Ricardo Rio, Mayor of Braga Ernesto Ottone R., Assistant Director-General for Culture of UNESCO
The session will explore how integrating culture in urban strategies and policies can unlock opportunities for reshaping international development agendas, notably beyond 2030, in line with the Braga Manifesto. At the end of the presentations, the floor will be open to all participating Mayors.
Maria da Conceição Da Silva Évora, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports of Guinea-Bissau (TBC) Nicole Yardeni, Deputy Mayor of Toulouse Ryana Parks-Shaw, Mayor Pro Tem of Kansas City Catherine Vallières-Roland, Deputy Mayor of Québec Neven Bosilj, Mayor of Varazdin Yana Lyubenova Genova, Deputy Mayor of Sofia Alvaro Ortiz, Mayor of Concepción Changjin Zhang, Deputy Mayor of Yangzhou Amit Saini, Deputy Mayor of Mumbai Charlemagne Yankoty, Mayor of Porto-Novo Mahoulouth Diakhate, Deputy Mayor of Dakar Assad Zogaib, Mayor of Zahlé Aref Alrawjeeh, Mayor of Madaba
Official photo
Host: Carolina Lapa, Communication Director, Teatro Circo de Braga
Lunch Mayor to Mayor Networking session Guided tour at the INL
I: Anchoring culture in local policies The first segment will focus on middle to long term strategies as well as concrete projects and initiatives aimed at ensuring the systematic anchoring of culture into public policies in Creative Cities.
Speakers: María Francisca Carazo, Mayor of Granada Jair Galvão, Deputy Mayor of Penedo Trent Sullivan, Mayor of Geelong Esam Almullad, Mayor of Al-Ahsa
II: Stimulating investments to build the sustainable cities of tomorrow Mayors’ pivotal role in driving investments for sustainable urban development will be the focus of the second segment. Discussions will highlight their efforts in promoting cultural education, entrepreneurship, and infrastructure development, aiming to enhance the local cultural sector’s dynamics and sustainability, benefiting all city residents.
Speakers: Marcin Krupa, Mayor of Katowice Marcela Herbert Pesquera, Representative of the Governor of Querétaro Frédéric Nzoki Epoh, Mayor of Nkongsamba Assad Zogaib, Mayor of Zahlé
III: Empowering the Young Generations for Building Urban Resilience through Creativity and Innovation Duration: 30 minutes + 5 minutes QA The third segment will showcase proactive measures to empower the young generations by releasing their creative potential. Mayors will be invited to reflect on forward-thinking strategies and mechanisms to allow youth to advocate for resilience and peace in the urban context.
Speakers: Vigdis Stensby, Mayor of Hamar Kyoo-il Jo, Mayor of Jinju Yomelela Tyali, Mayor of Buffalo City Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Mayor of Surkarta
Conclusions on the three roundtables by the Moderator
Moderator: Alexandra Cunha, Researcher and Professor, School of Business Administration of São Paulo and Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná
16:30 – 17:00 Arrival at Bom Jesus de Monte
17:00 – 18:30 Welcome & Guided tour
18:30 Cocktail at Colunata Eventos with DJ set
19:45 Dinner and Welcome words by the Mayor
22:00 Return to the City Center