El Jem Roman theatre will play host to a music and solidarity festival featuring the Vienna Opera Orchestra
Tunis, June 25, 2007 (TunisiaOnline) --The tenth edition of what has now become one of the major symbols of Tunisian- Austrian friendship, namely the concert featuring the Vienna Opera Orchestra at the 1800- years old El Jem Roman theatre, will take place on July 7, 2007 at 9pm.
The news was announced on Monday during a press point held in Tunis .
The evening which is jointly organized by the National Solidarity Fund (26-26), the Austrian -Tunisian friendship society, the Austrian Embassy in Tunis, and the El Jem International Festival, is not simply a classical music show but first and foremost the expression of the values of solidarity and tolerance which are at the core of Tunisia's political system.
“The performance goes well beyond the dialogue of civilizations” said the Austrian ambassador in Tunis “ it is not about what divides us but what unites us Tunisians and Austrians : the desire for peace and harmony and a better world”.
Last year the concert generated some 50,000 dinars which all went to the 26-26 Fund. It is hoped that this year's concert will significantly exceed that amount.
The Vienna Opera Festival which is composed of 50 musicians and artists will arrive in Tunis on July 5 th . It will perform the works of 8 grand masters of Austrian music ranging from Johan Strauss to Oscar Strauss to some 3000 spectators.
A special train service from Tunis to El Jem has been scheduled for the occasion and the price of the concert tickets is expected to vary from 30 dinars to 60 dinars.
The Tunisian National Solidarity Fund or 26-26 (after the Fund's bank account number) which was set up in 1993, following President Ben Ali's impromptu visit to a poor, remote area in the North Western part of the country, has considerably contributed to lowering the poverty level to 4%, by providing sanitation, housing, schooling, as well as medical services to some 243, 642 families, representing about 1, 242,000 people spread out over1800 areas.
Several African countries such as Mali and Senegal have asked for Tunisia 's assistance in setting up similar funds in their countries.
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