By Xinhua
Madrid : Jordan and Qatar on Tuesday announced their initiatives to promote cross-cultural understanding, including a 100-million-U.S.-dollar fund and the same amount of investment.
At the first Alliance of Civilizations Forum here Tuesday, Queen Noor of Jordan announced a 100-million-dollar fund to support film productions that help build cross-cultural understanding and fight stereotypes.
The queen said religious leaders, business people, civil groups, the media, as well as politicians should all play a role in promoting the alliance.
Nozah Bit Nasser Al-Misned, chairperson of Qatar’s education, science and development fund, also announced an investment of 100 million dollars to help carry out a plan to create more job opportunities for youths in developing countries.
The first phase of the plan would focus on the Middle East and Africa, where unemployment is expected to rise in the coming years, she said.
About 350 people from more than 60 countries, including government officials, representatives of international organizations and public celebrities are attending the two-day forum, which opened Tuesday with the theme of improving understanding between Western and Muslim countries.
Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero presented the alliance idea to the UN General Assembly in September 2004 after the March 11, 2004, terrorist bombings in Madrid that killed191 people.
The alliance is aimed at preventing a clash of civilizations by promoting security, understanding, tolerance and mutual respect ina globalized world, Zapatero said.