29th Forum 2000 Conference

Prague | October 12-14, 2025

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Video Recordings

Sunday, October 12

Opening Evening & Forum 2000 International Award for Courage and Responsibility Ceremony

MODERATOR

  • Ivana Štefková, Member, Board of Directors, Forum 2000 Foundation, Czechia

WELCOME

  • Zdeněk Hřib, First Deputy Mayor of Prague, Czechia

REMARKS

  • Tamara Sujú, Executive Director, Casla Institute, Venezuela/Spain
  • Tamar Rukhadze, Deputy Director, Batumelebi & Netgazeti, Georgia
  • Saba Brachveli, Human Rights Program Manager, Civil Society Foundation, Georgia

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE

  • Gülzadem Tanridagli, Musician, Turkey
  • Dolunay Tanridagli, Musician, Turkey
  • Enver Can, President, Ilham Tohti Initiative, China/Germany

Monday, October 13

Opening Plenary Session

OPENING REMARKS

  • Jakub Klepal, Executive Director, Forum 2000 Foundation, Czechia

SPEAKERS

  • Salome Zourabichvili, Fifth President, Georgia
  • Petr Pavel, President, Czechia

 

Opening Panel | A Disruptive Actor on the World Stage: The Future of Relations with Russia

Since at least Vladimir Putin’s Munich speech in 2007, Russia has openly assumed the role of disruptor of the post-1989 global order. The massive resources it dedicates to its invasion of Ukraine, as well as its systematic interference in democratic elections and democratic political systems around the world—most recently in Moldova—its use of a mix of security incursions, economic relations, and corruption, all show that it is serious about its objectives. Despite all this clear disruptive activity, Moscow has gradually been coming out of diplomatic isolation and seems the most self-confident on the world stage in years. How should the global democratic community respond to Russia? What is the long-term solution?

MODERATOR

  • Vesna Pusić, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Member, Program Council, Forum 2000 Foundation, Croatia

SPEAKERS

  • Petr Pavel, President, Czechia
  • Salome Zourabichvili, Fifth President, Georgia
  • Taro Kono, Member, House of Representatives, Japan
  • Larry Diamond, Senior Fellow, Stanford University, Member, International Coalition for Democratic Renewal, USA
     

Discussion | EU and the World: A Moment of Opportunity?

As the global balance of power shifts, the European Union has a chance to redefine its role internationally. By expanding engagement and acting as a proactive force for reform, it can help build a more inclusive order where economic cooperation aligns with democracy, human rights, and international law. Yet the EU faces a credibility challenge: often seen as a declining power, it is accused of double standards—supporting Ukraine while neglecting other partners’ concerns. This is compounded by shifting U.S. policy and Russian and Chinese disinformation that erodes trust. What are the EU’s key interests, and does it have the tools to pursue them? How can it build trust, develop equal partnerships, and leverage trade, market access, and investment to forge democratic coalitions? And what concrete steps must it take to succeed?

MODERATOR

  • Dita Charanzová, Former Vice President, European Parliament, Member, Program Council, Forum 2000 Foundation, Czechia/Belgium

SPEAKERS

  • Rangsiman Rome, Chair, Committee on National Security, Border Affairs, National Strategy and National Reform, House of Representatives, Thailand
  • Fernando Adolfo Iglesias, President, Foreign Affairs Commission, Chamber of Deputies, Argentina
  • Lucie Šestáková, Head of Cabinet, Commissioner for International Partnerships, European Commission, Czechia/Belgium
  • Ivone Soares, Member, Assembly of the Republic, Mozambique
  • Oleksandr Korniyenko, First Deputy Chair, Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine
     

Discussion | Ukraine: At the Heart of Europe's Future Security Architecture?

In cooperation with the Robert Bosch Foundation.

Ukraine is not just defending its own sovereignty—it is reshaping the security architecture of Europe. The country’s resilience has demonstrated that European security is deeply interconnected with Ukraine’s fate. This panel will explore how Ukraine’s role in European security should evolve, what kind of security guarantees it needs, and how NATO, the EU, and regional partnerships should be reimagined to include Ukraine as a key player in European defense. What security guarantees can ensure Ukraine’s long-term stability? Should Ukraine integrate into NATO, or are alternative security frameworks needed? How can Ukraine contribute to Europe’s broader defense strategy?

MODERATOR

  • Carl Gershman, Founding President, National Endowment for Democracy, USA

SPEAKERS

  • Jan Lipavský, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Czechia
  • Roderich Kiesewetter, Member, Deutscher Bundestag, Germany
  • Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Chair, Committee on Ukraine's Integration into the EU, Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine
  • Reinis Poznaks, Member, Committee on Security and Defense, European Parliament, Latvia

Discussion | U.S.–Europe Relations in Crisis: Reinventing Transatlantic Unity

In cooperation with Strategeo Institute and the Center for Liberal Modernity.

U.S. and European politics are in turmoil. The U.S. faces a historic test of its checks and balances. In the U.S. and Europe, populist and illiberal forces are rising, democratic consensus and trust are eroding, and the traditional concept of transatlantic cooperation is being questioned. While the base of shared values remains, it is under stress. Political and security cooperation is weakened. Economically, rising protectionism, trade tensions, and skepticism signal a shift from open markets. Will Europe and the U.S. remain values-based partners, or is their alliance becoming primarily transactional? What is the future of transatlantic relations? How resilient are democratic institutions and safeguards on both sides of the Atlantic? How can American and European stakeholders support each other to keep democracy and transatlantic bonds strong?

MODERATOR

  • Jan Macháček, President, Strategeo Institute, Czechia

SPEAKERS

  • Ralf Fücks, Managing Director, Center for Liberal Modernity, Member, International Coalition for Democratic Renewal, Germany
  • Norman Eisen, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution, USA
  • Laura Thornton, Senior Director, McCain Institute, USA
  • Sigita Struberga, Secretary General, Latvian Transatlantic Organisation, Latvia

Discussion | China: Where Will It Stop?

China’s expanding influence is testing the resilience of democracies across Asia and beyond. Constructing global diplomatic and security alliances, mounting pressure on Taiwan, using disinformation, cyber operations, as well as military and economic leverage, Beijing seeks to reshape the international order on its own terms. In this context, fundamental questions appear: what does China ultimately want? Does it seek regional hegemony? Global dominance? How can democracies respond to safeguard their interests and values?

MODERATOR

SPEAKERS

  • Penpa Tsering, President, Central Tibetan Administration, Tibet/India
  • Mark Lambert, Former China Coordinator and Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State, USA
  • Da-Chi Liao, President, Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, Taiwan
  • Emeka Lucky Umejei, Visiting Scholar, Academia Sinica, Nigeria/Taiwan
  • Shiori Yamao, Japan Director, Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, Japan
     

Tuesday, October 14

Gallery | Power of the Powerless

Forum 2000 was founded by the late Václav Havel, a pivotal figure in Czech history and author of the influential essay "The Power of the Powerless," a text that shaped the democratic transformation of Central and Eastern Europe. This session, inspired by Havel’s call to “live in truth,” presents powerful stories of courageous individuals from around the world who stand up to lies, oppression, and injustice. Each testimony is a living embodiment of Havel’s insight: that even seemingly powerless people can transform societies by refusing to live within a lie and choosing truth instead.

MODERATOR

  • Lucie Pilipová, Member, Board of Directors, Forum 2000 Foundation, Czechia

SPEAKERS

  • Rushan Abbas, Executive Director, Campaign for Uyghurs, Member, International Coalition for Democratic Renewal, USA
  • Suki Kim , Author, South Korea/USA
  • Anaïse Kanimba, Daughter of Paul Rusesabagina, Director, Africa Bitcoin Institute, Rwanda/USA
  • Ali Karimli, Opposition Leader, Azerbaijan
  • Maksym Butkevych, Chair, Principle of Hope, Ukraine

Discussion | Quo Vadis, Central Europe?

The countries of the Visegrad Four are closely intertwinned by geography, shared history, and common security, political, and economic interests, but often drift apart in terms of domestic political developments. The quality of democratic governance and independence of institutions have in recent years come under some pressure in all four countries. Hungary, and more recently Slovakia, have been the most noticeable. What will the Czech election result mean in this context? Where is Central European democracy heading? What should we expect and what are the risks?

MODERATOR

SPEAKERS

  • Iveta Radičová, Sociologist, Former Prime Minister, Member, Program Council, Forum 2000 Foundation, Slovakia
  • Alexandr Vondra, Member, European Parliament, Member, Board of Directors, Forum 2000 Foundation, Czechia
  • Katalin Cseh, Member, Committee on European Affairs, National Assembly, Hungary
  • Maciej Ruczaj, Senior Fellow, Prague Center for Transatlantic Relations, Poland

Discussion | Global South Perspectives on the Invasion of Ukraine

In cooperation with the Robert Bosch Foundation.

The invasion of Ukraine has dominated Western politics, media, and public attention, but the story differs in the Global South. For many in the Global South, Ukraine is distant, hard to understand, and mattered little before 2022. The ongoing conflict is also often seen as a Russia–West proxy war, with Ukraine already associated with the West despite its delicate balance in-between. Yet the implications of the war are global. What are the dominant narratives around the invasion of Ukraine in the Global South? What can Ukraine and its partners do to foster better understanding of the conflict and its implications relevant also for the Global South? What are the substantial regional differences which will inform the kind of partnerships that Ukraine should be offering?

MODERATOR

  • Raymond Mujuni, Co-Founder and Deputy Director, African Institute for Investigative Journalism, Member, Democratic Solidarity Africa, Uganda

SPEAKERS

  • Joan Chirwa, Founder and Executive Director, Zambia Free Press Initiative; Member, Program Council, Forum 2000 Foundation, Zambia
  • Bakary Sambe, President, Timbuktu Institute, Senegal
  • Fernando Adolfo Iglesias, President, Foreign Affairs Commission, Chamber of Deputies, Argentina
  • Swasti Rao, Associate Professor, Jindal Global University, India

Discussion | Religion and the Russian Threat, Yesterday and Today

In cooperation with the Václav Havel Library.

The role of religion in authoritarian societies can vary significantly. There are religious leaders who are loyal instruments of authoritarian regimes. At the same time, however, groups are emerging within religions that provide platforms for intellectual and moral resistance to oppression and injustice by such regimes. Such examples can be found during the Cold War in the Christian churches of Poland, Czechoslovakia, and East Germany. And it is no different in today's Russia. What role do church leaders play in the Kremlin's imperialist policy? Are religious platforms critical of the regime emerging in Russia? What role can churches play in the democratization process in countries that are breaking free from Russian hegemony?

MODERATOR

  • Tomáš Sedláček, Director, Václav Havel Library, Czechia

SPEAKERS

Closing Panel | Facing the Odds: Ways Forward

The discussions over the past two days highlighted some of the most important areas and challenges facing the democratic world today: uncertainty over the future of transatlantic relations, regional dynamics in the Indo-Pacific, Africa, Latin America, and other critical regions, the ongoing threat of authoritarian powers like China and Russia, the unpredictability of the increasingly transactional world, the rise of technology—most notably AI—and more. Amid these challenges, the path forward remains unclear; however, we have to take action before it‘s too late. What tools have we identified to push back against authoritarianism, undemocratic tendencies, and threats to the international rules-based order? What concrete steps do we recommend to democratic governments, parliaments, civil society, and other actors? Which actions should each of us take?

MODERATOR

  • Šimon Pánek, Executive Director, People in Need, Member, International Advisory Board, Forum 2000 Foundation, Czechia

SPEAKERS