This year’s 30th Forum 2000 Conference, titled Reimagining the Power of the Powerless, will take place on October 11–13 at the Prague Congress Centre, marking a significant milestone in the history of the Forum 2000 Foundation. The conference is being held in a year that marks the 30th anniversary of the Foundation’s establishment and the 90th anniversary of the birth of its founder, President Václav Havel. On this occasion, around 800 prominent politicians, diplomats, activists, dissidents, experts, journalists, and civil society representatives from approximately 100 countries will gather in Prague.
The conference will take place at a time when democracies are facing growing pressure from authoritarianism, geopolitical rivalry, societal polarization, and rapid technological development, including digital manipulation and the misuse of artificial intelligence. Participants will therefore explore ways to strengthen the resilience of democratic societies and rethink international cooperation.
Discussions will focus on five main thematic areas: the future of the international order, democratic participation, the relationship between technology and democracy, Ukraine, and regional and thematic challenges. The conference will also place significant emphasis on Generation Z, its engagement in pro-democracy movements, and the challenges young people face in different parts of the world.
“The first Forum 2000 Conference took place in Prague three decades ago, bringing together people from around the world to discuss the future of humanity and its greatest challenges. Václav Havel reminded us then that simply being aware of problems is not enough – what also matters is the willingness of individuals and society to take responsibility for addressing them. This idea remains just as urgent today,” says Jakub Klepal, Executive Director of the Forum 2000 Foundation.
The official opening of the conference will also provide an opportunity to present the 6th Forum 2000 International Award for Courage and Responsibility, which recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions to the defense of democracy, human rights, and civil society.
Among this year’s guests will be historian and bestselling author Yuval Noah Harari; President of the Dominican Republic Luis Abinader; leading figure of the Belarusian democratic opposition Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya; Nobel Peace Prize laureate Tawakkol Karman; President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic Miloš Vystrčil; former President of Botswana Ian Khama; former President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė; Stanford University professor and leading political scientist Larry Diamond; prominent Mozambican politician and Member of Parliament Ivone Soares; His Beatitude Epiphanius, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine; Secretary General of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Benedetta Berti; Member of the German Bundestag Roderich Kiesewetter; Ambassador of Ukraine to the European Union Taras Kachka; Minister of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar’s National Unity Government Zin Mar Aung; Minister of Health of the Czech Republic Adam Vojtěch; former President of Poland and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lech Wałęsa; founder of Prime Atlantic Ayoola Otuyalo; former President of Montenegro Milo Đukanović; founding President of the National Endowment for Democracy Carl Gershman; Chair of the Committee on Science, Technology, and Productive Innovation of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies Martín Yeza; former Prime Minister of Slovakia Iveta Radičová; Deputy Editor-in-Chief of The Economist Robert Guest; Member of the Kenyan Parliament Fredrick Ikana; Co-Chair of the Heinrich Böll Foundation Jan Philipp Albrecht; Member of the Bolivian Chamber of Deputies Cecilia Requena; former Member of the U.S. Congress Jane Harman; CEO of Freedom House Jamie Fly; Member of the Thai House of Representatives Isra Sunthornvut; former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Jan Lipavský; Vice Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia Lestari Moerdijat; and many other prominent figures from around the world.
The conference will also provide an opportunity for working meetings of members of the Forum 2000 Foundation’s long-term projects, including Democratic Solidarity Latin America (DSLA), Democratic Solidarity Africa (DSA), and the International Coalition for Democratic Renewal (ICDR). The latter currently connects approximately 500 prominent intellectuals, politicians, and civil society activists from around the world.
The 30th Forum 2000 Conference continues the tradition established by Václav Havel, whose ideas on civic responsibility, human dignity, and the ability of individuals to stand up against oppression remain an important framework for the work of the Forum 2000 Foundation. The anniversary of his birth is therefore not only an opportunity to commemorate his legacy, but also to reflect on how his principles can be reconsidered and put into practice in today’s world.
Video recordings of selected sessions will also be made available there after the conference.
