Invitation
The Danish National Commission for UNESCO hereby has the pleasure of inviting you to a conference on
Social Media and Global Culture
Do social media enhance cultural diversity?
How do social media affect activism for democracy
and empower citizenship in the world today?
Invited speakers will address the issue of social media in a global perspective focussing on technology, activism, journalism and media, and the promotion of cultural diversity.
Key note speakers are Namibian born and former CEO of MXit Herman Heunis who is the founder of a free online mobile instant messenger and social network providing civic-minded services, Egyptian journalist and blogger Nora Younis who is actively engaged in the fight for democracy and human rights in the Middle East and Ghadi Sary, BBC journalist in Lebanon.
Furthermore questions of how technology affects the creation, production and not least dissemination and enjoyment of cultural diversity will be touched upon. As will the role of social media as promoting or preventing cultural diversity, social media as a culture and form of social communication in itself, and the possibilities of social media to enhance the overall goals of UNESCO.
The point of departure will be the following motions:
Social media promote cultural diversity, active citizenship
and democracy in the world of today.
In a global light, do the new social media bring hope or are they a threat?
Four highly respected Danish opinion formers will address the motions with arguments for and against and the audience will be encouraged to take an active part in the debate.
The conference will take place on Wednesday 2 May 2012 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. in Filmhuset,
Gothersgade 55, 1123 Copenhagen K.
Please register no later than Wednesday 25 April 2012 via this link:
http://www.service.uvm.dk/tilmelding/unesco02052012.nsf/doc?openform
The event can accommodate around 100 participants and seating will be distributed following the principle of “early bird catches the worm”.
Program
UNESCO – conference
“Social Media and Global Culture”
Wednesday, 2 May 2012, 10.00 – 16.00
At The Danish Film Institute, Gothersgade 55, 1123 København K.
09.30 – 10.00
Arrival (coffee & tea)
10.00 – 12.30
Welcome
Linda Nielsen, President of the Danish National Commission for UNESCO
Henrik Bo Nielsen, Director of The Danish Film Institute
10.15 – 10.45
”Social networks with a social conscience”
Herman Heunis, Former CEO of MXit
10.45 – 11.15
”The role of social networks and media for democracy and human rights”
Nora Younis, Website Managing Editor
11.15 – 11.30
Coffee break
11.30 – 12.30
Debate
Moderator: Linda Nielsen, President of the Danish National Commission for UNESCO
12.30 – 13.30
Lunch and coffee
13.30 – 14.00
”Citizen’s reporting”
Ghadi Sary, BBC journalist in Libanon
14.00 – 16.00
Are social media diversity enhancing?
Bo Lidegaard, Chief Editor of Politiken
Trine Pertou Mach, Chair of ActionAid Denmark
Helle Thusing, Radio Producer at Radio 100
Stine Krøijer, Anthropologist
Debate and conclusions
Moderator: Jakob Gottschau, film producer
The presentations will be in English in the morning and in Danish in the afternoon.