On April 10 at 12:00 Moscow Time (GMT+3), the Valdai Club will host an expert discussion titled “The Challenges of Depoliticising Humanitarian Cooperation and Cultural Ties in the Modern World.”
A defining feature of contemporary international conflicts is the active use of mental, humanitarian, and cultural dimensions as alternative instruments of struggle. A kind of “weaponisation” of culture is taking place. This manifests itself both in efforts to dehumanise the societies of geopolitical adversaries and in the large-scale demonisation of cultural figures and other professionals.
Humanitarian and cultural ties between societies and individuals are becoming hostages to this approach. Unfortunately, the “cancellation of culture” for geopolitical reasons has become a widespread phenomenon. This applies, in particular, to the victimisation of writers, artists, and composers of the past, whose “guilt” is now postulated simply on the grounds that they were citizens of the “wrong” state. This directly affects contemporary cultural and humanitarian exchanges, including in education, sports, the arts, and civic initiatives. Such exchanges are often accompanied by media scandals for politicised reasons, or are disrupted or cancelled altogether.
Is it possible to combat this kind of cultural demonisation? What are the main tasks and tools that can be employed in this area? What role can civil society institutions in various countries play in the fight against cultural demonisation? What is Russia doing in this field? The discussion participants will attempt to answer these and other questions.
Speakers:
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Elena Galaktionova, Director of the Department of Multilateral Humanitarian Cooperation and Cultural Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation;
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Tings Chak, Director of Research and Education, Department of Culture, Tricontinental Institute for Social Research (China);
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Souleymane Anta Ndiaye, Deputy Secretary General of the International Russophile Movement, former Minister-Counsellor and Head of the Economic Department of the Embassy of Senegal in Moscow (Senegal);
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Prisca Raquel Mokuy Mba, economist, former president of the Africa Development Corporation (Equatorial Guinea);
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Ivan Kostić, Member of the Serbian Parliament, Chairman of the Serbian Dveri party (Serbia).
Moderator:
Working languages: Russian, English.
Information for the media: In order to get accredited for the event, please fill out the form on our website. If you have any questions about the event, please call +79269307763.
Links to the live broadcast of the discussion will be posted on all online platforms of the Valdai Club: on the website, X (formerly Twitter), VK, Telegram and Dzen.
The Valdai Discussion Club was established in 2004. It is named after Lake Valdai, which is located close to Veliky Novgorod, where the Club’s first meeting took place.
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