European Capitals of CultureΠοιειν Και Πραττειν - create and do

You are here: Home » Institution of European Capitals of Culture » ECoC related networks » University Network of European Capitals of Culture » Inclusion through Education and Culture - Pecs Conference 14 - 15 Oct 2010

Inclusion through Education and Culture - Pecs Conference 14 - 15 Oct 2010

Joint Conference of the The University Network of the European Capitals of Culture

and the Compostela Group of Universities

14-15 October 2010 at the University of Pécs

From Athens to first Budapest (1 hour) and then by car to Pecs (2 1/2 hours)

From the past

to the present - 1945 - 1956 - 1989 - 2010 with Socialism as a system which existed leaving any visitor wondering as to what has happened to those times?

Programme

Thursday 14 October 2010

Venue: Faculty of Business and Economics

12.00 – 13.00 Registration and buffet lunch

13.00 – 14.00 UNeECC General Assembly

14.00 – 14.30 Press Conference

14.30 – 15.30 Opening Ceremony

 

1. Plenary address by József Bódis, Rector of the University of Pécs (5 min.)

2. Plenary address by Mayor of the City of Pécs (5 min.)

Instead of his address, following quote is taken from the official publication called "Borderless City - European Capital of Culture - PECS 2010":

"I do not believe that there is a city that wishes to win the title of European Capital of Culture more eagerly than Pιcs, where for nearly three years this has been the most important and most hotly debated public issue. In the course of these three years the debates have gradually evolved into co-operative actions, and the present bid document is the outcome of these joint efforts, based on wide public and political consensus.

Here in Pecs we all feel that by winning the European Capital of Culture title, the cultural development process of the past four decades would achieve its main goal—during these four decades the city became one of the most important centres of Hungarian culture. We believe Pecs deserves this title and needs it, so that it can receive new impetus for development and reorganise the structure of its economy on the basis of culture, leaving behind the former phase of development characterised by mining and various branches of industry.

From a European perspective the most interesting feature of Pιcs is perhaps its political andcultural position: it is a city lying on the Balkan borders of the European Union, enjoying lively connections with neighbouring countries which may not become member states for some time. Pecs is better situated to find common ground with the people living in these states than a remote Western European city, and can therefore mediate between the cultures of the Balkans and Western Europe.

As European Capital of Culture in 2010, Pιcs will strive to represent Hungarian culture and accommodate the near-limitless diversity of European and world culture. Our city wishes to present the culture of a European borderland region, as well as demonstrate how culture may crosscut borders. This is something that can only be achieved together.

Dr. Lαszlσ Toller Mayor of Pecs

3. Plenary address by Flora Carrijn, President of UNeECC (5 min.)

4. Plenary address by Michael Cooper representing Maurits van Rooijen, President of Compostela Group of Universities (5 min.)

5. Plenary address by Csaba Ruzsa, Director of the Pécs 2010 European Capital of Culture Office (15 min.)

Csaba Rizsa, Director of the Pecs 2010 Management Centre

The regional aspect of Pecs

Construction in Pecs - urban planning and changes in urban policy

6. Plenary address by Şekib Avdagìç, Chairman of the Executive Board of the the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency (15 min.)

7. Plenary address by Maria Baumeister, Assistant to the Managing Director of the Ruhr 2010 Gmbh (15 min.)

Maria Baumeister

The cities comprising Ruhr 2010

Dynamic Ruhr 2010

Basic structure for the program for the year 2010

ECCE stands for the Creative Industries effort undertaken by Ruhr 2010

"It is the first time that creative industries have been made into an integral component of a program implemented by a European Capital of Culture" - Maria Baumeister

15.30-16.30 Plenary Session

1. Plenary address by Jean-Philippe Gammel, Education and Culture DG, European Commission (20 min.)

In his speech he outlined how the Commission is preparing the ground for how the designation of European Capital of Europe shall continue after 2020.

2. Plenary address by Mary McCarthy, Director National Sculpture Factory Cork Ireland. Former Director of Programmes Cork 2005 (20 min.)

Looking back in 2010 by Mary McCarthy

During her presentation in Pecs, October 14, 2010 at the Conference organised by the University Network of European Capitals of Culture she opened with following remark: culture is becoming a serious business, equally much more competitive and she as someone working in the cultural sector is backing off a bit.

For Cork she things the designation had come too early. Time is needed to prepare. Confidence does not come over night to handle the cultural demand upon a city once it does become a European Capital of Culture, but requires going through a process of maturation. Certainly now Cork has more self confidence.

There will be going on a look at the legacy left behind by the year 2005. Mary McCarthy feels some of the things are coming out only now. She appraises this out of a perspective on how to imagine the city coming together.

The aim was to give a validation to the culture of the city, including its artists and creative sector. She warns about putting too many expectations put upon the artists and the cultural sectors since they cannot solve everything. This includes the demand to create new jobs and to help the economy out of the severe crisis in which Ireland finds itself in now.

How to avoid mistakes:

Outstanding projects were e.g. barrel project or traditional events like the Cork Harbour Race as part of the Maritime Festival.

Attract thinkers and intellectuals e.g. John Berger to evaluate the concept of a European Capital of Culture.

Attention needs to be given to impact of various institutions such as universities in terms of

Projects with a European dimension involved further development in European translations of poetry but also to promote new technologies.

A failure in communication means not to meet expectations.

Immediate legacy has been greater confidence and therefore more public spending in cultural projects.

Longer term legacy - need to overcome the fact that people were depleted and left. How to sustain a long term programming.

European Capitals of Culture have to be looked at as a laboratory to test new ideas. In addition to fulfilling own ideas the European dimension should be celebrated in terms of cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue.

How people connect is a matter of energy and spirit and not so much a matter of buildings. How can cities become more open and tolerant to others and not just like all the other international cities.

There is a danger of EU member states to retract to their national identities.

Certainly five years on Cork has grown in confidence which comes with the recognition and needs further research to understand in which way to go in future. The European Commission needs to rethink the emphasis it gives to competition e.g. in Spain 16 cities competed for the designation to be given for 2016.

She poses the crucial question: is it becoming a branding tool to serve an image or should it rather encourage dialogue? And she reminds culture is not a commodity but a process so that care has to be taken as to how this successful project of European Capital of Culture shall develop further.

HF Pecs 14.10.2010

More information about Cork 2005 see

http://poieinkaiprattein.org/europe/european-cultural-capital-cities/thessaloniki-1997/

3. Plenary address by Mary Tupan-Wenno, President of the European Access Network (20 min.)

16.30      – 17.00 Coffee Break

17.00– 18.00 Plenary Session: Social Inclusion and ECoC programmes

-          Michael Cooper, Executive Director, European Access Network, "Attitudes and mindsets. Higher Education' s opportunity to combat social exclusion" (15+5 min.)

-          Bill Chambers represented Neil Peterson, Culture Liverpool, Liverpool: Culture Liverpool – building on the European Capital of Culture (15+5 min.)

-          Muir Houston, University of Glasgow, Glasgow: Universities and their role in combating social exclusion and poverty at regional level in Europe (15+5 min.)

-          László Komlósi, Senior Vice Rector of the University of Pécs – The Impact of Educational Policies and Internationalization on Democratic Learning Outcomes (15+5 min.)

The importance of linking the cultural with the educational environment, or what is conduicive to learning

Education as an experience but without the pain that goes with those experiences read about

Of great importance is his focus on both formal and informal levels of education

 

20.00. Gala Dinner


Some gathered to have a group photo taken

Pecs by night - things noticed when walking back to the hotel


 

 

 

 


 

Friday 15 October 2010

Morning walk to University of Pecs


Venue: Faculty of Business and Economics

9.00 – 10.45 Parallel Sessions II.

Session A:

Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion

Chaired by Michael Cooper

-          Ed Kuczaj – Jessica Carson, Corks Institute of Technology, Cork, Arts Participation and Development in a Social Context (15+5 min.)

The two work in Cork with disabled people. By introducing them into the fields of the arts they learn to recognize their own abilities while going further at times when compared to professional artists in the way they exhibit their works in many places. This effort is linked to giving them not merely a chance to express themselves but they are integrated into formal courses to give them official recognition from the side of art educational facilities.

Their network includes three other partners. Together with them they initiate campaigns to make others aware what obstacles disabled people or people with special needs face e.g. someone in a wheel chair will have difficulties getting up on pavements or into buses.

Display of some of the outstanding art works produced by people with special needs or disabilities. Jessica showed as well that they did Dada-like montages of themselves to confront the images people have of them as if monsters with one leg or no arms. In this space in-between the imaginative reaching out as sign of empathy and wild projections there conjured up many images which distort the perception of these people. Through their own artistic expressions but also campaigns they overcome some obvious forms of exclusion.

-          James Kenyon, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool: ‘Youth gangs and the value of sport in the 2008 European Capital of Culture’ (15+5 min.)

James Kenyon

His presentation was very much to the point. Not only did he differentiate between gangs and mafia like criminal organisations, but he touched upon several topics not mentioned by the Liverpool '08 report but implicitly there. For Liverpool suffered for years under a growing desparation over the increase in violence. James mentioned that armed policemen went on patrol as indication of how desparate the situation was getting. (Note: generally speaking, police in the UK do not carry any weapons.) One particular feature is that while gangs elsewhere in the UK are made up of mainly youth coming from immigrant groups (African, Carribean), in Liverpool the outstanding feature is that gang members are almost exclusively all white.

By defining the task of his research in a way he adopted a two folded strategy. For one, he outlined in his methodological approach an adoption of ethnological techniques e.g. by joining himself a sport's club. Then, he was looking at the possibilities of not solving but at least reducing the problem by examining what could motivate the youth to leave gang related activities for the sake of sport (a great number of people in Liverpool do actively participate in sports).

Obviously there is as well a discrepancy between perception whether from the outside or through the media and what is happening locally, on the ground so to speak. Since he grew up himself in such an environment, he stated openly how easily a sense of security can be sought by a youngster insofar as joining a gang provides that. Ethnologically speaking, it takes time to understand their way of showing affection to each other insofar as they curse and insult each other constantly.

-          Ádám Guld, University of Pécs, Pécs: The Media Discourse – Can Popular Culture Fight Against Poverty and Social Exclusion? (15+5 min.)

Adam Guld

-          Hatto Fischer, Poiein kai Prattein – NGO, Athens: Poverty of Experience (15+5 min.)

As the paper reflects ongoing research while attempting an epistemological clarification of the term 'experience' the departure point is

Key terms:

Cultural poverty, articulation, experience, challenge, threat

Abstract:

While the EU Commission places emphasis on concrete forms of poverty and social exclusion, one interesting thing to note is that all related problems can be read as someone lacking experience to overcome all kinds of obstacles. Unemployment can be explained through lack of education and further going qualification, but formal requirements are not enough. More and more informal aspects have to be taken into consideration e.g. whether young people learn by playing in the street or just sit behind a computer screen and therefore do not even experience discussions at home. A study about the increase of violence in London explains this that young people grow up increasingly isolated and therefore lack not only the experience of good discussions at home during dinner time, but also they lose out as a result in developing their empathy for other people. Increasingly the crisis in Greece which exploded on December 6th after a young boy of fifteen was killed after confronted by two police men has been explained by young people fed up by growing corruption in society and disbelief in official politics. Teachers lack not only the training but also the experience of dealing with children from broken homes or whose parents have divorced. Consequently it would be important for the European Commission and therefore the European Capitals of Culture to focus on ‘poverty’ meaning as well ‘poverty of experience’. Human experiences which substantiate a friendly attitude towards the world and knowledge about people would alter the horizon of young people seeking jobs but also experiences in a world which has reduced much to media spectacles and cheap forms of entertainment. The lack of articulation makes itself felt in among other indicators lack of participation in class and in the shyness young people demonstrate especially when it comes to speak in public. To what extent this is as well a problem of perception as to the challenges ahead when they are taken to be instead ‘threats’.  A threat requires quite another response while a challenge to one’s own identity through different identities of other people would be expected to be taken as a sign of a healthy society. Can that difference between a threat and a challenge be explained by a prevailing ‘poverty of experience’? An answer to that shall depart from a remarkable introduction to his epic poem ‘Judas’ by Irish poet Brendan Kennelly since his insights may explain as well that often we are not dealing with true convictions but merely prejudices.

For full paper see:

http://poieinkaiprattein.org/economy/position-papers-2/poverty-of-experience/

Group photo - an event by itself

 

 

Who can tell the difference between these two group photos? David Kenyon is in a different position and while in the first some turn their back, Gyongyi has her back to the camera in the second one.


 

Session B:

Assessment of ECoC programmes

-          Céline Blondeau, Lille Catholic University, Lille: Lille 2004: consequences and impacts (15+5 min.)

-          Daniel Paül i Agustí, University of Lleida, Lleida: Tourism, civil society and major events. How and when cultural celebrations can promote social mixture? (15+5 min.)

-          Ágnes Simon, Pécs2010 Management Centre Nonprofit Ltd., Pécs: The Pécs2010 programme in the light of the 25th anniversary of the European Capitals of Culture (15+5 min.)

-          András Trócsányi, University of Pécs, Pécs: The spatial implications of urban renewal carried out by the ECC program Pécs (15+5 min.)

-          Jörg-Ingo Weber, European Capitals of Culture – Where does the way lead us? (15+5 min.)

Session C:

ECC efforts and the University against Social Exclusion

-          Bill Chambers, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool: Liverpool Culture Campus: linking higher education and the arts (15+5 min.)

-          Ákos Tóth, Kecskemét College, Kecskemét: The impact of Human Capital on the economic performance of the cultural sector of the European Union (15+5 min.)

-          Katalin Dobrai – Ferenc Farkas, University of Pécs, Pécs: Nongovernmental Organizations for Equal Opportunities – Projects in the Framework of the European Capital of Culture (15+5 min.)

-          Åsa Bergenheim, Umeå University, Umeå: Umeå University – a power plant in the Culturized City (15+5 min.)

-          Adriana Galvani, University of Bologna, Bologna: ECoC Programme and the Combat against Poverty and Social Exclusion (15+5 min.)

10.45 – 11.15 Coffee Break

11.15 – 13.00 Parallel Sessions III.

Session A:

Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion

-          Márta B. Erdős – Éva Knyihar, University of Pécs, Pécs2010 Management Centre, Pécs: From Audience to Participants (15+5 min.)

-          Renáta Anna Dezső, University of Pécs, Pécs: Raising awareness of socially excluded groups in teacher training (15+5 min.)

-          Peter Sköld, Centre for Sami Research, Umeå University, Umeå: Sami Identity in the Cross-Fire between Politics and Culture – Representations in the Cultural Capital Process Umeå 2014 (15+5 min.)

-          Arianna Mazzeo - Andrea Solans, University of Lleida, Lleida Government, Lleida: Cities for All. Social inclusion and public space (15+5 min.)

Session B:

Assessment of ECoC programmes

-          Georg F. Simet, Neuss University for International Business, Neuss: Assessment of the European Capitals of Culture Programme of Istanbul 2010 – Mirroring the City’s Cultural Change and Diversification (15+5 min.)

Georg F. Simet

He predicted that he would not say many good things about Istanbul 2010. His basic criticism was that whenever recourse is taken to restore cultural heritage, that is things already there and acknowledged as evidence of culture, then no mistakes are made, but it distracts from both contemporary forms of the arts as much as what other multi-cultural traditions there exist in Turkey and in a city like Istanbul. Apparently only one art gallery features Turkish artists while the rest exhibit Western orientated artists.

Main conflictual lines in present politics when it comes to determining cultural policy is about cultural identities after securalization had become a key feature of Turkey as a modern state.

The implementation process should be tested against the declared purpose of a city being a European Capital of Culture.

The implementation of the program designed to suit Istanbul is accompanied by a variety of questions due to the unresolved nature of many of these conflicts. Since the program has been accompanied by controversial urban interventions, there is the issue of gentrification with poor people attacking art galleries having moved into the poor areas of the city and thereby attracting well off clients and audiences whose taste for a certain style of living and consumption of the arts is not at all compatable with the dwellers of till then neglected urban areas.

He declares himself to be very close to Turkey and Istanbul as his wife is of Turkish descent, he speaks Turkish and every bit of clothes he wears are made in Turkey.

-          Antonio Talone – Enrico Tommarchi, IUAV University of Venice: Unity in diversity in the European Capital of Culture (15+5 min.)

-          Jonas Ericson, Umeå University, Umeå: Creativity at lunchtime, inspiring with culture in a scientific environment. Culture on Campus and Culture Trade (15+5 min.)

-          Lucia Pavelescu - Andrada Ciupu, ‘Lucian Blaga’ University of Sibiu, Sibiu: Tourism in the Aftermath of Sibiu 2007: ‘City of Culture-City of Cultures’ (15+5 min.)

-            Sabina-Adina Luca – Dragoș Dragoman, ‘Lucian Blaga’ University of Sibiu, Sibiu: Sibiu – European Capital of Culture 2007. An assesment of its impact on local development and identity (15+5 min.)

 

Session C:

ECC efforts and the University against Social Exclusion

-          Witold Ostafinski, The Pontifical University of John Paul II in Cracow, Cracow: Poverty in the University and Its Effects on the Student Academic Experience (15+5 min.)

-          Balázs Németh, University of Pécs, Pécs: Fighting back Poverty and Social Exclusion with Better Adult Learning: A Challenging Work for Universities (15+5 min.)

-          Katalin Füzér, University of Pécs, Pécs: Social Urban Rehabilitation Policies and Universities: the Case of Pécs, European Capital of Culture 2010 and the University of Pécs (15+5 min.)

-          Branimir Vukorepa- Petar Filipić, University of Split, Split: Assessment of social usefulness of the program of European Capital of Culture "European Capital of Culture" - economic goals and effects of the program (15+5 min.)

13.00 – 14.00 Lunch

14.00 – 14.30 Plenary address by László Andor, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal opportunities

Laszlo Andor speaking with William Chambers and others after giving his speech.

Laszlo Andor, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal opportunities speaking at the Conference in Pecs, Nov. 15, 2010 hinted at the turmoil due to the financial crisis. A great strain is put on the social fund. To develop a strategy based on 'smart growth' for the next ten years is not easy.

Key aims are life long learning and reviving strategies to make labor more competitive while working towards sustainable development based on a green economy. Inclusion means increase in employment to 75% of those aged between 20 and 64, and to reduce those living close to risk falling into poverty by 20 millionen.

The strategy was arrived at by consultation with the EU member states. It is deemed to be enthusiatic but also realistic.

The Commission seeks to improve methods of measuring poverty and social inclusion. One top of these indicator has been the risk level to fall below 60% of the average income.

To implement this some flagship initiatives were launched among which one includes schools and informal learning while on a second level it involves university level, third improve mobility and fourth the enhance youth employment.

Youth employment strategies include education and training. At the same time life long learning opportunities have to be improved. Also the EU believes people will retire at a later or older age so that for these people things have to be provided.

All items of the unemployment / employment agenda have to take these trends into consideration.

European Platform for the Unemployed with the target to reduce the number of unemployed. Although social competence is a matter of the EU members but they agree that the EU Commission should assume a greater role.

The key financial instrument is the social fund (10% of the European budget) aimed to support European citizens. According to the Lisbon Treaty it has to satisfy European cohesion (social and territorial cohesion go here together).

Money cannot dissolve the social challenge, but also without money nothing is possible.

A specific issue is the Roma question as brought up by France. The Commissioner put together with Commissionier V. Reding a communique for the Roma to outline what actions need to be undertaken in this area. This helped to create a task force in order to examine the situation of the Roma. These efforts face really tough questions. They have to be upgraded. The question is complex and there is a need for cooperation.

To bring about real change partnership and actions are needed.

HF 15.10.2010

Else Christensen Redzepovic, Manager of the 2017 office for Sonderborg, Denmark

14.30 – 16.00 Parallel Sessions IV.

Session A:

Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion

-          Ria Vermote, University college of West Flanders, Bruges: Social Work Education and Combating  Poverty and Social Exclusion (15+5 min.)

-          Myriam Deroo, University college of West Flanders, Bruges: Combating  Poverty and Social Exclusion: “De Katrol as a good practice: research and impact” (15+5 min.)

-          Tamás Bartus, Corvinus University of Budapest, Budapest: Spatial mismatch, commuting and unemployment. Evidence from Hungary (15+5 min.)

-          Silvia Florea, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Romania : Higher Education for All: The Roma Minority and the Way from Virtual Chance to Real Access to English Studies (15+5 min.)

Session B:

Assessment of ECoC programmes

-          Zsófia Zadravecz, University of Pécs: The European Capital of Culture Programme: Strategic Weapon or a failure in the war of competition? (15+5 min.)

 

Zsofia Zadravecz

Of interest is how the marketing of a city has to be embedded in national and international strategies based on branding key issues e.g. about water. Hereby new aspects become important and has to be taken into consideration if communication as a European Capital of Culture can be considered as being successful.

Every city which has gone through the experience of having been for one year European Capital of Culture comes up with some recommendations for cities to follow suit. This ongoing endeavour to learn from one another should be linked to what contribution each city makes to the institution of European Capital of Culture.

-          Tuuli Lähdesmäki, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä: Europeanness in the making: from policy to practice (15+5 min.)

 

Tuuli Lahdesmaeki

Her research approach was praised for there is value in reading again the ECOC program and compare that how the text is interpreted by the various cities which have been designated to be for one year European Capitals of Culture.

-          Domenico Crisafulli, University of Messina, Messina: European Capital of Culture – branding and belonging strategy (15+5 min.)

-          Vladimiras Grazulis - Jelena Ostik, Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnius: Cultural tourism - the phenomena of nations approach. What makes Lithuania interesting for Europeans? (15+5 min.)

-          Anna Arvanitaki, General Secretariat for Spatial Planning and Urban Environment, Greece: Urban Development and Culture: conditions for osmoses (15+5 min.)

Anna Arvanitaki

Her presentation summed up nearly the entire conference. That was most appropriate as she was the final speaker before the conclusions. She works at the Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Climate Change in Greece and as a planner coordinates Master Plan Studies for five Greek cities: Patras, Iraklion, Volos, Larissa and Ionna. At the same time, she has been asked to advise the new Minister Tina Birbilla to advise on matters pertaining to the Master Plan of Athens. A key departure point for her reflections was what kind of messages is she getting from European Capitals of Culture. Their experiences provide interesting insights not only in how culture and economy can be combined, but also how architecture and planning follows out of the urban interventions made. She cited the Bob Palmer Report of 2004 as base line of a new way to think about not only selection and evaluation procedures but equally what will be the newest trend. The regional aspect has come to the fore, see Ruhr 2010 but also another trend, namely to show case a city means more and more urban planning is involved. As the example of Istanbul shows gentrification has by now reached the cultural sphere and here she would like to remind what Mary said from Cork, namely that artists and others are developing more and more resistance against this over commercialization of the arts and culture.

Session C:

ECC efforts and the University against Social Exclusion

-          Szabolcs Zalay, University of Pécs, Pécs: Special andragogy strategy against the poverty and the social exclusion – The application of drama pedagogy method in the cultural project managers' training (15+5 min.)

-          Eszter Sayed-Mohammed, University of Pécs, Pécs: Analysis of the Hungarian higher education system in the aspects of equal opportunities and rural development (15+5 min.)

-          Valero-Valero, Mª del Mar.  -  Lázaro-Guillamón, Universitat Jaume, Jaume:

Permanent Observatory of the Immigration: a new psychosocial approach of the cultures and the migrations (15+5 min.)

-          Xosé Antonio Neira Cruz, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela: CampUSCulturae: training in cultural diversity and minorities from the University of Santiago de Compostela (15+5 min.)

16.00 – 16.30 Coffee Break

16.30 – 17.30 Conclusions

The students reported from their workshop and refuted with a smile in their faces the claim made by William Chambers they did not overwork but underworked themselves. William Chambers added the hope that they did enjoy a bit of the night life in Pecs.

A basic idea for them is to create a newsletter while they would wish to meet more frequently rather than just once a year. Also they would like to propose one idea even if a bit crazy but it is an idea. At the next European Capital of Culture they would like to organise a student festival.

Some of the students in the audience listening to their report

William Chamber made the final resume by following points 7, 3, 9, 2, 4,11, 12, 1, 5...and what else to expect when he made an appeal that academics should be in future a bit more critical provided this is based on evidence. He felt the University Network of European Capitals of Culture had matured and moved forward. There were many excellent presentations and it was great to hear the students participate so actively.

During the entire conference there was listening this lady in the corner and she did it with grace and in silence.

Gyongyi Pozsgai

Everybody thanked especially Gyongyi Possgai for her amazing gift to make everyone feel not only welcome but as someone doing something substantial by contributing to the conference.

Reflections of this conference are not complete by all means. They are reflections of personal experiences and therefore a mere cut-out. Others who attended will have different and other stories to tell. Given the fact that most of the time was spend in the conference, there was little chance to get to know the city of Pecs. This is when a sense of a city becomes, however, crucial in order to find out what intuition can communicate in the form of messages. After Gyongyi asked whether or not I had another poem ready, this prompted this attempt to highlight through a poem what is afterall an experience when in a city. Many things happen at the same time, after all life goes on everywhere despite for the people time is special when living in a city which is for that year the European Capital of Culture. That what takes place elsewhere enters the fibres and resonates with what culture is about, namely an openness to feel for what matters to other people and what anxieties, pains but also happy moments they go through like all those families when the 33 miners were rescued. Both things close by and far away move people deeply especially in times when most of the news are painted in black or dark colours.

Experience

(dedicated to Gyongyi)

Whisper to trees they listen and bent over

till their branches sweep the streets

now empty of people to experience once more

a sky freed of smoke of battles long gone

with only cemeteries back in the woods

caughing out messages to the living or the dead.

 

Ambivalence has spread to the edges of the city

known for centuries to have been on the waiting list

for recognition by the winds and travelers

all while miners are freed finally

after two months under ground.

 

Now who ever gave up hope

for this time rescue work succeeded

as everyone believed the impossible is possible

just as cities imagine invisible love

shall return one day to warm again every corner

too long left in the shadows

of after thoughts trailing behind

a sense of fear of the very own greatness

linked to knowing that to breathe

and to be alive again

is like being washed ashore

to survive as did Odysseus

for years galore.

Hatto Fischer Pecs 15.10.2010

19.00 Closing Dinner

The closing dinner took place in a wine cellar called Pezsgohaz Restaurant. On the way there some further impressions of Pecs as a city endowed with cultural heritage and wonderful public spaces were gathered.


Down and out in Pecs 2010

Restoration of historical buildings

Front side of the Palatinus Hotel

Night scene with mosche turned into a church in reflection of diversity of religions and cultures to underline the city without borders.

Finally, the custom to put a lock onto others once fallen in love can be taken as a message to be taken from Pecs, insofar as love locks onto other loves to make the human chain become real around the globe.

Locks upon locks to symbolize people who have fallen in love

Note: for the photos of the dinner go to

http://poieinkaiprattein.org/europe/european-cultural-capital-cities/university-network-of-european-capitals-of-culture/final-dinner-in-pecs-2010/

 

Saturday 16 October 2010

10:00 – 13.00: Optional tour of Pécs

Visit at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Pécs, guided tour in the city of Pécs (by bus and on foot)

 

Follow-up:

Pecs 18.10.2010

Dear Participants of the UNeECC-Compostela Conference,
we hope you had a pleasant journey back home.

On behalf of Professor József Bódis, Rector of the University of Pécs I wish to thank you for your attendance at the 'Inclusion through Education and Culture' Joint Conference of the University Network of the European Capitals of Culture and Compostela Group of Universities, held at the University of Pécs on 14-15 October 2010.
Thank you for your commitments to making this event so successful.
We would also like to express our appreciations for the memorable presentations which will soon be available on the UNeECC website at www.uneecc.org.
We will also start collecting the articles for the Conference Proceedings in the near future.
Attached please find a photo of our conference. More conference photos will soon be placed on the UNeECC website. Should you have taken photos during the conference that you would like to share with us kindly please send them to me by email. We will most grateful for that.
Once again thank you for joining us and we sincerely hope to welcome you at the University of Pécs soon on another occasion.
Warm regards

Gyöngyi

Ms. Gyöngyi Pozsgai
Head of the International Relations Office University of Pécs, Hungary
Secretary General
University Network of the European Capitals of Culture

University of Pécs
Vasvári Pál u.4.
7622 Pécs
Hungary
Tel . 36/72/501-500/2418
www.pte.hu

University Network of the European Capitals of Culture www.uneecc.org

 

UNEECC Secretariat

 

 

University of Pécs

tel  +36 72 501 500/2418

Vasvári Pál u. 4.

fax  +36 72 501 508

H-7622 Pécs

e-mail  pozsgai.gyongyi@pte.hu

 

Hungary

web http://www.pte.hu

^ Top

« Second Annual Conference in Liverpool 16 - 17 Oct 2008 | Urban Development Planning and Culture: conditions for osmosis by Anna Arvanitaki »