More than 2.500 visitors followed yesterday, the 17th of June, to the invitation ‘Cultures invite to table’ of the World Public Forum-Dialogue of Civilizations, to Vienna’s biggest dining table in the Sigmund Freud Park. With music, dance and culinary delicacies 17 nations proved their diversity and contributed to the great success of the celebration. The Ambassadors table was also in accord that international understanding involves food and that intercultural dialogue diminishes prejudices.

Through talk people tame –(„Durchs Reden kommen die Leut’ zam“)

The goal of ‘ Cultures invite to table’, which previously was held 20th of May in respect to the UNESCO-world day for intercultural dialogue and development and had to be moved due to bad weather, is to promote the exchange of cultures and contribute to more tolerance and understanding. Dr. Walter Schwimmer, Head of the International Coordination Committee of the World Public Forum and former General Secretary of the Council of Europe, announced in his Viennese German: ‘Through talk people tame’. In his introducing speech he pointed out the meaning of intercultural and inter-religious dialogue for a more peaceful communication and greeted all the 17nations in their own language.

Horsehead violinists, female snake charmers, and tango dancers provided for fun and dialogue:

17 Friendship organizations and restaurants but also representatives of seven different nations involved in music live debuts, dance shows and culinary delicacies turned the celebration into a special event.  In the national tents around 2.500 visitors were able to taste the culinary diversity. The international artists: one female snake charmer, a horsehead violinist from Mongolia, Argentinean tango dancers, one Hungarian musician and colorfully dressed folk dancers from Cuba and India, were thanked on the festival stage with a tremendous amount of applause. ‘The guests loved the loose, multicultural atmosphere, which brought the joy of variety and dialogue into center and connected the people’, affirmed the World Public Forum-Director and Organizer Mag. Diana Orlova.


Diplomats meal for dialogue and tolerance:

In the highest diplomatic level willingness for dialogue was investigated. Ambassadors and country representatives from seven nations enjoyed the taste of the international delicacies on the PaN-table located in the middle of the terrain. All of them agreed that the collective meal and the celebration supported the intercultural understanding. „Events like these connect cultures and promote their intercultural dialogue”. Food is the best „icebreaker”,so the cultural attaché Ivana Karanusic, Croatia, and Stelly. Managing Director Srimal Wickremasinghe, Sri Lanka, is also convinced of this initiative. Similarly, do the Ambassador Fuad Ismayilov and the first Ambassadors Secretary Vulgar Imamaliyev from Aserbaidschan agree that music and sport are great opportunities to represent a nation at a festive event. „Our task as country representatives is to promote our own culture and intercultural talks“, so the Ambassador Lucie Kompaore-Tindano and Ambassadors advisor Bibata Sanou Ali, Burkina Faso. „Dialogue is very important for all areas in life. If the people talked more with each other, less would be the danger of having wars, unrests and other problems“, this is what Ambassador Norma Miguelina Goicochea Estenoz and the second Ambassadors Secretary Ivet Lopez Rodriguez, Cuba, confirm. The Messenger-Ambassadors advisor Bonzidar Obradovic, Montenegro, announced the wish of everyone, to demand the continuation of „Cultures invite to table“. „Intercultural agreement goes through the tummy. This event should take place more often, so that one can taste more and get to know each other better. “, declared Jargalsaikhan Enkhsaikhan the Ambassador of Mongolia.

Intercultural cookbook provides for sustainability:

The idea of „Culture from a cookbook“motivated all the participants together with the World Public Forum to publish an intercultural cookbook.  The recipe collection of the various delicacies offered during the celebrity, such as the greek Stifado, the Korean glasnudels, Croatian squid-risotto and Sri Lankan peek curry, promotes for cooking after the event. These recipes will be available in short and free to download on the website of the World Public Forum-Dialogue of Civilizations. www.wpfdc.at/austria.php.
Continuation follows...

The initiator and World Public Forum-Director Mag. Diana Orlova was very enthusiastic about the intercultural celebration, which already took place for the third time this year: „We already have numerous offers from various other nations who want to participate  and cook for us next year. The goal of „ Cultures invite to table“ is to grow from year to year and offer all nations the possibility to present oneself, thus, also to decrease prejudice and  fear from the foreign “.