Project
Forum Porto - A Soul for Europe
On the 20th May 2005, FORUM OPORTO: A Soul for Europe. South-Western Europe - civil society involvement in the Berlin Process took place in Oporto, at Casa-Museu Guerra Junqueiro, organized by Sete Pés - projectos artísticos e culturais in association with The Felix Meritis Foundation (co-producer of the Berlin Conference) and Forum Zukunft Berlin e.V.
The opening of the Forum was held by Susana Marques, Director of Sete Pés, who took the opportunity to welcome the participants and the speaker, Steve Austen, member of the Committee of initiators of A Soul for Europe.
MAIN TOPICS OF STEVE AUSTEN'S INTERVENTION:
- Short overview of the involvement process of the civil society previous to the Berlin Conference; from the Helsinki agreements until now.
- Main European events and initiatives since the European Cultural Forum in Budapest in 1985;
- The civil society sector (artists, NGO's and other individuals, etc) as the leading initiators of the process which led to the Berlin Conference;
- Key issues precedent to the Berlin Conference: What to do? Where are we? What are we? How to present this to the politicians? The relevance of the involvement of younger generations in a European cultural construction;
- European Identities: an issue on the top of the present political agenda;
- Berlin Conference's characteristics and organisation philosophy:
- Diversity of origins, as to nationality and as to age and social status;
- Participants representing different areas, interests and professions;
- People representing organisations that do not depend on political mandates
- No strict hierarchy of status between the participant's interventions;
- Presentation of the "People Network" initiative and of the Questionnaire as a part of that initiative;
- The follow-up activities that resulted directly from the Berlin Conference;
- European Cultural Foundation: "70 cents Lobby";
- DVD Release;
- Extension of the Curatorium (admission of new members, among them Rui Vilar, President of Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation);
- Talks with the Commissioner Ján Figel' and invitation to join the Steering Committee;
- Steering Committee: formed in order to monitor the Berlin results at the political and institutional level;
- Sensitization actions in partnership with local NGOs which are able to promote and disseminate Berlin's ideas; Announcement of
- further follow-up activities in preparation in countries like Bulgaria, Romenia and Georgia.
Steve Austen concluded his intervention by explaining his role: "My role, is limited in that sense that I concentrate on the mobility of individuals and of ideas, in all kind of forms and activities to elaborate on the civil society aspect of the European integration. That is, more or less, what I wanted to communicate with you this afternoon."
A vivid debate followed.
