PROVISIONAL PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS FOR INTERDEPENDE DAY VII
INSTANBUL, SEPTEMBER 10-12, 2008
Delegates and guests to the Seventh Interdependence Global Forum and Conference in Istanbul will be staying at the historic Armada Hotel on the Bosphorus and The Kalyon hotel, a splendid modern hotel just next door. Both hotels face the Marmara Sea, just under the shadow of the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul's historic old city. Our preliminary itinerary will include these highlights:
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 10TH
Our Interdependence events open at prestigious Koç University in the wooded hills overlooking the Black Sea on the outskirts of Istanbul. We commence with opening keynotes introducing the morning's focus on women, development and Islam. As throughout our program, these morning panels will be paired to maximize participation and engagement. With two panels-one on women and international development and the other on women, Islam and development-at the end of the 90 minute session, we will reconvene in a plenary to conclude discussions together. Following a lunch break, which will include a keynote introduction on issues of economic development, climate change and Interdependence, we will group for a pair of panels on new approaches to economic development and on the collision of economic growth and environmentalism. Our final afternoon session will re-introduce the focus on Turkey with a broad discussion of Turkey's emerging role as an open, democratic society and regional power broker. Our second Youth Summit of young interdependents from across the globe will join us at Koç to provide a stimulating, relevant contribution to our work, and assure a vital role for young people in the Interdependence Movement. The first day will conclude with an evening meal and traditional Turkish concert and entertainment provided by Koç University and in collaboration with Maestro Cem Mansur.
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 11TH
Our second day will begin dockside at the Rahmi M. Koç Museum, the first major museum in Turkey dedicated to the history of transport, industry and communications. Housed in magnificent buildings-themselves prime examples of industrial archaeology-on the shore of the historic Golden Horn, the collection contains thousands of items from gramophone needles to a full size submarine and aircraft.
Our morning panels will focus on new technologies, global cities and democratic governance as roads for Interdependence. After the morning sessions, delegates will be welcome to tour the excellent special exhibition of miniatures by artist Henry Kupjack as well as the museum's impressive collections (classic cars etc.). We will then return to our hotels from which it is an easy walk to the Hagia Sopia, the Blue Mosque and the Sultanahmet neighborhood. Following an informal lunch in and tour of the heart of historic Istanbul we will reconvene during the mid-afternoon in the spectacular Fourth Century Saint Irene Church next to the Hagia Sophia where we will conduct paired panels on culture, the arts and Interdependence with input from the Istanbul Biennial, the British Council and Turkish arts and cultural organizations.
We will welcome in the evening with a buffet supper in the palace grounds followed by our concert that has become a highlight of Interdependence Day and which will be held this year in the candlelit Saint Irene Church.
This is our memorial concert and performance forum where artists from Turkey and around the world will perform, actors and poets will speak and religious and civic leaders will address issues of global justice. A highlight will be exerpts from a special opera composed by Daniel Nazareth and performed by the Turkish State Opera and Chorus about Leonardo DaVinci and his negotiations with the Sultan in 1502 to build a bridge across the Bosphorous.
SATURDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER
Interdependence Day, itself, will begin at Bahçe?ehir University on their beautiful Bosphorous riverside campus. We will open with a keynote and then a pair of panels and conclude with a plenary session, all focused on the question of the prospects for democracy in the Middle East with specific emphasis on Turkey's role. Following President Obama's Istanbul and Cairo speeches, the recent elections in Lebanon and Iran as well as developments in Syria, Iraq and Palestine have highlighted the new and controversial role of democracy in the region, as well as Turkey's special contribution.
Following an early lunch on the roof terrace at Bahçe?ehir University, we will make the short journey up the hill to the famous Taksim Square and Cemal Re?it Rey Hall, Istanbul's premiere modern concert palace. With up to 900 hundred local supporters, and our international delegates, our three hour Interdependence Ceremony will include a plenary roundtable representing all panel members and members of the Youth Summit; the awarding of the Interdependence prize; keynote addresses from distinguished Turkish and international leaders; a brief musical performance; comments from the organizers of Interdependence Day Eight in Berlin 2010; and a formal signing of The Declaration of Interdependence by all present and the playing of the Interdependence Choral. At the generous invitation of Turkish Airlines the evening and the Seventh Interdependence Day Forum and Celebration will conclude with a memorable evening banquet aboard a river cruise liner on the Bosphorous.
PROVISIONAL PROGRAM OF PANELS: INTERDEPENDENCE DAY
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10th
Koç University
Welcome, Introduction and Opening Keynote 1
Parallel Panel A: WOMEN, ISLAM AND INTERDEPENDENCE
Parallel Panel B: WOMEN, DEVELOPMENT AND INTERDEPENDENCE
Lunch and Keynote 2
Parallel Panel C: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: NEW APPROACHES (microcredit, remittances)
PLENARY SESSION
Parallel Panel D: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Plenary Panel: TURKEY, DEMOCRACY AND INTERDEPENDENCE "Open Society or 'Valley of the Wolves;"
Keynote 3
Concert including Keynote 4
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11th
AM: Rahmi M. Koç Museum:
Introduction/Keynote 5: NEW TECHNOLOGY, GLOBAL CITIES AND
GOVERNANCE
Parallel Panel E: NEW DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AS
A ROAD TO INTERDEPENDENCE
Parallel Panel F: GLOBAL CITIES AND NETWORKING AS A ROAD TO INTERDEPENDENCE
PM: Saint Irene Church:
Parallel Panel G: THE ART OF PUBLIC SPACE - THE CULTURE OF CITIES
Parallel Panel H: THE ARTS AND CULTURAL DIPLOMACY: THE CULTURE OF STATES
Memorial Concert: (including Keynotes 6 and 7 and Remarks)
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12th:
INTERDEPENDENCE DAY
AM: Bahçesehir University:
Introduction and Keynote 8: Democracy: Turkey, the Middle East and the West
Plenary Panel: PROSPECTS FOR MIDDLE EASTERN DEMOCRACY
PM: Cemal Resit Rey Hall Concert Hall:
INTERDEPENDENCE DAY FORUM AND CELEBRATION:
Keynote 9
Plenary Roundtable
Keynote 10
Musical Interlude
Interdependence Prize
Concluding Keynote 11
Signing of Declaration of Interdependence
Interdependence Chorale
