http://www.forum2000.cz/en/projects/forum-2000-conferences/2009/theme/
Theme
PLENARY PANEL 1
Metamorphosis of Democracy after Cold War
“The democracy that we took for granted as the inevitable result of human evolution is not so inevitable. It does have enemies and it has competition”.
Robert Kagan
The end of the Cold War ushered in an era of almost unlimited optimism. However the “end of history”, in the form of the triumph of liberal democracy over other forms of the government, has not happened and euphoria about the prospect of a family of nations living together in peaceful and democratic harmony proved rather short-lived. At the last year’s Forum 2000 conference Bruce Jackson remarked that democracies have an ability to counterfeit themselves and that many things like populism, nationalism and authoritarianism nowadays masquerade as democracies. Indeed, we have “sovereign” or “managed” democracy (Russia), “disciplined” democracy (Burma) or “controlled” democracy (Pakistan) and we increasingly hear of “cynical western democracy”. The economic success of authoritarian China is seen by some, particularly around the developing world, as a real and tempting alternative for robust economic growth without the risks of democratic reforms. According to the 2009 edition of Freedom in the World by the American NGO Freedom House, “Global freedom suffered its third year of decline in 2008”. Are we really entering an age of “democratic depression”? Did the spread of democracy come to a halt? Are we witnessing the creation of new fault lines dividing the post-bipolar world between democracy and autocracy?
PLENARY PANEL 2
Multi–polarity and Human Rights
Current understanding of human rights is often labeled as ”Euro-Centric” or ”Western-Centric” and a need for a more pluralistic approach is being stressed. According to this view, human rights reflect different cultural perspectives, or, in other words, they are culturally relative rather than universal. Others argue that the concept of universal human rights does not impose one cultural standard, but a legal one – basic protection of human dignity. Does the hard-won consensus about a universal legal standard adopted by the United Nations in the wake of the worst global war imply a superiority of any particular region or set of traditions, let alone a cultural imperialism?
Does the emerging global plurality represent a threat to human rights? What happened to the universality of human rights? What is the response of defenders of human rights around the world?
PLENARY PANEL 3
The Instruments of International Influence
Attempts at influencing internal affairs of a sovereign state have been traditionally seen as a taboo. However, the concept of sovereignty has undergone a substantial development over the last decade. ”Responsibility to Protect” appears as an emerging norm of international law, setting clear limits to abuse of sovereignty. The tragedies of Rwanda and Bosnia in mid-1990s, to name a few, were a clear impetus.
Will the narrowly defined limits of state sovereignty be an invitation to even further limitations and, consequently, a path to international chaos? Do ‘Western values’ and the culture of human rights entail an obligation to protect populations when the aforementioned atrocities are being committed? Or, is the responsibility to protect perhaps yet another Western imposition on other civilizations around the globe? Legitimacy and international legality – how can these crucial safeguards be fulfilled before armed action is taken? If such action is imminent in the end, who can be the right actors, capable and efficient enough to terminate the atrocities instead of protracting or even aggravating them? What about other instruments of international influence such as media, NGOs, and economic cooperation (or economic sanctions)?
PLENARY PANEL 4
After the Storm? Can We Discern and Learn What the Economic Crisis Is Disclosing about Us?
Have we learned? What? And what is it that we have actually changed in governance? Or will this be a good crisis wasted? Although this is arguably the strongest recession since the Great Depression, the long known imbalances prevail and there are no political forces to change the macroeconomic rules. Will we indebt ourselves to another crisis which could truly be destructive once it comes? What does this teach us about the philosophy of our civilization? And can we change?
INTERFAITH DIALOGUE PANEL
Religion and Democracy
The modern concept of democracy grew up, among other things, on the basis of Western religious thoughts. Many significant thinkers of democracy (from de Tocqueville to Böckenferde) perceive religion as important background for democracy. In many places in the world (from the Philippines to Poland) faith-based communities contributed significantly to the peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy and civic society in the 20th century. At the same time, however, in other parts of the world religious symbols and rhetoric are used to attack democracy and its key concept of freedom.
What is the real relation between religion and democracy? How is the concept of democracy compatible with the great world religions? Are contemporary democratic regimes suitable biospheres for religion, or are they rather risky environment for them? What should democratic states expect from religion, religious leaders and faith-based communities? Is the concept of "separation of politics from religion" still a valid model contributing both sides, or is it necessary to rethink it in the future and substitute it by a different model?
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY ROUNDTABLE
Shifting Values in Capitalism
How does this crisis differ from the technology bubble and the real estate bubble of past years?
The financial crisis has been attributed to many factors. What role has business values played? How would we compare the influence of “values” on doing business 30 years ago versus today? Has the crisis taught us anything about business values?
Is a change in values needed? If so, in what direction? How? By whom? Does the global financial crisis represent the “end of an era”? If so, how do we describe and differentiate the old era from the new?Are there any global “threshold” values to doing business? What is the likelihood of repeating this cycle again for the same reasons?