On Friday 3 October Director-General of UNESCO Ms Irina Bokova visited the Community of Sant'Egidio and met founder Andrea Riccardi and president Marco Impagliazzo.

During the meeting, many topics were discussed, including education for peace, intercultural and interreligious dialogue and the need to protect ethnic and religious minorities with particular reference to the serious situation in the Middle East. Issues of special urgency, in a time when many international crises have serious consequences on the multireligious and multicultural coexistence.

Already in recent months, Ms Bukova had pronounced in favour of the initiative of the appeal for Aleppo undertaken by Andrea Riccardi and on this occasion she reiterated her appreciation for the efforts that Sant'Egidio takes at every level to promote a civilization of living together. It is precisely on this that both parties wished one another a greater and fruitful cooperation.