News

From Brussels to Amsterdam: Amsterdam Conversations on Cultural Dimension of Citizenship

28 November 2012

On 30 November 2012 in Amsterdam, the Amsterdam Conversations 2012 will take place. In the context of the initiative A Cultural Coalition for a Citizens' Europe, Felix Meritis and partners present an international conference with workshops, lectures and public discussions where speakers from Berlin and Brussels and many other European cities will examine the cultural dimension of citizenship with Dutch experts and citizens. The conference will be opened by Professor Ferenc Miszlivetz (Director of the Institute for Social and European Studies, University of Western Hungary) with the lecture: Illusions and Realities, the metamorphosis of civil society in a new European space. Jacques Monasch (Member of House of Representatives PvdA) comments on this lecture. Guests from all over Europe and the audience will be given the opportunity to react and comment. Moderator: Jan Runge (CEO at UNIC - International Union of Cinemas). Afterwards four workshops will follow: • The Citizenship Chart with Teun Gautier (Director and Publisher De Groene Amsterdammer); • The Europe of Citizens: How to play the game? with Jaap Hoeksma (Philosopher of Law and Director EuroKnow); • Sustainability of citizens' initiatives with Steve Austen (permanent fellow Felix Meritis) • Practicing Citizenship: Bottom Up Cultural Movements with Kathrin Deventer (Secretary General European Festivals Association). A plenary session moderated by Simon Mundy (Chairman, Association of Creative Professionals UK and Permanent Fellow, Felix Meritis) will then bring the results of the workshops to all participants. The day will be closed by the lecture “Ethics, Banking and Citizenship” by George Möller (Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets). A questions and answers session with guests will follow. Paul Scheffer (Professor of European Studies, Tilburg University and author) will give his commentary. Moderator: Kees Vendrik (Vice President of the Netherlands Court of Audit). Have a look at the detailed programme and workshops description. Registration is open online. Places are limited. Confirmation of your registration will be sent via e-mail. This email (printed or presented on a smart phone) will be your entrance ticket. The Amsterdam Conversation 2012 is the third in a series of three events dedicated to a Europe from the bottom up. Together with the Berlin Conference 2012 on 10 November 2012, and the Brussels Conversations 2012 on 16/17 November 2012, they form the "A Soul for Europe's" civil society kick-off to the European Year of Citizens 2013. Organised by "A Soul for Europe", Felix Meritis, the European House for Culture, Stiftung Zukunft Berlin, the Amsterdam-Maastricht Summer University and the partners of the Cultural Coalition for a Citizens' Europe. Financially supported by the Europe for Citizens Programme and the vfonds. Mediapartner De Groene Amsterdammer and MM-Nieuws.