A Soul for Europe - 14-11-2008
Berlin Conference 2008
The third Berlin Conference brings together high-ranking European politicians and business people as well as representatives of the world of culture and the arts. The participants will debate the idea of giving the external economic and political framework a cultural core that is rooted in Europe's civil society. In advocating this approach, the initiative A Soul for Europe and the Berlin Conference are responding to the European cultural agenda agreed by the EU institutions in 2007. This has ushered in a paradigm shift by moving culture to the heart of all areas of politics. The conference will address the requirements and practical consequences of such a strategy by taking the European economy in its globalised context as an example.
German Bundestag President Norbert Lammert, European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering, and EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso will open the conference. Several topics will be discussed in plenary sessions, coffee table rounds and workshops during the two-day conference. The topics are: What Europe needs now; Politics - culture - economy: The meaning and consequences of ‘Europe' for business companies in globalising economy; Based on civil society: A Europe for European citizens; and Implementation strategies to make culture part of the European development.
Invited panellists include: Frans Timmermans (European Affairs Minister, The Netherlands), Dessy Gavrilova (The Red House, Bulgaria), Volker Hassemer (spokesperson A Soul for Europe), Miklós Marschall (Transparency International), Dejan Ubović (Cultural Front Belgrade), Manfred Gentz (DaimlerChrysler), Emilio Rui Vilar (Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation; European Foundation Centre), Erhard Busek (Southeast European Cooperative Initiative), Simon Evans (English comedian), Farid Tabarki (Coolpolitics), Walter Veltroni (Democratic Party, Italy), Gabriella Gönczy (signandsight.com), Michael Zeeman (journalist, essayist), Luc Van den Brande (Committee of the Regions), Hans-Dietrich Schmidt (Cultural Capital Ruhr 2010), Bernhard Schneider (German tenor), Permanent Fellows of Felix Meritis Nele Hertling and Steve Austen (initiator of A Soul for Europe), European Commissioners Ján Figel and Meglena Kuneva, members of the European Parliament, and many others.
More information: http://www.berlinerkonferenz.eu/
