Under the patronage and presence of H.E. Minister of Culture Mr. Abbas Mortada, UNESCO Beirut and the Lebanese National Commission for UNESCO organized on 27-29 July 2020 a 3-day Training of Trainers (TOT) on “Art-Lab for Human Rights and Dialogue” in Beirut, to promote intercultural dialogue through arts, and address how artistic practices can be pursued as a means of defending human dignity and human rights.
A group of 26 youth community leaders (20 women and 6 men) from different regions in Lebanon, representing UNESCO Clubs at various universities and civil society organizations members of the Lebanese Network for the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for the dialogue between cultures were trained on how to enhance social cohesion, and promote human rights through arts.
In his statement, Minister of Culture Mr Abbas Mortada said: ”Within the framework of the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures 2013-2022, we at the Ministry of Culture look forward with great interest to the results of these efforts aimed at consolidating our belonging and identity, by strengthening the mechanisms of dialogue, and cultural and intellectual interaction and acceptance of the other through Art."
Dr. Tala Zein, Secretary General of the Lebanese National Commission for UNESCO, mentioned that “Art makes us resilient. In times of crisis, we need art more than ever”.
Then Dr Seiko Sugita, UNESCO Beirut’s Programme Specialist for Social and Human Sciences stressed that: "UNESCO seeks to advance Arts for human rights, dialogue, social justice in favour of refugees and marginalized communities in places of conflict."
The Art Lab succeeded in organizing a series of interactive sessions by reknown trainers that tackled the following topics : Common humanity and appreciation of diversity (by Mr Milad Hadchiti), Art/ Dance for inter-cultural dialogue (by Ms Dalal Bazzi), Understanding me and the other- communication (by Mr Ajay Singh – Cultural attache of the Embassy of India), Ethics & Values, Dance for happiness (by, Dr Nadine Abou Zaki ), How Arts help the inclusiveness of our society (by Ms Eiko Minami).
Stephanie Chettiar, student at the Institute of Social Sciences at the Lebanese University, said: “In these 3 days, we were able to prove that coexistence is possible as long as we all want to create positive change.” As to Khalil Khaled Shamma, Member of the UNESCO Club - Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the Lebanese University, he found the workshop “very useful whereby it increases knowledge in human life and experience, on the cultural, artistic and psychological levels”.