IEMED - Institut Europeu de la Mediterrània

The contest is aimed at the production of short stories whose content is related to intercultural dialogue as an instrument for the resolution of contemporary crises

The richness resulting from the existence of different cultures and traditions in the Euro-Mediterranean space must be preserved as one of the most valuable sources of heritage surrounding us; and strengthening knowledge and education must be one of the channels of developing current society in a more balanced and sustainable way. For this reason, it is important for the dialogue actions to bring about the interaction of the highest number of individuals possible as “tellers” of or as “listeners” to narrated stories.

Particularly in the Euro-Mediterranean region, cultural interaction can be an essential instrument to deal with various problems of a political, socio-economic or environmental nature. In fact, it is in the reciprocal links between these three great issues that the balance between the global and the local must be sought for a sustainable and lasting resolution of the regional crisis of the Mediterranean. Indeed, the globalisation of the conflicts does not imply a global response but rather the organisation and harmonisation of the local responses which, in order to be sustainable, must be based on mutual understanding and a common language.

Literary language allows these very different issues to be confronted and linked. Moreover, the literary message allows access to the everyday, understanding of the particular, of the individual, together with the collective and the political. The short story gives access to the complexity of differences without generalising them, but rather by simply describing them.

For these reasons, the contest is aimed at the production of short stories whose content is related to intercultural dialogue as an instrument for the resolution of contemporary crises, especially of a political, socio-cultural, economic and environmental nature.

From this point of view, literary production is a fundamental means for the expression and description of events, ideas and emotions which can be directly transmitted to and by young people from the whole Euro-Mediterranean region.