A Soul for Europe
Na de Berlin Conference for Cultural Policy in november 2004 met als thema A Soul for Europe, zal de gelijknamige initiatiefgroep ook in 2006 de schijnbaar paradoxale uitdaging aangaan oplossingen te vinden voor de vraag hoe Europa haar ongelijksoortige culturele krachten dient in te zetten als stimulans voor het eenwordingsproces.
13 december 2008
Utopia: European Vistas
The European Union was inspired by the Utopian ideal of peace between all nations. With time, Europe has lost its ideals and become a soulless technocratic establishment. Rising nationalism and backlashes against the European project are testament to this. Europe is in dire need of new ideals. The younger generation of Europeans who dare to dream again can create fresh new ideas for Europe. As young Europeans we want to be part of a more meaningful dialogue about the kind of Europe we want to live in. Lees verder >
14 november 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. Lees verder >
10 oktober 2008
Forum Lyon
This will be the first time that an important Western European city will host the Forum debates. Topics will include the dialogue between political decision makers and representatives of civil society on our basic concern: how to strengthen the cultural component of European development. Lees verder >
3 oktober 2008
Forum Belgrade II
Representatives of civil society, culture, business and policy-making at the local, regional and European level including members of the European Parliament and the European Commission will attend Forum Belgrade. Invited panellists include: Sepp Kusstatscher, Jelko Kacin, Members of the European Parliament; Jan Truszczynski, Deputy Director General Enlargement, European Commission; Miklos Marschall, Transparency International; Erhard Busek, Special Coordinator of the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI); Branka Prpa, Director of Historical Archive of Belgrade; Helena Drnovšek-Zorko, Head of Division for International Cultural Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Slovenia; and Goran Svilanović, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, Belgrade. Lees verder >
4 april 2008
Forum Skopje
Felix Meritis has been once more engaged in co-producing a Forum, this time in the city of Skopje under the initiative A Soul for Europe and in cooperation with the local partners Public Room and European Alliance Macedonia. Lees verder >
19 november 2007
Discourses on Europe
"Pleadings" concerning the questions and visions about Europe are discussed among intellectuals and top-ranking European politicians and business leaders. In addition, and two or three representatives of the younger generation (EUSTORY, People Network) of Europe are invited to share their vision. Lees verder >
10 november 2007
Forum Pécs
Thanks to the efforts of a local civil society initiative and with the support of the European Capital of Culture Pécs 2010, a large number of actors from cultural initiatives in several South-East European countries and Turkey met with representatives of the city of Pécs, the European and the Hungarian Parliaments, the initiative A Soul for Europe (Berlin) and the Felix Meritis Foundation (Amsterdam). Among those represented at the meeting were Slovenia's Foreign Ministry, which will take over the EU Presidency in the first six months of 2008, the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, Transparency International and the German Embassy. Lees verder >
18 oktober 2007
Forum Tbilisi
Forum Tbilisi took part in the framework of the Cultural Fair as a joint project of the Caucasus Foundation Tbilisi, the Felix Meritis Foundation (Amsterdam) and the initiative A Soul for Europe (Berlin). This Forum was the follow-up to a previous one held in Tbilisi in 2005, which was meant to introduce the initiative A Soul for Europe to a wider audience in the Caucasus region. This time the participants were invited to reflect more thoroughly on the role that culture and cultural initiatives could play in the fostering of civil society, both at home and abroad. Lees verder >
30 maart 2007
Forum Belgrade
The Forum Belgrade initiators strongly believe that gathering all available elements of the South Eastern Europe cultural scene, confronting them with the regional and European political and social actors is the first step in building a healthy and responsible society as an integral part of a stable Europe. Lees verder >
17 november 2006
Berlin Conference 2006
The second Conference brought together about 500 participants; members and officials of the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of Europe and several national parliaments, together with representatives of civil, business and artistic society, including a wide range of young participants from countries that are not yet members of the European Union. The EU Ministers for Culture were represented by Minister Isabel Pires de Lima (Portugal) and State Minister Bernd Neumann (Germany). Lees verder >
Nieuws: 26 oktober 2006
“The European Union has reached a stage of its history where its cultural dimension can no longer be ignored.” Met dit veel geciteerde statement opende José Manuel Barroso de eerste Berlin Conference in 2004. Nu, twee jaar later, heeft zijn uitspraak niks aan relevantie verloren. In tegendeel, het is de basis geworden van het werk van het initiatief A Soul for Europe. Lees verder >
20 mei 2005
Forum Porto: South-Western Europe - civil society involvement in the Berlin Process
On the 20th May 2005, FORUM PORTO: A Soul for Europe. South-Western Europe - civil society involvement in the Berlin Process took place in Porto, at Casa-Museu Guerra Junqueiro, organized by Sete Pés - projectos artísticos e culturais in association with The Felix Meritis Foundation (co-producer of the Berlin Conference) and Forum Zukunft Berlin e.V. Lees verder >
