The “30 years from the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe
The role of cultural diplomacy in approaching protracted conflicts” International Conference
March 28th 2019, Bucharest
The Romanian Foundation for Democracy, with the support of the Romanian Government and in partnership with the Institute for Advanced Studies for the Culture and Civilization of the Levant, the Romanian Senate and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is organizing an International Conference titled “30 years from the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe. The role of cultural diplomacy in approaching protracted conflicts” in Bucharest between April 1st-2nd 2019.
The event shall bring together former heads of state and of government, high officials, specialists and researchers from the academic environment of the Black Sea region, the Balkans and the Korean peninsula.
The opening session will take place on Monday, April 1st, in the Plenary Hall of the Romanian Senate (Palace of Parliament, A1 entrance, nos. 1-3 Calea 13 Septembrie) between 9:30-10:30, with the conference proceedings being held in the Hall of Mirrors at the Bucharest Royal Palace.
Organized in commemoration of three decades since the fall of Communist regimes in Eastern Europe, the conference will highlight the importance of capable leaders who changed history in 1989, aiming to share their first-hand experiences both of the transition process from communism to democracy and of the management of conflicts during that tenuous process. The fall of Communist regimes in 1989-1990, in a space controlled by the Soviet Union for over four decades, brought to light lingering conflicts between nations, ethnicities and religions that had never been resolved, but merely “frozen” during totalitarian rule. The experience of post-Communist transition may prove useful in defusing current ongoing conflicts in Europe and across the globe.
The event is organized in partnership with the World Alliance of Religions for Peace, the International Baltic Sea – Black Sea Centre, the Inter-Parliamentary Coalition for Global Ethics, the University of Bucharest and the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration.
