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From Folk-dance Ensemble (1960 to present) to Traditional Musicians: Proposing ‘Cultural Diversity’ as the New Model for Arts policy and Cultural Diplomacy in Pakistan
By Shumaila Hemani, Phd. Student in Ethnomusicology, Music Department, University of Alberta In the following paper, Shumaila Hemani proposes a new model of Cultural Diplomacy for Pakistan –one that is in line with UNESCO’s convention of intangible heritage. In particular, she focuses on Pakistan’s cultural policy towards music. Ms. Hemani refers to traditional musical communities of … Continue reading
Featured Posts
By Umamah Basit, Institute for Cultural Diplomacy. According to recent statistics published by the OECD and the World Bank, youth unemployment rates are highest in the Middle East and North Africa (40.6%), followed by South Asia (31.1%), Europe and Central Asia (24. 4%.), Latin America (23.2%), and East Asia & Pacific (18.4%). Youth unemployment is … Continue reading
By Cynthia P. Schneider, Cultural Diplomacy Expert; Fmr. U.S. Ambassador to Netherlands The revival of Cambodia’s rich and unique cultural heritage has fueled the country’s impressive recovery from the Khmer Rouge’s genocide of 1975-79. This message rang unmistakably true as the Season of Cambodia (SOC) has dazzled New York audiences in museums, universities, galleries, and performing arts … Continue reading
By Vicky Ramsden, Institute for Cultural Diplomacy At the end of last month, the UK government made the controversial decision to ban discrimination on the basis of caste. The decision was accepted by the House of Commons, the lower chamber of the UK legislative, after the House of Lords had voted in favor of the … Continue reading
The Vice President of Programming of American National Public Radio, Eric Nuzum, delivered a lecture at the ICD House on Tuesday, April 16th, 2013. The lecture, which included an introduction to how radio works in the United States, and particularly how NPR is organized, included a discussion session which was aimed at journalists, students, and … Continue reading
By Elsa Crowther, Institute for Cultural Diplomacy. In Indonesia the death penalty has been avoided as much as possible in the post Shuarto era, which may explain why the sentence of death in the case of Lindsay Sandiford, a 56 year-old grandmother from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK, came as a surprise to many. The death penalty hasn’t … Continue reading
By Danielle May, Institute for Cultural Diplomacy. The US food aid program has long been seen as controversial. Deep divides exist over present policies in the area, and disputes over how the system should best operate to combat famine in poverty-stricken areas are widespread. The US is the world’s largest food aid donor and currently … Continue reading
By Umamah Basit, Institute for Cultural Diplomacy. Human rights diplomacy, put simply, involves diplomatic negotiations, interactions, policies and strategies aimed at the promotion and protection of human rights. Over the years, emerging democracies have put great emphasis on human rights policy. Many international human rights and humanitarian NGOS such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, are also … Continue reading
By ICD Advisory Board Member Minister Hassan Diab (Minister of Education & Higher Education of Lebanon). Curriculum reform in education systems should cater for the needs of the 21st century, and equip students with the right knowledge and skills that will enable them to work, live and contribute in a highly competitive global society. The … Continue reading
Environmental issues and sustainability have always been great concerns in the action of the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy, but since the beginning of 2013 they have become one of the topics forming the nucleus of the ICD initiatives. It is thus with great enthusiasm that we present our Honorary President’s Green Economy agenda for Italy. … Continue reading
“Cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue are ‘intimately’ linked; neither of these two notions can flourish without the other.” The concept of Cultural Policy has been constantly evolving over the years. This evolution can be understood in the different ways in which social communities and governments have come to perceive and promote culture in all its dimensions, … Continue reading
By Vicky Ramsden, Institute for Cultural Diplomacy. Water scarcity is one of the major threats being faced by world societies in the twenty-first century. According to statistics provided by the United Nations, 1.6 billion people are living in countries with an acute water shortage. Given our ever-increasing world population and far-reaching effects of global climate … Continue reading
Even if Cultural Diplomacy is not a new practice, the concept itself is perceived as being a new one. For that reason, we have tried during our Conferences, Seminars and meetings, to ask our keynote speakers and special guests for their personal points of view that could describe Cultural Diplomacy and everything that it implies, … Continue reading
By Umamah Basit, Institute for Cultural Diplomacy. Pakistan and India share perhaps one of the most complex relationships in the world. Since the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947, relations between the two countries have been marred by political tensions, hostility and distrust. The nations have fought at least three wars over Kashmir (1947, … Continue reading
Thank you for that introduction. I am tempted to begin this speech with some New Orleans Jazz, or an African drum. Or maybe show you an Italian sculpture, or bring out a couple of tango dancers – straight from Buenos Aires. I am trying to get your senses going. I’m afraid we do not have … Continue reading
By Umamah Basit, Institute for Cultural Diplomacy. In the context of Europe, it is clear that the debate over multiculturalism largely refers to Islam in the West. Growing anti-immigration and anti-Muslim sentiments have been fuelled by the belief that Muslims are not “willing” enough to integrate themselves in society. Two years ago, key European leaders … Continue reading
Grabar-Kitarović became the Minister of European Integration for Croatia in December 2003. During her time in this position she began negotiations for Croatia’s EU accession. Her role in these negotiations led to her being appointed Foreign Minister of Croatia in 2005 and, after having successfully guided Croatia into the European Union, she was appointed the … Continue reading
