Eight o’clock in the morning, along one of the loading docks in Piraeus, a few kilometres far from Athens, almost 1500 participants of any age, are embarking for an educational trip for the whole day, on May 10th 2003.
It is an important event which gives us a foretaste of our Congress which will be held in Nafpaktos, Greece, from 5th to 10th of September 2003, on the topic: "The UNESCO Clubs: a bridge for cultural diversity".

Those participants, gathered on “UNESCO Club of Piraeus and Islands’” initiative will not just have a simply day of relaxation. In fact, they will fully live a real inter cultural experience: all day long, beyond any stop in the islands, the world cultural diversity will be present thanks to music and dance festival showing the different cultures of the world, and in which every one could take part.

The official speeches did not miss to set this activity back in the wider frame of UNESCO’s action towards cultural pluralism. At the end of the day, how many participants will join the "UNESCO Club of Piraeus and Islands" and, through this decision, our international network, i.e.: our World Federation? May be it is now too soon to say it. However, on that day, cultural diversity took a step forward.

Anyone, who will decide to join this Club, will discover, day after day, all the richness contained in the “Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity” and more particularly what is used to say “Main lines of an action plan” to strengthen, enrich and, very often, reintroduce that diversity in our nowadays societies. Every one will have then to build projects in that way and make alive UNESCO’s ideals in daily life.

Some of these "Main lines of an action plan" can be easily implemented by UNESCO Clubs. For instance: "Respecting and protecting traditional knowledge, in particular that of indigenous peoples" or "fostering the exchange of knowledge and best practices in regard to cultural pluralism with a view to facilitating, in diversified societies, the inclusion and participation of persons and groups from varied cultural backgrounds", or, also "Encouraging linguistic diversity…and fostering the learning of several languages from the youngest age"…

Of course, that activity held at a local level, on May, 10th 2003, provides us a foretaste of our 6th Congress: beyond being a statutory meeting, it will be a wide world forum with a view to promoting cultural diversity in today societies. Don’t miss this appointment on the beginning of September in Nafpaktos.

Patrick Gallaud                
Secretary general