Theme: Culture in Conflict / Culture on the Move
November 13 – 15, 2008
Cercle de l'Union Interalliée
33, rue du Faubourg St. Honoré
Paris, France

The inaugural Aspen Cultural Diplomacy Forum was held in November 2008 at the Cercle de l'Union Interalliée in Paris, France. It was organized in partnership with the Arts Arena at the American University of Paris. The 2008 Forum brought together government officials, corporate and civic leaders, diplomats, culture executives, philanthropists, and artists from around the world. Participants engaged in policy debates and presented actionable information about networks, models of exchange, culture and conflict resolution experiments, media and cultural markets, and cultural diplomacy funding.

In providing an in-depth overview of the basic cultural diplomacy paradigms, approaches and strategies, the inaugural Forum paved the way for a continuous process of reflection and informed strategic planning. This was being taken forward through an online dialogue in the form of a discussion group; policy roundtables and seminars; and a second annual gathering, the 2009 Aspen Cultural Diplomacy Forum, which took place in the city of Aviles, Asturias, Spain.

This Forum benefited from the generous and much appreciated support from

, , , and the Ford Foundation.