Ukraine and Palestine Will Develop Intercultural Cooperation

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expressed a desire to develop cross-cultural cooperation between Ukraine and Palestine and share traditions in terms of cultural diplomacy.

In particular, the President supported the idea of ​​holding in BethlehemWindow to Palestine. Holy Land in the Eyes of Ukrainian Artists Project, the Festival of Ukrainian Culture in Palestine, as well as the Days of Culture of Palestine in Ukraine in autumn 2014.

The project was initiated by a co-founder of the International Fund for Cultural Cooperation, Palestinian artist, author of the largest painting in the world Jamal Badvan. Reception of the President of Palestine took place within the Heart of the World, held with its support. The Konstantin Kondakov Charity Foundation was a partner of this event.

The Heart of the World was launched in the New Year’s Eve in Bethlehem: at midnight under a solemn salute at the Manger Square the curtain was raised over the painting, symbolizing the world in which the cultural richness and diversity exists in the atmosphere of intercultural understanding, tolerance and solidarity. For a week the artists from around the world were working at the painting. Ukraine was presented in the project by the artists: Alexei Glazunov, Daniel Green, Valery Goleyko, the author of the idea and the head of delegation Badvan Jamal, as well as project coordinator, the head of the International Fund Vlada Litovchenko. The President Mahmoud Abbas during a reception handed all the participants commemorative gold medals, and presented Vlada Litovchenko and Tatyana Demchenko national shawls as a gift.

With welcoming speech during the presentation of the project in front of thousands of residents of Bethlehem, tourists and pilgrims from around the world on Manger Square came Palestinian Minister of Culture, Dr. Anwar Abu Eysheh, director of the Department of Culture Municipality of Bethlehem Warzych Ona and the project author Jamal Badvan.

“We have a great desire to continue the cross-cultural cooperation among the member countries of this unique project. For us it is very important because Bethlehem is one of the oldest cities in the Holy Land and Palestine – a country that encourages people to come to their senses and unite around the idea of ​​peace, tolerance and mutual understanding,” – said Dr. Anwar Abu Eysheh.

“This picture calls the humanity to unite efforts to maintain peace and security throughout the world, regardless of religion, political opinion or social status. The relations between people should always be a sense of respect and sincere love, because God is one”, –  Jamal Badvan commented on the idea of ​​the painting creation.

During stay in Palestine, the participants visited the exhibition in the Peace Center in Bethlehem, the Church of the Nativity, the tomb of the poet Mahmoud Darwish, Yasser Arafat’s mausoleum and the museum of Palestinian political and cultural figures. Also a series of meetings with representatives of the administrations of cities and regions of Palestine was held, who praised the Heart of the World project, thanked all the participants for its realization on Palestinian land and wished to continue to cross-cultural cooperation.

“Heart of the World” makes everyone feel concerned, – shared her impressions the project coordinator, the head of the International Fund for Cultural Cooperation Vlada Litovchenko. – I saw with my own eyes how important the question of peace is for people who have suffered a lot of grief. Fortunate are those countries which do not know what the war looks like on their territory. At the heart of all things on earth peace should be”

2014 was proclaimed by the UN the International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has promoted the idea of ​​a world without weapons.