speakers

Robert Palmer

Robert Palmer is the Director of Culture and Cultural and National Heritage at the Council of Europe, based in Strasbourg, France. The Council of Europe now has 47 member states and the Culture and Heritage Directorate manages more than 50 different work programmes including the monitoring of cultural and heritage policies, capacity building projects and training seminars, and activities linked to cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue to major exhibitions. Robert Palmer has worked in the cultural sector for more than 20 years, and prior to joining the Council of Europe in 2006 was an adviser to several cities and regions on cultural development and regeneration, cultural tourism, festivals and arts policies. He has been very involved in European Capitals of Culture and was the Director of two - Glasgow (1990) and Brussels (2000). Palmer is a Board member of various arts institutions and international festivals, the Chair of European arts juries and is asked regularly to speak at international cultural conferences and workshops. He has been given various awards in recognition of his work.

One of the hallmarks of a creative city is its tolerance for strangers, a fact now well-rehearsed in the research dealing with city development. This involves more than simply attracting the world"s talent, encouraging an international range of food choices, and promoting some exotic festivals. The notion of intercultural exchange needs to be incorporated in city policy-making, strategy and practice at every level. Where is the proof of this need? Partly, it lies in the study of great cities of the past that have fostered a strong milieu for innovation. It also resides in the experience of cities today, with a more sophisticated understanding of the value of diversity. The Council of Europe and the European Commission have developed a learning network around the idea of "the intercultural city". Twelve European cities are involved in a pilot project, which is gathering data, promoting the exchange of ideas and experimenting with new approaches to city governance, media ethics and reporting, public participation, education, cultural activities and the design of public space, where intercultural innovation becomes a driver of city prosperity and creativity. This requires a will to develop the right conditions to capitalize on the remarkable strengths of diversity that some cities now categorize as problems. The practice of interethnic, inter-religious, inter-generational and inter-disciplinary approaches fosters creativity. To achieve this, we shall need to provoke a significant change to the mind-set of many of the political and social leaders of Europe.

Link:

www.coe.int/interculturalcities