European Centre for Art, Culture and Science

Saturday November 26 2011 / Internationalization

Forum Belgrade - A Soul for Europe 2011

Forum Belgrade 2011 aimed at improving the position of civil society in Belgrade and Serbia in the frame of the European integration process and transformation of the Serbian society. It fostered dialogue between all relevant parties including local, regional and national policy-makers as well as the business sector in line with the "A Soul for Europe" aims. This dialogue also fostered the interest of young people in participatory public life, and their mobilisation.

Forum Belgrade was not just a conference. Forum Belgrade was the process of defining the role of the civil society, both in Serbia and the South East Europe region. Culture is intrinsically connected with various aspects of society, such economy, education, international diplomacy, and many public policies. Therefore, we strongly believe that civil society initiatives, with their creativity and flexibility must be an important component in the process shaping and developing society . Forum Belgrade 2011 has been the beginning of the series of public debates and the trans-sector events dealing with key and challenging issues of contemporary society.  

Forum Belgrade - "A Soul for Europe" 2011 was organised in 3 panels with distinguished speakers and focused on three main topics to achieve the above state aims:
- New Horizons - Culture and Business
- Arm's length principle / The role of citizens
- European Capital of Culture - 2020 and Beyond

Among the distingushed speakers:  Predrag Marković, Minister of Culture, Republic of Serbia, H.E. Laurent Louis Stokvis MA, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Pierluigi Sacco, (Professor of Economics of Culture at the IULM University Milan. Director Siena European Capital of Culture 2019), Mirjana Šakić (Erste Bank, Belgrade), Milica Pekić, (Kiosk NGO, Belgrade), Nemanja Petrović (Municipality Savski Venac), Volker Hassemer, (Chairman of the "A Soul for Europe" e.e.i.g. Management Board), Valeria Marcolin, Consultant, A Soul for Europe" Strategy Group Member, Stina Oscarson, Swedish radio, Biljana Srbljanović, (playwright); Teo Celakoski, (Pravo na Grad initiative, Zagreb), Igor Štiks, (writer and scholar), Darijan Mihajlović, (playwright, former member of the City Council, City of Belgrade),  Ljubiša Ristić, (theater director and founder of Yugoslav Theater KPGT), Nele Hertling, (Artistic director of "Berlin - Cultural Capital of Europe, 1988". Vice-President of the Academy of Arts (Berlin). "A Soul for Europe" Strategy Group member), Trevor Davies, (Project Manager of Aarhus 2017 and General Manager of Copenhagen 1996), Fredrik Lindegren, (Umea, European Capital of Culture 2014), Yuriy Vulkovsky, (Executive Director of the Foundation for Urban Projects and Research, "A Soul for Europe" Strategy Group Member, Member of the Initiative Committee for Sofia Candidate City ECoC 2019 and of the International Committee Siena Candidate City ECoC 2019), Ruggero Lala (International Programme Co-ordinator, The Felix Meritis Foundation, Director of Programmes, The Amsterdam Maastricht Summer University and "A Soul for Europe" Strategy Group Member, Milena Dragićević-Šešić, (Project manager of the project Belgrade 2020, Professor, University of Arts Belgrade), Sandrina Martins, (European Capital of Culture - Marseille Provence 2013), Peter Tomaž Dobrila, (Maribor 2012 - European Capital of Culture Public Institute), and many others.

You can find the Forum Belgrade - A Soul for Europe 2011 recommendations on the right side of the page under Downloads.

Organising partners:
- "A Soul for Europe" E.E.I.G., and the organisations part of the initiative
- Grad - European centre for culture and debate & Cultural Front,
- The Felix Meritis Foundation
- Stiftung Zukunft Berlin

With the support of:
City of Belgrade, Robert Bosch Stiftung, Embassy of Sweden, Grad.

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