"People on the Move" culture conference in the Federal Foreign Office on 23 April 2009

What shape does cultural relations work abroad take in the age of globalization? The conference "People on the Move – Cultural Relations Policy in the Era of Globalization" in the Federal Foreign Office on 23 April 2009 will consider how culture and education can contribute to a sustainable, future-oriented foreign policy.

"People on the Move" – this was the title of a major culture conference in the Federal Foreign Office in October 2006 which provided the spark for a new cultural relations policy. Much has been achieved since then:

Together with its partners the Federal Foreign Office initiated a reform of the Goethe-Institut; the "Schools: Partners for the Future" initiative gained over 500 new partner schools worldwide in 2008 alone and this year will, together with the Research and Academic Relations Initiative, strengthen Germany as a science centre in the long term.

The Federal Foreign Office was also very keen to continue the process of renewal begun at the conference, with new themes on which it would cooperate both with old and new partners. For example, with the expert meetings on "KulturKlima" and "computer.spiel.kultur", and our cooperation with many partners from the creative industry, the Federal Foreign Office has reached new shores in cultural relations policy terms.

On 23 April 2009 the Federal Foreign Office wants to take up ideas initiated at the 2006 event by holding a conference "People on the Move – Cultural Relations Policy in the Era of Globalization" at the Federal Foreign Office. The Federal Foreign Office wants to look back with the other participants on an extremely intense and exciting time. And we would particularly like to discuss how we can shape cultural affairs and education in the next few years, so that they can maintain their status as core elements of German foreign policy, even in these difficult times.

• Conference topics