Tuesday, September 15th Daily Dispatch from the 2009 Aspen Cultural Diplomacy Forum

September 15, 2009

Avilés, Asturias, Spain, September 15, 2009 – Today, the Aspen Cultural Diplomacy Forum, a convening of the Aspen Institute and the Centro Niemeyer, officially began before an audience of approximately 400 in the historic Teatro Palacio Valdes in Avilés, Asturias, Spain. The Forum, which runs September 15-17, 2009, seeks to champion the role of arts, media, and culture in resolving conflicts, encouraging tolerance, building peace, creating jobs, and, in turn, fostering sustainable security around the globe. Video clips will be available on www.aspencdf.org, and updates will be featured on www.facebook.com/aspeninstitute and 0#aspencdf on Twitter. For more information on sessions and speaker bios download our program book at http://www.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/files/content/images/cdf/aspencdf_program2.pdf.

Reporters and editors: Broadcast-quality audio and video available for a number of sessions. For more information, contact Jennifer Myers at jennifer.myers@aspeninstitute.org.

Quotes:

‘If you don’t protect the sale, you don’t support the creativity.”
—Youssou N’Dour, Entertainer

“If your music doesn’t succeed quickly, then it’s condemned to silence.”
—Manolo Diaz, former president of CBS Records and EMI Music

“By and large, culture is marginalized in the United States.”
—Cynthia Schneider, former US Ambassador to the Netherlands and Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at Georgetown University

Tomorrow’s Highlights:

9:30am CET: “Cultural and Social Entrepreneurship: Poverty Alleviation and Cultural Security” Emilio Cassinello, Ambassador and Director General, Toledo Pax Foundation; Rana Zincir Celal, Home for Cooperation, Cyprus; John Fetterman, Mayor, Braddock, Pa.; Luis Monreal, General Manager, Aga Khan Trust for Culture; and Dana Gioia, Director, Harman-Eisner Program in the Arts, The Aspen Institute

11:15am CET: “Culture of Violence: Child Soldiers and Street Gangs” with actor Arthur Kisenyi; Susan Robeson, President, Higher Ground Enterprises; composer Rolf Wallin; Neal Baer, Executive Producer, NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

2:00pm CET: “Engaging Difference and Battling Extremism: Living with Diversity” with Hazami Barmada; Dean Obeidallah, Co-creator and Co-producer, NY Arab-American Comedy Festival and the Amman Stand Up Comedy Festival; Damian Woetzel, Former Principal Dancer, New York City Ballet; and Teresa Eyring, Executive Director, Theatre Communications Group

5:30pm CET: “Strengthening Global Security: Soft Power and Military Might” with Jean-Franc?ois Angevin-Romey, Politico-Military Analyst and International Security Specialist, Corporate Operational Strategies; Frank Hodsoll, President & CEO, Resource Center for Cultural Engagement, and former Chairman, US National Endowment for the Arts; Gerlinde Niehus, Public Diplomacy Division, NATO; and Sharon Memis, Director, British Council USA.