The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy is pleased to announce that we are currently accepting applications to our forthcoming program “Canada Meets Germany: A Forum for Young Leaders” (CMG), which is now in its sixth year. Twelve new participants, six Canadians and six Germans, will join the group of twelve current young leaders for a weeklong study tour that will take place in Germany in November 2009. The new participants will then take part in the study tour in Canada the following year (where they will be joined by another group of 12).

We welcome applications from young professionals between the ages of 25 and 38 from all fields of professional experience including financial services, politics and diplomacy, science, academia, culture and the arts, and the media, who are interested in being part of a sustainable interdisciplinary network to foster the bilateral relations between the two countries.

Between November 15th-21st 2009 the participants will travel to Munich and Berlin. The interdisciplinary program will include the following elements:

•Guest speakers and panel discussions with representatives from the fields of politics, economics, academia, the private sector, science & technology, culture and the media.
•Formal discussions and workshops regarding German-Canadian relations and related themes.
•Informal themed discussions and planning sessions for joint initiatives following the study tour.
•Excursions and visits to cultural events.

Topics covered within the week will include:

•German-Canadian Business Relations and the Impact of the Financial Crisis: Both Canada and Germany are recognized for being major players in the global economy. Bilateral business relations between the two countries, however, are still at relatively low levels, especially in view of their cooperation in other areas. The program will look at existing business relations and the impact of the financial crisis upon them, and will identify sectors in which business relations between Canada and Germany could be developed further.

•Germany’s and Canada’s Defense Strategies: Canada and Germany pursue similar interests and approaches in their defense strategies. Both countries are actively engaged in peacekeeping operations within the framework of the United Nations and NATO. Particularly in Afghanistan, Canada and Germany collaborate closely, and are amongst the largest troop contributors. The Weeklong Seminar will therefore take a closer look at the two approaches and cooperation at the level of international politics.

•Climate Change and Renewable Energy: Best Practices and Canadian-German Cooperation: Canada and Germany represent two of the leading examples with regards to protection of the environment, particularly in the areas of renewable energy, pollution control, and recycling. The program will therefore look at the approach taken by each state towards the environment and consider a case study of bi-lateral cooperation that could serve as examples for future collaboration.

Full details of the program as well as the application and selection criteria are now available online at www.canadameetsgermany.org

Participation If accepted to the program, participation in the forthcoming weeklong study tour carries a cost of €445*, which includes all essential costs for the week such as •Accommodation for 6 nights •Meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner during the program) •Local transportation within Berlin and Munich as well as transportation between the two cities (but not transport to and from the start and end points) *The German Foreign Office has generously offered their support to cover the airfare costs of the Canadian participants selected to travel to Germany. Once they have arrived in Germany, the Canadian participants will be required to cover the cost of their transport from the airport to Munich and back from Berlin to the airport. The German participants will be required to cover the cost of their transport to Munich and back from Berlin. The participants selected can either cover the costs themselves or apply to relevant grant providing institutions (including their employers) for support in this area. From experience, participants are often able to receive support from their companies and the ICD is happy to help in this process in any way that we can. The selected participants can either cover the participant cost themselves, or individually find sources of funding to cover their participation cost, through applying to relevant foundations, universities, institutes, organizations and companies. Very often, the young leader's employer will cover the costs for them. We welcome sponsorship by companies and employers and will provide the participants with a letter of support for this purpose.