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The 2013 Cultural Bridges Conference in the UK “State Multiculturalism: An Interdisciplinary Analysis of Political, Economic, and, Cultural Dimensions” (London, March 20th - 22nd, 2013) www.uk-multiculturalism.org The process of globalization is consistently increasing the speed of the development of multicultural societies, and multiculturalism itself is becoming the way of the contemporary world. Many countries such as the UK, Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, the USA, Australia, and Canada are constantly engaging with active multiculturalism policies which are continually being amended and reinvented. The pattern and process of multiculturalism is in fact transforming and increasing following economic, social, and political changes in an interdependent and globalized world. It is therefore essential that governments do not negate from the need to integrate their minority populations, while accepting and accommodating for diversity through policies that ensure better and sustained cultural cohesion. Considering multiculturalism within a European framework, the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy believes that reforms in the fields of migration, social affairs, and education are required to fully address the pressing issues of integration and accommodation. However, it also acknowledges the various obstacles that hinder this course. The 2013 Cultural Bridges in the UK Conference will therefore offer a wide diversity of perspectives on the issue of intercultural relations internationally, with a particular focus on the UK. The conference will create and provide a proposal document that will be presented to the international community on how to overcome multicultural challenges. In addition, the proposal document will offer best practices to achieve a successful and harmonic multicultural society. The conference will also examine in-depth varying examples and best practices of Cultural Diplomacy that might be applied in a different context. The conference will focus in particular on the following issues: London is a leading global city with a diverse multicultural population, and is therefore the perfect location for the 2013 Cultural Bridges Conference in the UK. As the fabric of global culture is changing due to increasing movements of populations over borders, the objective of the “Cultural Bridges in the UK 2013 Conference” is to invoke a full academic interdisciplinary discussion on multiculturalism and the function Cultural Diplomacy plays in uniting multicultural societies. The discussion will include the potential for intercultural dialogue through the use of Cultural Diplomacy practices, and how smart power strategies can be used effectively to form constructive integration and accommodation policies to ascertain the framework for multicultural communities worldwide. Conference Speakers Speakers during the Conference will include leading figures and experts from international politics, economics, academia, diplomacy, civil society, and the private sector. The speakers will also include a number of individuals from the ICD Advisory Board. Conference Participants Participation in the conference is open to governmental & diplomatic officials, academics & scholars, economists, journalists, artists, civil society practitioners, private sector representatives, young professionals, and students, as well as other interested individuals from across the world. To apply please visit: http://www.culturaldiplomacy.org/academy/index.php?en_cbcuk-2013 For more information please visit: http://www.culturaldiplomacy.de/index.php?en_application-form_conferences

The Reykjavík Congress on Human Rights “Human Rights Protection & International Law: The Multifaceted Dilemma of Restraining and Promoting International Interventions” Co-hosted by the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy & Ministry of Interior of Iceland (Reykjavik, Iceland; April 10th – 13th, 2013) www.reykjavikcongress.org The international community acknowledges the increasing and persistent cases of mass atrocities and crimes against humanity occurring on a vast scale. Understanding the complexity in bringing these crimes to an end, the Reykjavík Congress on Human Rights aims to argue and debate the notion of the responsibility to protect from a human rights perspective, taking into account the divergent dimensions in restraining or promoting international intervention. Through the discussions and exchange of this conference, we aim to consider the current most vehement cases of human rights violations, and further comprehend the varied issues and approaches to these mass atrocities and crimes against humanity from a theoretical perspective, analyzing the complex layers and structures, and taking into account the ethical dilemma surrounding the responsibility to protect and international intervention. The 2013 Congress will create and publish a discussion document that will be presented to the international community on how to overcome the dilemma of restraining and promoting all forms of International Interventions based on coordinated global coalition efforts between governments, NGOs, and International Institutions. The Congress will focus in particular on the following Issues: Humanitarian Crisis - This section of the conference will serve as an introduction to current and most pressing cases of crimes against humanity, considering the role of race and ethnicity throughout. The examples covered will include a focus on escalated mass atrocities during wartime such as in contemporary Mali, the ongoing and systematic violence in Darfur, an analysis of gender based violence as a form of genocide and finally the international focal point for crimes against humanity such as in Syria. The UN Genocide Convention & R2P - Following the in-depth discourse on current cases of human rights crisis areas, this section of the conference will focus on the ethical dilemma of foreign interventions. The conference aims to achieve an outline of innovative solutions for how to overcome the dilemma of foreign intervention based on coordinated global coalition efforts between governments, NGOs and International Institutions. Conference Speakers Speakers during the Conference will include leading figures and experts from international politics, economics, academia, diplomacy, civil society, and the private sector. The speakers will also include a number of individuals from the ICD Advisory Board. Conference Participants Participation in The Reykjavík Congress on Human Rights is open to governmental & diplomatic officials, academics & scholars, human rights activists, journalists, artists, civil society practitioners, private sector representatives, young professionals, and students, as well as other interested individuals from across the world To apply please visit: http://www.culturaldiplomacy.de/index.php?en_application-form_conferences For more information please visit: www.reykjavikcongress.org

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