International Conference Europe, the World and Humanity in the 21st Century, 10-13 April 2008, Ljubljana

This conference is the central event of Slovenia's contribution to the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue and will gather the prominent European philosophers known worldwide.

The organisers are basing the conference on the realisation that the intercultural dialogue which we are at present striving for in Europe can not be established only at the level of social communication or cultural information, as the people of Europe have not come together, whether in good times or bad, just for the sake of it, but these contacts have always taken place within a context of philosophy, science, religion, art, politics or history. This also applies to contacts with cultural traditions and civilisations outside Europe, who were the willing or unwilling recipients of our values. If intercultural dialogue is to make a productive contribution towards the political shape of the future European society then it is necessary to talk about that which defines European humanism in terms of its value and which today appears in many ways to be the key issue. The three-day conference will thus seek answers to two fundamental questions: What message can Europe, on the basis of its humanist tradition, offer today in relation to the understanding of the fundamental problems of the global world? And what does globalism, which we still do not fully understand, have to tell Europe?

Informal Meeting of European Cultural Contact Points, 11-14 June 2008, Ljubljana

Meeting of European Cultural Contact Points, i.e. national information offices for the EU Culture Programme (2007–2013), is organised twice per year, in the country holding the EU Presidency. The meeting hosted by the CCP, resident in the presidency country, gathers CCP representatives from 31 countries taking part in the Programme. Additionally, representatives from Ministries of culture of countries in the process of joining the Programme (i.e. Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia), EC and EACEA officials, representatives of national Ministry of culture, other respective governmental offices and cultural operators are invited.

The main topics of the meeting are related to the implementation of the Culture Programme, more specifically to improvements of CCP services provided for cultural operators (e.g. promoting the Programme, facilitating the participation of cultural professionals by providing assistance and technical support, ensuring dissemination and exchange of information related to cultural and other Community programmes etc.).
Moreover, each CCP meeting deals with a special theme. On this occasion, the meeting will be focused on the intercultural dialogue between the EU and Southeast Europe (SEE). The SEE region is an integral part of the Slovene orientation not only due to its historical and geographical links but especially in the light of further enlargements of the European Union.

On practical level, the meeting will be structured around the topic of fostering the "information flow" between the EC (and other EU institutions) and networks, CCPs and stakeholders in the EU and SEE region. In this context the CCP Slovenia will invite guest speakers and workshop facilitators (network promoters, PR/media specialists etc.) from the EU and SEE region who will acquaint the CCPs and other participants with the insight of what are the obstacles and possibilities for an improved information flow related especially to promotion and dissemination of results of cultural cooperation projects, EU and other relevant funding sources, networking and other opportunities stimulating cultural cooperation between the EU and SEE region. By achieving a better information flow between all the actors above mentioned the goal is to contribute to an open and complex cultural environment enhancing creativity and dialogue between cultures.
It is envisaged that during the French Presidency, the theme of intercultural dialogue will be passed over to the CCP France with the Mediterranean as the focal region of the meeting’s agenda.