02.07.2009 Press Conference - Presentation of the European Conference LANGUAGES MEET SPORT:
The first International Conference "Languages meet Sport"
on Languages and Intercultural Dialogue through sports was announced by
Elio De Anna, Head of the Regional Sports Commission and Ariella Cuk
coordinator of the EU project in Trieste.
The conference,
organised by LEN (Ligue Européenne de Natation) and Leader–Comunicare
interculture will present the best European projects combining the
dialogue between different languages and cultures through sports. "We
are proud to announce that (among others) premier football clubs like
ARSENAL and INTER, will present their education projects, providing
experiences in learning through football – said Ariella Cuk – and sport
organisations like UEFA and ISCA and Media MTV will present their
information campaigns promoting intercultural understanding between and
within different cultures".
The aim of the conference is to highlight European best practices that
can be a model for the promotion of intercultural dialogue through the
universal languages of sports.
"The conference has triggered a lot of interest from all over Europe:
we have had registrations from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium,
Germany, Spain, Slovenia, Hungry, Denmark, Finland, Ukraine, Turkey and
even from Iran" – Ariella Cuk concluded. Mr De Anna underlined how
"sport is an instantaneous translator which makes youth from different
languages and cultural background communicate easily". He added that
"it is not surprising that this conference is held in Friuli Venezia
Giulia, a territory that combines multilingualism and a long-lasting
tradition in sports."
The Vice President of Fondazione CRTrieste Renzo Piccini, Gilberto
Paris Lippi, Head of the Municipal Sport Commission and Franco Cipolla,
Director of the Regional School of Sports (CONI) confirmed their
support to the conference that brings examples of language learning and
intercultural dialogue through the universal language of sports.