About

The European Lithuanian Cultural Centre in Germany together with the Vytautas Magnus University (Kaunas, Lithuania) are organizing a conference on "Democracy and diaspora" on 20-22 September 2011 in Lampertheim-Hüttenfeld, Germany (close to Frankfurt/Main).

The main objective of the conference is to promote a productive and sustainable dialogue between experts and representatives of the Lithuanian, Belarusian, Moldavian and Ukrainian émigré communities concerning the effect that the diaspora has had and can have on the process of the democratisation of their homelands.

On the one hand, the project will consist of a workshop for young leaders from the Belarusian, Moldavian, Ukrainian and Lithuanian émigré communities to discuss the development of democratic and civil societies from a theoretical and practical point of view and to exchange experience gathered in the countries involved.

On the other hand it will bring together influential minds from the four émigré communities to academically analyse the past and present impact of each diaspora on the development of democratic traditions in their homelands, as well as to brainstrom with regards to measures which could be taken to facilitate these processes in the future.

It is planned that an edited English language publication with the conference proceedings and results will appear in December 2011.

The venue of the conference will be Rennhof Manor in Lampertheim-Hüttenfeld (Germany), a unique location harbouring numerous Lithuanian organizations, which has figured as the centre of Lithuanian émigré community life in Western Europe since 1953.