New Agora Sarajevo

As Europeans today we proud ourselves on cultural diversity, fight for preservation of separate identities. But haven't we, in all that struggle, imperceptibly, lost agoraand the culture of dialogue that accompanies it? And if we have – how can we see it restored? Do we need a newagora today? Is it not in contradiction with the ever so powerful pressure on diversity and separateness? What are the sources of today’s crisis of multiculturalism and what are the ways out?

In the besieged Sarajevo the object of hateful attacks of the ideologists of blood purity was charshija, marketplace, space of assemblies and exchange, cultural palimpsest, immediate vicinity of Catholic church, Orthodox church, mosque and synagogue, realm of Sarajlja – citizen of a multicultural city. Charshija coexisted well with the surrounding mahalas, Latin, Muslim, Orthodox, Jewish, Gypsy neighborhoods... It lived on their separateness, preservation of distinctive traditions. At the same time it was an irreplaceable link for their coexistence, created a culture of dialogue, which influenced the ethos of everyday life.

Organizers

Borderland Foundation, Sejny, Poland 
Fondazione Alexander Langer Stiftung, Bolzano, Italy 
Official Partners 

MEDIACENTAR Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina 
P.E.N. Center, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

People and Place

These are but a few of crucial questions and issues the Symposium New Agora was dedicated to – an assembly of distinguished representatives of humanistic reflection of our time. The Symposium New Agora brought together 25 orators, distinguished representatives of the European humanistic reflection from various countries. Apart from that approximately 200 persons from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and from around the world, participated in it. 

The Symposium took place for 4 days in Ilidza, a famous health resort at the springs of the Bosnia River and near the ancient Roman Bridge which, for centuries, has been a place of meetings, debates and conferences.

Aims 

• Involvement of the modern humanistic reflection in the work of reconstruction of a new agora in a multicultural European society. 
• Work on the creation of a new paradigm of a dialogue as a foundation for a common Europe in the 21st century. 
• Development of a message to the younger generation of Europeans, living in the time of crisis of multiculturalism and globalization. 
• Elaboration of the Symposium formulae which, thanks to collaboration with partner organization, is continued through meetings in other places in Europe, publications, the website, etc.

Language 
The official language of the New Agora was English.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This communication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.