The Foundation for Social Promotion of Culture (FPSC), on the occasion of its 25th anniversary, organized a memorial concert in Madrid performed by the chamber choir group “Favola in Musica” and the International Seminar: “25 Years of International Cooperation: Past achievements and future prospects,” on the 28th and 29th of May in the “Music Box” auditorium of CENTROCENTRO, Cybele of Culture and Citizenship.
For the framework of this seminar, they considered key actors of Spanish cooperation in these 25 years: government authorities (state, regional and local), representatives of both Spanish and foreign NGOs (Lebanon, Palestine, etc.) and representatives of international institutions of civil society.
The H. E. Ms. Ana Botella, Mayor of Madrid, was responsible for closing the seminar.
Also in attendance in their respective conferences were the H. E. Mr. Jesús Manuel Gracia, Secretary of State for International Cooperation and Latin America, and the H. E. Mr. Riad Malki, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Palestine, at a panel chaired by Ms. Pilar Lara, President of the Foundation for Social Promotion of Culture.
After words of welcome offered by Ms. Mónica Bohigues, Secretary General of the Foundation for Social Promotion of Culture, and by Mr. Juan López-Dóriga, Director of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation, the first table “Experience 25 years of development cooperation,” took place, in which Mr. Fernando Villalonga, Deputy Government Department of Arts of the City of Madrid and former Secretary of State for International Cooperation and Latin America during the period 1996-2000, Mr. Juan Pablo de Laiglesia, who was Permanent Representative of Spain to the United Nations, Secretary General of the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation (2004-2008) and Director of the Spanish Agency for International Development (2008-2009), and Mr. Rafael Rodríguez-Ponga, Secretary General of the Instituto Cervantes, and former Secretary General of the Spanish International Cooperation Agency during 2001-2004. The panel was moderated by Ms. Concepción Dancausa, Delegate of the Government Department of Finance and Public Administration of the City of Madrid, and by Ms. Mónica Bohigues.
In the second table “Achievements of 25 years of development cooperation,” moderated by Ms Bárbara Drake, an international consultant in Development Cooperation, involved Ms. Mercedes Babé, representing Mr. Juan Manuel Suárez del Toro, President of the Spanish Red Cross, Mr. Yussef El Khalil, Director of financial operations of the Central Bank of Lebanon and President of Association for the Development of Rural Capacities (Lebanon), Mr. Fady Moujaes, Director General of Arcenciel (Lebanon), Ms. Cecilia Carballo, a member of the Governing Board of the Coordinator of Development NGOs from Spain, Ms. Iliana Olivié, Principal Investigator and International Cooperation Development of the Real Instituto Elcano, and Ms. Consuelo López-Zuriaga, Head of Institutional Relations Intermón-Oxfam.
The third table “Future perspectives of international cooperation” was attended by Mr. Alberto Virella, Director of Cooperation with Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe by the Spanish Agency for International Development and Mr. Javier Goizueta, CEO of Volunteering and Development Cooperation of the Community of Madrid, and was moderated by Ms. Rosario Martín Cabiedes, President of the Governing Council of Europa Press.
In the closing ceremony, along with the H. E. Ms. Ana Botella, Mayor of Madrid, participated Mr. Carlos Izquierdo, Deputy Minister for Immigration, Volunteer and Development Cooperation of the Community of Madrid, Ms. Concepción Dancausa, Ms. Pilar Lara and Ms. Mónica Bohigues.