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History
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Discrimination, racism, bias, and prejudice are
direct results of the lack of knowledge of the cultures that are part of
our own society and the many opportunities that they offer. This
ignorance, in turn, is due to the absence of incentives that motivate
people to interact with others from different cultural backgrounds and
to learn about their cultures.
For the past 25 years the International immigrants Foundation & International Cultures Mission has sought to provide a solution to this
problem through the development of the International Cultures Celebration . The Celebration considers cultural
harmony and unity as an indispensable element of all economic development
that activates society.
The Celebration traces its origins
to the pioneering work of Mr. Edward Juarez Pagliocco, Chairman of the IIF/ICM,
who, in the early 1980s, invited the leadership of umbrella socio-cultural
organizations to meet for the first time in the history of New York, setting
aside all social and political differences, and started a dialogue to develop
together a series of events to promote positive intercultural relations. At
the time, an event of this nature had never taken place; there was no
previous history, no pattern to follow, and fear of the unknown by
politicians, provoking the Mayor’s office to oppose the concept. As a result,
the administration even expressed the concern that bringing the City’s
segregated communities together "may cause bloodshed".
Thanks to the foresight,
determination, and struggles of the Celebration’s founding members, in the
last 12 years communities and their leaders have been able to overcome
social, political, and cultural barriers to celebrate together in harmony
and peace. Celebration programs such as the Annual International Cultures
Festival, the International Film Showcase, Handshakes Around the World, the
Official Presentation of the Flags, Annual International Cultures Conference
and the International Cultures Parade – to name a few – have served as bridges that link up populations from
various cultural backgrounds. As a result of the Celebration, for instance,
Turks, Greeks and Macedonians, Greek and Turkish Cypriots, Jews and Arabs,
Indians and Sikhs, and other cultural groups pool their intellectual
resources to produce an event that promotes unity from diversity. A most
rewarding achievement of the Celebration was its ability to foster stable
relationships between the members of inter-cultural organizations and their
constantly changing leadership.
Despite the Celebration’s
significant contributions in promoting positive inter-cultural relations, fear and
ignorance still dominate our society. The IIF/ICM, therefore, continues to
make it its responsibility to educate the individual and the communities’
leadership through its Celebration programs. In this way the International
Cultures Celebration goes far beyond rhetoric to promote cultural
understanding through a unique and dynamic educational and cultural
experience.
We, at the IIF/ICM, are committed to
continue making a difference. Through the Celebration the IIF/ICM can
continue to: (1) combat fear and ignorance by impressing upon individuals
and their families the importance of cultural understanding; (2) provide the
leadership of educational, religious, social, and cultural organizations
with multicultural experiences; (3) strengthen relations between the
leadership of social, and cultural organizations and their communities; (4)
stimulate communication and business exchange between the communities; (5)
encourage an interplay of individual and collective responsibility; and (6)
enhance the economic development of our society by providing mutually
advantageous business opportunities.
However, despite this commitment to
serving our communities, the enormous momentum that has been generated by
the IIF/ICM over the past 12 years can only be continued through
media and corporate support of organizations and philanthropists who
espouse our ideals and are seriously committed to further community
development.
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coming soon!