11. INTERNATIONAL MEDITERRANEAN YOUTH FESTIVAL 

The theme of the 2008 Festival was determined to be “The Mediterranean”. As a university which overlooks the sea, and basks in its sparkling light, we have the urge to become as one with the sea, which draws together the Universities of all the countries of the Mediterranean. It was our dream that all those who share the same water and the same shores should meet in a blaze of colours, and the gathering could be the rainbow of the Mediterranean. It was our desire that all the contrasts, from the Flamenco of Spain, the Mawalid of Egypt, the Firdat al-zaffa of Fas, the Sirtaki of Greece to the Zeybek of the Aegean could gather together in harmony. And it was our wish that those who produce science on the shores of the same sea from Gibraltar to Israel should come together and know each other.

We have selected the theme as The Mediterranean. Boundless fellowship may be the name of our partnership that transcends national borders within the orbit of our mutual sea.  We need to remind ourselves and the world that the throughout history, the people of the Mediterranean have lived upon each other’s land, and grown to know each other deeply. We wished that those who have savoured similar drinks, who have eaten similar foods, and who have lived similar love affairs, should come together.  

And let this meeting be the new Dionysian Festival which will unite the people for all eternity. Let the Mediterranean air glow with the ardour of the modern spirit of Dionysus, the Raq sharki (belly dance). Let the people who have never met before have the chance to know each other, to know and love each other. It is Youth who are destined to lay the foundations of the future. We ardently desire that from this day on, they will mature and prosper with the seeds of peace in their minds and hearts. With the aspiration of creating a better World, of propagating the latest future information together, this year we have resolved to broaden our investment in the young people of our region even more than we have for the previous 10 years.

The Mediterranean is a region of culture, which has witnessed the birth and growth of hundreds of communities throughout thousands of years. It has sown the seeds of civilisation from Egypt to Phoenicia, from Cyprus to the East Mediterranean Shores, and from there to Anatolia. The 2008 Festival will celebrate this richness, and will present a broad spectrum of activities including exhibitions, video-film shows, dances, as well as the unique character of the Mediterranean cuisine, with special emphasis on the seafood and olive oil which give Mediterranean food its special character. Each of the countries invited will have their own booths and prepare their own displays.

The antique Dionysian religion which grew out of the Mediterranean and the Aegean will be the starting point for shows and activities which will draw in all of our guests. This religion will provide an enchanting sense of unity as a mutual symbol for everything which binds the countries of the Mediterranean together. The Dionysian Spring Festivals were based on drink, dance and entertainment, with wine and dance as its focal point. Alongside the grape which shapes the harvest and life, the female followers of the God, the Maenads, and male followers of God, the Satyrs together give the festival its form.

The participants will cast off the narrow bonds of nationalism when they sense the unique, natural and historical presence of the Mediterranean and Anatolia, and enjoy the dynamic beauty of Akdeniz University. More as brothers than individuals and societies, a magnificent gathering will be experienced together. Nothing could be more representative of the land and soil of the Mediterranean and waters of the Aegean from which has sprung the science and philosophy which has fostered and inspired so many civilizations. 

The 11th Mediterranean Youth Festival is organized under the leadership of the students with the support of Akdeniz University. It is an event which has stood the test of time, and is ready to meet the demands of the future with a new and different programme for 2008.

Join with us and become as one like the clear water of Mediterranean that we share. Just like in the Halay, our native folk dance, may we join hands ands move as one, spreading brotherly love like the wild vegetation of the Mediterranean. Come to the festival!