Forum on Democracy & Peace
"The Power of Arts and Culture in Times of Growing Threats for Democracy around the World"
Forum Overview
After years of successful globalization and development, the world is facing major risks and inevitable conflicts. The growing tension between the major powers, that spans from trade wars to armed conflicts is developing rapidly. Events that up until a decade ago were inconceivable, are becoming the global dialect and normal vocabulary in international politics. The UN “Culture of Peace” project of the Millennium has long been forgotten.
The future doesn’t carry any beacon of optimism, as democracies are trying, with not much success, to defend and protect at least some of the concepts and realities of the past decades in front of rising powers that are at the same time trying to realize other standards and goals. The possibility for democracies to tackle these realities is also significantly challenged by inner conflicts between diverse groups from within those democracies.
For decades, all forms of the arts & Culture have served as powerful, effective vehicles to inspire and enable people to build diplomatic, economic and cultural bridges and come together towards prosperous peaceful relations. Over the course of many years, people have discovered the unique potential of the arts and in particular cinema, music, painting, sculpture and performing arts to transcend cultures, serving as common languages to bring together different groups and communities in order to promote democracy, cultural understanding and human rights.
In light of the significance of the above-mentioned issues, we have initiated the Forum on Democracy & Peace in order to review and analyse methods of cultural diplomacy that can be used and support the great efforts of democracies to protect themselves. The power of film & the arts to build bridges will be discussed during the forum and the immense transformative value that the arts hold as vehicles of cultural diplomacy to promote democracy and human rights will be examined.
”Forum on Democracy & Peace Project 2022-27” »
The event is held in the framework of the Forum on Democracy & Peace Project (2022-7), which is a 5-year project that is conducted by the Academy for Cultural Diplomacy in cooperation with global governance organizations, with the main aim to use the application of cultural diplomacy in order to improve international relations. Learn more about the Forum on Democracy & Peace Project click Here »
Forum Speakers
Speakers during the event will include leading politicians, diplomats, governmental officials, senior academics, journalists, and artists. These speakers will include individuals from the ICD Advisory Board. To learn more about the ICD Advisory Board, please click here.
Forum Locations
Based in the ICD Academy House of Arts & Culture the forum will be hosted at a number of important political, historic, and cultural locations across the city.
Forum Participants »
Participation in the Forum is open to governmental & diplomatic officials, academics, artists, journalists, civil society practitioners, private sector representatives, young professionals and students.
If you would like to reserve a position and participate in the conference, please click on the link below and fill out the online application form:
Participant Papers »
The Forum Committee encourages academic research and analysis of issues related to the goals of the Forum. The Forum Committee would therefore like to welcome the participants of the Forum to submit a paper they would like to be considered for presentation at the Forum as well as being included in the proposal document that will be issued following the Forum and will be sent to all governments and leaders of the international community worldwide.