UNMIK/PR/1430
PRISTINA – Principal Deputy SRSG Larry Rossin this afternoon attended the inaugural ceremony of the 'Braid of Cultures' street festival in Pristina which was organised by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS) as an initiative to promote diversity and foster integration.
Folkloric, theatre and modern dance groups, as well as artisans and performing artists from different ethnic groups from all over Kosovo participated in the event.
“This is a wonderful demonstration of the rich diversity of cultures of Kosovo”, said the PDSRSG, adding that “initiatives like this one constitute a foundation on which dialogue can be built between everybody in Kosovo. Folklore, dance, music - all the arts - can be the basis of common understanding and of communications across languages and cultures".
The MCYS initiative follows the approval in January 2005 of a policy guaranteeing that at least 15 percent of the MCYS budget should be used for arts and cultural projects which either support minority voices or foster integration. More than 200 applications for support from NGOs representing all communities throughout Kosovo were submitted to the Ministry. 59 projects ranging from film and theatre to music and handicraft were selected, and 46 projects have been implemented to date. Today’s street festival showcased the best 16 projects funded under the initiative.