The International Theatre Institute (ITI) is an international non-governmental organisation founded in Prague in 1948 by UNESCO and the international theatre community. The ITI maintains formal associate relations with UNESCO and is its principal international NGO partners in the field of the performing arts and has national ITI centres in approximately 90 countries. ITI’s aims include (i) promoting international exchange of knowledge and practice in the domain of the performing arts; (ii) stimulating creation and increasing co-operation among theatre people; (iii) increasing public awareness of the need to take artistic creation into consideration in the domain of development; (iv) deepening mutual understanding and contribute to the consolidation of peace and friendship between peoples; (v) joining in the defence of the ideals and aims of UNESCO; and (vi) combatting all forms of racism or social and political discrimination. ITI Centres are made up of professionals active in the theatre life of the country and representative of all branches of the performing arts. Its activities are conducted both on a national and international level. In 1995 the Charter, ITI's constitution, was altered to enable ITI to accept institutions as Cooperating Members. ITI also has a Committee of Honour. The governing body of the Institute is constituted by a Congress of members assembled in plenary session. Between Congresses the Institute is run by an Executive Council composed of 20 elected members and by an elected Secretary General based at the ITI General Secretariat at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. ITI Regional Bodies set up to co-ordinate ITI activities in their respective regions include the African Regional Bureau based at the Burkina Faso ITI National Centre, and the Latin American and Caribbean Regional Bureau run by the Venezuelan ITI Centre. A Documentation Centre and Archive Centre for Asia is being set up at the Bangladesh ITI Centre. An Interregional Liaison Bureau is based at the Tunisian ITI Centre. There are also two permanent bases of the Albert Botbol University of the Theatre of Nations (ABUTN), one in Tunisia and the other in Venezuela. ITI has eight sub-committees or project groups, each with their programme of activities. These bodies work in the fields of Dance, Music Theatre, Playwright Forum, Theatre Education, Communication, Cultural Identity and Development and Dramatic Theatre. ITI contributes to fulfilling its own and UNESCO's goals through its various activities. These include an annual conference, colloquia, workshops and training courses as well as publications and the diffusion of international information concerning theatre. Both ITI Worldwide and various ITI National Centres issue a wide range of publications.