Global Initiative on Culture and Society

Presenters and Participants

Building on the success of the inaugural forum in Paris, the 2009 Cultural Diplomacy Forum in Aviles will bring together about 300 professionals from around the world. Presenters and participants will include prominent personalities in the fields of politics, defense, international relations, security studies, business, international development cooperation, philanthropy, human rights, media, information technologies, arts and humanities, and socioeconomic development. These include

• Julien Anfruns, Director General, International Council of Museums
• Pamela Auchincloss, Chief Executive Officer, Artists Pension Trust
• Claudia Aradau, Lecturer, International Studies, The Open University (UK)
• Vicente Alvarez Areces, President of the Government of Asturias
• Hazami Barmada, Independent, Cultural & Public Diplomacy
• Neal Baer, Writer and TV Producer
• Ramón Blecua, Cultural attaché at the Spanish Embassy in Cairo
• Luis R. Cancel, Director, Department of Cultural Affairs, San Francisco
• Emilio Cassinello, Ambassador and Director General of Toledo Pax Foundation
• Rana Zincir Celal, Vice-President for Programs, The Chrest Foundation
• Cassandra Clifford, Founder and Executive Director, Bridge to Freedom Foundation
• Michelle Constant, Chief Executive Officer, Business & Arts South Africa
• Guillermo Corral, Director General, Ministry of Culture of Spain
• Dowoti Desir, Founder DDPA Watch Group
• Monica Dugot, Vice President, Christies       
• Clark Ervin, Director, Homeland Security Initiative, The Aspen Institute
• Teresa Eyring, Executive Director, Theater Communications Group
• Michelle Faul, Journalist, The Associate Press
• John Fetterman, Mayor, Braddock
• Eleanor Fink, Philanthropy Advisor, World Bank Group          
• Michael Fitzpatrick, Composer and Cellist
• Virginia Davis Floyd, Executive Director, PROMETRA
• Joshua S. Fouts, Senior Fellow, Digital Media and Public Policy, The Center for the Study of the Presidency
• Ellen  Frank, Artist,  Cities of  Conflict,
• Elliot Gerson, Executive Vice President, The Aspen Institute
• Dana Gioia, Director, Harman-Eisner Program in the Arts, The Aspen Institute
• Joseph Gonzales, Head, Dance Faculty, Academy of Arts, Culture & Heritage, Malaysia
• Frank  Hodsoll, Former Chairman, US National Endowment for the Arts
• Jonathan Hollander, Artistic and Executive Director, Battery Dance Company
• Azeem Ibrahim, CEO, European Commerce and Mercantile Bank
• Walter Isaacson, President & CEO, The Aspen Institute
• Quincy Jones, Music Composer and Producer
• Jean-Pierre Jouanny, Criminal Investigations Officer, INTERPOL
• Mpenga Kabundi, Deputy Regional Director for Africa, ILO
• Kenton Keith, Senior Vice President, Meridian International
• Rita King, CEO and Creative Director, Dancing Ink Productions
• Thomas Kline, Cultural Heritage Legal Advisor, Andrews Kurth LLP
• Barbara Lawton, Lieutenant Governor, State of Wisconsin
• Mark Lipton, Professor of Management, New School
• Jacek Luminski, Artistic Director, Silesian Dance Theater and the International Contemporary Dance Festival and Conference, Poland
• Lisa Mensah, Executive Director, Initiative on Financial Security, The Aspen Institute
• Regina Miranda, Museum of Modern Art, Rio de Janeiro
• César A. Molina, Former Minister of Culture of Spain
• Luis Monreal, Executive Director, Aga Khan Trust for Culture
• Youssou Ndour, Entertainer
• Lynn Nicholas, Historical perspective on Protecting Cultural Heritage
• Antoni Nicolau, Director of Cultural Programmes at AECI (Spanish Agency for International Cooperation)
• Dean Obeidallah, co-creator and co-producer of the NY Arab-American Comedy Festival
• Pascal Perzo, Cultural Entrepreneur, France
• Damien Pwono, Executive Director, Aspen Institute Global Initiative on Culture and Society
• Raymond Tshibanda, Minister of International Cooperation, D.R. Congo
• Omar Rajeh, Choreographer and Artistic Director, Maqamat Dance Theatre, Lebanon
• Peter Reiling, Executive VP, Aspen Institute
• Gloria Reuben, Actress
• András Riedlmaycr, Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture, Harvard University
• Jean-François Angevin Romey, Security Specialist, Corporate Operational Strategies
• Margery Arent Safir, Director, Arts Arena, American University of Paris
• John P. Santos, Visiting Fellow, Global Media Project, Brown University
• Cynthia Schneider, Former US Ambassador to the Netherlands, Brookings Institution
• Ruy C. Silva, Casa via Magia, Bahia
• Pilar Varela, Mayor of Avilés
• Sergio Vela, Cultural Promoter and Stage Director and Designer, Mexico
• Claudia von Selle, Art Lawyer, Berlin
• Patricia Walker, Management Consultant
• Rolf Wallin, Producer, Strange News
• Corine Wegener, President, U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield
• Robert Wittman, Robert Wittman, Inc, F.B.I Art Crime Team
• Damian Woetzel, Former Principal, New York City Ballet
• James Zogby, President, Arab American Institute

The full list of presenters will be made available online shortly.