Forum 2000 Conference hears the economy is suffering from a tough hangover (October 12, 2010)

The second day of the Forum 2000 Conference dealt mainly with economic, interfaith and architectural topics. Tomáš Sedláček, Chief Macroeconomic Strategist of the ČSOB Bank, identified the ever-present objective of growth as a key problem in today´s thinking about our economic system. “We have to be ready to slow down the growth,” he stated, pointing out that “growth” is not the answer to every ill. “We need to grow out of it,” he appealed.

 

“Fiscal policies work like alcohol,” said Sedláček. Heavy Friday drinking damages the weekend as loans damage budgets. His metaphor was glossed by former Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek who adapted the Czech idiom: “what you waste yourself with makes you fit the next day”.

 

Natural disasters or terrorism do less damage to the economy than “internal barbarians”, as Sedláček calls irresponsible bank managers or politicians who finance populism while indebting the state.

 

According to the founder of Transparency International, Peter Eigen, the gap between the rich and the poor is caused by bad governance based on the domination of economic interests over public ones. Eigen emphasized that solid governance can only be achieved if civic institutions assume a greater share of responsibility.

 

In addressing the issue of territory and religion, the panel came to the conclusion that “the issue is how we manipulate our religions and make them either a problem or solution,”specified Hassan Abu Nimah, Director of the Regional Human Security Centre in Jordan. According to the panelists, over the past centuries territorial arguments have worn the guise of religion for legitimacy. Quoting Pope John Paul II, David Rosen, the Chief Rabbi and International Director of Interreligious Affairs of the American Jewish Committee, stressed that “violence in the name of religion is not religion”.

 

Cuban dissident José Luis García Paneque acknowledged the importance of religion in the process of democratization and expressed hope that it will be a “driving force of democratic change in the future” of Cuba.

 

The panel on urbanization limits was marked by great controversies. Richard Burdett’s keynote address emphasized the concept of “the endless city,” which has no limits as the world becomes increasingly urban. On the other hand, he expressed the hope that “we can create cities which are more socially cohesive, more environmentally responsible, and more democratically governed.” Willem Jan Neutelings, a Dutch architect, was pessimistic when considering the possible role of urbanization in dealing with growing populations. “The question is not how we can make more buildings, but how we can manage the population”. From his point of view, we now stand at the very edge of exceeding the environmental limits of the planet.

 

Former president Václav Havel concluded the conference, which was attended by more than 3,000 people, with an appeal to the Iranian government regarding the case of Mrs. Nasrin Sotoodeh, the imprisoned Iranian lawyer and human rights activist who is currently on hunger strike against the conditions of her detention. “I would like to express my support to this lady and appeal to the Iranian authorities considering her case,” said Havel. The next Forum 2000 Conference will be held on October 9–11, 2011.