Opening remarks by HRH Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands ECF Princess Margriet Award ceremony, Brussels, 9 December 2008

Your Royal Highnesses, Excellencies, distinguished guests, dear members of the award jury - and especially, dear Laureates,

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the ECF Princess Margriet Award for cultural diversity . This is the grand "vernissage" of what will eventually undoubtedly become a rich and highly diverse collection of outstanding performers, thinkers, and creators.... in other words, the people that this award seeks to recognise as a celebration of European creativity, diversity, openness and belonging.

The ECF decided to initiate this unique award to honour its equally unique President of 24 years: Princess Margriet; who dedicated her presidency to growing the ECF and its important role in supporting culture as a driving force for European integration. The award is also a way to visibly underline the values and ideals that the ECF stands for by rewarding those people who embody these in their art, their writing and their actions. In short: with their lives.

We are grateful for the shared commitment by the Dutch Ministries of Education, Culture & Science and Foreign Affairs, without who the award would not have been possible. We are delighted that Minister for European Affairs, Mr Timmermans, is with us today.
I know that Minister for Culture and Education Ronald Plasterk is with us in spirit, although pressing matters kept him in The Hague. We also greatly appreciate the support of the Rabobank and the Association of Charity Lotteries in the European Union. Such support is even more appreciated in times of turmoil, when there is a tendency to focus on short-term concerns, whereas investing in culture is by definition a long-term gain.

This afternoon we are among old and new friends of the ECF (so hopefully there is scope for not preaching to the converted...). I ask the old and experienced to allow me to very briefly introduce the ECF for those who are less aware of the Foundation's background, principles and activities.

Fifty years ago, reconciliation of Europe's nations was not taken for granted. It was against those odds that a group of visionary individuals founded the European Cultural Foundation to promote cultural cooperation across all borders and boundaries. Among them: Denis de Rougemont, Robert Schuman and later my grandfather-in-Law Prince Bernhard. As an independent foundation, we advocate a new alliance between civil society, national and European authorities as well as the private sector to acknowledge the importance of culture and the arts for the social fabric of our continent.

In the past, we were - amongst many other activities - at the inception and development of the Erasmus and Euridice programmes. Today, we have developed a vast network of cultural operators across Europe. We invest in artists and projects whose work is innovative and border-crossing. We encourage open artistic exchange through special collaborative projects. And we fund travel of artists and cultural workers - to name just a few of our activities, designed to be practical and make an impact.

Despite the rich tradition of the Foundation and its important founding principles, the ECF is astutely aware of the continuously changing context in which it operates. Since its inception in 1954, the years have been nothing other than revolutionary:

• We have seen sustained peace established on the continent, the establishment of the European Union;
• the chilling effects of a polarised cold war;
• the fall of the iron curtain
• the birth of one currency;
• resurgent nationalism;
• new religious tensions in large and multi-facetted and cultured urban conglomerates;
• hugely enriching and sometimes threatening removal of borders in Europe and globally - both virtual and real;
• changes in demographic and ethnic make up of our societies, and
• the shifting socio-economic and strategic power patterns in global relations.

Again, nothing other than revolutionary...

It is in this context that the ECF is positioning itself: to benefit from the enriching and necessary interchange of perspectives, backgrounds and expressions. With a strong belief that culture is a fundamental human need; that it is not diversity that is threatening us, but the fear to embrace it. Where some use culture to build fences and point out differences, at the ECF, we see culture as an instrument to build bridges and to give purpose to our societies and communities and their coexistence on this continent and within the wider context of its neighbouring countries.

The ECF wants to encourage the inquisitive and the creative, providing a platform for their energy and inspiration; advocating openness to allow the flow of ideas and cross-boundary interaction to take place. It is these values that form the foundation of a modern Europe; where we feel a sense of belonging. Where current and future generations feel they belong to a history and a space in which fundamental freedoms and rights provide the playground for creative expression, and sustainable personal and societal development.

For the sake of our children, we need to invest in what we value, and in our shared capacities to tackle the unexpected. It is our responsibility to make Europe not only more efficient, but also more inclusive and more open. We need to educate the next generations on the challenges ahead when it comes to knowledge and employability, but also on being cultured and responsible citizens.
It is also up to us to look after and enrich the specificity of Europe, its intense cultures and uniquely diverse peoples, impregnated by our history of failures and progress.

First and foremost, this ECF Princess Margriet Award is a recognition of quality, which also reflects the exceptional jury selecting the laureates. The award recognizes outstanding individuals and their contributions to exploring cultural diversity. It honours European artists and thinkers who have shown important personal and professional reflection about cultural diversity. With research and artistic practice, they try to understand what differences are made of. They search for encounter, dialogue and understanding.

The laureates of the first ECF Princess Margriet Award for cultural diversity will be introduced in detail shortly - they are leading cultural theorist Professor Stuart Hall, for his life-long engagement and research on the role of arts in approaching cultural diversity, and Jerôme Bel and Pichet Klunchun, for their performance 'Pichet Klunchun and myself', an artistic exercise in understanding their own differences.

Let me conclude by applauding the jury for their commitment and expertise - and by reminding ourselves that we are culture and culture is us. It is precisely our diversity that we have in common - no matter where we come from, what we do or where we are going. This is not an abstract notion: it is up to all of us to build bridges between ourselves. That's quite reassuring, I would say! I wish you a diverse and inspiring afternoon.

Thank you.