The 22nd edition of the ProEtnica Intercultural Festival, which opened on Wednesday in the Medieval Citadel of Sighisoara, marking 25 years since its establishment, was saved by national minority organisations and participants, Volker Reiter, director of the Interethnic Educational Centre for Youth (ibz) Sighisoara, said at the opening ceremony.

'I do not want to hide the fact that this year's edition was born under difficult circumstances. Due to administrative changes and difficulties, funding we had relied on could no longer be secured. We had to quickly find other solutions. And here, something happened which, for me, is perhaps the most beautiful message of this anniversary edition: the national minority organisations and participants saved this edition of the ProEtnica Festival. They said: we want ProEtnica to continue and we are willing to contribute. Without their contribution and solidarity, the festival could not have taken place in this form. The solidarity did not stop there. Companies, suppliers and partners understood the situation, offered us discounts or worked with us to find solutions. And some people, as volunteers, did extraordinary things, giving their time, energy and a great deal of hard work,' Reiter, the festival's organiser, said.

In his opening address, he stressed that the event's fundamental aim remains to promote peace through intercultural dialogue.

'Peace begins when people meet, talk, listen to each other, eat together, dance, discuss and even disagree - but continue to communicate. ProEtnica wants to be such a place of encounter,' Reiter said.

The director of the Interethnic Educational Centre for Youth said that belonging to a minority goes beyond strict ethnic criteria and is centred on preserving and developing cultural heritage.

'For me, belonging to a minority is not a matter of bloodline. A minority is the bearer of a culture, a language and a memory. And the boundaries between cultures must remain permeable,' Reiter explained.

He called on the public and guests to use the festival's five days for direct interaction and getting to know one another.

'A peaceful society is not one in which everyone is the same. It is one in which we can be different without being afraid of one another and in which, despite our differences, we continue to talk to each other,' the organiser said.

The 22nd edition of the ProEtnica Festival is held under the High Patronage of the President of Romania and under the patronage of German Ambassador in Bucharest Angela Ganninger.

The festival is organised in partnership with the Romanian Government's Department for Interethnic Relations, the Municipality of Sighisoara and the Mures County Council, with logistical and financial support from several national organisations and private sponsors. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Dorina Matis; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)