A World Without Walls 2010

”An International Conference on Peacebuilding, Reconciliation and Globalization in an Interdependent World”

(Berlin; November 6th - 10th, 2010)


Testimonial with Azumi Hosaka

Country: Japan (living in the UK)
Organization: University of Winchester

How is it that you found out about the ICD and the World Without Walls?
I participated at the last conference about Human Right and I also got an email from my lecturer.

What has been your favourite event or presentation so far, and was there any particular reason?
The presentation from Dr. Jan Oberg. I really appreciated all of the speakers as well because it was really diverse but I found this particular presentation to be central to the idea of peace building.

Have you found this conference valuable in providing network opportunities?
Yes I really did.

Is there a particular career you plan and did the experience of the conference provide you with valuable information to pursue this career plan?
It is nothing really in short term but because I am still a student. I will really use the networks I created here for my dissertations, but after I am not quite sure.

What challenges do you see your country facing in terms of cultural diplomacy?
I do not see many conflicts in my country, but I see conflicts between Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, that kind of things, but I guess there is two things. One is really getting together compared at the past because some culture is really helping young people getting together. I met many ICD members from China and Korea and they’re really friendly because we’re from the same culture. But we still have, when I talk to these people, sometimes are really angry about the past. They not really think it’s been solved so I think that’s the conflict.

Has this forum provided you with a new perspective on international exchange?
Yes, I think yes.



Testimonial with Craig Ruttam

Country: Canada
Organization: King’s College London

How is it that you found out about the ICD and the World Without Walls?
It was included in a list served through King’s College.

What has been your favourite event or presentation so far, and was there any particular reason?
I would say I really enjoyed the lectures by Dr. Gerges and Professor Giddens. I found them really stimulating. There are a couple of different lectures. I really enjoyed what they had to say. There were other lectures I didn’t really agree with but that were really fascinating such as by Dr. Oberg.

Have you found this conference valuable in providing network opportunities?
I think so. I’ve had an opportunity to meet a lot of people. So to that extent it has been good.

Is there a particular career you plan and did the experience of the conference provide you with valuable information to pursue this career plan?
It was interesting seeing paths that people have currently. So it directly provided a bit more insight in different opportunities.

What challenges do you see your country facing in terms of cultural diplomacy?
It was interesting both hearing about domestic cultural issues and just the images of ways countries like Canada are perceived on the international stage. So I think one of the biggest challenges is trying to determine what an accurate portrait is. Either positive or negative it seems that they teeter on either side of the direction of what is actually true.

Has this forum provided you with a new perspective on international exchange?
Not necessarily new but I think it has confirmed my view that sharing between different perspectives is always useful and interesting.



Testimonial with Felix Olusanjo Olatunji

Country: Nigeria
Organization: Ladoke Akintola University of Technology

How is it that you found out about the ICD and the World Without Walls?
I found out from a friend in Nigeria. A partner in the office has been here before and he was a student there for a Master’s Program and his lecturers sent information of the forum onto him and I got the message from him about the forum.

What has been your favourite event or presentation so far, and was there any particular reason?
The best for me was on the basis of peace-building, of reconciliation of which I made suggestions and I asked questions that are concerned with Africa as a continent because there are so many crises in Africa today and specifically I used my country as a case study, which is Nigeria, and the Niger Delta and Bokura). Borkura in our society means you hate western education of which there are crises; many churches, many hospitals were burnt down, many women, children even men were being killed, maimed on a daily basis in Nigeria and it is still happening. That is one of the best aspects of this forum that I gained more from, and questions were asked. There was even a particular questions I asked the former President of Latvia and she answered me and I was happy with it.

Have you found this conference valuable in providing network opportunities?
There is no doubt about so many facilities that one can gain and experience one can get from this particular conference and it has been affected because it is basically international, it is not limited to a particular region, it is global in nature.

Is there a particular career you plan and did the experience of the conference provide you with valuable information to pursue this career plan?
No doubt. I am a teacher, I teach in one of the universities in Nigeria. I teach political philosophy. There is no doubt this conference has opened me up to so many areas even in my field. Because this forum is going to affect the way I teach now. It has opened up so many avenues for me, meeting people that have diversified the globe.

What challenges do you see your country facing in terms of cultural diplomacy?
There are so many challenges like I said in Nigeria, challenges of injustice, of corruption, of intolerance when we talk about religion and ethnicity, tribalism, bigotry, there are so many in Nigeria and those challenges are affecting society because we have come to a situation where everyone is trying to say “Oh I claim my ethnicity because there is nothing the government is doing for us.”
In Nigeria the government is not functioning on a daily basis, you know, you hear of kidnappings, teenage pregnancy on a daily basis in Nigeria. These are things that are affecting the social stability, the development and cultural diplomacy in my country and the government is not doing anything about it. What they doing is that they are playing politics with everything in Nigeria.

Has this forum provided you with a new perspective on international exchange?
No doubt about it. This forum has really confirmed that we can be one in the world. In this forum we say that we have no particular race. We are one human race. For us to have that common union we have to have borderless countries.
We need to bridge the gaps so we have to come together so we can unite as one human people not that one is coloured and one is not coloured, one is from America, the other one is a Jew. There is no Jew, there is no German, there is no Africa; there is only one human race in the world.

Thank you very much.



Testimonial with Maria Chernyaeba

Country: UK
Organization: University College London

How is it that you found out about the ICD and the World Without Walls?
I actually met Peter Rees [ICD Program Director] personally when he visited London and he participated in an organised presentation by the German Society at University College London. So he was invited to speak about Cultural Diplomacy and the work of the ICD and he introduced the concept of cultural diplomacy, the work of the institute and about the conferences and I thought he was a fantastic speaker and almost straight away I decided I really wanted to come to this conference. I just applied, got an email from Rosie that I had been accepted, it was very last minute or me but I thought Peter Rees’ presentation was so effective that I had no doubts that I really wanted to do it.

What has been your favourite event or presentation so far, and was there any particular reason?
Well I really enjoyed the panel discussion last night because I think the speakers were very willing to answer the questions. For example, I thought they were very acknowledgeable and approachable and they answer all of the questions in a very good manner. That was a discussion on humanitarian law, the last panel discussion of that night

How would you evaluate cultural diplomacy in your own country, and is there anything else you would like to reflect on?
Absolutely. It has been a fantastic experience. I met some very nice people, some really important people that will be important to keep in touch with.

Is there a particular career you plan and did the experience of the conference provide you with valuable information to pursue this career plan?
Certainly, well I am quite keen on applying for an internship at the ICD. That’s in the long term but in the short term it has inspired me to not just read journals and books but to actually go and visit the places that I’ve studied, for example, by talking to Jack McConnell, who has been to Rwanda. So it has inspired me to pursue a career in a war torn zone or just to go abroad and experience the things first ahead and not just read about them

What challenge do you see your country facing in terms of cultural diplomacy?
As far as I’m aware there’s a structure in Bulgaria, the Atlantic Club, which is a partner of the ICD. I think if I speak about Bulgaria I’m probably not very well informed because I left Bulgaria many years ago, but I think in the UK there is a strong reliance on hard power as opposed to diplomacy and soft power, so there is probably a need for more of a balance.

Has this forum provided you with a new perspective on international exchange?
Absolutely, it has been so valuable to hear points from Africa, South America, North America, from wider Europe, from Asia. It has been very, very refreshing and it has also been really nice to hear people who come from different backgrounds, for example a physician who was a former President. So certainly the multinational aspect of it has been good.



Testimonial with Matthew Woodard

Country: USA
Organization: Texas Tech University

How is it that you found out about the ICD and the World Without Walls?
My professor from Texas Tech University told me about this conference and she suggested that I go visit while I am studying abroad in Germany.

What has been your favourite event or presentation so far, and was there any particular reason?
It would have to be from Jan Oberg just because the way he speaks, it is very clear. He is very understandable and most relatable speaker of everyone. I had a chance to speak to him personally and everything he says is legitimate it is very good and I agree with a lot of his opinions about humanity. He made very good points when speaking about Mutually Assured Destruction and nuclear war and how cultural diplomacy is absolutely necessary to try and go about the issue to resolve this issue. I just found him really funny, he is an awesome guy.


Have you found this conference valuable in providing network opportunities?
Definitely. I mean without it connections would not have been made today. It is things like this that people need in order to meet someone from another nation.

Is there a particular career you plan and did the experience of the conference provide you with valuable information to pursue this career plan?
I’m not absolutely sure but I would like to work with a study abroad organisation eventually. I am studying German and I would like to be involved in a study abroad organisation between America and Germany and other nations. I think a lot of the content in this conference opened up new doors and new ideas that I would be able to use for the future.

What challenges do you see your country facing in terms of cultural diplomacy?
Coming from America we have a long way to go. There is this weird sense of isolationism when it comes to other cultures. I think people should learn from other cultures, people should meet people from other parts of the world because in the United States you can go throughout colleges without ever having met somebody from outside of the United States, not only because of the sheer size of the country but there is just a lack of involvement in cultural issues outside of the United States.

Has this forum provided you with a new perspective on international exchange?
Yes it has. I studied abroad before to Germany, but that was the extent up to a few days ago. Since a few days ago I met people from all corners of the world from every country possible, honestly and it has helped a lot in opening my mind about cultural diplomacy and understanding other cultures and other people.



Testimonial with Susan Njambi-Szlapta

Country: Germany/Kenya
Organisation: University of Reading

How did you find out about the ICD?

Well the university sent me an email saying there was a conference taking place in Berlin to do with my course, international relations and politics, so I thought I’d attend

What has been your favorite event or presentation so far?

That’s difficult.  The two I really liked were Johann Galtung and Fawaz Gerges, who was talking about the different sides of Islam.

Has the conference provided you with any useful networking opportunities?

Yes it was good, the dinners were good for meeting people

Is there a particular career you plan on pursuing and has the conference helped you in this?

I want to do something to do with the UN or humanitarian organisations or diplomacy generally.  I thought it was quite helpful to hear from people who have experience in the different countries and also the critical views of the professors as to what can be achieved.

What challenge do you see your country facing in terms of cultural diplomacy?

Since I’ve been living in Germany for the last 10 years I think that Germany does have cultural diplomacy but it’s very peculiar with double standards, they communicate and try to help countries but also pay a lot of attention to their economic needs, for example when they talk to China they have a lot of double standards, I think Germany needs to make up its mind as to what they want to achieve.



Testimonial with Sylvia Oitner

Country: Austria

How did you find out about the ICD and the international conference?
It was in my institution which had a copy of an email from Rosie. I had to really have a close look for it though, and I guess it didn’t circulate well in my institute as no-one else came.

What has been your favourite part so far, and why?
I have a few: Anthony Giddens was really interesting. Then I thought all the ideas of culture really inspired me. These talks inspired me the most.

Have you found this conference effective in providing networking opportunities?
I think it is very important to do networking events and that it works out well, because of social activities and so on. The only thing I would suggest is that - today we heard a few talks from students themselves and participants. It would be good if more time was spent on that.

Is there any particular career you plan on pursuing and did the experience of the conference provide you with any valuable information for pursuing this career path?
Yes, definitely. I did actually do some networking concerning that. Maybe working at the ICIC. So it helped me a lot, and all the new perspectives, and the very broad discourse here gave me an opportunity to rethink some theories.

What challenges do you see your country facing in terms of cultural diplomacy?
There is very little happening on this in Austria. We can learn a lot, we should learn a lot, and we need it at every level - national, international and local levels.


Has this forum provided you with a new perspective on intercultural exchange?
I knew lots of things before. However, here, I realised that a lot of people are stuck in theoretical perspectives. So these types of lectures are really important to interrupt the system, or to disturb systems that we think are proper.



Testimonial with Thomas Piper

Country: Germany

Can you tell us a little about your background?
I am an independent in social sciences with an MA from the University of Art in Berlin as well as the Hamburg University, before that I studied psychology, history and architecture.

How did you find out about the ICD?
I have been affiliated with the ICD for two years. I think it was when Obama was elected and the ICD was still in the former America house which they wanted to have as their basic centre, that’s when I started to participate on the programs of the ICD. So after two years or more it has become like family to me so I’m constantly taking part in the conferences and I’m always very inspired so I’m always informed by Rosie, getting the emails and newsletters, so there’s constant contact.

What has been your favorite presentation and why?

There were a few.  To start the Danish researcher Jan Oberg was very inspiring to me because he got to the point, he was intellectually very clear and brought in a completely new perspective,  and then there was Mr. Johan Galtung, the Norwegian peace researcher, who did the same, the two worked together, and I had a very good connection with both of them, especially to Jan Oberg with whom I will definitely stay in contact, but the same with Johan Galtung. I also liked today the presentations of the so-called non-experts because they were very inspiring in terms of being refreshing and lively.  And of course the speech by President Palaccio and his speech about biosociety, I has a very good discussion with him about it and I will meet up with him again, especially as I have a similar background as I studied medicine and I have an interest in biology

Have you found the conference good in providing networking opportunities?

Its a definite yes and its the thing I appreciate the most about ICD events, the opportunity to meet people you usually wouldn’t.  The people come from all over the world, the only thing is it makes you want to have a year to see the places where all the people come from.  It is wonderful to provide a global network.

 Is there a particular career you plan on pursuing?

I am still figuring it out, originally I wanted to work as an editor or a journalist as I’m very much a writer as well, and then I found out I would like to get into this field of cultural diplomacy somehow, so I don’t as of yet have a particular career plan.  Its like a puzzle, all of these conferences I’ve been to at the ICD bring in new inspirations, new points where I think hey, that might be a direction.  I offered Mr. Palaccio any sort of cooperation, as I’d like to bring as much as I can to his idea of a biosoceity.

 What challenges do you see your facing in terms of cultural diplomacy?

Since we just lately over the past two months had this very intense discussion about multiculturalism and whether it has worked and not.  Chancellor Merkel said that it had failed and the former finance senator from Berlin, Sarrazin, wrote a book about why Germany should stay German, and why from his perspective it does not, so it is a very lively discussion and I think since such critical things, which usually everyone would deny at once, such as this book, are very easy just to reject, and we all would do so because it tends be a bit racist.  I think to really come to terms with multiculturalism we should also focus on the burning points, like in Berlin in Kreuzberg or Neukölln, where people who are not academics like the audience here are, for whom it is very easy to talk about multiculturalism as no one is particularly threatened by it, we have to see in particular where are the points where it doesn’t work and what to do about it.  If we do so such theories or books wouldn’t have any base to build on and cause such controversy.  The Minister President of Bavaria said we don’t need any people coming from foreign countries to work here, this is of course nonsense when you see our demographic future, so I think we still have to learn as Germans how to live together and how to build up really functional multicultural society, which we are anyway, and which we will definitely be in the future in a globalised world even more.

Has this forum provided with a new perspective on international exchange?

It has underlined my interest in international exchange. I’ve always loved going to other countries and meeting other people from other countries.  The new perspective might be to step into the shoes of people from other countries to see what their background and problems are. I think we need to be more sensitive to people from a different cultural background.



Testimonial with Vittorio Haiorana

Country: Italy
Organization: Universita di Torino

How is it that you found out about the ICD and the World Without Walls?
It was a unique opportunity to have real communication and real contact with inspiring people.

What has been your favourite event or presentation so far, and was there any particular reason?
Jan Oberg, George Galloway and President Palacio. They have something different to say and something more politically incorrect. This is something I look for because I can read everything else in books and the internet. These things are much harder to find in today’s world. President Palacio is scientifically knowledgeable, something which only a few politicians are.

Is there a particular career you plan and did the experience of the conference provide you with valuable information to pursue this career plan?
Yes of course. I’d still like to think about it but I am very interested in contributing as a volunteer in some way.

What challenges do you see your country facing in terms of cultural diplomacy?
I like how Italy approaches the European Union but I don’t like how they are linked to the imperialism of the US and they sent troops to Afghanistan because of this. I hope that in a few years, when this government will fall things will improve. I really hope for this.

Has this forum provided you with a new perspective on international exchange?
Of course, many new perspectives, especially about the real meaning of peace-building because this term has been abused. Analyzing this concept really deeply has been really useful for me.



Testimonial with Yadout Mohamed

Country: Sudan
Organization: International University of Africa

How is it that you found out about the ICD and the World Without Walls?
I read a newsletter on Facebook and on some websites and last year I applied to join a forum about cultural diplomacy in Africa but I could not come at that time.

What has been your favourite event or presentation so far, and was there any particular reason?
The opening day was my favourite event.

Have you found this conference valuable in providing network opportunities?
Yes. It is really good chance to network my work and my organisation here and also to make good relations with other people here. I have met many young professionals from different organisations who have talked to me about Sudan and about the top issues in Sudan such as the Darfur crisis.

Is there a particular career you plan and did the experience of the conference provide you with valuable information to pursue this career plan?
I considered this conference as a big chance to master my career. It would be big chance to disseminate this conference in Sudan. I think this is the main benefit for me because I will reflect the views of many different organisations of human rights. I have observed that many thins are missing from the papers about society in Darfur and the situation in Sudan.

What challenges do you see your country facing in terms of cultural diplomacy?
My country faces three hot issues. The first one is the Darfur Crisis because there has been conflict since 2003. This conflict has driven Sudan to a very bad situation. The second issue is the referendum of South Sudan because in Sudan there is the Muslim north and the South, which has majority Christian people. This is the second issue that has driven Sudan to have bad relations with the international community.
The third issue is the International Criminal Court because our President is wanted by the ICC and he cannot travel to many countries in the world. I think that is a bad problem in the area of international relations. Cultural Diplomacy needs to be from country to country in order to reflect our views and opinion. If I cannot travel to another country how can I reflect my views and my culture?

Has this forum provided you with a new perspective on international exchange?
Yes. This has led me to change my opinion and give me the desire to change myself, so this has done really well for international exchange.


It was interesting seeing paths that people have currently. So it directly provided a bit more insight in different opportunities.Has this forum provided with a new perspective on international exchange?