2000 – 2019

Following the tradition of “Intercultural Dialogue” initiated by Denis de Rougemont in Geneva in 1961 and in Basel in 1964 (Europe-World Conference), the Centre organised two international meetings on this theme in 2004. One took place in Geneva in January, in cooperation with the University of Geneva (Faculty of Arts) and the Latsis Foundation, while the other was held in Lisbon in April at the Gulbenkian Foundation, with the support of the Latsis and Luso-American Development Foundations and under the patronage of Prime Minister José Manuel Barroso. As a former student of Denis de Rougemont, he opened the session with a stirring tribute in his honour. Distinguished presentations were made by Professor of Philosophy of Law Alexis Keller on the Geneva Agreement between Israelis and Palestinians, of which he was one of the instigators. Additionally, Hélène Ahrweiler, former Rector of the Académie de Paris, discussed the theme of education and peace, and European Commissioner Viviane Reding talked about the role of the European Union in international education, particularly through the Erasmus Mundus programme. Europe’s contribution to intercultural dialogue was addressed by Professors Dusan Sidjanski and Fernando Gil (from the University of Lisbon), while Professor Umberto Gori (University of Florence) highlighted the cultural challenges posed by globalisation.

The central theme of various presentations was the pluralistic essence of our intrinsically diverse European culture, notably those of Professors Charles Méla and Alain de Libera (University of Geneva and École pratique des Hautes Études de Paris). Professor Maurice-Ruben Hayoun (University of Geneva) contributed his reflections on Jewish identity and European culture, while the writer Abdelwahab Meddeb spoke about the divisions in contemporary Islam.

The most significant contributions at the Geneva and Lisbon meetings were compiled in the book “Intercultural Dialogue at the Dawn of the 21st Century: A Tribute to Denis de Rougemont” published by Bruylant (Brussels) in 2007 as part of the collection of the European Cultural Centre.

Through its Chair, Charles Méla, the Centre also actively participated in several events organized by the Martin Bodmer Foundation. In particular, the Centre was involved in the exhibition “Orient – Occident, Spiritual Roots of Europe” in 2009 (proceedings published in 2014), “Solzhenitsyn, the courage to write” in the presence of the writer’s wife in 2011, and “Divine Alexandria” in 2014, organized along with a scientific symposium on “Barbarian wisdom” (27-30 August). The symposium, funded by the International Latsis Foundation, explored the relationship between the Greek and non-Greek (barbarian, including Christian) worlds in the Hellenistic and Greco-Roman period, examining the interest of the Greeks in the Barbarians, Egyptians, Persians, Chaldeans, Jews, and Indians, as well as their philosophies. The cultural landscape of the Mediterranean and the East was profoundly transformed, leading to the transfer of knowledge to Baghdad in the 10th century, Cordoba and Toledo in the 12th century, and Florence in the 15th century. The Centre also participated twice in the “Orient – Occident Meetings” held at Château Mercier in Sierre, and also took part in an exhibition in Paris at the Miró Hall of UNESCO (from 15 to 25 November 2010) featuring 57 photographs by Frédéric Möri on “Orient-Occident: Spiritual Roots of Europe.” This was followed by a roundtable discussion in Room IV as part of the celebration of World Philosophy Day (2010, International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures).

Promoting European education remains a crucial objective for the European Centre for Culture. In 1999, during the Latsis Foundation Awards, Professor Sidjanski met Georges Charpak, the Nobel Prize winner in Physics (1992), who shared an innovative method he had developed with another Nobel laureate in Physics (1988), Leon Lederman, called “Hands on” (“La Main à la Pâte”).

This playful and experimental approach aims to introduce 4-5 year olds to the scientific process and reasoning, fostering curiosity and teaching them to engage in respectful dialogue with others through rational and convincing arguments. Beyond its scientific aspect, the method also serves as a tool for learning democratic debate and social integration. In classrooms where “Hands on” was implemented, a significant reduction in violence among pupils was observed.

Based on his initial interactions with Georges Charpak and his colleagues like Yves Quéré and Pierre Léna (from the Academy of Sciences of the Institute of France), Professor Sidjanski organized a colloquium in 2002 at the European Centre for Culture, led by Georges Charpak and Yves Quéré. The event brought together around twenty teachers and education policymakers from French-speaking cantons in Switzerland. The experiment rapidly expanded through a partnership with the Sciences-Cité platform at the University of Geneva. Unfortunately, the introduction of the method into school curricula faced administrative obstacles, compounded by the fragmented education policies at the cantonal level in Switzerland, which hindered its wider adoption.

At the European level, Professor Sidjanski arranged a meeting in Paris in 2005 between Georges Charpak and President Barroso to highlight the significance of “Hands on”. Subsequently, the EU provided 1.75 million in funding through the “Pollen” project, which connected twelve science incubator cities. In 2010, the “Fibonacci” project, named after the 13th-century mathematician from Pisa, succeeded “Pollen.” Professor Sidjanski presented the transition from “Hands on” to “Pollen” in September 2010 at a conference titled “European Cultural Heritage and the Role of Science and Mathematics” held at the University of Bayreuth. He also paid tribute to Georges Charpak at a ceremony held on 1 March 2011 at the Academy of Sciences of the Institut de France in Paris.