22.07.2010 09:10 Age: 2 yrs

OCEANS at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy

Since the OCEANS-Network was launched in April 2010, its board and its members have been busy promoting the network and its ideas on an international level. In order to gain valuable contacts and support for the network, members of the OCEANS-Board attended the International Symposium on Cultural Diplomacy in Berlin.

OCEANS Communications Director Julia Rittershaus and OCEANS Regional Coordinator for the European Union, Daniel Göhring, were among the 200 participants of the event who listened to speeches by renowned figures in international relations, engaged in discussions concerning, e.g., “The Relationship between Culture, International Relations and Globalization” or “Understanding Afghanistan”, and met with other participants in one of the numerous social events held at night.

Among the speakers of the event were Paul-Eerik Rummo (former Estonian Minister of Culture), Dr. Vaira Vike-Freiberga (former President of Latvia), Dr. Jiri Weigl (Chancellor of the Office of the President of the Czech Republic), Jacek Saryusz-Wolski (MEP; former Deputy Chairman of the European Parliament), Kjell Magne Bondevik (former Prime Minister of Norway), Sir Malcolm Rifkind (former Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom), Bertie Ahern (former Prime Minister of Ireland) and Emil Constantinescu (former President of Romania).

Besides the formal presentations, the participants were eager to engage in fruitful discussions amongst themselves so that a great exchange of information was possible.