Cultural Diplomacy via Cultural Understanding

By Prof. Talha Köse (Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science and International Relations, İstanbul Şehir University; Turkey)

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The main objective of conflict resolution is not to have negative peace, but positive peace. Positive peace means strengthening cultural and economic ties, emphasizing further cultural understanding, and developing a common language of understanding. I think the only way we can reach positive peace is by strengthening cultural understanding, not just at the leadership level, but also at the grassroots level, which can be done through films and cultural projects.

- The Ankara Conference on Peace-building & Reconciliation; Ankara, Turkey, April 2012