UNESCO News

• Lebanese circles await the arrival of Dr. Charles Malik, Lebanon's Minister Plenipotentiary in Washington, president of the supreme Economic and Social Council, and one of the members of the Lebanese delegation to the UNESCO conference.

For the first time since his appointment as Minister in Washington, Dr. Malik returns to Lebanon.

• Mr. Georges Bidault's lecture was "On the Middle East, Cradle and Meeting-Place of Civilizations," and it was attended by a large audience of Lebanon's men of thought.

In it Mr. Bidault spoke of Lebanon, saying: "The narrow strip that Lebanon occupies between two seas — a sea of water and a sea of sand — has become the meeting-place of three continents." He then spoke of the East's benefaction to Western civilization, and of what it has offered humanity in the religions of the One God, in which two-thirds of the world's inhabitants believe.

The lecturer pointed to the role played by Beirut, Antioch, and Alexandria in civilization, in the days when these cities were a torch of world culture.

• The newspaper "Beirut al-Masa" reported that America threatened to withdraw from the UNESCO conference when there was discussed the question of inviting the international non-governmental organizations, among them well-known Zionist organizations.

• On November 30 the art exhibition opened in the UNESCO building. It comprises selections from the production of the Lebanese artists, and artists from Egypt and Iraq exhibit alongside them.

• Dr. Constantine Zurayk delivered his lecture in the UNESCO hall in the English language.

Its title was "The Human Meanings of the Civilization of the Arabs and Its Mission in the Modern World."

The idea in whose light Dr. Zurayk looked out upon Arab civilization is the message of peace that lies in this civilization.

The doctor replied to those who say that the Arab expansion was a purely military expansion, and that Arab civilization rested upon material foundations — political, economic, and military; and he showed that the impulse behind Arab civilization was a spiritual, religious impulse, and that this spirituality gave Arab civilization a humane outlook — indeed, a universal human spirit.

• The Lebanese delegate proposed the broadcasting of UNESCO's bulletins in the Arabic language in addition to the French and English languages, and the Lebanese delegate was supported by the delegates of Cuba and Egypt.

• A "geological" excursion through certain parts of Lebanon was organized for the UNESCO delegations, to acquaint them with Lebanon in a clear, scientific way.