09/05/2022 President
“We need to secure everyone’s right to access culture. This is a pre-condition for ensuring democratic citizenship and citizen participation in community life and policy-making. This is also a pre-condition for everyone to develop as an individual and freely develop her or his cultural identity,” said PACE President Tiny Kox today, addressing the opening of a meeting of the PACE Culture Committee at the Italian Chamber of Deputies in Rome.
The Assembly, the President said, has clearly stated that the real possibility to make conscious choices is also dependent on the possibility for everyone to “acquire the necessary competences and culture to critically analyse information and various points of view”. Indeed “there cannot be informed participation and decision making without freedom of information – another key policy area this committee is working on – but this is not sufficient: there cannot be critical thinking without education and without culture,” he added.
The President welcomed Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini, who addressed the participants, and warmly thanked the Chairperson of the Italian delegation to PACE, Marta Grande, for the organisation of the meeting in the Italian capital.