BALKAN
CULTURAL
CO-OPERATION
CULTURAL
CO-OPERATION
From Cultural Networks to Politics, 29-30 April 2004, Berlin
On the eve of the extension of the European Union, "Eurovisions - from cultural networks to politics" had the ambition to take a closer look at the prospects and the possibilities of these cultural networks, and of European civil society.
Culture, Arts and artists can play major role in society as they have the potential to mobilize communications, to give the community sense, to initiate dialogue, to mediate shared values. The conference puts in its aims to look into the requirements necessary to allow the cultural sector to perform its work of communications and so to strengthen a unified Europe. Namely, cultural networks gave context and foundation in which a European public space can take shape and be seen from the European society.
The event brought together over 400 participants - representatives of cultural networks, NGOs, artists, cultural mediators and politicians. It was planned to gather around 150 participants, but the inquiries for participation were so many that participants’ number increased. On the one hand, as pointed by the organizers, it was a sign for the significance of the event and the demand of the cultural sector to discus how the needs and the contribution of the cultural sector can influence the political sphere. On the other hand, the extremely large number did not allow a real spirit of interactivity and discussion during the workshops that were in fact podiums ex cathedra and did not allow the participants to take active participation on the topics discussed.
Michal Hvorecky from Slovakia and Adam Krzeminski from Poland presented the point of view of countries that enter the EU and that have the burden of communist past. The new democracies in these countries cannot be compared with the whole EU development, they have their specifics. Mr. Hvorecky presented the media development as tool for a huge influence on the society very often monopolized by economical interests. If the culture develops this communicational tool for its benefit that we will have the positive effect.
The main occurrence on the opening day was the speech of the Minister of Culture Christina Weiss on the occasion of the European unification process. Europe is not only a geographical concept, but above all an intellectual, a culture area was the essence of the speech, pointed she. It is not by accident that we always come back to two factors when we try to define the concept "Europe"; the common values – and culture. And thus the future constitution must also evolve in the awareness that Europe's "inhabitants developed in the course of the centuries the values on which humanism is based: the equality of humans, liberty, the validity of reason, drawing on the cultural, religious and humanistic traditions" of the continent. The intercultural dialogue as progresses day by day at so many levels needs the support of politicians thinking far into the future. Since culture is a long-term project. It is not the Euro, but speaking and listening, asking and explaining which are the life blood of our European Community. We need a different "marketing" for the European idea so that it can radiate out and take effect.
Workshop I European Culture Needs Partners. Actors of Civil Society in Europe.
The moderator – Prof. Manfred Eichel asked the participants to present their organizations as actors in culture and the partners in cooperation with which they work and should work.
Dr. Gabriele Minz from Young European Classic presented the development of the festival from its very beginning stressing the fact that culture is the heart of a body and it gives the spirit of an entity a Europe. The Berlin festival of young European musicians (supported by private and public funds) was given also as good example how business and art can cooperate due to their mutual interest. In this enterprise were involved diplomats, businessman, etc.
Prof. Wilhelm Schurrmann from Aaachen University of Applied Sciences stated that in all social areas there is an endeavor to be heart and the challenge is how this energy will be used and controlled. That is namely the role of the civil society and the civic organizations activities.
Gottfried Wagner, General Director of the European Cultural Foundation, also agreed that culture is part of an entity – it is this tangible part given from the power of reflection and this power should be used. The cultural cooperation should be supported and especially in places of serious social and ethnic problems since culture can be the most effective bridge in such cases. Mr. Wagner also stated that it is amazing that CARDS program of the EU is not comprised of particular cultural module that could link the region. Our efforts should be addressed to promoting such programmes.
Dr. Joahim Rogall from Robert Bosch Foundation, Stuttgart, presented the activities of the foundation in the context of supporting culture and educational activities. The foundation is lead by the logo “We help the organizations start helping themselves” and thus, supports short-term pilot projects and activities that promote understanding among nations. The partnership offered by the foundation helps risky and innovative projects start – a support that is not easily to be found in the public or state funds. Corresponding to the concept of BalkanKult that foundations can play major role in civil society development, Dr. Rogall pointed that in domains of big social importance – libraries, civil groups’ activities - foundations started to play major role.
Continuing the subject of foundations’ importance and getting back to the panel and conference topic, G. Wagner stated that obviously there is a common European strategy. But at the same time politics is weakened and therefore, the main task to be dealt with should be how culture really could influence politics. More and more foundations define themselves as international and link with the EU and international institutions. Foundations are this part of civil society able to acting democratically and recruit the society components. Politics does not have the imagination and creativeness produced by the civil society and in this is how culture (civil society values) can support politics.
The participants in the Workshop European Culture Needs Image – Dr. Christina Kallas from Balkan Script Development Fund - Thessaloniki, Fred Kelemen director of Regisseur – Berlin, Heli Meisterson from Goethe-Institute, Tallinn agreed that the images have the great potential to unite and give the sense of common culture as audio-visual sector easily reaches its audience.
Workshop III was devoted to the topic European Culture Needs Lobby and how to define the relation between culture and lobbying for its values in the political sphere. The presenters first stated their definitions of lobbying and advocacy. Simon Mundy suggested that lobbying is process regarding particular law or legislations change in national as far as the advocating is about cultural agenda or values on pan-European level and should be seen in a broaden context. Mary-Ann DeVlieg from IETM pointed that the experience of the network is connected mostly in advocacy for ideas which means persuading people in what the networks’ members believe as the lobbying is predominantly connected with resources invested in meetings with politicians, etc. At the same time it is obvious that many organizations are lobbied by being presented in Brussels. Tomas Medak from Multimedia Institute – Zagreb stated that we have to bear in mind that EU cultural policy does not include the whole Europe. The experience of the NGOs sector in Croatia when lobbying in concrete actions to be taken from the politicians was presented. As a result from the discussion the presenters agreed that there is no European cultural policy as such and thus the every lobby has to be passed through the level of the national states.
Workshop IV European Culture Needs Networks. Implementing of Good Practices gathered speakers from different organizations. The presentations focused on concrete activities or projects of MitOst e.V., Verein fur Sprach - und Kulturaustausch in Mittel-, Ost- und Sudost europa (presented by Barabara Baumann), Transeuropeennes (Ghislaine Glasson Deschaumes), FOURNOS – Center for Digital Culture (Manthos Santorineos) and Art Network IRWIN (Borut Vogelnik). The experience of the trans-border projects implemented proved that there is an empty space that has to be occupied and this is the role of the cultural networks – to fill in the empty space responding to the needs and thus, to take the place of politics. The networks do not need to be institutionalized, they have to define themselves by concrete action and steps influencing the politics, stressed Ghislaine Glasson Deschaumes.
The Eurovisionen conference ended with the conclusion that the presence of so many participants will guarantee the follow up in terms of creating unity of civil society actions which can support politics and thus, really influencing EU policy. The end of the conference was also plan to overlap with the celebration on the occasion of the EU enlargement with the ten new countries from Central and Eastern Europe.
Published: 2004-05-27
Updated: 2004-06-11
Copyright © 2003 BalkanKult. All Rights Reserved.
Press