Iman & ICD Co-host Annual Conference on Cultural Diplomacy

The Iman Foundation & Institute of Cultural Diplomacy (ICD) co-organised and co-hosted the ICD Annual Conference on Cultural Diplomacy 2012: "The Power of the Arts & Culture to Promote Democracy & Global Peace", Berlin, 13th - 16th December 2012.

Ribal Al-Assad, Chairman of the Iman Foundation opened the conference with a speech on "Soft Power is the Future". It was well received by the audience of distinguished guests and young leaders.

Other speakers at the conference included:

President Pierre Nkurunziza , President of the Republic of Burundi

Mark Donfried, Executive Director, Institute for Cultural Diplomacy

Amb. Katalin Bogyay, President of the General Conference of UNESCO

The Hon. Dr. Ruud Lubbers, Former Prime Minister of the Netherlands; Former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

The Hon. Dr. Emil Constantinescu, Former President of Romania

The Hon. Yasar Yakis, Former Foreign Minister of Turkey

The Hon. Erna Hennicot Schoepges, Former Luxembourgian Minister of Culture and Religious Affairs

The Hon.Halldór Ásgrímsson, Secretary General for the Nordic Council of Ministers; Former Prime Minister of Iceland

Undersecretary Mireya Agüero de Corrales, Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs of Honduras

The Hon. Angeles González-Sinde, Former Minister of Culture of Spain

The Hon. Nouzha Skalli, Former Moroccan Minister of Social Development, Family, and Solidarity

The Hon. Dr. Nazar Al Baharna, Former Foreign Minister of Bahrain

The Hon. Francesco Rutelli, Former Deputy Prime Minister of Italy; Former Minister of Culture and Tourism

Amb. Cynthia Schneider, Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy, Georgetown University; Former USA Ambassador to the Netherlands

The Hon. Ekaterine Tkeshelashvili , Former Vice Prime-Minister, State Minister of Georgia for Reintegration

The Hon. Anna Diamantopoulou (MP) , Former European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs & Equal Opportunities

Maria de Belém Roseira (MP), President of Socialist Party; Member of the Portuguese Parliament; Former Minister for Equality of Portugal

Governor Steve Merrill, 77th Governor of New Hampshire; President, Bingham Consulting

Dr. Yusuf Ziya Irbec, Member of the Turkish Parliament; Member of the Executive Committee of The Parliamentarians for Global Action

Ferdous Ara Begum, Former Member of UN CEDAW Committee; Former Director General, Bangladesh Television

Minister Ögmundur Jónasson, Minister of the Interior of Iceland; Former Minister of Justice & Human Rights

Prof. Dr. Ovidiu Pecican, Vice-dean, Faculty of European Studies, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

The Hon. Maria Serkedjieva, Former Deputy Minister, Ministry of Justice & European Legal Integration of Bulgaria

The Hon. Martin Cauchon, Former Minister of Justice of Canada

The Hon. Stockwell Day, Former Minister of International Trade of Canada

The Hon. Kristiina Ojuland (MEP), Former Foreign Minister of Estonia

The Hon. Dr. Hassan B. Diab , Minister of Education of Lebanon

The Hon. Dr. Erhard Busek, Former Vice-Chancellor of Austria; Former Minister of Education

The Hon. Dr. Milan Zver (MEP) , Member of the European Parliament; Presidential Candidate, Slovenian Presidential Elections 2012; Former Minister of Education of Slovenia

Amb. Olga Algayerova ,State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia

The Hon Praxoula Antoniadou Kyriacou ,President of the United Democrats; Former Minister of Commerce, Industry & Tourism of Cyprus

H. E. Amb. Abdul Basit , Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to Germany

H.E. Amb. Ranko Vilovic, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Croatia to the United Nations

The Hon. Selmo Cikotić, Former Minister of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Hon. Alfred Camilleri, Finance Ministry Permanent Secretary, Government of Malta

David Soul, Celebrated American Actor; best known for his Role as Detective Kenneth "Hutch” in the television program Starsky and Hutch

Ian Gillan, Singer & Song writer with Deep Purple

Marcia Barrett , Lead Singer for the World renowned Band “Boney M”

The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy is an international, not-for-profit, non-governmental organization with headquarters in Berlin, Germany. The ICD´s ultimate goal is to promote global peace and stability by strengthening and supporting intercultural relations at all levels. Over the past decade the ICD has grown to become one of Europe’s largest independent cultural exchange organizations, hosting programs that facilitate interaction among individuals of all cultural, academic, and professional backgrounds, from across the world.

Ribal Al-Assad, Chairman of the Iman Foundation, made the following speech:

"Soft Power is the Future"

Good morning.

Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, it is a great pleasure and honour to be amongst you today.

A close friend showed me a newspaper article last weekend.

It listed violent conflicts currently taking place across the globe …

… and the fatalities associated with them.

The list included the Yemen …

…Mali …

… Afghanistan …

… North West Pakistan …

… Sudan …

… and Syria.

They are places that have become synonymous with misery and pain …

… with a common root cause:

Extremism and sectarianism …

… manipulated for political ends.

Anyone with a passing interest in the Arab Spring and its aftermath …

… the politics of the Middle East and Northern Africa …

… or the issues within Chechnya, Bosnia or Burma …

… needs a fundamental grasp of theology …

… to understand the politics.

The issue of religious suspicion and hatred …

… sits at the heart of the world’s problems.

And as many diplomats, politicians and religious leaders are beginning to appreciate …

… the best and only solution …

… lies in soft power.

There has never been a greater need for it …

… and never has the world been so clearly split between those cultures that pursue it …

… and those who do not.

Cultural and diplomatic integration is the only way to resolve conflicts that are too deep rooted

for hard power to do anything but polarise then.

And there can be no better example of those two approaches …

… than the City of Berlin.

Frederick William, known as the "Great Elector" …

… became ruler of this City in 1640 …

… promoting policies of immigration and religious tolerance.

He offered asylum to the French Huguenots …

… of whom six thousand settled in this City …

… meaning that by the rule of Frederick the Great …

… one in every five Berliners …

… was French.

And in this atmosphere of acceptance and tolerance …

… Berlin became a centre of the Enlightenment.

Back in the present …

… re-unified Berlin houses an eclectic mix of universities, research institutes, orchestras,

museums, and sports teams.

60% of Berliners claim to have no religious affiliation …

… making this the atheist capital of Europe …

… but amongst them, ten percent of the City is Muslim …

… 10% Roman Catholic …

… 20% Protestant …

… and, most poignantly, one of the fastest growing Jewish communities in the world has now

reached 50,000.

A recent protest in Bebel Square saw fifty Muslim and Jewish organisations protest freely

and collectively in a common cause.

And amongst the Assyrian and Turkish refugees to have been accepted here …

… are twenty first century German icons like Mesut Ozil …

… a star of the national football team.

It is no secret that squeezed between these two periods of vibrant cultural exchange …

… was a City that witnessed war, persecution and tragedy like no other.

These scars will never be forgotten …

… but each terrible episode in Berlin’s early modern history …

… demonstrated the consequences …

… when hard power is given a free reign.

Significantly …

… when change came in 1989 and 1990 …

… it was not caused by guns, bombs or threats of violence …

… but by an influx of Western cinema, music and television into the Communist East.

Rock’n’roll and jazz played their part in bringing down the Berlin Wall …

… in a way that diplomatic talks never could.

And so Berlin is a living, breathing example of diplomacy and culture in action.

Which is why it is so appropriate that the ICD is based here.

You will all be aware …

… that ICD house provides the heartbeat for international cultural diplomacy and soft power

… in building peace and supporting reconciliation across the world.

I have been aware of the ICD ever since it was founded by Mark Donfried eleven years ago.

And my appreciation of its work …

… and the values it promotes …

… are why all of us at the IMAN Foundation …

… are so proud to work in partnership with you.

I chair the Iman Foundation.

It was launched two and a half years ago …

… to promote inter-faith and inter-cultural dialogue …

… and to challenge extremism across the world.

We campaign incessantly against those who use the name of religion to promote hatred,

violence and killing …

… and in the process we have attracted support from high-profile religious and political

leaders from across the globe.

We have travelled to meet many of them …

… including the late Pope Shenouda of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt …

... the Grand Mufti of Egypt Dr. Ali Goma

… the Former Lebanese Patriarch Sfeir

... the Lebanese Patriarch Bshara Al Raii

… the Mufti of Lebanon in Beirut …

… the President of the Jewish Community in Berlin …

… the leaders of the Protestant Church here in Germany …

… and the Head Monk of the Yonghegong Lama Temple in Beijing.

I do not apologise for the length of that list …

… because it demonstrates the breadth of people, places and cultures that we have already

touched.

And whether they are based in the East or West …

… whether they are Christian, Muslim or Jewish …

… and whether they live in relative poverty or surrounded by untold wealth …

… they all share our vision.

They all agree that we live in a world crying out for tolerance and cultural and religious

harmony.

They all understand that their own faith and followers cannot flourish in isolation.

And they have all supported our campaign to 'Say No to Extremism and Sectarianism' …

… that was launched early in 2011 …

… to expose those who use the name of religion to promote hatred, violence and killing.

I am sure that you do not need me to spell out further the parallels between the philosophy

and vision of IMAN …

… and the ICD.

We share a common outlook …

… and there is a natural synergy in so much of what we do.

In October we hosted a joint conference in the magnificent Al Hambra in Andalusia …

… allowing the Institute’s MA students to experience the history and symbolism of Seville,

Granada and Cordoba …

… a place where Muslims and Jews once prospered together

… and where after centuries of repression they now live in harmony once more.

It is possible!

This was just one of many learning experiences that demonstrate how …

… when IMAN and the ICD work together …

… we make a great team.

And during the forums we have shared …

… we have discussed some of the more fundamental concepts at the heart of our mutual

goal.

Like the misunderstandings between East and West that are based on nothing more than ignorance.

Or the over-simplistic use of language that can make a the so-called ‘War on Terror’ …

… a green light to anyone …

... to look aggressively and suspiciously at anyone carrying a copy of the Koran.

And in every case …

… the clearest solution to these issues …

… is greater transparency …

… increasing exposure to unfamiliar cultures …

… and the translation of suspicion into respect.

Fortunately, we represent the majority of every population on earth.

The liberals, moderates and democrats who, as Voltaire almost said …

… ay disapprove of what each other say …

… but who will defend to the death their right to say it.

In cultural terms …

… the ‘West-Eastern Divan Orchestra’ is an uplifting example of cross-cultural integration.

It gathers musicians from Egypt, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Spain …

… with the sole aim of promoting understanding between Israelis and Palestinians through

music.

It was founded by the late Palestinian-American academic Edward Said …

… and the Argentine-Israeli conductor Daniel Barenboim …

… who has described it as a project against ignorance.

It remains a forum for Arabs and Jews to watch their contemporaries travelling, working and

playing together …

… which sets an example for others to follow.

As does the ‘YaLa Peace and Economic Cooperation Initiative’ …

… developed by YaLa-Young Leaders in conjunction with the ICD.

Its aim is to create a new vision of peace and cooperation in the Middle East and North Africa.

Specifically it seeks regional peace - prioritising Palestine and Israel …

… human rights and equality …

… empowerment of youth and women …

… education …

… and cultural diplomacy …

… across governments, civilians and private institutions.

YaLa-Young Leaders now have over 130,000 followers on facebook across dozens of

countries in the region.

This makes it the fastest-growing Middle East peace movement in the world today.

‘Yala’ is a term common to Hebrew and Arabic meaning ‘Let's Go, Now!’ …

… a phrase whose immediacy and sense of collaboration …

… sits as a perfect reminder of what is happening here in Berlin.

I have already mentioned this City’s growing ethnic diversity.

It has become a hub of global culture.

This autumn, it has hosted:

The 25th anniversary celebrations of its partnership with Paris …

… an international campaign against the Death Penalty …

… a Chinese festival at the Kühlhaus …

… and the ‘Las Multitudes’ project where actors from Berlin and Argentina gathered in search

of a community.

Meanwhile, the Berliner Philharmoniker orchestra tours Istanbul.

The City’s 76 mosques, eleven synagogues, and two Buddhist temples sit harmoniously

alongside its churches, theatres, museums and galleries.

And it’s long history of gay culture is embraced with pride.

Even the German language …

… is symbolic of its cultural heritage.

… influenced as it has been over the ages …

… by the Latin of the Roman Catholic Church …

… the French influx …

… the Bavarian, Swabian and Plattdeutsch regional dialects …

… and, most recently, the English of MTV.

And so there can be no doubt that we are in the right location.

And these four days will explore our subject from four angles:

Peace building and reconciliation …

… Human Rights …

… Multiculturalism …

… and Arts, Culture and applied Cultural Diplomacy.

Feeling the buzz here on arrival …

… sensing the excitement to turn theory into practise …

… and understanding that we are amongst like-minded people …

… is contagious.

I know that we are all desperate to learn more …

… and to make a difference.

And as a Syrian national …

… observing with profound sadness the frenzy of sectarian hatred …

… that is being manipulated in my country to such terrible ends …

… I implore you to enjoy being together …

… to share your ideas …

… and to take them away with you.

Because the values we represent …

… are relevant whether we are in Berlin, Barcelona or Baghdad.

Soft power is the future.

We must continue to use art and culture to fight extremism and sectarianism …

… by encouraging dialogue …

… promoting education …

… and championing empathy and exchange.

A recent Gallup Poll in Berlin …

… explored the religious views of its Muslim population.

85% said that religion plays an important part in their daily lives.

71% said that they preferred to live in a neighborhood made up of a mix of people …

… from different ethnic and religious background.

That statistic resonates with me.

It shows how hard it is for extremism to flourish in an atmosphere of cultural exchange.

Empathy breeds respect …

… but empathy is lacking across swathes of this planet.

I hope that over the next four days we can do something to correct that.

Thank you.