Democracy in the US and Europe has been shaken by a challenge from illiberal democracy. Outside the Western world, countries where the Arab Spring took place between 2010 and 2012 are split between those where democratization moved forward and those where authoritarian rule was reinstated. The rapid rise of China as the world’s second largest economy has set the stage for a competition between systems surrounding the legitimacy of governing systems. In the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is also learning of the necessity of global cooperation in order to overcome the virus and achieve a definite economic recovery.

This webinar will begin with a keynote speech describing from a global perspective the challenges being faced by democracy, followed by panelists from the US, the EU, and the Indo-Pacific region discussing what roles the media and government should play considering the current state of democracy in the different regions. Please register by Friday, March 12, 2021.

Panelists:

Dr. Yuichi Hosoya (Keynote speaker) - Professor, Keio University

Ms. Aiko Doden - Senior Director, NHK World TV

Ms. Mary Dejevsky - Commentator, The Independent, UK

Mr. Simon Denyer - Tokyo Bureau Chief, The Washington Post, USA

Mr. Ravi Velloor - Associate Editor, The Straits Times, Singapore

Mr. Kazuo Kodama (Moderator) - President, Foreign Press Center Japan