CDE (Cultural Diplomacy in Europe)

The ICD runs various Young Leader events throughout the year and these include seminars / conferences specific to the EU. Those of you with a particular interest in European Union might like to attend the next seminar 14 - 19 Mar  entitled: The Treaty of Lisbon and the New Face of the EU: The United States of Europe?

This weeklong seminar will:

• Assess the impact of the Lisbon Treaty on the unity of the European Union and the EU decision-making process.
• Examine the idea of a “United States of Europe” with a particular focus on foreign and security policy, economic policy, and influence as a global political player.
• Explore the reasons for the apparent rise of the right on the accession of new EU member states and the EU integration process.
• Consider the challenges of developing a pan-European migration policy and explore multilateral approaches to address this issue.

CDE Weeklong Seminars are weeklong inter-disciplinary programs that including the following components:

Lectures
A range of lectures will be held by experts from the fields of politics, diplomacy, academia, civil society, and the private sector. These components will inform the participants about key perspectives related to the themes of the Weeklong Seminar, raise their awareness of other salient issues in Europe, and introduce them to the field of cultural diplomacy. Each lecture will be followed by a question and answer session with the speaker.

Workshops
The timetable of each Weeklong Seminar will include interactive workshops that offer participants the opportunity to take part in structured discussions on subjects related to the Seminar themes. Workshops provide a valuable counterbalance to lectures by providing an opportunity for participants to express their own opinions and learn from each other.

Social and Cultural Activities
Each Weeklong Seminar will include social and cultural activities for the participants. These components give participants the opportunity to see a different side to the city of Berlin, help to provide a more informal environment for the participants to get to know each other, and allow the participants to see cultural exchange initiatives that are already being organized.

CDE Leadership Initiatives
Leadership initiatives are cultural exchange initiatives organized by members of ICD Forums with the support of the ICD.

These initiatives are the foundation of the ICD’s work, because they allow the principles of cultural diplomacy to be spread further than the members of the Forum. At the beginning of the CDE Weeklong Seminar participants will be given guidance on how to plan, develop, and execute leadership initiatives that have a constructive, sustainable influence on intercultural relations. The ICD will also outline how it can help to support the realisation of these initiatives through its network and resources.

During the week participants will have the opportunity to develop and discuss leadership initiatives with each other and present them to the other members of the group and the ICD for feedback.

Seminar Location: Why Berlin?

Berlin represents the ideal location for the CDE Weeklong Seminars due to its position as capital city of Europe’s largest economy, its large and vibrant international community, and the vast array of resources to learn from and be inspired by. Politicians, businessmen, and artists live side-by-side, cultures from all over the world communicate and work with each other in their daily lives, and the defiant traces of socialism in the former East Berlin are just a short train journey from the dazzling skyscrapers of Potsdamer Platz.

During the program participants will have the opportunity to visit remaining segments of the Berlin Wall including the famous East Side Gallery, see Berlin’s historic political institutions the  Reichstag and the German Foreign Office, and visit other historic buildings and locations across Berlin including the TV Tower, the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin’s famous artistic district, and Berlin’s Kreuzberg district.

As the capital city of Europe’s largest economy, the home of three prestigious universities, and a city bubbling with diverse culture and art, Berlin has lots to offer the participants, who will be given the opportunity to take advantage of this unique city.

Seminar Timetable click here

To find out more about the Institute of Cultural Diplomacy

COST

The participation fee for the whole week is  £185. This does not include accommodation, food or public transport.

The ICD can arange a weekly travel card for £25. This can be used on Berlin buses, trains and underground. If you would like a travel card (recommended), please add this cost to the Particpation Fee. Total to pay ELSA is £210.

If you would rather pay in euros, please inform ELSA.

ACCOMMODATION

ICD  also have recommended hotels but if you wish to save money, you can get much cheaper accommodation in hostels.

http://www.hostelworld.com/Berlin

APPLICATION FORM

Just complete the online application form by registering for this event above (ticket).

FLIGHTS

Ryanair and Easyjet fly to Berlin. It may work out cheaper to fly out with one and return with the other (i.e. 2 single flights)

cheap flights http://www.lowfareflights.co.uk/Berlin-Flights.htm

Flight comparison sites Skyscanner; Opodo;  Ebookers;

VISAS

If you are an international student, you may require a Schengen visa to travel to Germany. These usually cost £55 / 60 euros from the German embassy  but ELSA can provide a letter confirming the eductional purpose of this visit. This will mean that the visa fee is waived. You will also need to proof that you have travel insurance but this can be purchased for about £6 (single trip) or £16 multiple trips. You may complete an online Schengen application, which you should print out and take to your visa interview. At q.29, please tick that the purpose of your visit is "other" and then explain it is "educational". Here is an example of a paper Schengen visa application form and includes the proof of insurance form which you MUST sign.

INSURANCE - compulsory if you need a visa!!!

Insurance must be valid for the length of your stay and must be valid in ALL Schengen states (not just Germany). Mimimum cover should be 30,000 euros and the issuer should be a company based in Europe. Atlas Direct provide cheap travel insurance but here are also many other companies on the internet.

 

Paying the  Fee

The Participation Fee for this seminar is £185. 

Please remember to add £25, if you want a Berlin travelcard! If you wish to pay in euros contact ELSA: berlin@elsalondon.org

Once you have registered for this event, your application will be forwarded to the ICD who will then send you an official Acceptance Letter. Once you receive the ICD letter, you will be required to transfer the whole Particpation Fee to ELSA. 

If selected by ELSA, you will be required to transfer the whole fee to the ELSA London bank account by Tuesday 10th March 2010:

Bank: HSBC PLC, 79 Piccadilly London W1J 8EU

Account Name:  ELSA London

Sort Code: 40-05-26

Account Number: 71474073

ELSA & THE INSTITUTE FOR CULTURAL DIPLOMACY

Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD). The ICD is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation. The Participation Fee goes towards the cost of developing and running the Forum. Please note that the participation fee is subsidised and  does not cover accommodation, meals, or public transport.

Due to a special agreement with the ICD, ELSA is able to accept payment in British pounds. This will benefit you as it means that you will not have to pay international bank charges.

The ICD is also sponsoring ELSA by contributing 15% of fees raised to help us with administrative costs and to help create an ICD Travel Bursary. 

The participation fee for this seminar is £185. Please remember to add £25, if you want a Berlin travelcard! If you wish to pay in euros contact ELSA: berlin@elsalondon.org

If selected by ELSA, you will be required to transfer the whole fee to the ELSA London bank account by Wednesday 10th March 2010:

Bank: HSBC PLC, 79 Piccadilly London W1J 8EU

Account Name:  ELSA London

Sort Code: 40-05-26

Account Number: 71474073

Once the fee is received, you will be contacted by the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD). The ICD is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation. The Participation Fee goes towards the cost of developing and running the Forum. Please note that the participation fee is subsidised and  does not cover accommodation, meals, or public transport.

Cultural Diplomacy in Europe: A forum for Young Leaders (CDE)

Cultural Diplomacy in Europe: A Forum for Young Leaders (CDE) is a network of young, influential people from across the world, who have an interest in exploring and strengthening relations between European States. The program is based on the recognition that the increasing economic and political integration of the European Union must be accompanied by sustained activity to ensure that public opinion and relations between individual member states, and between member-states and non members states, remain positive and constructive at the grass roots level.

Individuals can join the CDE Forum by taking part in one of the CDE Weeklong Seminars, which are held in Berlin every 4 months. The goal of the Weeklong Seminars is to train and prepare the participants so that they are able to organize their own programs in the future. Each CDE Weeklong Seminar will be focused on a specific theme related to Europe and the goals of the Forum. These Weeklong Seminars include lectures, seminars, and workshops lead by experts from the fields of politics, academia, and civil society, as well as cultural and social activities. In addition to raising awareness amongst the participants of the field of cultural diplomacy and salient issues concerning Europe, the week also provides an opportunity to network and experience Berlin.

Once they have joined the CDE Forum, members are supported by the ICD in organizing leadership initiatives, conducting academic research, and are invited to join the ICD Online Forum - enabling them to share information and communicate with likeminded individuals across the world.