"Stories of Faith" flanked by “Civilisations Matter”, a new intercultural academy

Berlin, 15.02.07 (sof) Wolfram R. Bauer and Carola Klessen, initiators and producers of the Irish media project “Stories of Faith”, have initiated the "Civilisations Matter - Academy for Intercultural Dialogue". The Academy will promote understanding between various ways of thinking. The future foundation will be based in Germany and acquire a location near Berlin as a meeting place. The initiators are forming this foundation because they are conscious of mankind having arrived at a turning point, at which only great visions and courageous changes can master political, ecological and

technological challenges. Their concern is to connect people, cultures, religions and sciences and facilitate the emergence of ideas for a joint and peaceful future of mankind.

“Civilisations Matter” will focus on the public exchange of ideas and trend-setting initiatives, cooperations and projects, which will facilitate the growing together of mankind into a peaceful and prospering community. The group of initiators, involving distinguished personalities, architects, lawyers, journalists and designers, will assemble a board of trustees before the foundation is formed, and invites the interested public to join a circle of friends of the future academy.

The academy (civilisations-matter.org) will be a forum for important thinkers of our times to exchange ideas and interact with the public. The Stories of Faith project, (www.stories-of-faith.com), on the other hand, aims at sensitizing young people through an insight into culture and spirituality, says Bauer. Patron of the project is the Dalai Lama. Among the members of the Advisory Board are the business executive Peter Ruof (co-founder of CDS International, Carl Duisberg Society, New York, and the Centre for European Policy Studies, Brussels), UNO advisor Dr. William F. Vendley (secretary-general of the World Conference on Religion and Peace/ International (WCRP, New York) as well as the scientists Prof. Dr. Karl-Joseph Kuschel (World Ethics Foundation, Tuebingen) and Prof. Dr. Bassam Tibi (Cornell University, New York).