Tehran – The Islamic World Peace Forum is set to launch the Salam Cultural Arts Festival, an international initiative aimed at promoting universal peace, understanding and cultural solidarity, organizers announced.
Organized in collaboration with various cultural and artistic institutions, the festival emphasizes the importance of cultural diplomacy in a rapidly changing global landscape, the festival’s director said at a press conference held in Tehran on Tuesday.
Ameri emphasized that this event marks the beginning of a significant cultural and artistic movement. “This opportunity is an opportunity to establish meaningful connections with artists around the world, elevating Iran’s artistic voice on the global stage,” he said.
“The festival aims to celebrate human culture and address the future needs of humanity by bringing together global artists and thinkers. Today’s world is facing the cutting, oppression and erosion of human values.
He emphasized that he highlighted the important role of artists and intellectuals in overcoming these obstacles. “If we cannot understand and promote a culture of coexistence, future generations will face serious challenges. Culture forms the foundation of relationships and recognizing shared cultural values is essential to preventing future crises,” he explained.
The core concept being discussed at the festival is the Islamic greeting “salam” that embodies the cultural significance of greetings, particularly the health, safety and God’s peace. “Salam is more than just one word. It means the universal principle of God’s blessing and human diplomacy. By promoting Salam’s culture, we can strengthen ties between nations and serve as a blessing for humanity,” added Amelie.
He noted that the festival will introduce visual arts dedicated to spreading and promoting this cultural value.
On his part, Behnam Zangi, the secretary of the event, emphasized that art has a unique power to influence other sectors, and that the festival aims to utilize visual arts to deepen understanding of Salam and peace.
Over the next 20 days, the debate hopes to delve into the international aspect of the festival and promote further collaboration with the majority of Muslim countries, he said.
He also said the organizers aim to build bridges through cultural exchanges for artists from diverse regions, including Asian and European countries. “Our goal is to create a global community of Muslim artists within their cultural fields and gradually expand to include other civilizations.”
The Salam Festival also seeks to promote peaceful engagement between different cultures, highlighting the role of visual arts, representing the universal value of peace and justice. “The visual components of the festival mainly include posters, paintings, illustrations, photographs, calligraphy and cartoons, which we invite submissions to be announced immediately. Artisans from various countries are encouraged to participate,” he added.
The event aims to contribute to peace and the universalisation of Salam culture, establishing it as a platform for meaningful intercultural understanding.
The early stages of the festival are planning to focus on visual arts and expand into other creative fields. Through this initiative, organizers hope that messages of peace, friendship and mutual understanding will resonate globally, creating a more harmonious future rooted in human values.
sab/