Maria Kalesnikava
Belarusian civil rights leader and recipient of the Charlemagne Prize
Belarusian civil rights leader and recipient of the Charlemagne Prize
Maria Kalesnikava is a Belarusian democracy activist, musician and former political prisoner. A leading figure in the 2020 democratic movement, she now works at the intersection of democracy, culture and dialogue to foster democratic change.
Maria Kalesnikava on the Schedule 2026
All times in CEST
Afternoon
Afternoon
Culture as a Soft Power and its Geopolitical Implications
In this final session of the cooperation between EFA, Stiftung Zukunft Berlin, and the Charlemagne Prize Foundation, participants will discuss the essential role of art and culture in shaping Europe’s soft power. The conversation will explore how cultural exchange, artistic freedom, and creative collaboration help promote European values, strengthen international dialogue, and enhance Europe’s influence in an increasingly complex global landscape.
14:00
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15:00
Culture as a Soft Power and its Geopolitical Implications
+3
ART
Content
Envisioning the Europe We Build
The global order is being rewritten: By force, by markets, by technology, and by the sheer ambition of other civilisational projects. Europe's response cannot be to imitate any of them. Europe's strength lies elsewhere: in the deliberate, conscious choice to build a civilisational model on its own terms. Its future is based on self-efficacy - how does Europe foster its capacity to act from conviction, determined that its choices matter, and how does it cultivate the institutional and intellectual readiness to make them?//INFO: This session is being translated and transcribed live using the Wordly app.
17:00
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18:30
Envisioning the Europe We Build
ART
CLI
DEM
FIN
SEC
Content