May 30th: Day 1
Programme
Conference Day Opener
Where: Bâtiment 4
Address: 166, rue de Luxembourg L - 4149 Esch-sur-Alzette
8:00am to 9:00am
Registration
9:00am-9:30am
Official Opening
Opening remarks by François Carbon,
ECP member / TAD Chair, Luxembourg
Welcome address by Karl-Erik Norrman, Berlin
Secretary General ECP
Welcome address by Charles Goerens
Member European Parliament - renew Europe, Brussels / Strasbourg
Music Interlude by Voxology
Female gospel and R&B ensemble, Belmont University, Nashville, Tennessee
9:30am to 10:30am
Plenary Keynote I
"Culture and art = main deterrents in war and destruction?"
Hubert Wurth, Honorary Ambassador of Luxembourg in Moscow and United Nations New York
Yes. The key challenge in the contemporary global set-up, is the interface and on-going struggle in the world between violence and ethics as induced by culture. Rules, internationally shared law originating from free, common, and democratic decision-making are paramount.
Understanding Culture and Difference
in a Fast-Changing Global Landscape
10:45am to 11:45am
Parallel Sessions I
Session 1:
Harmony Fusion: Uniting Multicultural Communities Through Music
Dr. Adham Al-Sayyad, Director, Egypt; Kerstin Ivares, Music Educator & Cultural Ambassador; Aravind Kadhambariyil, Music Educator & Cultural Ambassador BELONG project - an initiative by the Intangible World Heritage Organization asbl.
Join us for a lively session that celebrates the power of music to build bridges
between diverse communities. Our program, "Harmony Fusion," focuses on multicultural collaboration through music workshops, where participants learn, appreciate, and fuse musical styles from different countries and cultures.
Session 2:
Ads and Culture: The Usages of Stereotypes
Dr. Bruno von Lutz, Director German American Institute (DAI) Saarbrücken, Germany
Stereotypes form easily but are notoriously difficult to overcome. The “Krauts”, the “Frogs”, the “Wogs” are cases in point. This presentation will take a closer look at how advertisement makes use of self-images and stereotypes, only very rarely ironic, yet mostly not challenging preconceived notions of other ethnic groups but rather perpetuating and re-enforcing them.
Session 3:
Introduction: Trans*, Inter*, and Non-Binary* Persons in the Context of Migration/Flight.
Dr. Christel Baltes-Löhr, Prof. em., University of Luxembourg; Dipl. Psych. Dr. Gabriele Stephan-Hembach, Institute Re-Sourcen, Luxembourg
The presentation will bring light in the situation of trans*/inter*/non-binary*persons during their migration process. Using the figure of the continuum, gender and migration will be discussed from a more theoretical point of view and used as framework for new news findings and needs of inter*, trans*, and non-binary migrants and professionals working with them, interviewed in Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, and Switzerland.
Session 4:
'The Female Face(s) of the European Integration: Lessons from History'
Dr. Elena Danescu, Research Scientist, Luxembourg Center for Contemporary and Digital History (C²DH),
University of Luxembourg
After the 1957 Rome Treaties, which introduced the principle of gender pay parity, research began to open up to questions surrounding equality and women’s role in political processes and European integration. Since the mid-1970s, further attention has been given to women in international relations, with a particular focus on pacifist activism during the Second World War, the development of the feminist movement, human rights, gender and intersectionality, and women in post-war diplomacy. Yet although it is now widely acknowledged that women played a central part in the post-war European project, there has still not been a detailed examination of their impact. Although countless female intellectuals, diplomats, activists and trade unionists have made meaningful contributions to European integration and Europeanisation, the historiography has continued to use the well-worn trope of “founding fathers” and to repeat the male-oriented master narrative (Guerrini et al., 2018).
12:00pm to 1:00pm
Parallel Sessions II
Session 1:
Introduction: Understanding the transculturality of our time
Judith McKimm MA, Interculturalist, ECP Member, Vienna, Austria
Transculturality implies the transformation of cultural practices, as well as people
shaping and expanding their identity by experiences through migration, mobility, and digitalization. In contemporary forms of transculturality, personal identity has become a central focus of attention and discussion. At the same time, understanding and leveraging cultural nuances different to our own is still highly important and can determine the success or failure of our interactions and leadership.
Session 2:
Soft Powers: The Danger of Post-Truth
Massimo Dell’Utri, Professor, Philosophy of Language
Department of Humanities and Social Sciences (DUMAS)
University of Sassari, ECP Member, Italy
Soft powers can be understood in both positive and negative senses -equivalently, they can have both positive and negative outcomes. Indeed, if soft powers - broadly conceived - are capacities, means, and powers that enable one to ‘persuade’ people, making them choose the ways of action one wants, then on the positive side we can have all those powers that aim to promote people’s well-being - powers that we might call “altruistic,” such as the general educational system. On the negative side, instead, there are powers moved by “subjective” aims: advertising, political propaganda, and fake news are the most notable examples.
Session 3:
Context Matters I: A Creativity and Identity Dialogue Across Borders
Michele M. Welkener, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Counselor Education and Human Services, Higher Education & Student Affairs graduate program, School of Education and Health Sciences, University of Dayton, Ohio, USA
In this session, we will engage in a cross-cultural conversation about the meaning(s) of creativity, how we view our own creative capacity (what I call "creative identity"), and ways in which we have come to understand those ideas. This is a video recorded focus group intended to be comprised of Europeans and Americans sharing their views and learning from one another--there are no "right" or "wrong" answers. The specific questions that we will address are shared in this questionnaire https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfw0pxWbmpS4jnz7mV_UMN_BLW3vAFpdfrBKv11j5x8dnOH2w/viewform?usp=sf_link Ideally, participants will have completed this questionnaire in advance of the session. Those who choose to take part in this recorded focus group dialogue will be consenting to participate in this research study. (Details are provided in the consent form in the link above.) Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions about the study-- mwelkener1@udayton.edu
1:00pm to 2:00pm
Lunch break by Chiche Authentic food from the Middle-East driven by social inclusion & diversity
Developing Diplomacy for Peacemaking
2:00pm to 3:00pm
Parallel Sessions III
Session 1:
SDGs as a Framework to Foster Dialogue Between US and European Universities
Dr. Harvey Charles,Vice Provost for International Programs, University of Minnesota and Dr. Karen Brown, Director, Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Global Change and Co-Lead, SDG Initiative, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
SDGs offer an ideal framework for bridging differences to promote progress toward a more sustainable world. They provide resources to better understand pressing global issues and support positive change. This is further enhanced when universities collaborate through teaching and research in this space. The University of Minnesota currently partners with several European universities on this critical subject.
Session 2:
‘Musical Steps’: exercising soft power in action through biographical Experience
Dr. Lyudmila Nurse, Oxford XXI think tank, ECP Member and Dr. Chika Robertson, Music Mind Spirit Trust, UK
This programme introduces the ‘Musical Steps’ project, which bridges cultural differences by exploring common grounds of appreciation: outdoor activities, walking, connecting with nature and reflecting through musical memories and life stories. Participants will exercise Soft Power in Action by personally connecting to Esch-sur-Alzette’s multi-faceted soundscape of nature and unique environmental sounds. Shared experiences will be explored: might taking ‘Musical Steps’ influence cultural educators and global citizens to lead creatively with inspired compassion?
Session 3:
Practical exercises: Understanding the transculturality of our time
Judith McKimm MA, Interculturalist, ECP Member, Vienna, Austria
Interactive workshop on intercultural competences.
Session 4:
Multilingualism as a tool for Cultural Diplomacy
Shelby Exline, Masters Program, Student Affairs in Higher Education, Miami University, Ohio
Although being bi or multilingual is not an uncommon trait worldwide, the ability to connect, communicate, and bridge cultural gaps among different nationalities and beliefs has not been fully utilized. The objective of this presentation is to enlighten the audience on the significance of multilingualism in fostering positive cultural diplomacy throughout the globe. Furthermore, it aims to inspire individuals to embark on a journey of learning new languages and cultures while equipping educators with the skills necessary to promote multilingualism as a valuable skill among the youth of the world.
3:15pm to 4:15pm
Parallel Sessions IV
Session 1:
The Synergy of Music and Movement in a Diverse World
Prof. Mark Ross, DMA, Professor of Music and Theatre, University of Louisiana; Director of the Louisiana Opera, USA and Director of the British Opera Academy, Music Mind Spirit Trust, UK
Music is enhanced as a “shared” experience. And it can be shared if we are making music, or taking (receiving) music. Part of the shared experience can be brought to life through movement, and crosses cultural lines, whether it is singing and breathing together, or moving together meaningfully, or in dance-like movements. Singing and moving together can synergize the experience.
Session 2:
Cultural Exchanges Through the Arts
Nour Saleh, Founder Art Breath, London, UK
The term Soft Power contains the word power, which could project a unidirectional approach. Through reshaping it, a reframing, reviewing intention; the arts in person and on digital platforms may then flow forth and back as cultural exchanges, in multidirectional paths in respect and compassion, act as a catalyst to build bridges.
Let us discuss together the potential of the arts.
Session 3:
Practical exercises: 'Tapping therapy as a non-verbal approach in a multilingual context and a helpfultool working with migrants'
Dipl. Psych. Dr. Gabriele Stephan-Hembach, Institute Re-Sourcen, Luxembourg
Tapping therapy with a theoretical introduction.
4:30pm to 5:30pm
TAD Talk Show I - UL MediaLab
'Extreme challenges for Cultural Diplomacy in today's society'
Guests:
- Judith McKimm MA, Interculturalist, ECP Member, Vienna, Austria
- Nour Saleh, Founder Art Breath, London, UK
- Steven Youngblood, Director, Center for Global Peace Journalism, Kansas-City, Missouri, USA
Moderated by Ambassador Karl-Erik Norrman, Center for Cultural Diplomacy Studies, ECP Secretary General, Berlin
“In times of war and increased polarization between and within Nations Cultural Diplomacy (CD) has become particularly important. The instruments of CD are very many, from symphony orchestras to diplomacy in restaurants with a “foreign” cuisine, and offer wonderful platforms for meeting, dialogue and understanding. But CD will be efficient only if we seriously try to get out our respective “bubbles”.
6:00pm to 9:00pm
Reception Townhall Esch-sur-Alzette
Welcoming address by Christian Weis, Mayor Esch-sur-Alzette
Music Interlude by Voxology, female gospel / R&B ensemble, Belmont University
9:00pm - ...
Dinner on own