The ’Dank! Merci! Graciás’ program series aims to examine the background of Switzerland, Spain and The Netherlands’ boycott of the 1956 Olympics and to determine whether there is any point to athletes boycotting humanity’s most important public event, the Olympics. When athletes participate in a boycott, what are the consequences in his/her life, career and sports for their country as a whole? What other instruments are available in sports politics to express solidarity?
The second day of the conference is based on the example shown by the previous night’s gala celebration – employing music diplomacy. Music opens emotional channels and also has the capacity to relay historical facts. The goal shall be to survey the international research on music diplomacy; to find more methods for music to make conscious use of soft diplomacy.
We will approach the theme in three main blocks: 1) historical examples; 2) Diplomats’ and artists’ experiences; 3) Together, we will examine possibilities for this scientific area in this region (‘region’ refers to the "Visegrad+ countries" - meaning the Visegrad countries plus the Danube countries).
14:00 - 14:15 Greeting: Prof. Dr. András Masát Rector, Andrássy University Budapest
14:15 - 14:45 Opening lecture: Sports and politics – Pál Schmitt
14:45 - 15:15 Boycott from the athletes’ point of view - round table discussion with Wim Mosterd, Karl Paul Weidmann and and with the other guest athletes
15:15 - 15:30 Coffe break
15:30 - 16:30 The meaning of Hungary’s 1956 revolution for Holland and the history of the Dutch Olympic boycott
16:30 - 16:40 Break
16:40 - 17:40 The Swiss and Spanish boycott, and the effects of the boycott of the three nations
Chief patron of the day: Márta Sebestyén - UNESCO Artist for Peace, singer
11:00 - 11:30 Athletes and musicians as informal diplomats – opening round table discussion with Veronika Harcsa and dr. Gergely Kiss
11:30 - 12:15 Music diplomacy – overview of academic research and historical examples – Part I.
12:15 - 12:30 Coffee break
12:30 – 14:00 Music diplomacy – overview of academic research and historical examples – Part II.
14:00 - 15:00 Lunch break
15: 00 - 15:30 Music in Formal Diplomacy
15:30 - 16:30 Regional opportunities and achievements in music diplomacy
Closing discussion
Suggested program for the evening: Dance house at the Fonó Music Hall (www.fono.hu) Those who will to attend will be transferred by the organisers.
Sándor Ackermann - journalist, historian
Amitava Bhattacharya - Managing director, Banglanat dot com (participating via internet connection)
Peter Csillag - Principal contributor, a Nemzeti Sport
Harcsa Veronika - Singer
Jurryt van der Vooren - Researcher, Amsterdam Olympic Museum
dr. Gergely Kiss - Dr. Gergely Kiss, water polo player, 3 time Olympic campion
Orsolya Erdődy - Deputy managing director, Budapest Festival Orchestra
István Íjgyártó István - Under Secretary of State responsible for Culture and Science Diplomacy (Hungary)
Jaroslaw Bajaczyk - Assistant Director, Polish Institute (Budapest)
Maciej Szajkowski - member of Kapela ze Wsi Warszawa Band, employee of Polskie Radio
Mario Dunkel, faculty member, Department of Music and Musicology, Dortmund University
Marjolein te Winkel - journalist, writer on history of The Netherlands’ boycott
Prof. Dr. András Masát - rector, Andrássy University Budapest
Mihály Rosonczy-Kovács - Folk musician/ Founding Director, Hungarian Civil Institute for European Music and Sport Diplomacy
Pál Schmitt – Honorary President, Hungarian Olympic Committee /former President of the Republic, Olympic champion
Stan Rijven - music critic, co-director of World Music Forum NL
György SzöllÅ‘si – President, Hungarian Sports Journalists Associationű
Miklós Tóth - The first secretary of the Hungarian Federation in the Netherlands
Balázs Weyer - Ethnomusicologist, Director, HangvetÅ‘ Kft.
Willem Mosterd - Member of the 1956 Netherlands waterpolo team
Conference language: English, English/Hungarian synchronous interpreter will be provided on the first day
The conference is free of charge. Registration is required.
Main Sponsor: 1956 Commemoration Committee