INTERNATIONAL PHOTO CONTEST ENTITLED “LIVING TOGETHER. THE CO-EXISTENCE OF TRADITIONAL CULTURES IN THE CARPATHIAN BASIN”

All citizens of the EU and of the neighboring countries of Hungary are welcome to participate.
Between January 1 and June 30, 2011, Hungary will take over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, with close cooperation with Spain and Belgium, the countries holding the two previous presidencies. The meeting of the EU presidency working group of the National Assembly of May 6, 2008, adopted a unanimous position of the parliamentary parties, stating that the issue of regionalism, the diversity of languages and cultures and the preservation of minority traditions must be incorporated among the goals of the presidency. The protection of these same values was included among the Union’s goals laid down in the Lisbon Treaty: The Union “shall respect its rich cultural and linguistic diversity, and shall ensure that Europe’s cultural heritage is safeguarded and enhanced.” Therefore, the Hungarian EU presidency taking over in the first half of 2011 will give a special priority to the promotion of the inherited cultural diversity of Europe.
In our region, the traditional coexistence of communities of different languages and cultures, which has developed during the past centuries, is of unparalleled cultural value. Each ethnic group considers itself to be at home, in the same region in which it coexists with the other groups. This inherited cultural and linguistic diversity that has developed through long centuries still stands for a unique tradition and richness.
The aim of the contest is to introduce the lives of communities in the Carpathian Basin and the Moldova region in Romania in an exhibition worthy of the Hungarian presidency’s term. The large-scale exhibition will be located in front of the Parliament at Kossuth Square, displaying 50-100 of the best entries. There will be a photo catalogue published as well, along with the exhibition.

More details here