Middle East festival seeks a middle way

FILMS, exhibitions and a concert are among the highlights of this year's 7th Annual Edinburgh International Festival of Middle Eastern Spirituality and Peace.

MESP 2010 will bring together people from a wide range of backgrounds – from those working with peace, conflict and reconciliation to educators, artists, health experts and people from diverse cultures and communities – to celebrate peace and mutual understanding.

The two-week event will include a Youth Festival, a Film Festival and a One World Peace Concert, while there will also be exhibitions and displays at venues across Edinburgh.

In total there will be some 100 events, with guests from the Middle East, Africa, Europe, USA, Scotland and UK.

Festival Co-Founders Neill Walker and Dr Neil Douglas-Klotz said: "The Festival positively affirms the diversity contained within the spiritual and cultural traditions of the Middle East, as well as those here in Scotland.

"The Festival takes no fixed position on any political, ethical or cultural question."

MESP 2010 runs from Friday, 5 March to Thursday, 18 March, and more information can be found at www.mesp.org.uk