thoughts after Berlin: Expectations

I am no blogger. I suppose this is not the typical first sentence you would expect to read when accessing a new blog, but there is a point here. There is an infinity of blogs out there, talking about everything from personal vanities to world politics. But sometimes I am wondering how much blogs are still about communication and exchanging views. My aim with this blog is just that: facilitate personal interchanges and perhaps contribute on a very small scale to cultural exchanges between Europe and Latin America. This blog is part of a (hopefully growing) network of blogs by young people from Europe and Latin America looking to exchange their views and trying to take as many people as possible along on the way. This is what I refer to when I say that I do not consider myself a  blogger.

This network of blogs was born at a conference on cultural diplomacy in Berlin, attended by 30 young people from 20 nations from Europe, Latin America and beyond. The conference was originally meant to familiarize the participants with cultural diplomacy, facilitate networking among ambitious young people and spark leadership initiatives (civil society projects with cultural diplomacy relevancy) of small groups. Quite a schedule for a 5-days seminar and the homepage, the application procedure as well as the invitations for the conference just boosted the expectations.

The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD) organizing these meetings first got my attention when they advertised a conference on cultural diplomacy in Berlin, involving a number of high profile speakers ranging from former heads of state and ambassadors to Havard professors. Since it would have been impossible to attend a conference on such a short notice (after all my employer wants to hear an elaborated excuse for having to ask for a week off), I decided to have a closer look at the program of the ICD. I soon found a variety of forums they organize between different regions of the world and applied for "Europe meets Latin America". I chose the forum because I speak Spanish and like Latin American literature.

But apart from that I also think that Europe is neglecting Latin America as an important region that will only grow in importance in the future. It seems like only Spain and Portugal have a perspective for ties between Europe and Latin America, most other Europeans like Latin American culture (or the cliché of salsa, fiesta and senoritas) but overlook the growing economic and political importance of the region. Just compare the international sections of El País and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and you will see what I mean.

Back to topic, what was I expecting? Well I was expecting to meet a lot of interesting people, learn about cultural diplomacy and spending some days in my former hometown Berlin. Actually this was already enough motivation for me to go there, I just can't spend enough time in Berlin. Probably the only German city I would stand living in for more than a couple of years.

I did not know what exactly to expect from the other participants. The ICD was trying to add a decidedly elitist flavour to it's program, so I was a bit afraid to find a bunch of guys and girls totally focused on brilliant future careers circling each other like predators. Fortunately I was far from right.