Red Española de Itinerarios Culturales

ACABA DE LLEGAR EL BORRADOR DEL PROGRAMA DEL 2º FORO CONSULTIVO DE LOS ITINERARIOS CULTURALES (AL AMPARO DEL ACUERDO PARCIAL AMPLIADO DE LOS ITINERARIOS).

Recordar que el día 21 de noviembre, un día antes del Foro, tendrán lugar en la sede del Consejo de Europa de Estrasburgo los actos de conmemoración del 25º Aniversario del Programa de los Itinerarios Culturales.

Council of Europe Cultural Routes Annual Advisory Forum, 22-23 November 2012, Colmar (France)

(Draft programme)

Thursday 22 November

8:30-9:30 am:                Reception and registration of participants

9:30-10:30 am:              Welcome speeches by:

-           a representative of the French Government (Ministry of Culture/Tourism)

-           the President of the Conseil Général of the Upper Rhine, Charles            Buttner

-            the President of the Minsiters’ Deputies (Permanent Representative of Andorra to the Council of Europe)

-           the President of the EPA Governing Board, Elke Atzler (Autriche)

10:30-11 am:                 Progress with the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes (Presentation by the Executive Secretary of the state of play and the activity programme for 2013 and ongoing action)

Discussion

11:30 am -12:30 pm:      Results of the Council of Europe/European Commission Joint Programme 2011-2013 (Presentation by a representative of the European Commission and experts)

                                    Discussion

Buffet lunch on the theme of “Produce of the mountains” proposed by the hosts at the Conference Centre

2:30-3:30 pm:               Presentation of new route projects:

-                     “On the traces of the Habsburgs”

-                     The bicycle trail along the Iron Curtain

-                     …

-                     …

3:30-6 pm:              Thematic workshops

1.      “International cooperation”. Several organisations are working in the sector of cultural heritage, whether through certification programmes of tangible and intangible heritage, the elaboration of standards and guidelines for cultural cooperation or the promotion and development of sustainable cultural tourism. All work with the objective of fostering cultural exchanges and access to culture for all. Potential areas of collaboration arise in very concrete ways in the field, where the representatives of these organisations meet regularly. Their Statutory texts often refer to the other relevant initiatives and organisations. This session will allow the representatives of the UNWTO, Unesco, the European Union and the OECD to discuss these points of intersection and possible synergies.

2.      “Values and governance”.  The governance of the Council of Europe’s cultural routes networks is a fundamental issue. A proposal for a membership charter was presented at the cultural routes Summer seminar from 3 to 7 September and was the subject of lively debate. Further exploration of the idea of a charter to establish a framework for cooperation, some elements of deontology and commitments to be undertaken by the partners of the routes networks, which could allow the routes to ensure direct representation in the decision-making  bodies of the programme, is still required. This work is carried out in the framework of the Joint Programme between the Council of Europe and the European Commission and could be the subject of a resolution adopted at the Forum.  

Evening at the invitation of the Upper Rhine Tourism Board at the Church of Guebwiller for all participants (transport by coach)

Friday 23 November

9h-11h:         Thematic workshops

3.      “The cultural route of the future”. This theme will give broad scope for discussion on the following subjects: the future goals of the routes (geographical coverage, new themes, sustainable tourism, etc.); the “form” that the route of the future will take in the context of rapid development of new technologies; the educational role of the cultural routes in learning citizenship (cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue, social cohesion, respect for the environment…).

4.      « The role of cultural routes in regional development ». This theme will focus on good practices in regional development, on the basis of examples of partnerships with regional autorities in the sustainable management of cultural routes, with the aim of demonstrating the value of including routes in broader development projects or to launch inter-regional projects built around a cultural route. Two representatives of European regions will be invited to present their development programmes in which cultural routes are a central feature.

11:30 am -1 pm:           

In plenary: reports from the thematic workshops and discussion of the resultats follow-up.

In parallel: information session on the cultural routes programme and the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes for candidates for certification and representatives of countries not yet members of the EPA.

In parallel: meeting of academic partners, discussion of a study programme on cultural routes and of the draft handbook on Council of Europe cultural routes management.

In parallel: networking meetings between the routes and other stakeholders (tourism professionals, journalists)

Buffet lunch on the theme of “Christmas in Alsace” proposed by the hosts at the Conference Centre

2:30 pm -4 pm: Conclusions, adoption of resolutions by the cultural routes to be submitted to the Governing Board and to member states.