A one-day seminar on "Culture and conflict prevention" organised within the framework of the EU co-funded project on 'Awareness Raising for Culture and Development' (ARCADE) will be held in Barcelona, Spain on September 5th, 2007 in parallel with the international conference on "The Role of Local Governments in Peace Building" hosted by the Barcelona Provincial Council and the Barcelona City Council, September 6-7, 2007(www.citydiplomacy.org).

The ARCADE Project is coordinated by the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED) in partnership with ENTP, the European New Towns Platform and the CIR, the Interdisciplinary Centre for Comparative Research in the Social Sciences. Funded in part by the European Commission (EuropeAid Co-operation Office), this project aims to raise awareness in Europe about culture and development. By highlighting the role that culture can play in development strategies and programs, ARCADE will promote the respect of cultural diversity as a prerequisite for successful and sustainable development projects.

The meeting in Barcelona is the first seminar of the ARCADE project. It will be an opportunity for actors involved in decentralised cooperation, culture and development to exchange ideas and share good practices related to culture and conflict prevention.

Considering that there cannot be development if there is no peace, this seminar should tackle issues such as the necessity to use culture and the arts, not only as remedies for patching up war wounds, but also as instruments for avoiding further conflict. What are the examples of "confidence-building measures" and intercultural projects, long before the first signs of a conflict become apparent? What are the good examples of relevant policies and practices of local authorities, in both Northern and Southern countries?

Including both field experiences and practices as well as research-based presentations, main contributions should be ensured by representatives of local authorities, together with actors of intercultural dialogue and conflict prevention (more information available at http://arcade.acted.org).

We hope that this preview of the ARCADE project and the coming seminar in Barcelona are of interest to you. To register as a participant and for all other inquiries, please send an email to arcade@acted.org.