European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will arrive in Athens on Thursday, European Commission spokesman Eric Mamer said on Monday. He said that she would give a speech at the Athens Democracy Forum.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the ADF, and it is celebrating this milestone with a rich list of distinguished speakers presenting their views on the theme “A Decade of Democracy: What Now?”.
Organized by the Foundation for Democracy and Culture and supported by The New York Times, the event will take place September 28-30 and will include both in-person and virtual performances and can be viewed online, live from the Zappeion Hall in the Greek capital, Stoa Attalos and the Academy of Athens.
Highlights on the agenda include a discussion of how technological advances in areas such as artificial intelligence can be used to strengthen democratic culture, discussion of climate change as a gender issue and, of course, the topic of Ukraine.
RETHINKING TECHNOLOGY: LIFE IN AND BEYOND THE METAUNIVERSE
Long before the pandemic hit, societies were already undergoing a deep and irreversible transition driven by AI and other emerging technologies, as well as migration, economic forces and other factors. Recent innovations promise to bring the virtual and real worlds even closer, and tech firms have been quick to set their flags first. Some changes are sure to benefit people in their professional and personal lives. But others may leave more vulnerable populations behind. Are technologies helping us navigate or avoid an increasingly complex reality?
- Kyle Bozenko, Executive Director of the Center for New Democratic Processes
- Nanna-Louise Linde, Vice President, European Government Relations, Microsoft
- Carola Los Arcos Nagore, PR Manager Southern Europe, Meta
- Esther O’Callaghan, founder and CEO of hundo.xyz
RETHINKING THE PLANET: CLIMATE AS A GENDER ISSUE
According to the UN, women around the world are at greater risk of a climate catastrophe as extreme conditions can lead to food insecurity, poverty and an increase in gender-based violence. At the same time, girls and young women in many regions are often not informed of the consequences and often women are not involved in decision-making at the highest level. Could viewing the climate crisis through a feminist lens be one way to spur change?
- Kim Campbell, former Prime Minister of Canada and member of the Club of Madrid
- Paula Cristina Francisco Coelho, Minister of the Environment of Angola
- Shivi Dwivedi, Head of Youth Engagement Strategy, Senior United Nations Officials on Climate Change
A DECADE OF DEMOCRACY: CHINA AND RUSSIA
A decade ago, Xi Jinping took over as China’s national leader, and Vladimir Putin began his second term as president of Russia. Over the next decade, both consolidated power over their respective countries, and today both unashamedly and jointly proclaim their autocratic, ruthless, courageous rule as a more effective model of democracy, winning admirers and imitators around the world. When Putin took this model to unthinkable extremes, how did it affect his comrades and aspiring autocrats? What is the best way to prevent further replication of the template?
- Su Yun Wu, Research Fellow, Institute of Political Science, University of Zurich
- Yaroslav Kuish, editor-in-chief of Kultura Liberalna
A DECADE OF DEMOCRACY: THE UNITED STATES
Decade of Democracy: United States
Ten years ago, Barack Obama, the first black president of the United States, was re-elected in a race against Mitt Romney. It was the year that many states approved same-sex marriage and the Supreme Court upheld Obama’s landmark achievement, the health care bill. Today, the United States is sharply divided on every issue, Romney is a pariah in his own party because of his moderate views, and the world is watching intently to see if liberal democracy survives in “the land of the free and the homeland of the Brave.” What’s next for a country threatening explode?
- Carol Anderson, writer, academic
- Don Nakagawa, Executive Vice President, Berggruen Institute
- Lisa Witter, co-founder of Apolitic and CEO of the Apolitic Foundation
EDUCATIONAL TOOL FOR DEMOCRACY: DIRECT, CONSULTATIVE OR DIGITAL? IN SEARCH OF THE IDEAL MODEL
Carsten Berg, political scientist and researcher at the Berggruen Institute
2021 Highlights
Details on the site athensdemocracyforum.com.
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