International Foundation  for a History of European Civilization,  and its Portuguese National Board

The International Foundation for a History of European Civilization was established in 1994 in Geneva, Switzerland. It seeks to create a centre of intellectual influence from the reflection about the past and the future of Europe of about 500 members, dignitaries, companies or communities from all of Europe. Its languages include English, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese.

It is ruled by a Foundation Council composed of 4 members (Messrs Montassier, Chairman, Rappold, Tettamanti and Bartillat). Aside from the Council, the Foundation has two other bodies:
A Board of Honor composed by 8 European personalities (namely  Messrs. Barre, Former Prime Minister of France, Scheel, former president of Germany, Chevallaz, former president of Switzerland, Pujol, President of Cataluña, Soares, former President of the Republic of Portugal, Oreja, European Commissioner and Davignon, President of Société Générale de Belgique); and
National Boards, which are being formed in several countries. The French is chaired by Charles Millon, Minister of Defense and the Portuguese by Jorge Braga de Macedo, former Minister of Finance.

The first action of the Foundation is the European festival of year 2000 will take place in ten to twenty European cities, each one being a source of influence in trade, culture, etc.
The list for this "Europe of the cities" includes at present Barcelona, Brussels, Cracovia, Geneva, Lyons, Naples, Oporto, Prague, SJ Compostela, Salzburg, Strasburg, and Torino. Other cities may join the network over the next two years.

The Foundation sponsors an yearly "paneuropean" symposium in Divonne, France and Geneva. The symposia - which gather about 120 participants - have dealt with the following topics:

What social contract for Europe in the year 2000? (Geneva 1995)
Cultural exception or cultural identity: what policy for Europe? (Divonne 1995)
European Institutions (Geneva 1996)
Economic, social and cultural role of regions (Divonne 1996)

In 1997 the meetings in Divonne dealt with European society and the new information technologies, featuring interventions by Mario Soares, Francisco Pinto Balsemão and Jorge Braga de Macedo.

The Geneva meetings moved to the Wolfberg Center near Zurich and dealt with "Today's Unemployment and Tomorrow's Employment". Jorge Braga de macedo moderated panel 2, on the social consequences of unemployment.

In 1998, the Divonne meetings will deal with European cities under the chairmanship of Mario Soares.

Proceedings of the symposia are published in the Cahiers de la Fondation. Cahiers 1995 and 1996 are available, the 1997 issue is in press.

The Portuguese Board had the initial support of the Oporto City Hall and of Pleiade. It has met with the President of the Foundation in Oporto and Lisbon on 10 and 11 April 1996 and again in Porto after the preparatory meeting of the European festival, on 24-25 October 1996.

It has also promoted joint meetings between the Foundation, the Trilateral Commission and the European Round Table of Industrialists. These are known as the "Récamier group", after the Paris restaurant where the  meetings first took place. A meeting between the Foundation and the Trilateral Commission was held in Lisbon and another one is planned, including the ERT. On November 19, 1997 the issue of a homepage for the Foundation was the pretext for another dinner at Le Récamier between Gérard Montassier and Jorge Braga de Macedo.
 
 

Click here to return to my other activities