Conference Overview

In the contemporary Mediterranean region, the need for mutual cross-cultural understanding has never been more compelling. The widespread use of cultural differences as a tool to galvanize conflicts has repeatedly shown its potential in exacerbating relationships at both a domestic and international. Nevertheless, the power of art and culture as a tool for cultural diplomacy, once underestimated and set aside in favor of more traditional forms of diplomacy, is experiencing an encouraging rise in the Mediterranean region. Thanks to the efforts of governments and civil society organizations, several projects are currently been implemented, fostering both mutual understanding and respect, while creating new opportunities for cultural products to reach a wider and diverse audience.

The Conference will explore this topic in depth by bringing an interdisciplinary mix of experts, artists and practitioners to discuss the present and the future of cultural diplomacy in the Mediterranean region. The analysis of specific case studies in the field of art and cultural heritage will enable participants to enhance their understanding of this important issue and further encourage initiatives in this area.

Programme

Opening addresses:
• Gihane Zaki, Director of the Egyptian Academy in Rome
• Sebastiano Maffettone, Dean, Department of Political Science at LUISS Guido Carli
• Sergio Fabbrini, Director of the Luiss School of Government and Professor of Political Science and International Relations at LUISS Guido Carli

The Euro-Mediterranean cultural cooperation:
• Francesca Corrao, Full Professor of Arabic Culture and Language, Faculty of Political Science, LUISS University Rome; President of the Fondazione Orestiadi
• Hassan Abu Ayoub, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco in Italy
• Khalid Al-Akwa, Ambassador of the Republic of Yemen in Italy
• Enrico Granara, Career Diplomat, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Farrokh Derakhshani, Director of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture

Good Practices:
• Suad Amiry, Director of the Riwaq Centre for Architectural Conservation
• Lucia Gotti Venturato, Founder and President, Associazione Sole Luna – Un Ponte tra le Culture
• Lorenzo Romito, Founder of Laboratorio d’Arte Urbana Stalker
• Francesco Alicino, Researcher, Libera Universita? Mediterranea
• Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi, Fellow, United Nations Alliance of Civilizations

Closing remarks:
• Francesco Rutelli, Honorary, President of the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy; Former Italian Minister of Culture

Cocktail

Concert of traditional and contemporary Mediterranean folk music by Manuel Buda & Giulio Nenna

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Cultural Diplomacy in the Mediterranean Region in an event promoted by Luiss University and the Academy of Egypt in Rome, in collaboration with Associazione Culturale il Tamarindo and Fondazione Orestiadi.

The fellows hail from a number of regions, including North America, Europe and the Middle East and North Africa, and participated in the programme between 2010 and 2012. This will be the first opportunity for the alumni, all of whom are advocates for dialogue and understanding between the Western and the Muslim worlds, to meet each other. This meeting will also enable the group to work toward creating a loose but vibrant network.

As an exposure tour for young emerging leaders, the Fellowship Programme is unique in that it is jointly developed in partnership with Arab, European, and US partners: the League of Arab States, the British Council, ISESCO, Qatar Committee for the Alliance of Civilizations and the Institute for International Education.

The program is funded through grants from the Federal Foreign Office of Germany and the Hermes Foundation.

European and North American Fellows - Fall 2012 edition (Photo courtesy of Alex Cottin)

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The Fellowship Programme annually convenes emerging leaders from the Muslim World and the West, and provides them with travel opportunities in each other’s regions. Arab fellows travel to three European countries and the United States. US and European fellows travel to three countries in the Arab World. Among them, Lorenzo Kihlgren Grandi, founder of Il Tamarindo.

It took the builders about half a day. Who knew that what takes so long to put up can be torn down in a matter of seconds?

I can’t say I feel particularly nostalgic. If anything my regrets are a product of what should have been, site not of what has been the reality of my house over the last few months.

Let me explain: on my second week in the flat, I was consumed by the curiosity to find out what lay beneath my ugly laminate floor, so I ripped up a board in what was one day to become my bedroom. Underneath, lay some grey indistinct cement, so I deducted that the people who had converted the block, had made off with any nice existing flooring and replaced it with the cheap floorboards.

I was wrong. Yesterday, while Jack was ripping out the kitchen, he called me over to have a look at something. What the absence of splashback and cupboards had revealed was that there were still the original tiles under the wall plaster and that, much to my dismay, the original floor tiles were also still there!

Whoever the barbarians who undertook this course of action are, I truly believe they should be taken out and shot. Harry, my all-knowing builder, insists that it is a waste of my time trying to recondition the tiles and return them to their original state. This makes me very sad, as I am still struggling to find a floor that I like and the original tiles do look really rather cool. Sigh.

This brings me to an ethical question: in my search for a kitchen countertop and tiles, I have come across various types of Zimbabwean slate. Now, when it comes to wood, I know a bit about sustainability issues and that basically if it isn’t FSC certified it’s probably best not buy it. I also saw with my own eyes the effects of logging in Congo and Mozambique and can’t say I would like to be part of something like that. So what about slate?

Mines are bad. Right? Yet given the fact that we all use computers, phones, electricity etc. however bad mines may or not be, we still enjoy what comes out from them. So how can we understand if something comes from a bad mine or not and what criteria should we use to decide?

I can’t say I’ve had much luck answering this question. The best I managed to uncover was an article that informed us that after ten years of forced nationalisation of private firms, Mugabe has recently done a volte-face and is trying to attract foreign investment. Which brings me to the conclusion that all Zimbabwean slate comes from government run mines and that it is probably pretty unethical to buy it. Sigh. Now that I’ve answered my own question will I heed the answer?

This is probably my last Hackney Bird blog for a long time. I have decided to make like the birds and fly south. I will keep a record of my activities but it will not be as Hackney Bird but me (Katy Fentress).  Enjoy…