“PRÌNCIPI E PRINCÌPI (“PRINCES AND PRINCIPLES”) – The geopolitical system between national interests and universal values”. This is the concept of the 8th Diplomacy Festival (Rome, 19-27 October 2017), which programmes 58 events with the involvement of 70 embassies, 7 universities, international political forums and prestigious scientific partners, and envisages round tables and thematic meetings with some of the world’s topmost contemporary social and political opinion leaders.
The festival, in its ongoing 8th edition, has been awarded the medal of the President of the Republic and is held under the patronage of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation with the support of the European Commission’s Representation in Italy.
At a time in which the personality of world leaders seems to have a direct influence on diplomacy which goes beyond the classical model of concertation and negotiation – also thanks to the global spread of the use of social networks at all levels – international relations appear to have changed: is it a superficial impression or is it the sign of a crisis of the politics and values that have always characterised international relations? Or are we simply witnessing a new way of seeing citizens relate to foreign policy?
In order to put dialogue and exchange between peoples back on top of the agenda, diplomacy has organised a new forum involving diplomats, representatives of institutions, opinion leaders from the academic world and an audience of financial and business experts who will exchange opinions in the pursuit of collective instruments and new and shared ideas and values capable of overcoming the widespread hostility towards politics and of striking a correct balance between the reasons of cohabitation and integration and national interests.
Some of this year’s key topics are: Leadership and Politics; Migration, Development and Integration; Culture as an instrument to tear down walls; The Geopolitics of Resources; Defence, Security and Antiterrorism; Cybersecurity; Free Trade, Nationalisms and Protectionisms, and for the first time, a special “Focus on Asia Pacific” with a series of events dedicated to the Countries of Asia and Oceania.
The fulcrum and focus of this year’s meeting are the Rome-based universities, which are actively participating with their students to evaluate the basic principles of politics: a full-fledged investment in the future of diplomacy and international relations.
