Former Czech President launches 15th annual Forum 2000 Conference in Prague

The 15th annual Forum 2000 Conference which brings together world thinkers, former and acting politicians and other public figures was officially launched in Prague on Sunday by its founder, former Czech president Václav Havel. In their discussions, over a hundred and twenty delegates, including Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, the President of Kosovo Atifete Jahjaga and US economist Joseph Stiglitz will focus primarily on this year’s main theme which is “democracy and the rule of law”.

Václav Havel, photo: CTK

How does a democratic society ensure the balance between individual freedom and the rule of law? How does it tackle organized crime and corruption? These are some of the questions the three-day annual Forum 2000 Conference will seek answers to on Monday and Tuesday. The opening speeches were given on Sunday night at the Prague Crossroads centre by the founders of the conference, former Czech President Václav Havel and the Japanese philanthropist Yohei Sasakawa. On Monday morning, Mr Havel opened the first working session by introducing a recorded message from the Burmese opposition politician Aung San Suu Kyi.

Joseph Stiglitz, photo: CTK

“It is truly providential that the topic for this year’s Forum 2000 is rule of law.”

On Monday, the topic of rule of law was also addressed by US economist and Nobel Prize laureate Joseph Stiglitz:

“Everybody is in favour, in some sense, of a rule of law. The question is what kind of rule of law, how do we construct it, how do we make sure that we actually have a just rule of law. Rules of law can be used to maintain injustice, inequities…”

Former President of Ghana John Kufuor approached the topic from the perspective of Africa, as he put it:

“I want to challenge thought leaders around the world to rise to the advocacy of the institution of freedom through democratic constitutions everywhere. Common humanity must supersede race, culture, religion, wealth and gender in such a constitution.”

Photo: CTK

The international guests from the fields of politics, business, science, and religion together with some 3000 observers will continue their panel debates and round tables at several venues around Prague until Tuesday discussing globalization, the environment, religion and business as well as the role of social networking sites in the Arab revolutions.

The official beginning of the conference was marked by a rally by several dozen opponents of Kosovo independence who gathered outside the Prague Crossroads on Sunday night to protest against the presence of Kosovo president Atifete Jahjaga citing organized crime and the breaching of international resolutions in the youngest European state.