Petrie-Flom Center Seminar Series: ‘COVID-19 and the Law: COVID-19’s Legacy & Evolving Legal Doctrines’ - 2 February 2021, 12.00-13.15 (EST)

Link here

Register here

Join us on February 2 for the first installment of the COVID-19 and the Law: Disruption, Impact, and Legacy Seminar Series. This seminar series will consider the ethical, legal, regulatory, and broader social and institutional impacts that COVID-19 has had, as well as the longer-lasting effects it may have on our society. This first seminar in the series will focus on the interaction of COVID-19 with health law and policy.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected almost all aspects of life in the United States and around the world, disrupting the global economy as well as countless institutions. The issues raised by the COVID-19 pandemic present a critical juncture for the U.S. and other countries around the world. Our actions now have the potential to shape responses to future pandemics, and to ensure institutions serve all of our populations.

How have our institutions, including the structure of our health care system and its attendant regulations, affected the evolution of the pandemic? What lasting changes have legal responses to COVID-19 introduced? Which institutions and intersectional issues have worsened or complicated the impact of and response to the pandemic? Join us for a critical reflection on changes the pandemic has introduced and their anticipated legacy. This seminar series is organized in collaboration with the Solomon Center for Health Law and Policy at Yale Law School.

Panelists:

Katherine L. Kraschel (Moderator) - Lecturer in Law, Clinical Lecturer in Law, Research Scholar in Law and Executive Director of the Solomon Center, Yale Law School

Carmel Shachar (Moderator) - Executive Director, Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics, Harvard Law School

Wendy E. Parmet - Matthews Distinguished University Professor of Law and Director, Center for Health Policy and Law; and Professor of Public Policy and Urban Affairs, Northeastern University School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs

Ruqaiijah Yearby - Center for Health Law Studies; William C. Wefel Center for Employment Law, School of Law Professor; and Executive Director and Co-Founder, Institute for Healing Justice and Equity, Saint Louis University

Nicole Huberfeld - Professor of Health Law, Ethics & Human Rights, BU School of Public Health; and Professor of Law, BU School of Law

Lindsay Wiley - Professor of Law and Director, Health Law and Policy Program, American University Washington College of Law

World Press Institute: ‘The Impact of the COVID Pandemic on Press Freedom’ - 2 February 2021, 10.00 (EST)

Link here

Register here

Longtime journalist Kaius Niemi (Senior Editor in Chief, Helsingin Sanomat and WPI board member) and press freedom advocates Barbara Trionfi (Executive Director, International Press Institute), and Pauline Adès-Mével (Editor-in-Chief & Spokesperson, Reporters Without Borders) will weigh in on the state of press freedom as it relates to COVID-19.

International IDEA & the Friends in Defence of Democracy: ‘Defending Democracy from Disinformation’ - 29 January 2021, 13.30-15.00 (CET)

Link here

Register here

The proliferation of online platforms and the ease with which malign forces can manipulate information is greatly undermining democratic institutions. Political disinformation creates chaos, division, and distrust. It has resulted in parallel universes in which citizens operate with a different set of facts and live in different realities. Disputes over conflicting opinions about how to solve society’s problems have been replaced by a divergent understanding of what the problems are in the first place.

Disinformation hurts democracy in a multitude of ways:

• First, it harms electoral processes by endangering the concept of “informed choice”, as voters go to the polls with false information mixed in with conspiracies. It may also damage electoral legitimacy, by spreading lies about the electoral result and its fairness, as we see today in the United States.

• Second, and perhaps more fundamental, disinformation polarizes societies and distorts public debates. Executive actions, legislation, appointments, and foreign policy are all viewed through vastly different lenses, with no clear referee of facts and evidence, making the truth subjective, legitimacy questionable and accountability impossible.

• Third, disinformation also presents an effective vehicle for both domestic and foreign anti-democratic actors to peddle harmful narratives, further exacerbate pre-existing societal divisions, and push citizens toward undemocratic alternatives, such as authoritarian populist movements, autocratic strongmen, or even extremist organizations.

• Fourth, disinformation may also be a national security threat, effectively undermining states’ foreign policy goals and partnerships as well as promoting hostile adversaries.

Disinformation has become a critical and pressing challenge for democracies around the world. This webinar will explore tangible solutions and best practices to protect democracy from disinformation, protect information integrity and build societal resilience against fake news and false facts.

Brookings Institution: ‘The future of democracy in Asia’ - 29 January 2021, 8.30-10.00 (EST)

Link here

Register here

Asia represents a critical frontier for democratic governance that will shape the geopolitical landscape of the 21st century. Democratic states in the region face increasing strain from an interconnected set of challenges across political, economic, and cultural dynamics. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainty about American strategy, the implications of emerging technologies, and support for illiberal populism and authoritarianism by policymakers and foreign actors have tested democratic norms in the region.

On Friday, January 29, as part of the initiative on Democracy in Asia, the Foreign Policy program at Brookings will host an event examining the health of democracy in Asia. Following opening remarks by Brookings President John R. Allen, Taiwan Digital Minister Audrey Tang will deliver a pre-recorded keynote address and respond to questions. A moderated panel with regional experts and scholars will then explore the ongoing intraregional challenges and trends affecting democratic governments and institutions across the Indo-Pacific. Following the conversation, panelists will take questions from the audience.

European Law Academy (ERA): ‘Human Rights in Times of Emergency’ - 28-29 January 2021, 9.00-13.00 (CET)

Link here

Register here

The European Law Academy (ERA) is organising one of its famous courses for professionals online on the theme of 'Human Rights in Times of Emergency' on 28 and 29 January. The course will go into 'current challenges posed by COVID-19 to individual human rights with a critical overview of the restrictions of human rights possible under the European Convention on Human Rights in times of emergency. It will also provide an opportunity to exchange best practices.' It is geared towards judges, prosecutors, lawyers in the private and public sector.

Trust in Governance and Regulation in Europe: ‘Public trust and community capacity: the case of COVID-19 policy response in Hong Kong’ - 28 January 2021, 19.00 (HKT) / 12.00 (CET)

Link here

In its early stages, the COVID-19 pandemic forced governments to mobilize quickly and comprehensively, drawing not only on public resources and coordination capabilities but also on the cooperation and buy-in of civil society. Political and institutional legitimacy are crucial determinants of effective crisis management, and low-trust states lacking such legitimacy suffer a profound disadvantage. We examine Hong Kong as a case where failure to respond effectively could have been expected due to low levels of public trust and political legitimacy, but where, in fact, crisis response was unexpectedly successful. The case calls for a more nuanced understanding of policy capacity, including how social behaviours and norms are structured and reproduced amidst existential uncertainties and policy ambiguities. We propose the concept of community capacity to fill this conceptual gap.

Trust in Governance and Regulation in Europe: ‘The impact of citizen exclusion: understanding community disquiet against pandemic surveillance technology’ - 27 January 2021, 17.00 (SGT) / 10.00 (CET)

Link here

The proliferation of surveillance technology during the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a myriad of responses from the public. We posit that public trust and confidence in state control policies employing these technologies is tenuous at best, and the trust-deficit has had a significant impact on the efficacy of the control measures. Without genuinely engaging and including citizens into the conceptualisation, development, implementation and decommissioning of policies and tech, data subjects are relegated to data objects. In this presentation, we argue that principled design and citizen inclusion at crucial stages of pandemic control responses can preserve the rights and integrity of all individuals during the crisis (and beyond) without jeopardising efficacy. We reject the position that there must be a trade-off between personal data protection and health security. In our work, digital self-determination has the potential to make surveillance technologies (including the data it produces and shares) more legitimate from the data subject’s perspective, thereby aiding in more robust control policies.

World Justice Project: ‘Fundamental Rights and Non-Discrimination in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Recommendations for Action’ - 26 January 2021, 10.00 (EST)

Link here

Register here

The COVID-19 pandemic is intensifying restrictions on a wide range of fundamental rights, which form a key pillar of the rule of law. This comes at a time when, according to the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index, more countries have regressed on their 'fundamental rights score' than any other rule of law factor over both the last year and the last five years. In addition to the dramatic effects of quarantines and lockdowns on freedom of movement and travel, the pandemic is affecting human rights in four areas of particular concern: equal treatment and non-discrimination, freedom of expression and assembly, right to privacy, and due process and the rights of detainees.

Co-sponsored by World Justice Challenge thematic partners CIVICUS and International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), this discussion will focus on fundamental rights issues that have been raised and exacerbated by the pandemic. Panelists will also discuss recommendations for action needed to address underlying challenges, support an effective recovery process, and build back toward more just, rule-of-law-based societies.

Speakers:

Maja Daruwala - Senior Advisor, Tata Trusts and Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative

Mandeep Tiwana - Chief Programmes Officer, CIVICUS

Tess McEvoy - New York Co-Director and Legal Counsel, International Service for Human Rights

Ted Piccone (Moderator) - Chief Engagement Officer, World Justice Project

Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD): ‘Legislative leadership in the time of Covid-19’ - 19 January 2021, 10.00-11.00 (GMT)

Link here

Register here

Westminster Foundation for Democracy is launching a research paper on the role that parliaments have played so far during the COVID-19 crisis as part of our ongoing partnership with the University of Birmingham.

The pandemic generated challenges for all democratic institutions, and legislatures were no exceptions, having to consider how to adapt to debate, pass legislation and scrutinise the actions of governments. This was not just a question of ensuring an effective health response. During this period, we have witnessed considerable democratic backsliding, and so maintaining oversight and accountability has been important both for the public and democratic health of the nation. We therefore need to know the answers to key questions such as:

• What role have legislatures played in responding to COVID-19, particularly in scrutinising government’s actions to address the crisis?

• What have been the main enablers and barriers to effective legislative scrutiny?

• Which legislative actors have been involved in responding to Covid-19 and what is the role of leadership in their response?

Bipartisan Policy Center: ‘The 2020 Voting Experience and Goals for Reform’ - 15 December 2020, 11.00-17.00 (ET)

Link here

Register here

Following an unprecedented year of uncertainty, adaptation and innovation in voting 2020, the Bipartisan Policy Center will host its fourth post-presidential election cycle event bringing together election administrators, policymakers, academics, advocates and campaigns to examine the voting experience.

We will discuss the impact of election administration reforms on improving the voting experience over four years ago as well as securing the voting process. Topics to be covered include: the shifts needed for voting during a pandemic; the rise of voting by mail, the use of technology in the election ecosystem, and how it can be secured; the future of funding elections in America; how changes in election laws and litigation impacted the election; how improved data collection and analysis can further improve the administration of elections.

ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute: ‘2020 Pilkada: Regional Elections Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic’ - 15 December 2020, 15.00-16.30 (SGT)

Link here

Register here

Indonesians will go to the polls on 9 December 2020 to vote for their regional leaders. As many as 734 nominee pairs have registered as candidate pairs for the 2020 Pilkada, which will be held simultaneously in nine provinces, 224 districts, and 37 cities. Among the candidates, there are also 27 solo candidates and 124 candidates related to political families. Nevertheless, the COVID-19 pandemic has been affecting the preparation process. Voting was scheduled to take place on September 23, 2020. However, this was postponed to December 9, 2020. In early September, officers from the central and local offices of the General Election Commission (KPU) as well as the Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) contracted the virus. Many running candidates have also tested positive during the campaign. In this webinar, three ISEAS researchers will share their observations on the process and reflection of quick count results, focusing on the city of Medan, South Tangerang, and Solo. The three cities arguably can gauge how dynastic politics is at work in Indonesia. They will also examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the regional election process and outcomes.

Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines: ‘Countering Infodemic in this Pandemic’ - 14 December 2020, 16.00-18.00 (PHT)

Link here

Register here

In the context of the celebration of the Human Rights Month this December, the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines will hold a media literacy webinar titled “Countering Infodemic in this Pandemic” on 14 December 2020, 4- 6 p.m., to shed light on the current state of play in disinformation in the Philippines and the practical ways to counter it.

With the global epidemic comes misinformation spreading through social media platforms, further aggravating the situation. Exposure to misleading or outright false information erodes trust among citizens, institutions, and even in media. It also abets in undermining democracies by impeding the ability and right of citizens to make informed decisions. Most importantly, it impairs freedom of opinion and expression—a fundamental right enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

The webinar will feature a distinguished roster of speakers who will share their expertise and insights on the state of play of disinformation in the country: Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Manny Mogato, Democracy Reporting International co-founder and executive director Michael Meyer-Resende, and ANC anchor and 2020 Marshall McLuhan fellow Christian Esguerra. Manila Standard News Editor Joyce Panares will serve as the moderator, encouraging a healthy discourse among the speakers and invited journalists from the Philippine media and international publications and organizations.

Open Gov Hub: ‘COVID's Impact on Civic Collaborations’ - 16 December 2020, 12.30-13.30 (EST)

Link here

A new Carnegie research paper co-authored by Nada Zohdy and Abigail Bellows examines the impact of the pandemic on civil society collaborations for open government. We heard from 125 civil society leaders across 20 countries during this project, including many of our global affiliate hubs and their partners. Please read and share the report and join for this Brown Bag lunch presentation and discussion on key findings and next steps. Join Nada Zohdy, one of the co-authors, for the live discussion.

Bocconi University & European Society of International Law: ‘COVID-19 and International law: Novel Strain or old wine in new test tubes?’ - 15 December 2020, 13.30-18.00 (CEST)

Link here

Register here

As the blogosphere breathlessly attests, the COVID-19 pandemic and the reactions of states to it have thrown up a host of issues of international law. There is talk in the international legal academy of a turning point … as there was last time something big and out of the ordinary occurred. To what extent is this talk justified and to what extent is it just hype? The webinar will examine these and more specific questions of international law raised by the current global health crisis. The first panel focuses on issues of “rights, obligations and responsibility” and the second panel focuses on “defences”.

International Press Institute (IPI) & Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF): ‘Journalism in the Shadow of Covid’ - 11 December 2020, 10.30 (CET)

Link here

Register here

Join the International Press Institute (IPI) and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) for the launch of IPI’s report on the impact of Covid-19 on journalism across Europe. The report is based on the exhaustive monitoring of violations of media freedom, arising from the pandemic documented by IPI’s Covid-19 Press Freedom Tracker and the reporting series ‘Media Freedom in the Shadow of Covid-19’ by IPI correspondents across Europe.

Speakers:

Meera Selva - Director of Journalists Fellowship programme, Reuters Institute, Oxford

Ramona Strugariu - MEP Romania RENEW

Cristina Lupu - Executive Director, Centre for Investigative Journalism (CIJ), Romania

Borut Živulovič - Photojournalist, Slovenia

Jamie Wiseman - Advocacy Officer, IPI

Barbara Trionfi (Moderator) - Executive Director, IPI

UN University Centre for Policy Research, Brookings Institution & Centre for the Study of Armed Groups: ‘How Armed Groups Are Instrumentalizing the Pandemic’ - 10 December 2020, 11.00 (ET)

Register here

The pandemic has created unprecedented challenges around the world, triggering a global economic downturn, causing large-scale border closures, and placing enormous strains on the systems servicing populations everywhere. In many conflict settings, the COVID-19 has created new opportunities for armed groups to expand their influence, undermine state authority, and increase recruitment. Boko Haram has spread misinformation and targeted health workers in the hopes of gaining leverage in northern Nigeria. In Afghanistan, the Taliban has rolled out a large-scale propaganda campaign and has imposed its own quarantine processes, demonstrating its influence and control over large parts of the country. And in Somalia, Al Shabaab has set up COVID-19 treatment cells, criticizing the Somali government for its failures to respond.

This event is a collaboration amongst UN University Centre for Policy Research, the Brookings Institution, and the Centre for the Study of Armed Groups at the Overseas Development Institute. The panelists will explore the various ways in which armed groups are instrumentalizing the pandemic, how governments have responded, and what specific steps can be taken over the coming period.

Speakers:

Adam Day (Moderator) - Director of Programmes, UN University Centre for Policy Research

Vanda Felbab-Brown - Director, Initiative on Nonstate Armed Actors, The Brookings Institution

Nadwa al-Dawsari - Non-Resident Fellow, Middle East Institute, former Yemen Country Director for Center for Civilians in Conflict

Ashley Jackson - Co-Director, Centre for the Study of Armed Groups, Overseas Development Institute

Siobhan O’Neil, Project Director, Managing Exits from Armed Conflict project at the United Nations University Centre for Policy Research

LSE Institute of Global Affairs, School of Public Policy & Centre for Economic Policy Research: ‘Democracy and Disinformation’ - 8 December 2020, 15.00-16.00 (GMT)

Link here

Register here

Digital technology has fundamentally undermined previous definitions of a democratic information environment. In the 20th century democracies were defined by freedom of expression, pluralism and the metaphor of a ‘marketplace of ideas’, and authoritarian regimes by censorship and state media control. Today, however, we see authoritarians and ‘hybrid’ regimes multiplying content rather than constricting it: flooding the information space with unprecedented amounts of digitally powered disinformation, and undermining critics with cyber militias and online mobs. Meanwhile inside democracies pluralism is tipping into polarisation so extreme it breaks down the possibility for deliberative debate.

The principles underpinning a democratic information environment need to be reimagined for the digital age. What sort of oversight and control do we need over algorithms and the design of online platforms? How can we reinvent media to overcome polarisation? Can democracies build coalitions to withstand the authoritarian threat?

International Political Science Association: ‘Virtual Colloquium - Disruption, Crisis, Opportunity: Whither Democratic Governance?’ - 14-17 December 2020

Link here

Over the past two decades, societies worldwide have experienced a series of disruptions to what was at the time perceived as the regular way of life: the COVID-19 pandemic, global financial crisis, increasing global population mobility, 9/11. European continent has experiences additional cross-border disruptions: the UK’s departure from the EU, the so-called refugee crisis, EU enlargement, to name but a few. Each global region has had a fair share of its own challenges in the past, and the true social, cultural, economic, and political effects of the COVID pandemic are likely to be long lasting. How have international organisations, national, regional, local level authorities innovated in response to acute challenges; and have these actually made a difference in dealing with these new challenges? How have democratic institutions responded to citizens’ needs over the succession of disruptions, and what differences can be observed between democratic and non-democratic responses, and between local, regional and national level policies?

The online conference will provide an opportunity to examine the role of local, national, regional, and international actors in the changing role of democratic governance over the past two decades.