Forum on Cultural Diplomacy in the UN 2023

"Promoting Democracy and Peace through Dialogue & Cultural Diplomacy"

(New York City; November 15th - 17th, 2023)
Wednesday, November 15th, 2023
Location: Touro University (4th floor event space)
13:15 – 14:00 Registrations
14:10 – 14:30 Welcome
Mark Donfried
(Director- ICD Academy for Cultural Diplomacy)

14:30		 Lecture Series-
“The Role of the Civil Society and Non-governmental Organizations in Promoting Values of Peace, Democracy, Human Rights and the Rule of Law”
Moderator:  Mark Donfried
14:30 – 14:50 "Preservation of Monuments and Respect to the Cultural Heritage of Nations and Peoples as a Tool of Peacebuilding and Cultural Diplomacy”          
(Presentation / Q&A)
Ms. Kristine Voskerchyan
(President and Founder of "Future Bridges" Educational &cultural centre, Armenia) 
14:50 – 15:20 "Kafenia Peace Collective: Weaving Us Into A Village of All Together”        
(Presentation & interactive Discussions / Q&A)
Ms. Mary Jane Moutsanas (Marcus) (Founder, Kafenia Peace Collective) 
Ms. Evelyne Keomian (Member, Kafenia Peace Collective) 
Mr. Mohamed Geshash (Member, Kafenia Peace Collective) 
15:20 – 15:45 “Challenges and Opportunities for Global Mental Health”
(Presentation / Q&A / Interactive Discussions)
Dr. Alice Koinange
(a distinguished Transformation Advocate)
15:45 – 16:00 Break

16:00-16:25		 "The Role of The Arts in Mutual Understanding and Peace"
(Presentation / Q&A)
Ms. Luz Rooney
(Trained Leader and mentor with Climate Reality, and a former Vice President of the United Nations Association of the United States (UNA-USA) Local Chapter of St. Louis)
16:25 – 16:45 "Swami Vivekananda: Rethinking from Perspectives of Cultural Diplomacy”
(Presentation / Q&A)
Dr. Soumya Manjunath Chavan
(Director of the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania under the High Commission of India and Indian Council of Cultural Relations)
16:45 –17:00 “Hands of Love global - Giving back to Communities in Need”
 (Presentation / Q&A)
Dr. Temisan Peter Smart
(CEO of “Hands of Love global” International Non-profit Organization)
17:00 Social Excursion      
Thursday, November 16th, 2023
Location: AMA New York Executive Conference Center (Conference room 6B)
09:30 – 10:00 Registration
10:00–10:30 “Keynote”
Ambassador Zenon Mukongo
(Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the United Nations)
10:30 – 11:00 "Cultural Heritage Preservation in the Times of War - the Past and the Present”
(Presentation / Q&A / Interactive discussions)
Adrian Kubicki
(Consul General – the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in New York)
11:00- 11:30 "Art Works! Art as an Agent of Social Change"
(Presentation & Q/A / Interactive discussions)
Prof. Jo Anna Isaak
(The Marion Chair in Art History, Fordham University)
11:30– 12:00 “Cultural Diplomacy – A Pathway for the Marginalized & An Imperative to Reset for Revolutionary Change: a Barbados and Caribbean Perspective”
Oral. St. E. Mackie Holder
(Consul General – the Consulate General of Barbados in New York)
12:00 – 12:30 "De-Colonizing Dialogue: Listening to Create Change Collaboratively" (on Zoom)  
(Presentation & Q/A / Interactive discussions)
Dr. Dian Killian
(Founder and Director of Work Collaboratively)
12:30– 13.00 “The Evolving State of Multilateralism - A Small Island Developing State's Perspective”  
Amb. Brian Christopher Manley Wallace
(Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the United Nations)
13:00 – 14:45 Lunch Break
15:00 – 15:45 "Contemporary Art at the Nexus of Cultures" (on Zoom)  
(Presentation & Q/A / Interactive discussions)
Prof. Alexander Alberro
(The Virginia Wright Professor of Modern and Contemporary Art History at Barnard College and Columbia University)
15:45 – 16:30 "Bridges of Harmony: The Philippines' Role in Advancing Global Peace through Cultural Diplomacy"
Amb Antonio M. Lagdameo
(Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Philippine Mission to the UN)
16:30 – 17:00 “Cultural Diplomacy in a Bilingual Context: Solving Cameroon’s Crisis”
(Presentation & Q/A / Interactive discussions)
Dr. William Lekunze Nkea
(Country Director of the International Human Rights Commission)
17:00 Social Excursion          
Friday, November 17th, 2023
Location: United Nations Headquarters - Conference room 8
09:00 – 10:00 Security Check- in to the UNHQ   
10:00 – 17:00 Lecture Series- “Cultural Diplomacy in the UN”
10:00 – 10:30 “Promoting Democracy and Peace through Dialogue & Cultural Diplomacy”  
Amb. Vanessa Frazier
(Permanent Representative of Malta to the United Nations)
10:30 – 11:00 "The Role of Women in Promoting Cultural Diplomacy"
Amb. Aida Kasymalieva
(Permanent Representative of Kyrgyz Republic to the United Nations)
11:00 – 11:30  “The Baha’i International Community Contribution to the Construction of a Peaceful and just Global Order”
(Presentation & interactive Discussions/ Q&A)
Saphira Rameshfar
(Representative to the UN- the Baha'i International Community’s UN Office in NYC)
11:30 –  12:00 Break  
12:00 – 12:30 “Culture and Citizenship”
Mr. Jorge Aranda
(Deputy to the Ambassador and Chargé d’Affaires ad interim, Permanent Representative of Portugal to the UN)
12:30 – 13:00 “Cultural Diplomacy: An Essential Mechanism for Realizing the United Nation’s Key Goals of International Peace, Protection of Human rights and Global Sustainable Development”  
Amb. Julian du Bois
(Ambassador for Diaspora Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation and Diaspora Affairs, Saint Lucia)
13:00 – 15:00 Lunch Break 
15:00 – 15:30 "Reading and Voting: Education, Literacy, and the Foundation of Classical Greek Democracy”  
Richard Billows
(Professor of Greek and Roman History, Colombia University)
15:45 – 16:30 “The Role of Cultural Diplomacy in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals:  Perspectives from the Foundation for Post Conflict Development”  
Claudia Abate
(Founder and Executive Director, The Foundation for Post Conflict Development (FPCD))
16:30 – 17:00 "Cultural diplomacy for trust"
Amb. Elisenda Vives Balmaña
(Permanent Representative of Andora to the United Nations)
17:00 – 17:20 “Increasing Mob Violence against the Religious Minorities in Pakistan- a Call for the UN”  
Dr. Michael Sabir
(President of Peace Welfare and Development Association (PWDA), Pakistan)
17:20 – 17:30 Concluding Remarks
18.00  Social Excursion