WIKA-Workshop 2019: The Role of Civil Society in Cultural Relations
As civil society actors are gaining influence and are becoming political change makers they become attractive partners for governments and state involved actors. In line with this development, the WIKA-Workshop 2019 focused on "The Role of Civil Society in Cultural Relations” headed by the Chairwoman of WIKA, Prof. Dr. Caroline Y. Robertson-von Trotha (ZAK) and Ronald Grätz (ifa).
In order to relate the workshop’s insights directly to fields of action of cultural relations and education policy, Atelier 1 of the workshop discussed the role of cultural institutions and cooperation to address (shrinking) civic spaces, Atelier 2 focused on youth as civil society actors, and the conditions, rights, and environments of their involvement in realms like diplomacy and cultural relations, and Atelier 3 asked about the relationship and interaction between civil society and statehood.
As this year’s workshop took place in close collaboration of ifa and ZAK with the Foreign Office’s working group “Civil Society in AKBP” and in line with the strategical process 2020 of German Foreign Cultural and Educational Policy (AKBP) and the Anna Lindh Foundation, the workshop integrated a new format: Dr. Odila Triebel and Swenja Zaremba, members of the Foreign Office’s working group “Civil Society in AKBP” presented ten thesis regarding an approach on the role of civil society within the cultural relation and education policy, and invited all speakers and participants of the workshop to contribute to a critical discussion on these ten thesis in order to integrate their remarks, questions, and comments into the strategical process 2020 of German Foreign Cultural and Educational Policy (AKBP).
Photos and videos of the WIKA-Workshop 2019 can be found here:
WIKA-Workshop 2019
The Role of Civil Society in Cultural Relations
Thursday, 26 September 2019, 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
WeltRaum at the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa), Stuttgart
The Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa) and the ZAK | Centre for Cultural and General Studies at the KIT organise a workshop on "The Role of Civil Society in Cultural Relations" on Thursday, 26 September 2019 within the framework of the Academic Council on Culture and Foreign Policy at the ifa (WIKA, Wissenschaftlicher Intitiativkreis Kultur und Außenpolitik). The workshop takes place in the WeltRaum at the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa) in Stuttgart.
Civil society actors are gaining influence and are becoming political change makers. Their local embedding and engagement at the grassroot level and the strength of internationally working NGOs who use their cross-border cooperation as a means of empowerment make them attractive partners for state involved actors. The WIKA Workshop seeks to reflect on interdisciplinary topics such as “Cultural Cooperation and Shrinking Spaces”, “Youth as Civil Society Actors” and “Civil Society and Statehood” in order to relate them directly to fields of action of cultural relations and education policy.
This year’s workshop takes place in close collaboration of ifa and ZAK with the Foreign Office’s working group “Civil Society” and Goethe Institut e.V. in line with the Strategical Process 2020 of German Foreign Cultural Policy and the Anna Lindh Foundation, headed by the Chairwoman of WIKA, Prof. Dr. Caroline Y. Robertson-von Trotha.
WIKA Workshop Programme:
| PRE-WORKSHOP EVENT: Wednesday, 25 September 2019 | WeltRaum | ifa | Charlottenplatz 17 | Stuttgart | |
| 19:30 – 21:00 h | Young Mediterranean Voices – Live Debate with Audience Subject (TBC): Youth as Central Actor of Civil Society Listen to the voices of young engaged citizens of the Euro-Mediterranean region debating live! In cooperation with the Anna Lindh Foundation Moderator: Sirine Ben Brahim, Young Mediterranean Voices Master Trainer, ERASMUS+ Debate Trainer, and Teacher of English with the Tunisian Ministry of Education Dabaters: Mohammed Abdedaim, Engineer Consultant at Altran S.A.S. & Co. KG and Alumni of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Optics and Photonics Fatima Boulahdoud, Young Mediterranean Voices Alumni, Media and Cultural Studies Master Student at Justus Liebig University of Gießen, Germany Burak Yusmak, Alumnus Young Mediterranean Voices Leadership, Consultant for International Affairs, Brussels Jakub Zientala, Political Activist working on Civic Engagement and Education, Coordinator of 89' Initiative in the Netherlands, currently living in Maastricht |
| WORKSHOP: Thursday, 26 September 2019 | WeltRaum | ifa | Charlottenplatz 17 | Stuttgart | |
| 10:00 h | Words of Welcome Ronald Grätz, Secretary General of ifa Prof. Dr. Caroline Y. Robertson-von Trotha, Chairwoman of the Academic Council for Culture and Foreign Policy (WIKA) at ifa Founding Director ZAK | Centre for Cultural and General Studies at KIT Coordinator of the German Network of the Anna Lindh Foundation Civil Society in the Strategical Process 2020 of German Foreign Cultural Policy Presentation by members of the Working Group “Civil Society in AKBP” |
| 11:00 – 12:30 h |
Atelier 1: Cultural Cooperation and Shrinking Spaces
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| 12:30 – 13:45 h | Atelier 2: Youth as Civil Society Actors Moderation: Jana Scheible, Programme Coordinator for the German-Chinese forum on cultural education in cooperation with Stiftung Mercator at ifa Starting Them Young: The Role of Civil Society in Advancing Digital Literacy for Girls in Indonesia Michael Canares, Former Senior Research Manager at the World Wide Web Foundation (Project “Starting them Young: Advancing Data Literacy for Girls in Indonesia”, Goethe-Institut Indonesia, PASCH-Initiative, Open Data Labs Jakarta and World Wide Web Foundation) Rethinking Diplomacy through Youth in the Mediterranean Region Burak Yusmak, Alumnus Young Mediterranean Voices Leadership |
| 13:45 – 14:45 h | Lunch |
| 14:45 – 16:00 h | Atelier 3: Civil Society and Statehood Moderation: Sarah Widmaier, Scientific Coordinator of ifa’s Research Programme “Culture and Foreign Policy”' Democratization Through the Backdoor: The Political Impact of ‘Non-political’ Culture Support Dr. Susann Worschech, Research Associate, Faculty of Cultural Studies, European Studies Institute, European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder), Expert of ifa’s Research Programme „Culture and Foreign Policy” Changing Contexts and Trends in Syrian Civil Society Jelnar Ahmad, Monitoring & Evaluation Manager at IMPACT – Civil Society Research and Development e.V. |
| 16:00 – 17:15 h | Closing Session: Synopsis Bringing together the results of the Working Group “Civil Society in AKBP” and the WIKA-Workshop Moderation: Dr. Odila Triebel, Head of Dialogue and Research “Culture and Foreign Policy” at ifa Swenja Zaremba, Research Fellow at ZAK | Centre for Cultural and General Studies at KIT Coordinator of the German Network of the Anna Lindh Foundation |
| 17:15 – 17:30 h | Concluding Remarks Prof. Dr. Caroline Y. Robertson-von Trotha |
| 19:30 – 21:30 h | ifa Research Award on Foreign Cultural Policy Award Ceremony and Reception |
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Please, note that the programme is subject to change, and will be updated continuously up to the workshop. If you have any comments or questions directly related to the programme, please contact swenja zaremba ∂does-not-exist.kit edu. |
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| Date: | WIKA-Workshop 2019 Thursday, 26 September 2019, 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. |
| Location: | WeltRaum at ifa (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen) Charlottenplatz 17, 70173 Stuttgart |
| Direction: | Prof. Dr. Caroline Y. Robertson-von Trotha, Chairwoman of the Academic Council on Culture and Foreign Policy (WIKA) at ifa |
| Contact: | wika-workshop∂zak.kit.edu |
| Registration: | wika∂ifa.de |
Pictures: © Bettina Meister