Rome, 20 August (Adnkronos) – The Fifth conference of the Soft power club, the international association founded by Francesco Rutelli, will be held in Venice on Monday 26 and Tuesday 27 August. The works will see the participation and speeches of important Italian and international personalities.
The Soft Power Club brings together personalities from the five continents (representatives of the worlds of international institutions, culture, business, science) with the aim of promoting a contemporary vision of Soft Power for dialogue between Nations and peoples, in support of human development.
The Conference will take place in three Sessions, all in the Longhena Library at the Giorgio Cini Foundation, on the Island of San Giorgio. The first, Monday 26 August in the afternoon between 3 and 6 pm; the second, Tuesday morning between 11 and 12:30, the third, Tuesday afternoon, from 3 to 5 pm.
“The concept of Soft power was introduced by Joe Nye after the fall of the Soviet system and the end of the Cold War – explains Francesco Rutelli – Today we find ourselves in a season of strong oppositions without dominant hierarchies; a de-escalation of conflicts is absolutely necessary. Europe must rediscover a leading role in technological and productive innovation, and also in promoting dialogue and compromise for the resolution of ongoing conflicts”. “In Venice we will address three crucial issues: how to counter destructive online falsification and disinformation; how to address climate crises by involving populations, without deluding ourselves that impositions from above work; what is the role of Italy’s soft power at an international level”.
The first event, organized by the Institute of European Democrats (IED), will be on Monday, August 26 between 3 and 6 pm, with the support of the International Strategic Network: “The power of persuasion today, between communication, propaganda, hostile disinformation”. After the greeting by Renata Codello, Secretary General of the Giorgio Cini Foundation, the proceedings will be opened by Luigi Brugnaro, Mayor of Venice. Francesco Rutelli, President of the IED (Institute of European Democrats), will introduce the event. The opening video message will be by Joseph S. Nye, Jr., Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, permanent guest of the Soft Power Club. The proceedings will be coordinated by Ettore Sequi, President of Sorgenia and former Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The message of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, and the speech of Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary General of Unctad (United Nations for Trade and Development) are expected. Participants will include: Paolo Gentiloni, European Commissioner for Economic Affairs (with a video message); Irina Bokova, former Director General of UNESCO; Lorenzo Galanti, Director General of ICE; Amitabh Kant, Sherpa for the G20 of President Modi, CEO of the National Institution for Transforming India (Niti): Alberto Tripi, President of Almaviva, Special Advisor to Confindustria for Artificial Intelligence; Lord Charles Powell, Foreign Affairs Advisor to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher; Ana Luiza Massot Thompson-Flores, Director of the Office of UNESCO Relations. The entire session will be broadcast live on the IED social media.
The second day, Tuesday 27 August, will be divided into two sessions. The morning session, organized by IED, from 11 to 12:30, entitled “Overcoming the climate crisis is possible, only with popular consent“. The proceedings will be opened by a video message from Fatih Birol, Executive Director of IEA (International Energy Agency). The introduction will be given by Gabi Schmidt, Member of the Bavarian Parliament, Vice President of IED and Representative of the Bavarian Government for Volunteering.
After the message from Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Minister of the Environment and Energy Security, the following speakers are scheduled: His Royal Highness, Prince El Hassan bin Al Talal, whose speech will be given by the Ambassador of Jordan to Rome Qais Abu Daieh; Fatou Jeng, climate advisor to the Secretary General of the United Nations (YAG), member of the Executive Office of the Secretary General of the United Nations; Carlo Ratti, architect, Curator of the XIX Venice Architecture Biennale and professor of Urban Studies at the Polytechnic of Milan. The works will be coordinated by Barbara Quacquarelli, professor at Bicocca in Milan and Director of Mit Sloan Management Review Italy. In closing, a video message from Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association (MPA) of Hollywood-Washington DC, on the theme “Can cinema and audiovisual storytelling change the global public’s approach to the climate crisis?”. The morning session of the 27th will also be visible in live streaming on IED social media.
The third session, on the afternoon of Tuesday 27 August, from 3 to 5 pm, will be an opportunity to present the project “Connessioni Culturali”, with its pioneering approach in uniting cultural heritage and digital innovation, and will be on the theme “Italian culture and cultural industries: Soft power in world history and the contemporary world”. Welcome address by Simone Venturini, Councillor of the Municipality of Venice for Social Cohesion, Tourism and Economic Development. The introduction will be entrusted to Francesco Rutelli, President of the Soft Power Club. Coordinators Luigi Gianniti, Head of the Research Department of the Senate of the Republic, and the journalist Paola Pica. Speeches by the Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano and the Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso.
After the video message from the Undersecretary to the Presidency of the Council Alessio Butti, the following speeches are planned: Federico Mollicone, President of the Culture Commission of the Chamber; Tiziana Lippiello, Rector of the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, General Coordinator of the National Commission for the celebrations of the 700th anniversary of the death of Marco Polo; Alberta Figari, President of Tim; Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, President of the Venice Biennale; Alessandro Giuli, President of the MAXXI Foundation; Giordano Bruno Guerri, President of the Vittoriale degli italiani Foundation; Andrea Giordano, Director of the Department of Civil, Environmental and Building Engineering of the University of Padua; Gennaro Coppola, CEO One more pictures. The session will be available in live streaming on the website www.softpowerclub.org
