What is the impact of Covid-19 on the European cultural relations sector? In this online debate, the findings of the EUNIC survey report were discussed and ideas on how to move forward exchanged. Questions included: How can we ensure that, after this crisis, cultural relations continue to build trust and understanding between the people of Europe and the wider world? How to do inclusive digital cultural relations? And how to strengthen advocacy for cultural relations when EU foreign policy seems to heavily focus on defence and security policy?
Speakers of this debate held on 15 July 2020 included Oliver Rentschler, Director Inter-institutional Relations, Policy Coordination and Public Diplomacy, EEAS; Henriette Geiger, Director People and Peace, DG DEVCO, European Commission; Tamás Szűcs, Director Culture and Creativity, DG EAC, European Commission; Natasha Ginwala, Artistic Director Colomboscope Festival in Sri Lanka; Lyubov Kostova, EUNIC representative in Bulgaria; Ulf Hausbrandt, EUNIC representative based in Ukraine; Sebastian Körber, Deputy Head of ifa (Institute for Cultural Relations, Germany); Randa Hamid, Project Coordinator “Sudan and Europe – Creative Connections” as well as Roberto Vellano, President of EUNIC.
