A World without Walls 2013
“Promoting the Culture of Peace and Global Ethics for Conflict Mediation through Cultural Diplomacy”
(Ankara & Istanbul; May 8th - 9th, 2013)
Symposium Overview
In 1999, the United Nations General Assembly established the UN Declaration and Program of Action on a Culture of Peace, which outlined a set of comprehensive guidelines for a new form of governance. The document detailed a series of eight focus areas of action developed for the purpose of strengthening actions at the national, regional, and international levels by all relevant actors, which included: fostering a culture of peace through education; promoting sustainable economic and social development; promoting respect for all human rights; ensuring equality between women and men; fostering democratic participation; advancing understanding, tolerance and solidarity; supporting participatory communication and the free flow of information and knowledge; and promoting international peace and security.In order to succeed in these efforts, it is therefore essential to create a framework for a global implementation of the General Assembly Resolutions on the Culture of Peace and Global Ethics. The Symposium on Cultural Diplomacy in the Mediterranean will therefore endeavor to discuss, analyze, and explore realistic facilitation processes in the full actualization of the resolution as a means of applying mediation and peace building tactics in conflict zones. In particular, the Symposium will present the potential for Cultural Diplomacy in setting the foundation for the initiation of a peace process in the Middle East by engaging parliamentarians, spiritual and religious leaders, academics, and civil society representatives to work together through fostering initiatives, projects, and collaboration in the fields of education, communication, and legislation in the Middle East.
Symposium Locations
Based in Ankara and Istanbul, the Symposium will be hosted at a number of important political, historic, and cultural locations across the cities, and will consist of meetings in Turkey's top institutions and landmarks.Symposium Participants
Participation in the Symposium on Cultural Diplomacy in the Middle East is by invitation only.Symposium Speakers
Speakers during the Symposium will include parliamentarians, religious and spiritual leadersSymposium Agenda »
The Symposium on Cultural Diplomacy in the Middle East aims to initiate the Track III Cultural Diplomacy Initiative for Peace in the Middle East as a model for all areas of conflict around the globe. For the first time, Track III Diplomacy will incorporate religious leaders, parliamentarians, and academic leaders, who together will form the missing link to create the culture of peace required as a foundation for the Mideast Peace Process. Track III Diplomacy, as a form of Cultural Diplomacy, will bring influential leaders searching for common values and principles in the arenas of religion, law, and education, together with conflicting parties with the aim to solidify the resolution based on the UN Declaration and Program of Action on a Culture of Peace. The Symposium will unite these key players with the goal of defining Track III Cultural Diplomacy and its relevance to the Middle East Peace Process, as well as its importance as a model for conflicts around the globe. The representatives will further focus on the implementation of the United Nations resolutions on the Culture of Peace in their respective frameworks as the foundation for the peace process in the region.The Conference will focus in particular on the following areas:
- Contemporary Challenges for Conflict Mediation: The Religious Framework
- The Parliamentary Framework: Conflict Resolution and Sustaining Peace
- Promoting the Culture of Peace and Global Ethics through Education, Tourism, and Media
- Conflict Mediation through Cultural Diplomacy in Current Areas of Conflict
- The Role of the Quartet and the International Community
- Bridging the Gap in Conflict Mediation through Track III Cultural Diplomacy: A New Global Initiative
