The ICRRA Conference 2023 will take place on October 30th and November 2nd. To the programme on October 30th.
Culture and international cultural relations are integral to global efforts to tackle the interconnected challenges of sustainable development.
The 2023 ICRRA conference focuses on the role that cultural relations can play in supporting multilateral and regional organisations to deliver – and think beyond – the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
International collaboration is an essential precondition to address global challenges and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, there are still states, regions, communities and local actors who feel underrepresented in the negotiations being held on supra-national conventions. Access to finance and other means of SDG implementation are bound to political power structures which have evolved from colonial legacies.
Is there a common global understanding of multilateralism? Are different multilateral organisations working towards similar or diverse goals and objectives? What does this mean for the challenge of fulfilling and negotiating common agendas? What are the implications of the rapid development of AI and other technological advances?
On day 2 of the 2023 ICRRA conference, we will address these questions and explore how multilateral organisations could be working with other international, supra-national and global civil society organisations and influencers on the local level. And by the means of case studies of cultural relations in action around the world, we’ll showcase what works (and what does not) when it comes to supporting more inclusive practices.
Thomas Legler is Research Professor of International Relations at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City and a member of the National System of Researchers (SNI), Level II. His research has focused on regional governance and institutions in Latin America. He is currently preparing a book project on the rise of inter-presidentialism as Latin America’s dominant mode of regional governance.
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Oussama Rifahi is a Cultural and Management Consultant with previous experience in aerospace engineering, renewable energies and sustainable tourism. He works with cultural organizations, international and national foundations, private corporations and governmental bodies, and is responsible for developing and implementing national and regional cultural strategies.
He is a board member of the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, is involved in directing museum development projects covering aspects like architecture, curation, and economic impact analysis, and has orchestrated various public art programs and commissions. In the non-profit sector, he has designed business strategies and facilitated the implementation of philanthropy programs across Africa, Europe, and the MENA region.
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Geetika Khanduja is Project Officer at Southern Voice, which is a renowned network of think tanks from the Global South. She possesses diverse expertise in research, public policy and project management spanning across national and international development sectors. Her academic journey is marked by a multidisciplinary background holding degrees in mechanical engineering, public policy and an MPhil in inclusive policies.
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Federico Lenzerini is Ph.D. of International Law and Full Professor of Public International Law and International Human Rights Law at the University of Siena (Italy). He is Consultant to UNESCO (Paris) and has been Counsel to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for international negotiations related to cultural heritage.
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Ximena Zapata is a researcher in the fields of global political economy and international relations with a focus on Latin America. She is a PhD researcher in Political Science at the University of Hamburg and the GIGA Institute, Germany. She holds a master’s degree in International Relations from FLACSO-Ecuador. Her research interests include cultural diplomacy, political economy of development, regionalism, and China’s engagement in Latin America.
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The conference language is English with simultaneous interpretation in Spanish.
This programme follows Day 1 of the conference on 30 October 2023.
Researchers and practitioners exchange views on questions of international cultural relations through the International Cultural Relations Research Alliance (ICRRA) network. The network sees itself as a bridge builder between practical cultural work, academic reflection, policy advice and the media. It supports the transfer of research-based knowledge into politics and society and promotes evidence-based discourse. Find out more on the ifa website.
Project Coordinator Dialogue and Research Culture and Foreign Policy
Charlottenplatz 17
D-70173 Stuttgart
