Tunis: Director-General of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (Alecso) Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, praised the fruitful cooperation between the organization and the State of Qatar in cultural matters.
He stressed on the organization’s role in protecting the cultural and civilisational heritage in the city of Jerusalem and the rest of the occupied Palestinian and Arab territories, and striving to international governmental and non-governmental organizations, working in the cultural field, to expose the practices of the Israeli occupation in destroying Arab and Islamic cultural institutions. He said that the Palestinian cause, with all its components and ramifications, receives special attention and support from the organization and all Arab countries.
Alecso Director-General, in an exclusive interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), said that the organisation, based on the request submitted by Cultural Village Foundation Katara in 2016, and in coordination with the rest of the Arab countries, succeeded in presenting a pioneering initiative to grant the Arabic novel its position in the Arab and global cultural scene in general.
He said that the World Novel Week was adopted during the meeting of the Executive Council of Unesco in its 112th session, and the General Conference of Unesco in its 41st session, which was held in November of last year, and then there will be an annual celebration during the period October 13-20 of each year with narrators and novels in its various genres, topics, purposes and books.
Dr. Amar pointed out that this occasion is an opportunity all over the world to spread the values of tolerance, peace and coexistence and to promote human creativity in this field, especially introducing what is rich in Arab civilisation and highlighting it to all humanity, explaining that the organisation has begun preparing for this week by communicating with all those interested in this field in all Arab countries, the intention is to adopt a theme for each session, and for the first session to be a joint Arab celebration, while leaving the initiative to each Arab country to celebrate in its own way.
He stressed that the issue of Palestine and its heritage is present in all activities, programs and conferences held by Alecso, especially with regard to the cultural aspect and mobilising support for it, as well as dedicating a session in the Conference on Archeology and Cultural Heritage of the Palestinian Heritage, as well as with regard to the meetings of the Urban and Architectural Heritage Observatory in Arab States, whose fifth meeting was devoted to the topic preserving cities of human heritage in danger the City of Jerusalem.
Dr. Amar added that the 40th meeting of the Committee of Arab experts in the world cultural and natural heritage was devoted to studying the Arab files registered on the list of world heritage in danger, during which special focus was given to the Jerusalem file: the Old City of Jerusalem and its walls.
He also called for the necessity of evaluating the course of Arab cultural work during the period of the Coronavirus pandemic, and proposing an Arab cultural project that carries dynamic confrontations and responds to the challenges facing the joint Arab cultural work.
“We need a project that foresee solutions and supports the exchange of experiences and successful experiences in the field of cultural sectors between Arab countries and benefit from them to achieve a sustainable recovery in local economies based on creativity,” said Dr. Amar.
