Dr. Alfredo Palacio, former President of Ecuador to speak in the ICD House of Arts and Culture during “A World Without Walls“

Luis Alfredo Palacio González served as President of Ecuador from April 2005 to January 2007. Before his role as President, Dr. Palacio was a cardiologist, serving a two year residency in the U.S. and later lecturing in Cardiology and Public Health at Ecuador's Guayaquil University's School of Medicine. Dr. Palacio successfully transferred from medicine to politics, serving as Minister for Health under Sixto Duran Ballen's administration before being chosen by Gutierrez in 2003 to fill the role of Vice President, serving for two years.

He was also a candidate for director-general of the World Health Organisation.

On the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy and CivWorld/Demos will hold “A World Without Walls: An International Congress on Interdependence and Cultural Diplomacy“.

“A World without Walls” will pursue the following specific aims:

• To explore the development of international relations since the fall of the Berlin Wall.
• To analyse the interdependent nature of today’s world and the challenges and opportunities this brings.
• To evaluate the importance of cultural diplomacy in ensuring sustainable intercultural cooperation.