NEMO Conference: Museums Working for Social Cohesion | Italy

Entitled 'Living Together in a Sustainable Europe - Museums Working for Social Cohesion', the 22nd Annual Conference of the Network of European Museum Organisations (NEMO) will take place in Bologna, Italy, on 7-8 November. Starting from the assumption that museums can play a central role in society, the event will consider what they can do in times of economic and social stress - i.e. tensions generated by, among others, hyper-nationalism, inter-religious problems, social tensions, political polarisation, the emphasis of most European policies on economics and competition, movements against foreigners, etc. More generally, NEMO aims to reflect on the role and contribution of museums to making life in cities sustainable, reinforcing a cohesive social fabric, building strong and reflected identities and offering opportunities for self-expression and self-determination of different sections of the population, including various disadvantaged groups. Held during Italy's presidency of the European Union in the second half of 2014, the event will place particular emphasis on EU policies. Additional information will be posted on NEMO's website in the coming weeks. In the picture: Bologna seen from Asinelli tower CC BY-SA 3.0 Goldmund100 (Luca Volpi)