AFS Intercultural Programs’ Post

Behind me lie 10 wonderful days with the Kosovo International Summer Academy, in which I was able to learn more about peacebuilding in post-conflict areas. This was followed by an exciting and in many ways unexpected private trip through Northern Macedonia and Albania, in order to underpin the theoretical knowledge I had gained about Kosovo in particular and the region around the Southwest Balkans with further cultural impressions. Thereby three main topics can be highlighted: 1. Statebuilding: According to Prof. Dr. Enver Horshaj - Deputy Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo -, there are 5 main pillars in relation to state-building in Kosovo after its founding in 2008: -Political stability -Democratic and multiethnic country -Free market approach -Establish a viable civil society and independent media -Resiliency (rather social than political). 2. EU-Kosov Relations: Regarding EU-Kosovo relations, the International Community is a "paper tiger" that does not effectively use the mix of: -Normative Incentives -Carrots: Facilitating national agendas. -Whips: Facilitating political agendas The historical trajectory starts from mutual recognition to normalization that no one really supports and all sides hold on to objectives – success gets increasingly smaller (i.e. European Integration of Kosovo) 3. Inter-ethnic narratives: Narratives between ethnic groups (Serbs/ Albanians) are antagonistic with respect to the 1998-1999 Kosovo war and, in particular, institutional reforms, prosecutions and investigations, reparations, and a truth commission can create a shared post-war reality and produce transitional justice. Thank you very much for the experiences and cheers to all the wonderful attendees and future diplomats of KSA!

For a long time, I did not fully appreciate ANZAC Day. I’m an Irish immigrant to Australia, the son of Irish folks who I suspect found it odd to commemorate a military defeat orchestrated by British forces. Thus, ANZAC Day was never a big deal in our household – it was just another public holiday. But as I aged and became more aware of the tragedy of The Great War throughout the course of my history degree, my perspective gradually changed and my appreciation of the importance of ANZAC day grew. I distinctly recall the first time I read Barbara Tuchman’s Pulitzer Prize winning history of the origins of The Great War, “The Guns of August” and recall how blown away I was to learn of the sheer scale of the conflict and the tragedy it engendered. Books like Tuchman’s changed my perspectives on the conflict, but also shifted my feelings on Australia’s role in the World War 1. I now see ANZAC day through the lens that I think it should be best celebrated, a solemn day of remembrance for the sacrifices of many Australians during times of great conflict and tragedy. With the above in mind, I’ve put together a very basic visual interactive that gives the viewer some idea of the scope of fatal casualties at Gallipoli. It tracks to total Australian fatalities over the course of the Gallipoli campaign alongside cause of death. This is my own meagre way of paying respect to the memory of Gallipoli, but I do hope some find it fleetingly interesting. Apologies in advance to my New Zealand friends. I did want to acknowledge the role played by New Zealand soldiers in the Gallipoli campaign in this small bit of work but couldn’t locate the appropriate data in time. Lest we forget. #ANZAC #Data #DataVisualisation #History #Tableau

Before tomorrow’s anticipated meeting with Pope Francis, the International Dialogue Centre - KAICIID Secretary General Dr Zuhair Alharthi held a meaningful session with our Fellows from around the world. Engaging in earnest dialogue, he learned about their impactful initiatives back home and highlighted the crucial role of interreligious and intercultural dialogue in fostering unity. #WeAreKAICIID #KAICIIDYouthDay #YouthDay #WorldYouthDay #WorldYouthDay2023 #WYD #WYD2023

Today, we celebrate World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development and acknowledge the importance of intercultural dialogue in achieving peace and sustainable development. AISA shares the hope that the Sustainable Development Goals can be achieved through continuous dialogue, ensuring that all members of society benefit from sustainable development. #AISA #internationaleducation #WorldDayforCulturalDiversity

"In the convergence of Soft Power, DEI, and Intercultural Dialogue lies the promise of a world where diversity is celebrated, equity is ensured, and dialogue becomes the currency of connection. It is here, at this intersection, that we find the roadmap to a future built on empathy, respect, mutual trust, and the boundless potential of collective collaboration." Effenus Henderson 6th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue Highlights Importance of DEI in Promoting Global Peace and Security, held in Baku, Azerbaijan from May 1 to May 3, 2024 The event was part of the "Baku Process" initiated by President Ilham Aliyev in 2008 and was conducted in collaboration with prominent international entities such as the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC), UNESCO, the UN Tourism, and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ISESCO). The United Nations' efforts to enable intercultural dialogue through initiatives like the UNESCO Framework for Enabling Intercultural Dialogue further underscore the importance of DEI in promoting peaceful and inclusive societies. #dei United Nations UNESCO United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) Effenus Henderson InclusionScore https://lnkd.in/dFU9QPgn

Guys, I want to sharpen my expertise by attending The "International Model United Nations at Philippines", Points that I going to learn are: • To develop deeper knowledge of current global issues and improve critical thinking. • To strengthen participants' diplomacy skills and develop ideas to solve current global problems. • To improve researching, public speaking, debating, and writing skills in addition to critical thinking, teamwork, and leadership abilities. • To differentiate between the parliament and the IJN, while distinguishing power struggle from diplomacy. • To improve international exposure by gaining experiences from delegates across the world. Additionally, there will be ambassadors of -UNDP(United Nations Development Program) -UNESCO(United Nations Educational Scientific & Cultural Organisation) -WHO(World Health Organisation) -UNFPA(United Nations Population Fund) -UNICEF(United Nations Children's Fund) -WEP(World Food Programme) you can check the link for all the events and data's https://lnkd.in/d4rHVn8k You can donate here https://lnkd.in/dC_MJtQs

🕊️ Today, August 23rd 2023, marks the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition. Reflecting on Mauritian history 🇲🇺 In 1638, the Dutch East India Company introduced slavery to Mauritius, primarily using laborers from Batavia. They controlled the island until 1710 due to piracy, wars, and attempts to expand the slave trade. The French took over in 1715, maintaining the practice of using slave labour for agriculture. Under French rule, the slave trade grew in economic importance until 1814. After the British took control following the Treaty of Paris, slavery continued until its abolition in the 1830s. Exploitation persisted, as the plantocracy turned to indentured laborers from India and China, subjecting them to harsh treatment until the late colonial period. In 2020, the Intercontinental Slavery Museum in Mauritius was established. The museum building was converted from the Ex-Labourdonnais Military Hospital, which is one of the oldest buildings of the island of Mauritius and is highly significant in the history of slavery, as it was constructed by slaves in 1740. Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/ekj95ded Slavery has contributed to so many aspects of our everyday lives, such as the spoonful of sugar in your morning English Breakfast Tea. ☕ Don't hesitate to confront the uncomfortable truths of the past and inform yourself of how to embrace active anti-racism for a future built on respect and unity. #RemembranceDay #Equality #HistoryMatters #RepresentationMatters #StoriesToTell Check out what UNESCO does to #BreakTheSilence: https://lnkd.in/eBQctWBH

The concept of solidarity in Henry Kissinger’s Memoirs By Ioan Voicu* *Dr. Ioan Voicu was Visiting Professor at Assumption University in Bangkok (2000-2019) The 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), scheduled to open on 5 September 2023, has as official theme “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all”. This topic is expected to generate innovative conclusions and action -oriented decisions to be implemented by the 193 members of the world organization. From a diplomatic perspective, the concept of solidarity mentioned above has a significant place in a monumental book : Henry Kissinger, The Complete Memoirs (E-book Boxed Set) containing the following volumes: White House Years, Years of Upheaval, Years of Renewal, published in New York by Simon & Schuster. The print length ‏ of the whole e-book is ‎ 5075 pages detailing the life and work of a great statesman and diplomat who on 27 May 2023 reached the age of 100 years. We are going to present in these pages a short analysis of Dr. Henry Kissinger’s concept of solidarity, as it appears expressis verbis in his Memoirs, using the original terminology of the reviewed book.

Chinese Taipei officially changed its name to Taiwan Province, and the original map of the China Sea line has been cancelled, only the outer sea line. Taiwan has always been our territory, Taiwan is China's Taiwan. Opposing "independence" and promoting unification, and the strength of the motherland's reunification is strong We have adhered to the One-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, promoted the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, promoted cross-Straits exchanges and cooperation, and brought benefits to compatriots on both sides of the Straits. We have firmly grasped the leading role and initiative in the development of cross-Straits relations. Let us strengthen confidence, unite and work together to promote the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations and achieve national reunification.

❗️Ahead of the High-Level Conference on the Western Balkans on May 24th, BCSDN urges the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) to include Kosovo in the Enlargement Candidate Members Initiative (ECM). 🔹Despite Kosovo's commitment to EU-aligned reforms, it is excluded due to its lack of formal candidate status. This exclusion undermines regional cooperation and the EU’s support for the Western Balkans. 📢 BCSDN calls on the EESC to rectify this oversight and extend eligibility to Kosovo within the current pilot phase, fostering greater collaboration and inclusivity in the journey towards European integration. 🔗 Read more here ⬇ ENG: https://cutt.ly/NettQvQO SRB: https://cutt.ly/TettmAPX ALB: https://cutt.ly/9ettmm89 Kosovar Civil Society Foundation (KCSF) Partners Albania for Change and Development Macedonian Center for International Cooperation (MCIC) Centar za promociju civilnog društva CRNVO - Centar za razvoj NVO / Centre for Development of Non-Governmental Organizations Civic Initiatives / Građanske inicijative Türkiye Üçüncü Sektör Vakfı - Third Sector Foundation of Türkiye