VILNIUS — The cultural institutes of Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Poland, the U.S., the Austrian embassy and the Tolerance Center of the Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum have teamed up to organize a pro-tolerance campaign in Lithuania, where similar European Union projects have run into stiff resistance from politicians and right-wing organizations.

In 2007 the Vilnius city council unanimously barred an EU-sponsored tolerance of minorities rally from taking place, citing fears that [private_supervisor]anti-gay protesters may become violent. The upcoming Baltic Pride event encountered opposition to a holding a parade in downtown Vilnius.

The brainchild of Stefania Del Bravo, the head of the Italian Institute of Culture in Lithuania, the campaign will feature a series of concerts, film viewings and photography exhibitions designed to showcase other cultures. Del Bravo said she hopes the project will inspire Lithuanians during this difficult economic period.

“I began to think about such a project one year ago, and it was a response to the difficulties that seem to me very clear, very evident in the Lithuanian society which for what I could feel, the Lithuanian society was passing through a crisis, not only economic but another crisis of social values, a crisis of general pessimism and disillusionment after joingin g the European Union. It is a normal crisis for young democracies,” Del Bravo told Baltic Reports. “I had this idea of offering such a kind of project of offering a positive message.”

The schedule of events includes an exhibition of photography by Gianluca Capri called “Uni-Diversity: Thousand Faces of the World” which shows photos of people from around the world, a performance of “Brundibar” an opera written by Holocaust victims while staying in a concentration camp, and a performance by a German-French dance troupe, among others.

“You have no creativity within yourself if you don’t meet other cultures,” Pascal Hanse, director of the French Cultural Center in Vilnius told Baltic Reports. “Culture cannot survive if it’s closed within itself, to itself.”

For a full schedule of events, please click here. [/private_supervisor] [private_subscription 1 month]anti-gay protesters may become violent. The upcoming Baltic Pride event encountered opposition to a holding a parade in downtown Vilnius.

The brainchild of Stefania Del Bravo, the head of the Italian Institute of Culture in Lithuania, the campaign will feature a series of concerts, film viewings and photography exhibitions designed to showcase other cultures. Del Bravo said she hopes the project will inspire Lithuanians during this difficult economic period.

“I began to think about such a project one year ago, and it was a response to the difficulties that seem to me very clear, very evident in the Lithuanian society which for what I could feel, the Lithuanian society was passing through a crisis, not only economic but another crisis of social values, a crisis of general pessimism and disillusionment after joingin g the European Union. It is a normal crisis for young democracies,” Del Bravo told Baltic Reports. “I had this idea of offering such a kind of project of offering a positive message.”

The schedule of events includes an exhibition of photography by Gianluca Capri called “Uni-Diversity: Thousand Faces of the World” which shows photos of people from around the world, a performance of “Brundibar” an opera written by Holocaust victims while staying in a concentration camp, and a performance by a German-French dance troupe, among others.

“You have no creativity within yourself if you don’t meet other cultures,” Pascal Hanse, director of the French Cultural Center in Vilnius told Baltic Reports. “Culture cannot survive if it’s closed within itself, to itself.”

For a full schedule of events, please click here. [/private_subscription 1 month] [private_subscription 4 months]anti-gay protesters may become violent. The upcoming Baltic Pride event encountered opposition to a holding a parade in downtown Vilnius.

The brainchild of Stefania Del Bravo, the head of the Italian Institute of Culture in Lithuania, the campaign will feature a series of concerts, film viewings and photography exhibitions designed to showcase other cultures. Del Bravo said she hopes the project will inspire Lithuanians during this difficult economic period.

“I began to think about such a project one year ago, and it was a response to the difficulties that seem to me very clear, very evident in the Lithuanian society which for what I could feel, the Lithuanian society was passing through a crisis, not only economic but another crisis of social values, a crisis of general pessimism and disillusionment after joingin g the European Union. It is a normal crisis for young democracies,” Del Bravo told Baltic Reports. “I had this idea of offering such a kind of project of offering a positive message.”

The schedule of events includes an exhibition of photography by Gianluca Capri called “Uni-Diversity: Thousand Faces of the World” which shows photos of people from around the world, a performance of “Brundibar” an opera written by Holocaust victims while staying in a concentration camp, and a performance by a German-French dance troupe, among others.

“You have no creativity within yourself if you don’t meet other cultures,” Pascal Hanse, director of the French Cultural Center in Vilnius told Baltic Reports. “Culture cannot survive if it’s closed within itself, to itself.”

For a full schedule of events, please click here. [/private_subscription 4 months] [private_subscription 1 year]anti-gay protesters may become violent. The upcoming Baltic Pride event encountered opposition to a holding a parade in downtown Vilnius.

The brainchild of Stefania Del Bravo, the head of the Italian Institute of Culture in Lithuania, the campaign will feature a series of concerts, film viewings and photography exhibitions designed to showcase other cultures. Del Bravo said she hopes the project will inspire Lithuanians during this difficult economic period.

“I began to think about such a project one year ago, and it was a response to the difficulties that seem to me very clear, very evident in the Lithuanian society which for what I could feel, the Lithuanian society was passing through a crisis, not only economic but another crisis of social values, a crisis of general pessimism and disillusionment after joingin g the European Union. It is a normal crisis for young democracies,” Del Bravo told Baltic Reports. “I had this idea of offering such a kind of project of offering a positive message.”

The schedule of events includes an exhibition of photography by Gianluca Capri called “Uni-Diversity: Thousand Faces of the World” which shows photos of people from around the world, a performance of “Brundibar” an opera written by Holocaust victims while staying in a concentration camp, and a performance by a German-French dance troupe, among others.

“You have no creativity within yourself if you don’t meet other cultures,” Pascal Hanse, director of the French Cultural Center in Vilnius told Baltic Reports. “Culture cannot survive if it’s closed within itself, to itself.”

For a full schedule of events, please click here. [/private_subscription 1 year]

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