Cultural Diplomacy & The Need for Common Understanding

Is it not enough to have greater political union or greater economic union: we need more understanding among people- we need to enforce mutual understanding in societies and between nations.
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What happens when there is no common understanding between people and nations? There is misunderstanding. This means the same thing is perceived a different way in Germany, a different way in the Netherlands, a different way in Malta. There are many conflicts and, of course, there are stereotypes, and this is the way they can be transformed in any kind of conflict.
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Generally speaking, differences in manner of expression and communication, the similarities in social structures, and historical experience account for a communication gap between European member states.

- The ICD Annual Conference on Cultural Diplomacy 2012; Berlin, Germany, December 14th, 2012