31st ITI World Congress and Theatre Olympics of the Nations

"From Ancestral Roots to New Routes of Artistic Expression: Mobilizing Cultural Diversity to Achieve the UN Millenium Development Goals"

22-28 May 2006
Manila, the Philippines

    Press Releases:
      10 April 2006
      06 April 2006

I would like to send my congratulations and appreciation to the Philippine authorities and the International Theatre Institute for organizing the 31st UNESCO-International Theatre Institute World Congress which is being held in Manila under the theme “Ancestral Roots to New Routes of Artistic Expression: Mobilizing Cultural Diversity to Achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals”.

It is widely accepted that theatre has value not just as a means to express and represent the cultural diversity of the human experience but also as an important educational tool. Given its power to transmit the richness of that experience from one generation to another, theatre can, in the process, contribute to building consciousness within societies and promote greater cultural understanding among peoples.

In the spirit of UNESCO’s work regarding the protection and promotion of cultural diversity, which underscores the equal dignity of and respect for all cultures, I believe that theatre can play a useful role in the accomplishment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), especially the goal of eradicating extreme poverty. But how exactly can theatre, as a cultural art form, effectively fulfil its role? How can the theatre’s educational mission, for example, contribute to the eradication of poverty? How can the theatre’s ability to encourage creativity among the young generations contribute to socio-economic development? And how can cultural diversity, as mediated by and through the theatre, be harnessed for the cause of achieving the MDGs?

Such questions will figure within the debate at the Leaders Forum to be held within the framework of the World Congress. I am confident that this event will help to show how UNESCO’s action and its normative instruments on culture and the arts are relevant to the grassroots level.
I congratulate the International Theatre Institute for organizing, and the Philippine authorities for hosting, this 31st World Congress. It promises to be a most interesting, enjoyable and stimulating event.