“Europe – Critical Problems” is a conference organised jointly by the Villa Decius Association and the Res Publica Nowa as a follow-up on a prestigious series of debates revolving around the Idea of Freedom, organised by the Villa Decius Association since 2005. A special event of the conference is an Awards Gala held to honour the Laureates of the 10th edition of the Polish Prize of Sérgio Vieira de Mello, granted in memory of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (2002-2003).
The agenda
of the conference includes lectures and debates open to the public, along with
a seminar with experts and representatives of the academic circles from the
Czech Republic, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary,
Iran, Iraq, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden and the USA.
The opening
speech will be delivered by Marcin Król, philosopher, historian of ideas,
columnist, founder and long-standing editor-in-chief of Res Publica Nowa and
Chairman of the Board of Bathory Foundation. The special lecture will be
presented by Prof. Adam D. Rotfeld, an outstanding scientist, politician and
intellectual, former Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Expert
debates and discussions will be held as part of two sessions:
Political
crisis. Why democratise liberalism?
Community
crisis. Between nationalism and universalism.
The
conference participants will attempt to diagnose the ideas behind the crisis
affecting European countries. The point of departure for the debates will be
the assumption that today’s political crisis, economic problems and social
tensions are symptoms of a lack of a fundamental agreement as to the core
values which might serve as foundations for common, solidarity-driven and
committed Europe.
The
panellists – philosophers, sociologists, historians of ideas, political
scientists and diplomats – together with conference participants will try to
suggest solutions which go beyond the mere technocratic crisis management. In
two themed sessions, they will address the basic concepts which have guided the
European project. They will juxtapose democracy and liberalism, they will
reflect on the modern face of nationalism and universalism and they will survey
the tensions rippling through modern European societies. The experts’ voices will
enrich the debate held in the streets of Brussels, Madrid and Athens.
If it wants
to survive, Europe must be prepared to propose new forms of social life and
redefine the foundation of thought, institutional practice and citizens’
activities. Maybe the time has come to reinvent Europe together.
INTERNATIONAL
CONFERENCE
Europe –
Critical Problems
Programme
Thursday,
17 October
9.30 a.m. –
10.00 a.m. Registration
10.00 a.m.
– 10.15 a.m. Welcome addresses
Prof.
Andrzej Zoll, Villa Decius Association
Henryka
Mościcka-Dendys, Undersecretary of State, Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs*
Marek Sowa,
Marshal of the Malopolska Region*
10.15 a.m.
– 11.00 a.m. Opening speech
Europe –
Critical Problems
Marcin Król
(Poland)
11.00 a.m.
– 12.30 p.m. Debate 1:
Political
crisis. Why democratise liberalism?
Introductory themes: A democratic state vs. a democratic society. How civic society should be accomplished in a liberal democracy? What does democratisation of a public life mean?
Experts:
Samuel
Abraham (Slovakia), Dominika Kasprowicz (Poland)
Szabolcs
Pogonyi (Hungary), Nina Witoszek-Fitzpatrick (Norway)
Moderator:
Wojciech
Przybylski (Poland)
12.30 p.m.
– 1.00 p.m. Coffee break
1.00 p.m. –
1.45 p.m. Special lecture
Adam Daniel
Rotfeld (Poland)
1.45 p.m. –
3.15 p.m. Debate 2:
Community
crisis. Between nationalism and universalism
Introductory
themes: In search of the community: nation states or the European project? Does
democracy have to be national? Resentments and hope – what makes the people
take to the streets of Europe
Experts:
Kristina Mikulova
(Slovakia), Kai-Olaf Lang (Germany)
Milica
Pesic (Serbia/UK), László Rájk (Hungary)
Moderator:
C. Cain
Elliott (USA/Poland)
3.15 p.m. –
4.15 p.m. Refreshments
SPECIAL
EVENT (by separate programme)
4.30 p.m. –
6.30 p.m. Awards Gala of the 10th Edition of the Polish Prize of Sérgio Vieira
de Mello granted in memory of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights (2002-2003)
The debates
will be held in Polish and English.
Simultaneous
interpretation: Aleksander Jakimowicz, Piotr Krasnowolski
Blog:
Polish language – Joanna Kryńska
English
language – Ziemowit Jóźwik
Arabic
language – Kareem Amer
Friday, 18
October
EXPERT SEMINAR
10.00 a.m.
– 1.30 p.m. Reinventing Europe
Introductory
themes: European Union – federation or a commonwealth of nations? Foundations
of thought for Europe. How should the future of the continent be shaped?
Introductions:
Northern
Perspective: Michael Kowalewicz (Poland)
Southern
Perspective: Paul T. Levin (Sweden)
Moderators: Krzysztof Bobiński (Poland), Martin Ehl (Czech
Republic)
Expert
Participants:
Samuel
Abraham, Bratislava International School of Liberal Arts, Slovakia
Kareem
Amer, Egypt/Norway
C. Cain
Elliott, USA/Poland
Riccardo
Campa, Jagiellonian University, Poland*
András
Forgách, playwright, Hungary
Danuta
Glondys, Villa Decius Association, Poland
Jarosław
Górniak, Jagiellonian University, Poland*
Anka
Herbut, playwright, Poland
Christian
Hussel, poet, Germany
Mario
Kaiser, journalist, Germany
Dominika
Kasprowicz, Krakow Pedagogical University, Poland
Michael
Kowalewicz, Jagiellonian University, Poland
Marcin
Król, Stefan Batory Foundation, Poland
Hans-Peter
Kunisch, journalist, Germany
Hendrik
Lindepuu, translator, Estonia
Myroslaw
Marynowicz, Ukrainian Catholic University, Ukraine
Kristina
Mikulova, John Hopkins University, Slovakia/USA
Atle
Midttun, Norwegian School of Business, Norway
Ivana
Myšková, prose author, Czech Republic
Kai-Olaf
Lang, German Institute for International and Security Affairs, Germany
Milica
Pesic, Media Diversity Institute, Serbia/UK
Jacek
Popiel, Jagiellonian University, Poland*
Jan Piekło, PAUCI, Poland
Szabolcs Pogonyi, Central European University, Hungary
Wojciech Przybylski, Res Publica Nowa, Poland
László
Rájk, University of Theatre and Film Arts, Hungary
Ziyad
Raoof, Plenipotentiary of the Kurdish Regional Government to Poland,
Iraq/Poland
Adam Daniel
Rotfeld, former Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Poland
Elżbieta
Święcicka, Stockholm University, Institute for Turkish Studies, Sweden
Nina
Witoszek-Fitzpatrick, University of Oslo, Norway
Mostafa
Zamani Nia, writer, Iran
Andrzej
Zoll, former Ombudsman, Villa Decius Association, Poland
Representatives
of the Panel of Judges of the Polish Prize of Sérgio Vieira de Mello:
Irena
Wóycicka, Undersecretary of State, Chancellery of the President of Poland*
HE Jorge
Geraldo Kadri, Ambassador of Brazil to Poland*
HE Staffan
Herrström, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to Poland*
Krystyna
Żurek, Director, Department of United Nations and Human Rights, MFA*
Anna-Carin
Öst, UNHCR Representative*
Ellen
Germain, United States Consul General*
Łukasz
Kamiński, President of the Institute of National Remembrance*
Irena
Lipowicz, Human Rights Defender*
Tomasz
Sendyka, Smart Practical Logic sp. z o. o.*
Jan Pamuła,
President of the Kraków Airport*
Jacek
Weremczuk, Regional Director of PZU insurance company*
Wiesław
Nowak, President of the ZUE S.A.*
1.30 p.m. –
2:30 p.m. Lunch
*waiting
for confirmation
English
will be the working language of the seminar.
