The 28th of April, 2010, was the start date of the project „Tolerance-2010“. Three months project was iniciated by the Italian Cultural Institute in Vilnius. The cultural centres and the foreign embassies residing in Vilnius participate in this project. Series of concerts, exhibitions, dance performances all are linked by the main theme – tolerance, which is essential for developing cognition of an „alien” cultural traditions.

Exhibition “Uni-Diversity: Thousand Faces of the World” of the photography works by Gianluca Capri had been opened on the 28th of April. While travelling through the farthermost corners of the Earth, the photographer takes pictures of the faces of people, belonging to the different nations and countries. The main idea of this exhibition is the possibility to find the unity in the varicoloured map of the nations, emphasizing our oneness and sustaining our authenticity.

During the opening ceremony of the project and the exhibition, pieces by Sergei Prokofiev and Gioachino Rossini were played by the “Chordos” string quartet and musicians from Italy – Angela Chiofalo (piano), Ugo Gennarini (clarinet).

Director of the Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum, Mr.Markas Zingeris has greeted the audience. He pointed out that there is not enough to devote only one day to commemorate the Day of Tolerance, as the manifestations of xenophobia and racism keeps growing in our society. Director of the museum shared the beautiful thought of the British thinker, Literature Nobel prize winner Bertrand Russell (1872 – 1970): “Love is wise – hate is foolish”, which could have become the motto of the project “Tolerance-2010”.

Dr.Stefania Del Bravo, Director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Vilnius, presented other upcoming events of the project. Italian photographer Gianluca Capri was participating in the opening too. Director of the Italian Cultural Institute and Mr.Gianluca Capri were awarded with M.K.Čiurlionis name‘s crowns cups for the valuable work in the culture field. This prize was established by the Čiurlionis Fund Investments organization. 

Italian Ambassado Mr. Renato Maria Ricci, Bulgarian Ambassador Mr. Ivan Dantchev, Spanish Ambassador Mr. Jose Luis Solano Gadea, Deputy Head of Mission of the Czech Embassy Ms. Martina Heranova, Director of  the French Culural Centre in Vilnius, Mr.Pascal Hanse, Cultural atache of the Atache of the French Embassy Mr.Audelin Chappuis, Director of the Polish Institute Ms.Malgorzata Kasner, Project coordinator of the Polish Cultural Institute Ms.Barbara Orszewska and other prominent guests were also participating in the event.