Il Seminario

Panoramica

Il Seminario, dedicato esclusivamente agli young change-maker, offre conferenze di esperti, workshop partecipativi, sessioni di brainstorming, gruppi di lavoro e attività culturali. Si articola intorno a tre principali filoni tematici:

1. Geopolitica e leadership;
2. Good governance, policy making e cittadinanza;
3. Narrazioni culturali.

I gruppi di lavoro, una parte importante della peculiare metodologia del Summit, sono guidati da un team di esperti della regione, con esperienza in diversi settori. Accompagnano i partecipanti in un processo di facilitazione ideato per creare uno spazio sicuro e favorire un dialogo aperto, per portare le discussioni a un livello profondo e per individuare le idee da elaborare durante il Summit e oltre.

Questo anno il Seminario si terrà dal 4 al 8 novembre.

“For me, it was an opportunity to finally meet people with whom I can’t usually connect, from countries often portrayed as enemies; learn first-hand about complex regional political dynamics and gain a wider perspective on my very own “neighborhood”.”

Inbal, Israel

“I met amazing people, incredible expertises, tireless workers, unforgettable lifelong friends! After so much grieving, life always finds its way back!”

Marta, Italy

"A change-maker is someone who wills to accept untraditional and unorthodox ways to see problems and to adopt a holistic approach, also sacrificing the individual level."

Majd, Palestinian Territories

"We are the future because the youth make 60% of the MENA population and are a great potential for change."

Hatim, Morocco

"A change-maker is being a good citizen and a good servant to your community."

Khadija, Morocco

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Programma

Puoi scaricare il programma del Seminario qui, leggere maggiori dettagli sulla proiezione del film “Retour en Alexandrie”:

Programma Seminario

Film screening - "Retour en Alexandrie"

Relatori

Giovanni Zavaritt (1979) holds a PhD in Political Communication and an Executive Master of Science in Communications Management. He was (2015-2019) Head of Communication at USI, were now is General secretary. Since 2015 he is member of the Board of the Science et Cité foundation.

Dr. Francesco Mazzucotelli is a lecturer at the University of Pavia, Italy, where he is teaching History of Turkey and the Middle East. He is also teaching in the Master in Middle Eastern Studies at the Catholic University in Milan, Italy. His research is mainly focused on sectarianism and national identities in the post-Ottoman space, and the transformation of urban spaces in the Middle East, with a particular focus on Lebanon. He is the co-author of Guida alla politica mediorientale (Milano: Mondadori, 2021), an introduction to the history of political thought in the Middle East during the twentieth century.

Ambassador Wolfgang Amadeus Brülhart serves as Swiss Special Envoy MENA since February 2022. Previously, he was Head of the Swiss Mission to the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Vienna. From 2012 until 2019, he was Assistant State Secretary and Director of the Middle East and North Africa Division (with the title of ambassador) at the Swiss Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Berne (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA in Bern). Between 2008 and 2012, he served as Swiss Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, and from 2003 until 2007 he was Head of the Human Rights Policy Section and Head of the Task Force “Human Rights Council” at the Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs in Berne.

Ambassador Brülhart was always committed to culture and its role in peace processes, as his assignments as Cultural Counsellor at the Swiss Embassies in London (1999-2002) and Sarajevo (1996-1998) testify. At the beginning of his career, he worked as Private Secretary to the former Swiss President, Swiss Minister of Foreign and former Swiss Minister of Home Affairs, Flavio Cotti, and served as Head of Studies and Planning for the General Secretariat of the Christian Democratic Party of Switzerland.

Ambassador Brülhart attended “Mediation and Negotiation Courses” at the UN and at the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2016, he was facilitator, during a 14-months negotiations period, between US and Iran on the exchange of prisoners, and in the same year he was recipient of the “Honorary Heart of Sarajevo Award” from the Sarajevo Film Festival, for his “cultural achievements in 1996-1998” in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Ladina Lange has been working as an Advisor to the Swiss Special Envoy MENA at the FDFA since May 2023. Additionally, she works on the desk for Israel/Palestine at the Peace and Human Rights Division (PHRD) in Berne. Previously, she served as a Diplomatic Advisor at the Embassy of Switzerland to the UAE and Bahrain, covering human rights and regional politics. Prior, she gained experience in diplomatic dialogue initiatives, working as a Research Assistant for the Diplomatic Dialogue at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP).

She has an academic background in Middle Eastern studies and linguistics and is interested in political group formation and language diversity.

Tugela Pepin is a leading expert in hostage diplomacy and political detention, with deep expertise in the MENA and Central Asia regions. Currently an international security researcher within the crisis response team for a leading global risk consultancy, Tugela advises on geopolitical and extortive risks, analyses global security threats and investigates cases of kidnap-for-ransom and high-stakes detentions with a focus on cases in the Middle East. Formerly the Director of Operations at the Cambridge Middle East and North Africa Forum, Tugela has designed and led a range of initiatives on regional security and cross-cultural collaboration in the MENA region. She is an advocate for women’s rights, and represented the UK as a UN Women UK delegate in the UN’s 68th Commission on the Status of Women. Her work on women’s rights issues in Afghanistan and Sudan, as well as her analysis on wider geopolitical and security topics in the Middle East, have been published in a range of journals. Alongside her work, she volunteers as a programme consultant for various charities and initiatives developing programmes supporting youth and women.

Adnan Tabatabai is co-founder and CEO of the Germany-based Middle East think tank CARPO – Center for Applied Research in Partnership with the Orient. He obtained his MSc. Middle East Politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies / University of London. As an Iran analyst Tabatabai is consulted by European policymakers and businesses on Iran related affairs. Through his work at CARPO, Tabatabai has designed and facilitated track 2 and civil-society dialogue formats between Iran and Saudi Arabia since 2015. He is furthermore involved in a variety of projects at CARPO on regional security in the Persian Gulf region. Tabatabai is author of the book “Morgen in Iran” (Oct. 2016, Edition Körber-Stiftung). He is regularly featured in international media with commentary and analysis on developments in Iran and the Middle East.

Seraina Eldada supports dialogue processes among Track 1 and Track 2 actors. Her work includes project design, planning and coordination, monitoring and evaluation activities, research, analysis and conceptualisation of new avenues of work in various fragile and conflict-affected settings. Her main geographical areas of focus are the Middle East, North Africa and Eurasia. Seraina has a background in field-based humanitarian operations and advocacy in the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, South America and Europe. Previous thematic areas of focus include frontline access negotiations, operational strategy, migration, counterterrorism and criminalisation of humanitarian actors, acute health crises, and health and medical needs in armed conflict settings. Before joining the GCSP in 2020, Seraina worked for Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) as a Humanitarian Affairs Officer and a Cultural Mediator. She was deployed to Search and Rescue in the Central Mediterranean off the coast of Libya, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, and remote work from Dakar, Senegal on Borno State, Nigeria. Seraina is fluent in English, French, German, Arabic and Spanish, with basic knowledge of Russian, Hebrew and Italian. She holds an MA and a BA in International Security and Diplomacy with a focus on the Middle East from Sciences Po, and a BA in Political Science and Human Rights from Columbia University.

Jean-Louis Romanet Perroux is a researcher and advisor on international cooperation and development, and the director of the North African Policy Initiative, an NGO that focuses on improving participatory governance and building the capacity of youth in North Africa. He has over 20 years of hands-on experience in program design and implementation, in training and coaching students and activists, and in conducting action-oriented research and strategic evaluations in the fields of civil society, youth empowerment, local governance, corruption, human trafficking and smuggling, migration, and the prevention of violent extremism. He has obtained a Bachelor in Aeronautical Engineering from the Italian Air Force Academy, a master’s in political science from the University of Trieste and a master and a PhD in International Relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University.

Elias Tamer is the Co-Founder of CAL and an architect based between London and Beirut, specializing in conceptual strategies and design. A graduate of the Architectural Association School in London, he actively works on strategy and ideation for major urban projects developments in the Middle East, with a particular focus on Saudi Arabia. His contributions include strategic planning for NEOM and other visionary developments. Elias’s expertise lies in blending visionary design with forward-thinking solutions. In addition, he is a partner at ATMA Architects, where he continues to lead high-profile projects. His previous experience includes working at renowned firms such as Heatherwick Studio in London, Michaelis Boyd, and Bjark Ingels Group (BIG) in New York, enriching his global architectural perspective.

Lynn Chamoun is an interior designer turned jewelry designer who studied in Florence, Italy. After gaining experience in Lebanon’s design field, Lynn founded her fine jewelry brand Lynsh, which is produced in Lebanon and sold globally. Her work bridges the gap between traditional craftsmanship and modern aesthetics, creating pieces that reflect her deep understanding of form, texture, and materials. Lynn’s background in interior design informs her approach to jewelry-making, emphasizing detail and harmony. The brand is known for its minimalist yet expressive designs, appealing to a wide audience looking for both elegance and authenticity. Lynn’s entrepreneurial spirit and creative vision have driven the success of her brand, positioning Lynsh as a key player in the Lebanese and international jewelry markets.

Scott G. Nelson , Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Virginia Tech, specializing in international relations, international political economy, political philosophy and political theory. With a Ph.D. in political science from Arizona State University, his research spans sovereignty, ethics, liberalism, and global economic issues. He has published works including Sovereignty and the Limits of the Liberal Imagination and The Ashgate Research Companion to Modern Theory, Modern Power, World Politics: Critical Investigations. Dr. Nelson is recognized for his teaching excellence and has held notable roles, such as Director of Graduate Studies at Virginia Tech and Seaker Chan Fellow at Fudan University in Shanghai. His dedication to education earned him the 2000 Department of Political Science Outstanding Teaching Recognition Award at Virginia Tech.

Philippe Stoll is currently the Senior Techplomacy Delegate at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). His work is at the intersection between governments, the academic, the humanitarian and the private sector with the objective to better protect people affected by armed conflicts from the impact of cyber warfare, digital surveillance, online hate speech or autonomous weapon systems. Passionate with making these issues more concrete, he created the Digital Dilemmas immersive experience and co-produced an online course Humanitarian Action in the Digital Space. In October 2024, he co-created the installation Deepfake and You, presented at the UN headquarters in New York. In his 21 years of career at the ICRC, Philippe has managed strategic and public communications at Headquarters, and was based in Sierra Leone, Israel and the Occupied Territories, India, and conducted field missions in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Lebanon, Ethiopia and recently in Ukraine.

Federica Frediani is a lecturer at the Università della Svizzera italiana. She is a member of the Project Committee and the Project Leader for the Middle East Mediterranean Summit. Dr. Frediani earned her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the Università di Siena.

Her research primarily explores representations, narratives, cultural productions, and the political and intercultural dynamics of the Middle East Mediterranean region. She has published various books and articles, with a particular focus on women’s travel literature and the cultural and political relationships between the northern and southern shores of the Mediterranean.

Cyrus Schayegh (PhD, Columbia University, 2004) has been Professor of International History at the Geneva Graduate Institute (IHEID) since 2017. Before, he was Associate and Assistant Professor at Princeton University (2008-2017) and Assistant Professor at the American University of Beirut (2005-2008). His recent works include The Middle East and the Making of the Modern World (Harvard UP, 2017), a monograph; Globalizing the U.S. Presidency: Postcolonial Views of John F. Kennedy (Bloomsbury, 2020), an edited volume; and a collection of translated primary sources (Wilson Center Digital Archive, 2023) : https://digitalarchive.wilsoncenter.org/essays/international-dimensions-decolonization-middle-east-and-north-africa-primary-source. Presently, he is writing an Introduction to, and editing two volumes on, transimperial history; and preparing a second primary source collection, Global Histories of the Twentieth-Century Middle East and North Africa.

Antoine Laham is the President of Fondation Orient-Mont Pèlerin (FOMP) and he is an Associate Fellow of the Geneva Center for Security Policy (GCSP).

Until his retirement in December 2023, Antoine Laham was Deputy Swiss Special Envoy for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). Previously, he worked in the capacity of Senior Political Advisor, at the Office of the UN Special Envoy for Syria from 2012 to 2023. From 2008 to 2011, Antoine was the first Country Director – Lebanon for the Geneva Center for Security Sector Governance (DCAF). In the latter capacity, he was associated as Senior Advisor to the joint Berghof Foundation / UNDP Lebanon – Peace Support Office on Consensus Building, Constitutional Empowerment and Civil Peace.

Antoine Laham provided relevant expertise in the field of security & defense policy development, Lebanese national dialogue and peace processes. From 2007 to 2011, he contributed to the set-up and organization of the Inter-Lebanese Dialogue that took place in Switzerland and Lebanon. From 1999 to 2003, Antoine was appointed as Regional Administration East-Kosovo at the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) entrusted the implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999). From 1996 to 1998, Antoine Laham was appointed Deputy Director for Human Rights and Democratization with the OSCE Mission in Bosnia & Herzegovina tasked with the implementation of the Dayton Agreement.

Antoine Laham holds a Diplôme d’études supérieures (DES) in Finances, a Master degree in Economics, a Bachelor degree in Sociology; a Diploma in Public Relations; and a Diploma in New Public Management from Geneva University. He has published a number of studies covering the domain of Human Rights, Democratization, Governance and Decentralization in the frame of his work with the Lebanese Foundation for Permanent Civil Peace (LFPCP), DCAF and the Common Space Initiative for Shared Knowledge & Consensus Building.

Mae Anna Chokr focuses on Middle East politics with experience in the fields of dialogue and mediation. She was most recently part of the mediation support team at the Center for Security Studies ETH Zurich. Mae holds a Ph.D. in Politics from the University of Westminster in London. Her thesis titled ‘Tribes, Memory and Politics in Mesopotamia’ explores themes of identity, tribal heritage, and collective solidarities in Iraq as elements shaping the country’s political culture. She has taught courses on Humanitarian Intervention and Middle East Politics in London. Mae has also previously worked as a researcher at the Middle East Institute (MEI) in Washington D.C., and in different Ministries in Beirut, Lebanon.

Geir O. Pedersen became UN Special Envoy for Syria in January 2019, as appointed by Secretary-General Guterres. He previously served the United Nations in various roles, including as Special Coordinator for Lebanon (2007 to 2008), Personal Representative of the Secretary-General for Southern Lebanon (2005 to 2007), and Director of the Asia and Pacific Division in the Department of Political Affairs.

In his national capacity, Mr Pedersen most recently served as Norway’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China (2017 to 2018) and as Permanent Representative to the United Nations (2012 to 2017). Between 1998 and 2003, He served as Norway’s Representative to the Palestinian Authority and previously was the Chief of Staff for the Foreign Minister. In 1993, he was a member of Norway’s team to the Oslo negotiations that led to the signing of the Declaration of Principles.

Sina Winkel has been working as a project manager for the Center for Applied Research in Partnership with the Orient (CARPO) since November 2019, focusing on the intersection of environmental and health issues. In her role, she conducts research at this intersection and facilitates dialogues in the region, particularly on environmental cooperation. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geography (B.Sc.) and a Master’s in Development & Globalization with a specialization in Medical Geography from the University of Bonn. During her studies, she focused on mental health issues in relation to environmental change, humanitarian aid, and migration. Before joining CARPO, she lived in Kyrgyzstan, where she worked with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on topics such as improving perinatal health and advancing digitalization in health and social protection across Asia and Eastern Europe.

Martino Pedrozzi, born in Zurich in 1971, has conceived and directed since 2003 the summer school programme WISH, Workshop on international social housing, at the Academy of Architecture of USI, Università della Svizzera italiana (www.wish.usi.ch). Since 2021 he is a professor at the same faculty. He is a member of the foundation board of the Fondazione Teatro dell’architettura and the Fondazione Casa dell’Accademia. Since 2023, he has been president of the Association Amici dell’Accademia di architettura di Mendrisio, whose aim is to raise funds for scholarships for deserving students with financial difficulties. After graduating from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne in 1996, he worked in Oscar Niemeyer’s studio in Rio de Janeiro. Since 1997 he has an architectural practice based in Mendrisio. He has been recognised for his projects by several international awards and has been published in numerous architecture magazines.

Lorenzo Cantoni graduated in Philosophy and holds a PhD in Education and Linguistics. He is full professor at USI – Università della Svizzera italiana (Lugano, Switzerland), Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, where he is director of the Institute of Digital Technologies for Communication.

His research interests are where communication, education and new media overlap, ranging from computer mediated communication to usability, from eLearning to eTourism and digital Fashion, from ICT4D to eGovernment.

He is chair-holder of the UNESCO chair in ICT to develop and promote sustainable tourism in World Heritage Sites, established at USI in 2013, and board member of WHES – World Heritage Experience Switzerland.

He is USI’s Pro-rector for Education and Students’ experience.

He is director of the Master in Digital Fashion Communication, done in collaboration with the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, and director of the Master in International Tourism.

L. Cantoni has been Dean of the Faculty (2010-2014), Deputy Rector (May 2022-June 2023) and President of IFITT – International Federation for IT in Travel and Tourism (2014-January 2018).

Edouard Souhaid is a Lebanese artist and architect based in Paris since 2015. He holds a degree from the École Spéciale d’Architecture (ESA) and a Master 2 from the École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de la Villette (ENSA-LV), where he specialized in advanced research in social sciences, which enriches his multidisciplinary practice. His conceptual artwork has been exhibited in prominent venues, including the Beit Beirut Museum, as well as in Ho Chi Minh City and Paris. Edouard has also shared his research and expertise at prestigious conferences, including at the American University of Beirut and the Musée cantonal de design et d’art appliqués contemporains (MUDAC) in Lausanne. His work spans a variety of mediums and scales, and he is known for pushing the boundaries of architecture into the realm of conceptual art. His practice focuses on challenging conventional approaches and exploring the intersection between art, architecture, and social context.

Born in 1986, Tamer Ruggli is a Swiss-Egyptian filmmaker who spent his formative years in Kinshasa, Riyadh, Vienna, and Zürich. He pursued his education at the École cantonale d’art de Lausanne (ECAL) and further refined his writing skills at the New York Film Academy. He received the SSA Scholarship (Swiss Society of Authors) and the Prix CÉCI Le Moulin d’Andé for his first feature-length film, RETOUR EN ALEXANDRIE. Tamer’s films have been recognized and awarded by numerous prestigious international film festivals.

Nina Khamsy is a PhD researcher in Anthropology at the Geneva Graduate Institute, specialising in the intersection of technology and migration between the Middle East and Europe. With 10 years of experience in migration research and collaborations with civil society organizations and NGOs across Iran, Serbia, Italy, and Switzerland, her work bridges academic inquiry and practical engagement. Supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation, her PhD thesis investigates the role of digital technologies in the perilous journeys of Afghan and Syrian refugees through European borderlands, focusing on the use of smartphones, social media infrastructures and biometric systems. Nina holds an MA in Near and Middle Eastern Studies from SOAS University of London and an MSc in Social Anthropology from the University of Oxford. She is currently collaborating with the Red Cross’s Restoring Family Links programme to develop digital literacy courses for young people.

Film Screening - Retour en Alexandrie

Film Synopsis

After twenty years of absence, Sue must return to her native Egypt to see her mother Fairouz, an eccentric aristocrat from whom she has been estranged. This surprising journey, leading her from Cairo back to Alexandria, tinted with distant memories, nostalgia, and mixed feelings about her past, will allow Sue to become the empowered woman she ought to be.

By Tamer Ruggli With
Fanny Ardant Nadine Labaki
Eva Monti as Bobby

Produced by Tipi’mages Produc- tions, Les Films de la Capitaine, RTS Radio Télévision Suisse, ART Arab Radio and Television Network, Doha Film Institute

Distributed in Switzerland by Agora Films Distribution
Switzerland / France / Qatar, September 2023

FILM, Fiction, 95 min. Arabic, French

Sub. English, French

Thursday 7th of November 2024 at 18:00

Auditorium West Campus Via Buffi 13 Lugano

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2023

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