The European Union dedicates each year to a key theme, and in the year 2008 that theme is ‘intercultural dialogue’.

Intercultural dialogue contributes to a number of strategic priorities of the European Union such as respecting and promoting cultural diversity; favouring the European Union’s commitment to solidarity, social justice and reinforced cohesion; allowing the European Union to make its voice heard and realizing new efficient partnership with neighbouring countries.

The objectives of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue are to promote intercultural dialogue as an instrument to assist European citizens, and all those living in the European Union, in acquiring the knowledge and abilities in order to deal with a more open and more complex environment and to raise the awareness of European citizens, and all those living in the European Union, of the importance of developing an active European citizenship which is open to the world, respectful of cultural diversity and based on common values in the EU.

Extract from www.interculturaldialogue.eu [1]