Azerbaijan successfully represented in International Festival of Diversity at UNESCO
The Third International Festival of Diversity took place May 17-26 at UNESCO on the occasion of the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development organized due to moral and material support of First Lady of Azerbaijan, Goodwill Ambassador Mehriban Aliyeva, the Permanent Delegation of Azerbaijan at UNESCO reports. The Festival covers cultural diversity from Latin America to Mideast and Southeast Asia.
Catalogue and programme of the Festival have been published. The first page of the catalogue’s ‘Friends of Diversity’ segment presents photograph of Mehriban Aliyeva, First Lady of Azerbaijan, Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO and ISESCO, President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation, and information on her large-scale actions towards propaganda and promotion of intangible cultural heritage in Azerbaijan. The information says the First Lady of Azerbaijan and the Heydar Aliyev Foundation headed by her carry out a lot of actions to promote intangible cultural heritage, protect the diversity of cultural expressions. Heydar Aliyev Foundation functions in this sphere under the motto: Cultural diversity is not something separating and differing us, this is a humane duty preparing a single future for the entire mankind, expressing durability and innovation.
Azerbaijan took an active part in the Festival. 12-year-old violinist of Azerbaijan Elvin Hoja Ganiyev performed as an honor guest in 2 concerts organized in frame of the Festival on 19 and 21 May at the initiative of the Permanent Delegation of Azerbaijan at UNESCO. Concert ‘Voices of Peace – Diversity is Unity’ was presented on May 19 by the symphonic band of Qatar of over 100 musicians from 31 countries, including Kamran Mammadzade, the young violinist from Azerbaijan.
Concert on May 21 was dedicated to the diversity of Latin American and Cuban rhythms. A number of popular musicians in the concert much appreciated performance by Elvin, following the concert the UNESCO top officials and ambassadors of permanent delegations accredited to the Organization expressed admiration for his performance.
May 21 was declared a World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development after UNESCO adopted the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity in 2001 and Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions in 2005. Since 2008, the Festival of Diversity featuring concerts, exhibitions and other cultural events on cultures of different continents and regions is held at UNESCO and across the world.