Two foundations, Las Fuentes and QASD, have presented to the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs a proposal for collaboration to enhance cultural diplomacy and strengthen the ties of multilateral cooperation. At a recent meeting in Doha, Barbara Ruiz-Bejarano, representative of Fundación Las FuentesFoundation, and Jassim Salem Al Ansari, secretary general of Quality and Sustainable Development(QASD), presented to the head of the Qatar Committee for the Alliance of Civilizations, Abdullah Bin Ahmed Al Sada, an exchange program with activities to provide participants with a “broad vision of culture, society and current affairs in cultural diplomacy”.
The plan also includes the scheduling of events that allow the sharing of experiences between experts and colleagues from different fields, as well as the establishment of cultural visits with meetings and conferences in a muslim-friendly environment. The aim is to exchange knowledge of Qatari and Andalusian cultures among participants.
The proposal is produced under the umbrella of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations( UNAOC), created in 2007 to promote dialogue, understanding and cooperation among cultures. The international organization, headed by former Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos, has succeeded in connecting governments, legislators, local authorities, media and civil society in the commitment to coexistence and understanding among peoples.
The Las Fuentes Foundation, to which the Medinas Network belongs, signed a memorandum with the Alliance of Civilizations in 2023 to promote diversity and combat intolerance; work to safeguard Andalusian heritage and contemporary Islamic sites; and foster intercultural dialogue.
The program designed by the Medina Network and the QASD Foundation aims to offer professionals from both the public and private sectors a “truly immersive experience” that will help them reflect on how to improve the connection between East and West at a critical time that requires the strengthening of multilateralism and cooperation between cultures.