Media

 Conference “PEACE, DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN ASIA”

The international conference “Peace, Democracy and Human Rights in Asia” will take place in Prague on September 10 - 11, 2009.

“The participants of the conference will to focus on the implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with special emphasis on freedom of thought, conscience and religion; on protection of cultural rights of religious and ethnic minorities including language, spiritual traditions and customs; on right to education as one of the most strongly contested in the field of minority rights and last but not least on environmental rights and their linkage with human rights protection”, says Executive Director of the Conference Organiser - Forum 2000 Foundation - Oldřich Černý.

The goal of the conference is twofold: To share experiences and debate the recent and current developments regarding the afore mentioned themes in parts of Asia, and to agree on some specific proposals and ways of tackling these issues in an effective way. In the end of the working part of the Conference (September 11) will be in the Prague Crossroads press conference.

Conference Panels:

Religious, Cultural, and Indigenous Rights:

·         Our inalienable right to cultural heritage and its voice of wisdom

·         How can people have an effective voice?

·         Protection of the right to development of the personality and nationality

·         What is the best way to leverage human rights from positions of power?

Inclusive Government versus Exclusive Governance:

·         The role of government in a civil society

·         Giving voice to the voiceless, the roles of media and indigenous peoples

·         Diversity and equality and their role in development

·         Can stable government and stable people create a sustainable society?

Implementing Democracy, Innovative Development and Education:

·         Sustainable economic and human resource development

·         The need for open society and continuous dialogue

·         Equal opportunity and justice as the mark of true democracy

Challenges for Peace, Democracy and Human Rights in Asia

                    (Nobel Peace Prize Laureates discussion)

The invitees include Nobel Peace Prize Laureates such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Frederik Willem de Klerk, Jody Williams and Paula Dobriansky, Foreign policy specialist and former Under-Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs, Ramin Jahanbegloo, Iranian dissident and intellectual, Zoya Phan, International Coordinator at the Burma Campaign UK, Maran Turner, Executive Director of Freedom Now, Khin Ohmar, Former Burmese student activist and founding member of the Women’s League of Burma, Karel Kovanda, Deputy Director-General for External Relations of the European Commission, Petr Bratský, Member of Parliament of the Czech Republic, Doan Viet Hoat, Civil rights and human rights activist and dissident from Vietnam, Robert Menard, Former Secretary-General of Reporters Without Borders and others.

The venue of the conference will be Prague Crossroads (Former St. Anne’s Church, Zlatá Street, entrance from Liliová Street, Prague 1).

Summary of the conference will be distributed to the heads of the world’s governments, parliaments and international organizations.

Press Conference with His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Press Conference with His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be on Thursday September 10, 2PM at the CARLO IV. – BOSCOLO (Senovážné náměstí 13, Prague 1).

Press Conference will be open just for journalist with the accreditation.

Accreditation for the Press Conference you can get via email to filip.sebek@forum2000.cz at the latest Monday September 7.