in September, proposed to the members of the Group of Friends the drawing up of National Strategies and Partnership Charters in relation with the Alliance.

The National Plan

Due to historical, geographic and cultural reasons, and due to inescapable reasons of security, political coherence, and because Spain is the country where this initiative was born and whose President of the Government is co-sponsoring it, together with the Prime Minister of Turkey, the Government has considered it appropriate to provide a positive response to the High Representative’s invitation and, in this vein, proceeded to draw up a National Plan for the Alliance of Civilizations.
Aware of its responsibility in taking on this commitment, the Government intends to translate, on a national scale, the specific goals of the Alliance, including them both in its foreign and cooperation policy and in the whole of its domestic policies. The intention is to frame these policies within a strategic vision, to promote existing policies, design new ones and fill any possible gaps, providing all of them with greater visibility and making them, if possible, a source of inspiration and a stimulus for what is already being done or can be done in future by Public Administration as a whole and by civil society. With this Plan, the Government also expects Spain to play its rightful role as an example, in line with the ethical principles inspiring its discourse.

To achieve these goals, the Government has valuable instruments at its disposal. Casa África, Casa América, Casa Árabe, Casa Asia and Casa Sefarad-Israel are called upon to contribute resolutely to this collective purpose, together with the Real Instituto Elcano, the Instituto Cervantes, the Instituto Europeo del Mediterráneo, the Fundación Carolina, the Fundación Pluralismo y Convivencia and the Fundación Tres Culturas.

Spheres of activity

The Spanish Action Plan is balanced and will be implemented, within the framework of full respect for human rights and full equality between men and women, in the four aforementioned priority spheres of action: youth, education, the media and migration. The principles and goals it is based on are the very ones that are paramount in the High-Level Group Report and in the Action Plan proposed by the High Representative.

1. The globalization of youth movements offers new possibilities for action, in order to promote their exchanges, foster better mutual understanding and contacts between different cultures and traditions, and enhance their participation in the economy through a consensus-based youth employment strategy.
2. Education systems must prepare youth as regards the respect for human rights, the appreciation of diversity and full gender equality, as well as to address the challenge of an interdependent world. It is necessary to instil values related to solidarity and respect for others; to provide a world-encompassing, civic-minded, peace-oriented, global and transcultural education; an education for employment. Exchange programmes should be developed and promoted, and the role of the media, of new technologies and of young people’s access to the Internet should be reassessed
3. It is essential to coordinate strategies, on a national, regional and international levels,  in order to address the causes and the consequences of the possible responses to the phenomenon of current migratory movements. We need concerted actions in recipient countries that underline the benefits of immigration, the implementation of projects against discrimination and the support of immigrants’ associations, the schooling for their children and the promotion of civic education programmes.
4. It is necessary to promote the responsible use of the media and to combat programmes that fuel hostile, violent or discriminatory perceptions and stereotypes. The Internet and other media play a decisive role in this task. Schools of journalism should foster a better understanding of international reality, especially in the spheres where religion and politics overlap. Contents that contribute to improving intercultural understanding should be promoted.
   

Financing, coordination and follow-up mechanism

The National Plan should be understood as one conceived for the medium and long term, and, therefore, it must be sustainable in time. It will be reviewed two years after its implementation. It will have the necessary financial resources to provide incentives for concrete projects promoted by civil society. A Coordinator will take on the task of providing unity of criteria to government action, and will be the contact point both in Spain and with regard to the Secretariat of the Alliance of Civilizations and those responsible for the National Plans that may be set up abroad. To carry out these duties, the Coordinator will be provided with the corresponding infrastructure.