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February 26, 2007
UK: British Council To Spend On Islam, Abandon European Projects
News from DPA and the Times reports that the British Council, which usually funds arts projects in Europe, is to change its emphasis. Founded in 1934, and receiving sponsorship from the government.
About a third of its European funding - £7.5 million or $14.7 million - will be diverted from fostering cultural ties with Europe, and instead be used for "spreading cultural values in the Middle East and Asia".
By March next year, half of its European offices will be closed. Already its offices in Russia, Bulgaria, Germany, Slovakia and Belgium have been shut down, with closures to take place at offices in Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, Austria, and Spain.
Martin Davidson, Director-General designate of the British Council, has been with the organization since 1983. He will become the Director-General on April 2. He states that it is now more important to repair cultural damage which has grown between Muslims in the Middle East, Iraq, Central Asia and Afghanistan, and to additionally bring cultural ties with China. The internet will be used for cultural ties with Europe.
Orchestras such as the London Sinfonietta will no longer be funded, and the nly large-scale arts funding will go to the Venice Bienniale. There will be initiatives to fund madrassas in Pakistan.
Davis said: "We started a year ago to ask the question: given the gap in trust that is becoming increasingly well-documented between Britain and the Muslim world, what are we going to do to react to that? Many aspects of our society are very attractive to people in the Islamic world, but there is a widening gap of trust."
Libraries in Europe which were funded by the British Council will be forced to shut down, unless these set up language courses to raise funds.
The British Council receives £186 million ($365.2 million) in public funding per year.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at February 26, 2007 11:55 PM
Comments
Upping the jizya while denying heritage . . .fools all.
Posted by: heroyalwhyness ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.westernresistance.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at March 1, 2007 10:13 AM
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