Athens Democracy Forum explores ‘the new abnormal’
The 2020 Athens Democracy Forum launches Wednesday as a virtual event with an aim to explore real solutions to the most pressing issues facing democracy today.
Themed “The New Abnormal: Reimagining Democracy,” the event will bring together leaders from government, business, civic society and the nonprofit sector.
The Forum, which wraps up Friday, is organized for the second year by the Democracy & Culture Foundation, in association with The New York Times and under the patronage of Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou.
“Even before the current crisis, democracy was threatened: from hijacked elections to the spread of extreme ideologies to the increasingly sophisticated tactics of strongmen. The effects have become alarmingly apparent: migration shifts, climate change, economic uncertainty and general global unrest,” organizers said in a press release.
“Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the assaults have become even more prevalent, and calls to reinvent democracy are more urgent than ever,” organizers said.
The speaker line-up includes: Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Microsoft President Brad Smith, historian Yuval Noah Harari, Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic Buric, Venezuela’s National Assembly speaker Juan Guaidó, the chair of the Kofi Annan Foundation Board Elhadj As Sy, and MEP Alice Bah Kuhnke.
The virtual event is open to the public, but registration is required.
