Is Populism a Problem ?

Strasbourg, 8-10 November 2017

The 2017 World Forum for Democracy will focus on the role of political parties and media in the context of rising populism. A growing disconnect between citizens and political elites and dramatic changes in the media ecosystem are a challenge for democracy as we know it. New political and media actors and practices are emerging, offering opportunities for direct, unmediated engagement of the public, unbound by ethical or institutional safeguards. How can pluralism, freedom of expression, and fair and evidence-based public debate be safeguarded in these new conditions? How to nourish political culture which embraces a long-term perspective and resists the excesses of populism?

Read more: Concept paper

Concern about the draft Law on the National Freedom Institute - Centre for the Development of Civil Society in Poland (read here)

The Conference of INGOs concerned about the situation of human rights defenders in Turkey (read here)

40 YEARS OF DIALOGUE BETWEEN CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE: LOOKING BACK BUT MOVING FORWARD

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Among the many varied debates organised during the week, some of the highlights were:

• A Side event organised in co-operation with PACE Committee on Equality and non-discrimination: "Women's mobilization in Europe 2016: What impact on policies?"
• A debate/training session "How to fight against discrimination and hate speech in the post-truth era"
• A debate on the “populist wave in Europe” on the basis of the Secretary General’s latest report
• The situation of NGOs in member States with reports from the visits led by the President of the Conference to Hungary and Ireland and the meetings held with NGOs from Cyprus and Turkey
• The Conference adopted a Recommendation “Human Rights and Business” encouraging members States to implement the actions recommended in Committee of Ministers Recommendation (2016)3.

From Crux Staff     July 23, 2017

On the heels of one controversial Vatican article alleging an “ecumenism of hate” between conservative Evangelicals and Catholics in America, another potential eyebrow-raiser emerged Saturday claiming that the “main obstacle” to implementing Pope Francis’s vision is “closure, if not hostility” from “a good part of the clergy, at levels both high and low.”

The term “high and low” suggests the author had in mind clergy ranging from senior bishops to ordinary parish priests.  “The clergy is holding the people back, who should instead be accompanied in this extraordinary moment,” said the article by Italian Father Giulio Cirignano, a native of Florence and a longtime Scripture scholar at the Theological Faculty of Central Italy.

Meeting from January 23rd to 27th, 2017 in Strasbourg, the Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe brought together some 300 INGO delegates, experts, parliamentarians and permanent representatives of Council of Europe member states who discussed several major issues of concern today :

• freedom of expression and of association in Turkey following the attempted coup on 15 July 2016,
• the situation of NGOs in member States at a time when civil society space is shrinking,
• the regulation of the activities of multinationals for a better respect of human rights and local development,
• the surveillance of lawyers and the need for standards safeguarding client confidentiality,
• the information society, progress made and the threats facing public authorities and NGO.

Dear participants,

Two new videos presenting the World Forum for Democracy 2016 highlights and its conclusions have just been released. Aimed at our participants and the wide audience, the videos describe the challenges faced this year at the Forum and show the scope of its activities through the best highlights.

The videos are available both in a short and long version: http://www.coe.int/en/web/world-forum-democracy/wfd-2016-highlights

We are also happy to inform you that we are currently working final report.                 

We hope you will enjoy this unique way of recalling the Forum.

Thank you again for your participation and we look forward to seeing you all next year.

Best Regards,              

World Forum for Democracy

Council of Europe

F-67075 Strasbourg

E-mail : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Internet : www.world-forum-democracy.org  

Dear friends,

You will find the program of this session: Order of Business and Working groups and as attachment the wishes of the President of the Conference.

Very cordially, Philippe Grolleau.

     If I were to indicate what feeling prevails today in western societies, I'd say fear. Often unacknowledged or exorcised through displays of security and strength, fear hides in the thoughts of many people, in the decisions of entire populations, in turn back to ideologies that we thought were no longer occupy the scenario of our countries. Afraid, we try to give a name to identify an enemy to fight and to whom to attribute the faults of many social problems that we cannot solve. This enemy is identified as external to us: the Isis, monster that creates cruel children also in our well-ordered society; foreign, invading our lands and feeding new social tensions; European bureaucracy which oppresses our lives with rules made to limit our freedom.

Exorcising mercy almost a year ago, Pope Francis launched the Jubilee of Mercy, with the aim of helping us to experience mercy, both the mercy which all of us need to receive from God and the mercy we must show towards all those overwhelmed by suffering.

But there are some words which are traitorous: words that though they mean positive and good things, sound bad, at least to some people. One of these words is mercy. Is mercy a weakness? Nietzsche said, ‘I do not like the merciful who feel blessed in their pity”. And maybe modern man feels too self-sufficient.