Alex-Med is initiating a series of round table discussions in which leading experts on Alexandria will gather to discuss the phenomenon known as “Alexandrianism”. Attendants will attempt to define the term through an examination of the political, social, religious, geographical, historical, urban, linguistic and literary aspects of the Alexandrian cosmopolitanism.
The first round table discussion will be held from 28-30 April 2004. Over a period of three days, the following issues will be addressed:
· The foreign communities and their relationship with each other, with home and with Egyptians.
· Institutions such as welfare foundations, places of worship, schools, the Municipality, the Ornato... etc.
· The very notion of “cosmopolitanism”: how and when did it start, who did it start with, did it expand to include others, how did it affect questions of identity, did the ethnic groups integrate or remain separate, was it specific to Alexandria only.
The closing ceremony on 30 April will be a concert given by George Moustaki, who is celebrating his 70th birthday in his hometown, Alexandria.
Program