Jérusalem, capital of Arab culture 2009.
The Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) has decided, after Algiers in 2007 and Damascus in 2008, to choose Jerusalem, city of peace and holy ground, as the capital of Arab culture 2009.
This initiative aims at asserting the Arab and plural identity of Jerusalem and promoting the cultural development of the city, in spite of its isolation. From January to December 2009, several activities will encourage diversity, the true essence of this universal capital, whose wealth lies in its differences, if those cease to cancel off each other.
They will also assure Jerusalem’s position as a major cultural hearth, foregrounding the city of Jerusalem’s cultural, historical and religious dimensions and preserving its historical and religious places and monuments.
Behind this, their is a will to claim that Jerusalem, future capital of the Palestinian state, is and has to be a major cultural centre, not only for Palestine, but also for the Arab world.