Project
The New Cosmopolitan: Call for Applications
It is a pleasure for the Felix Meritis Foundation, European Centre for Arts, Culture and Science and the Praemium Erasmianum Foundation in Amsterdam to invite you to participate in a process to find ten young Europeans who will take part in a special debate on November 6, 2008: The New Cosmopolitan.
Every year the Praemium Erasmianum Foundation awards the Erasmus Prize to a person who has made an important contribution to culture in Europe. Founded in 1958 the Foundation celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2008. This year's theme is ‘The New Cosmopolitan' and the laureate is the Anglo-Dutch journalist and essayist Ian Buruma.
Debate
The debate will take place in Felix Meritis in Amsterdam between a selected panel of ten European citizens from the international network of Felix Meritis and former Erasmus Prize laureates. The subject of the debate is the meaning of cosmopolitanism and the question of what it takes to be a good citizen of the world
Claudio Magris, Adam Michnik, Pierre Bernard, Péter Forgács, and a representative of Amnesty International have confirmed their presence. Although the Erasmus Prize laureates represent very different disciplines within the humanities and arts, all were awarded with the Erasmus Prize because of that extra quality they possess apart from excellence in their own sphere: the Erasmian values of non-dogmatic critical thinking and tolerance in a many-cultured world.
Theme
We like to think of our modern world as a world where borders of all kinds can easily be crossed. We think of a modern society where economic and cultural exchange are seen as normal and where identities are not fixed along traditional lines of nationality, culture, religion, ethnical origin or residence. But there is a tension between universal claims and local responsibilities. Modern cosmopolitanism exists thanks to the physical and digital possibility to cross borders of all sorts. But even the cosmopolitan has to realise that borders are an inalienable part of the reality of our lives. Cultural differences between peoples and individuals cannot simply be denied by referring to the ‘global village' created by the new information technology. For a dialogue between different cultures to bear fruit, the discussants need to have knowledge of their ‘own' culture and identify with it.
This is the issue we intend to give a face and a voice in our anniversary programme.
Participation
Felix Meritis has invited young Europeans from The People Network to write an essay of not more than 1500 words on the subject of cosmopolitism and citizenship before 31 July. It's no longer possible to send an application. Ten essays will be selected and the authors will be invited to come to Amsterdam on 6 November to take part in the debate. They will also be invited to attend the award ceremony of the Erasmus Prize the next day, 7 November, 2008. Travel and accommodation costs will be on our account. The final selection will be made in mid-September after which you will be informed of the outcome. Please feel free to pass this information on to anyone who you think might be interested.
