The 2nd Stage of the Europe - Central Asia - Dialogue is imminent
The "Forum 2008" and the miraculous waters of the Issyk Koul solidify the succes of the Europe - Central Asian Dialog engaged at Klingenthal in 2007
Photo Album of the "Forum 2008"
The unforgettable week of Klingenthal
Comprehensive Report and Photo Album of the "Unforgettable week of Klingenthal"
In the framework of its long-term strategy, the Charles Léopold Mayer Foundation for the Progress of Humankind and its partners are encouraging the emergence of a global community that is able to design and guide the major mutations of governance, development and the universalisation of humanitarian law.
This commitment is reinforced by the wish to benefit from rapprochement and cooperation between Germany and France, two former enemies that just fifty years ago were considered as "irreconcilable".
International symposiums organized in different regions of the world will make it possible to bring forth new capacities to enter into dialogue, to share and exchange views, expertise and collective proposals amongst the peoples and the socioprofessional spheres involved in the current major mutations. After having woven the initial meshs in Latin America through the seminar in Santiago de Chile in 2005, it is now to Central Asia to be integrated into the network.
Building a relationship between the military and civilians that can lay the foundations of durable peace is a crucial challenge of our era. The aggravation of conflicts in the beginning of this century makes this challenge seem Utopian. Peoples are being struck by wars, conflicts are emerging amongst nations, sometimes against the military’s will. The institution of dialogue between the military and civilians represents a basic ethical, political and historical objective.
There is nothing obvious about this dialogue. For many reasons, the military are often mistrusted by the non-military. The reconciliation and friendship between France and Germany and their close cooperation in security matters can provide a few reference marks for the opening of such interchange between the military and civilians, oriented towards the legitimisation and the limitation of the use of force in order to lay the foundations of durable peace.
The Council of the European Union underscores the importance of cooperation with Central Asia in order to prevent conflicts and encourage development in the region.
The European Union intends to play an even more active part in Central Asia: it has therefore developped an own strategie and commissioned its Special Representative for Central Asia, Ambassador Pierre Morel, to increase the European Union’s visibility in the region and encourage stability and cooperation amongst Central Asian neighbours with a view to strengthen democracy, the rule of law, good governance, respect of humanitarian law and basic rights.
The symposium will be continuous for an entire year and comprise two consecutive seminars that will be linked together by a period of corres-pondence.
The "opening" seminar of June 2007 in Klingenthal has assembled about 45 military and civilian experts not only from the five Central Asian countries and Afghanistan, but also from Germany, France, Switzerlan and Latin Amarica. It associated field trips with thinking forums on the theme of "modern understanding of the military service".
The JWG Foundation hosted the symposium in its Klingenthal Castle, located in the heart of a Vosgian valley in Alsace and renowned for its long tradition of international meetings. Equipped with comfortable rooms and suitable working premises, it was an ideal place to think and to relax at the same time.
The "Follow up" seminar will take place in Central Asia in october 2008 with participants from the same nations.
June, 22nd Arrival in Paris / Tour of the capital June, 23rd Travel to Klingenthal / Introduction of partners June, 24th Historic sightseeing tour in Alsace: Memorials of Franco-German history June, 25th Opening speech given by Ambassador Kölsch Permanent Representatee of Germany at the EU Round Table and Speech given by President of FEFA June, 26th Working Groups + Round Table Visit of the European Corps + Strasbourg June, 27th Working Groups + Conference + Round Table June, 28th Visit to Center Innere Führung, Koblenz and Federal Ministry of Defence, Bonn June, 29th Working Groups + Plenary / Closing June, 30th Departure
You will find more details on themes and subjects of speeches, round tables and workshops in the attached programme file.
The Charles Léopold Mayer Foundation for the Progress of Humankind (FPH), an independent foundation under Swiss law, has worked on building dialogue between the military and civilians for more than 10 years. It has done and will continue to do so, because it is convinced that such dialogue is essential to the establishment of a responsible, plural, and united global community .
The Johann Wolfgang Goethe Foundation (Bâle) was set up in 1968 under Swiss law. It supports in particular humanitarian and cultural initiatives in Europe. It works actively to promote better understanding amongst the peoples of Europe, especially the French and the Germans.
The Fondation “Franco-German Understanding“ was created in 1981. It is based in Strasbourg (F). After the achievement of it’s historical mission, it’s main activity consists nowadays in developing the cooperation between France and Germany.
In a modern vision of patriotism and of Europe, the Association Civisme Défense Armée Nation (CiDAN) invites to promote the devotion to collectivity as well as the relations between the civil society and the armed forces.
