Dear Secretaries General, Members of the Executive and Steering Committees, and Members of the Federal Council:

At the Congress of Europe – European Civil Society Forum, held in The Hague last May, Hans–Gert PÖTTERING, President of the European Parliament, requested the European Movement to carry out activities on intercultural dialogue as this is one of the top political, cultural and social priorities of the EU today. This year is also the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue. EMI President Pat COX, Secretary General Henrik KRÖNER and President of the ICLS (Intercultural Communication and Leadership School) Geza TESSENYI had discussions about this initiative.

The ICLS is a best practice in intercultural dialogue and active citizenship in Europe as recognized by the European Commission. The ICLS has also integrated in its practical work the implementation of the pioneering concept of climate protection as an instrument of peace building.

We have concluded that the best way to follow up on the Pöttering Initiative is to combine the strengths of the European Movement and the practical and conceptual expertise of the ICLS. The ICLS and the Italian Chapter of the European Movement have already started cooperation in this field.

We offer you that the ICLS will:

•    Share its best practice, tested in a number of cities in five European countries where Muslim and other minority populations live and two Asian countries with majority Muslim populations, on intercultural communication and leadership training and youth network building for the good governance of local diversity;
•    Work with national member organizations of the EMI to develop ICLS youth leadership seminars and networks in selected pilot cities in European countries and in their neighbourhood;
•    Link up these local networks under the aegis of the ICLS and the European Movement;
•    Carry out ‘train the trainers’ and ‘train the organizers’ courses to enable and facilitate a domino effect for the spreading of seminars and networks beyond the pilot cities;
•    Carry out joint planning, joint multi-polar fund-raising for, and joint reporting on the implementation of  the agreement;
•    Publicise through its web-site and other available means the joint activity with special emphasis on tangible results and share these results directly with EP President Pöttering and the European Commission.

In case of your interest to follow up on the Pöttering Initiative and the ICLS way of implementing it, we suggest cooperation with you in the following ways:

•    Your organization would share your local, national and Europe-wide networks, contacts and fora with the ICLS to develop the youth leadership seminars and networks in selected pilot cities  in European countries and in their neighbourhood;
•    You would assist the ICLS in linking up these local networks under the aegis of the ICLS and EMI;
•    You would assist the ICLS in carrying out ‘train the trainers’ and ‘train the organizers’ courses to enable and facilitate a domino effect for the spreading of seminars and networks beyond the pilot cities;
•    You would carry out jointly with the ICLS planning, joint multi-polar fund-raising for the local project, and joint reporting on it.

We foresee these benefits of implementing the Pöttering Initiative:

1. The main beneficiary of the proposed cooperation will be the public in European countries and cities of diversity through improving conditions for intercultural co-existence and co-operation. This will facilitate the rise of a new generation of intercultural leadership from the most important segments of local diversity and through the enhanced development of good governance of cultural, ethnic and religious diversity.

2. Members of the European Movement will become more deeply and practically involved in one of the main political priorities of the EU and will experience an outreach to a larger group of young people from majority and minority backgrounds in European countries.

3. The European institutions and locally elected Members of the European Parliament will be asked to be associated with the process and recognized as catalysers and supporters of the process leading to the above mentioned benefits to European public good.

4. The ICLS will experience a significant growth in its European activities and networks and gain outreach to the membership and activist circle of the EMI and its national chapters.

If you are interested, please, notify the Representative of Movimento Europeo or contact info@intercivilization.net or on the phone number +39 348 340 4738.

Thank you. We look forward to working with you.

Rome, 9 September 2008

Geza Tessenyi, President                 Guido Orlandini, Secretary General