Proving Democracy's Resolve and Resilience: Forum 2000 opens in Prague
The 28th Forum 2000 International Conference entitled Proving Democracy's Resolve and Resilience opened at the Prague Congress Centre on Sunday with an award giving ceremony and speeches from several participants.
The packed hall of the Prague Conference Centre on Sunday gave a standing ovation to the winner of the Forum 2000 International Prize for Courage and Responsibility – the imprisoned Venezuelan lawyer Rocío San Miguel. She was selected by the organizational committee in recognition of her unwavering commitment to truth and justice in the face of severe persecution.
Rocío San Miguel was represented at the ceremony by Tamara Sujú, founder of the Nueva Conciencia Nacional Foundation and the Damas de Blanco civic movement, organizations dedicated to training, promoting and reporting on human rights and democratic values in Venezuela.
Among the speakers at the opening ceremony was Vladimir Kara-Murza, one of the leading figures of the Russian opposition, who received the Forum 2000 International Award for Courage and Responsibility in 2023, during his imprisonment by the Putin regime. "It is thanks to all of you that I am standing here in this beautiful city surrounded by friends instead of still sitting in that 2x3 meter cell. The only way to a Europe that is finally whole, free and at peace is through a democratic Russia. I have no doubt that day will come," Vladimir Kara-Murza told the gathering.
In the course of the next two days (October 13-15) more than 600 participants from dozens of countries will discuss shifts in the global order, the resurgence of authoritarianism, and the challenges and opportunities that AI and other technological advances present for democracy. Delegates will also focus on specific regional themes such as tensions in the Indo-Pacific and the prospects for democratic governance in Africa and Latin America. Panel debates will also address the situation in Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Slovakia and Venezuela, as well as European perspectives in the Western Balkans.
Other areas of interest are disinformation campaigns, populism, radicalization and the role of independent media in declining democracies. Special emphasis will be placed on the ability of democratic countries to work together to protect their values and legitimate interests.
"The annexation of Crimea in 2014, which had no serious consequences for Vladimir Putin, and the long-standing conciliatory Western policy towards the Kremlin's aggressive policy, resulted in the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Similarly, the West's current weak and indecisive stance towards Communist China may eventually lead to a further escalation of global tensions. The conference will remind us, among other things, that democratic countries must be able to demonstrate their commitment to defending freedom," Forum 2000 Foundation Director Jakub Klepal said in connection with this year’s dominant theme.
The Democratic Solidarity Africa (DSA) project, which was launched at last year's conference, will reconvene at this year's event, and the meeting will also serve as an opportunity to introduce new members to the network. One of the important themes of the conference will again be the fragile political scene and the European future of the Western Balkans region.
The 28th Forum 2000 conference is attended by Czech President Petr Pavel, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský, Ukrainian MP Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, American historian and columnist Walter Russell Mead from The Wall Street Journal, Yale University and the Hudson Institute, former Polish President and Solidarity leader Lech Walesa, former Taiwanese President Tsai Jing-wen Egyptian activist and former President of the Egyptian Human Rights Organization; Ali Ehsassi, Member of the Canadian Parliament and Chair of the Canadian Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development; Deputy Secretary General of Taiwan's National Security Council; Hisham Kassem, Bolivian Senator Cecilia Requena; and many others.
The idea for the Forum 2000 Conference originated in 1997, when former Czech President Václav Havel, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Elie Wiesel, and philanthropist Yohei Sasakawa invited world leaders to Prague to discuss the challenges humanity was facing on the threshold of a new millennium. Since then, Forum 2000 evolved into a successful and widely recognized conference series, where distinguished guests continue to address a diverse international community on topics ranging from religious dialogue to human rights and national security.
