Why the "Dialogues"

Launched jointly by the City of Strasbourg and the Council of Europe in 2009, the "Strasbourg dialogues" aim at involving Strasbourg citizens in discussions on matters of critical importance to our future as Europeans. Held on a regular basis, the "Dialogues" help both to strengthen the "citizens' Europe" and to develop further the Europe of Strasbourg.

Tomi Ungerer: visions of Europe

The Council of Europe and the City of Strasbourg organise the 7th session of the Strasbourg Dialogues to be held at the Hemicycle of the Palais de l'Europe on 21 November, from 5 to 7 p.m.

This meeting, chaired by Gérard Saint-Paul, former director of France 24 news, will be on the theme of ‘Tomi Ungerer: visions of Europe'. Daniel Kampa (publisher, Diogenes), Claude Mollard, (cultural expert, artistic photographer and writer) and Freddy Raphaël (Professor of Sociology at the Strasbourg University) will take part in the debate alongside Tomi.

Tomi and the Council of Europe 

In the year 2000, the Council of Europe appointed its first Goodwill Ambassador to help to propagate the Organisation's values. Tomi Ungerer was appointed in October 2000 as its first Goodwill Ambassador for Children and Education. In the run-up to the World Conference on Racism and Intolerance held in the Assembly Chamber, he drew for the Council of Europe his famous symbolic penguin accompanied by the words "I am black, I am white, I am black and white". The drawing has appeared on many communication items, as well as on a French postage stamp. These items and other works which Tomi has placed at the Council of Europe's disposal will be on show on the occasion of this Strasbourg Dialogue. Tomi's efforts to promote tolerance through some of his books and drawings are consistent with the aims pursued by the Council of Europe.