The activities of the program titled “Freedom of Expression cross cultures” organized by the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) and the International Media Support (IMS) were concluded yesterday in Copenhagen, the program was held in coordination with the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network, the Moroccan Organization for Human Rights, the Damascus Center for Democracy and Human Rights Studies, and Article 19. The activities took place during the period 1-5 November 2006, with the participation of a number of Egyptian and Danish journalists and Danish activists. The purpose of the program was to support the dialogue between Egyptian and Danish journalists regarding problems related to freedom of opinion and expression in European and Arab contexts, the repercussions of the Danish caricature crisis, and identify the experiences and lessons drawn by each party to support freedom of expression and cement cooperation between civilizations on the two borders of the Mediterranean.
Several meetings were held on the fringes of this program, with the Egyptian ambassador to Denmark Mrs. Afaf Al Mazariqi, with the editor-in-chief of the Politiken Danish newspaper, with the Organization of Democratic Islamists in Denmark, and with the Director of the Scandinavian Islamic Endowment Organization. The program also witnessed the setting up of joint working teams of Egyptian and Danish journalists, which held several meetings with Danish officials and journalists as well as civil society activists, some Danish citizens, and a number of Muslim communities in Denmark.
Team work resulted in the publication of several articles by Egyptian journalists in Danish newspapers. The program also witnessed a workshop where participants discussed practical ways of reinforcing the atmosphere of understanding among cultures. CIHRS will be publishing a report on the proceedings of the program later on.
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