New Beginning Conference

Given the current strained relationship between the Western and Muslim worlds, there is a critical need for sincere and significant efforts to replace stereotyping with respect for cultural diversity, and conflict with understanding. In this regard, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina is organizing an international conference entitled: “A New Beginning”, to be held in Alexandria June 16-18, 2010. The conference will include around 300 scholars, writers, politicians, journalists, moderate clergy and youth from Muslim Majority Countries, and Western Countries. Discussions will focus on paving the way forward to better and more increased cooperation between the Muslim world and Western countries. It will also explore the steps needed to create new mechanisms to sustain the proposed new beginning. Discussions will focus on three principle areas for cooperation: Culture; Education; and Science & Technology; while exploring each of these areas in conjunction with four cross-cutting tracks, namely; Youth, IT, Media, and Women. 

The conference will focus on creating a plan to help develop practical actions that promote the principles of tolerance and structured around the key areas of cooperation, as well as encourage further networking between people from the Muslim and Western worlds. It is also planned to launch a number of new projects per theme during the conference, for follow-up during the course of the coming year. Several of these projects will also be given an opportunity to network with one another, and with interested organizations/foundations, in a “project marketplace” which will take place throughout the duration of the conference at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina; encouraging increased partnership and sparking ideas for new initiatives.