The 2012 International Symposia on Cultural Diplomacy
(Berlin, Geneva, Washington D.C., June 1st – June 28th, 2012)
Symposia Brochure – The Symposia Brochure can be found HERE
In the year 2011, the international community witnessed historical events that changed the political landscape of the globe, ranging from the Arab Spring, to the “Occupy Wall Street Movement” and other protest movements around the globe. These transitions and protests were all facilitated and supported by the use of modern technology and the social media. These events represent, each in their own specific context, the people’s will for a change, whether it is political, economic or social and their unified demand for more equality and justice.
The events were each highlighted by the possibility for the people to better organize themselves and express their will through the social media, allowing them to gather millions of supporters around them within a very short period of time. When one compares these transitions to similar historical events, one can see that such changes have traditionally taken many years, rather than days, however once they do occur, they are sustainable and broad changes that are not then reversed.
The ICD therefore decided to focus the 2012 International Symposia on Cultural Diplomacy on this common goal of the public for more equality in the political, economic and social spheres. The Symposium will be divided into four main themes and will be hosted in three major international cities, which were chosen due to their relevancy to the theme of the conference. The Symposia will analyze the current global situation as well as future trends, strategies and the potential to counter political, social and economic inequality in the world.
The speakers during the conference will include leading figures and experts from international politics, academia, the diplomatic community, civil society and the private sector, from across the world. These speakers will include a number of individuals from the ICD Advisory Board. To learn more about the ICD Advisory Board please click here.
