International Institute for Strategic Studies: ‘The geo-economics and geopolitics of COVID-19: implications for European security’ - 16 March 2021, 11.00-12.00 (GMT)

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The coronavirus pandemic will be responsible for deep and long-lasting political and economic effects that will almost certainly influence international order and stability, as well as the ability of governments to confront security challenges today and in the future. Many countries will emerge from the coronavirus pandemic laden with debt and a severely depressed outlook for economic growth. It is conceivable that among the second- and third-order effects of the pandemic is an accelerated rebalancing of power away from the Euro-Atlantic community. This could threaten the ability of NATO and EU member states to shape and defend the rules-based international order.

The pandemic itself may be a driver of instability and insecurity at a time when the ability to deliver stabilising measures and crisis-management capacity is weakened. But where does the pandemic create genuinely new risks and where does it merely accelerate existing trends? During this webinar, the IISS and the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) will launch a joint paper that examines this question and the geo-economic and geopolitical implications of COVID-19 for European security more widely. The paper draws on a series of webinars convened by the IISS and HSF at the end of 2020. The paper will be made available for download on the day of the event.

European Economic and Social Committee (EESC): ‘Civil Society Organisations during and after COVID-19: what challenges and what future?’ - 12 March 2021, 9.30-16.45 (CEST)

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The hybrid conference will see the launch of the EESC study "The response of civil society organisations to the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent restrictive measures adopted in Europe", as well as topical debates with high-level speakers and civil society representatives.

The study, commissioned by the EESC at the request of the Group, sheds light on the activities of civil society organisations (CSOs) in assisting local communities and vulnerable groups to deal with the pandemic. Quantitative and qualitative data on their activities are presented through case studies, as well as a review of the challenges faced by civil society as a result of the pandemic. Moreover, discussions with high-level speakers and civil society representatives will focus on:

• The impact of the pandemic on vulnerable groups of people;

• How CSOs helped these vulnerable groups;

• Initiatives taken by CSOs to review how they handled the crisis;

• The ways in which CSOs will contribute to reconstruction and to sustainable post COVID-19 communities.

The event is aimed at:

• Assisting CSOs to redesign their own structures and to become more sustainable;

• Helping CSOs to be involved in the design and implementation of the Recovery Plan for Europe;

• Feeding into the wider debates on the Conference on the Future of Europe and on the Social Summit in Porto (May 2021).

Foreign Press Center Japan: ‘Our World Confronting Mega-trends: Democracy at a crossroads– Challenges posed to democratic values by populism and systemic rivalry’ - 16 March 2021, 16.00-17.30 (JST)

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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

Institute for Security & Development Policy: ‘Taiwan Nordic Forum 2021: Covid-19 – Lessons learned?’ - 3 March 2021, 11.30-13.00 (CET)

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Although the Covid-19 pandemic is far from over, assessments as to how successful individual countries have been in tackling it have run high. Among the Nordic countries,  Sweden’s approach has largely been viewed with suspicion while Iceland and Norway appear to have been doing rather well. Meanwhile, Taiwan’s rapid response has been hailed as a success story in Asia. With a vaccine now being rolled out, this panel will outline how effectively both the Nordic countries and Taiwan have responded, the respective impact the pandemic has had on the population, as well as explore possible policy recommendations. 

We are honored to welcome four distinguished speakers for this event. Therese Sefton is a Research Assistant with PRIO in Oslo, Norway. She holds an M.A. in Peace and Conflict Studies from Oslo University and is currently working on a research project on “Disparate Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Norway and Sweden: lessons and opportunities for the Nordic region”. Dr. Tove Fall is Professor of Molecular Epidemiology at Uppsala University, Sweden. She is one of the research leaders in “COVID Symptom Study” and “CRUSH Covid”. Prof. Runólfur Pálsson is a Professor at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Iceland, and the Director of the Department of Internal Medicine and Rehabilitation Services at Landspitali – The National University Hospital of Iceland. He was the co-author of a population-based cohort study on Covid-19 symptoms. Dr. Chun-Chien Kuo is a Professor at the National Taipei University of Business, Taiwan. In 2020, he published on Taiwan’s pandemic response and lessons learned. Larissa Stünkel, Junior Research Fellow with ISDP’s China Center, will moderate this event.

Uplift International: ‘A Conversation about Democracy, Human Rights and the Right to Health in the Time of COVID-19’ - 3 March 2021, 19.30-20.30 (EST)

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Today, we are experiencing a Covid-19 pandemic, a rise in populist nationalism and increasing authoritarianism around the world.  Leading experts will discuss the linkages between democracy, human rights and the right to health.  We will explore the situations in China and India and highlight experiences in different societies during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Speakers:

• Beth E. Rivin (Chair) - President & CEO, Uplift International

• Amar Jesani - Independent Researcher and Teacher of Bioethics and Public Health; co-founder of the Forum for Medical Ethics Society and its journal, Indian Journal of Medical Ethics; visiting Faculty at Yenepoya Univ, Mangalore; CBEC/SIUT, Karachi; KEMRI, Nairobi

• Benjamin Mason Meier - Associate Professor of Global Health Policy, Department of Public Policy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

• Joan Kaufman - Senior Director for Academic Programs, Schwarzman Scholars, Tsinghua University; lecturer on Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD): ‘Parliaments, crackdowns and COVID-19: protecting people’s democratic freedoms’ - 2 March 2021, 13.00-14.30 (GMT)

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In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a majority of countries worldwide have introduced severe restrictions to civic space. In some countries, governments have used the pandemic as an excuse to pass long-planned reforms to crack down on civic freedoms. These recent developments are a concern to citizens worldwide. What can parliaments around the world do to contain this trend?

On Tuesday, February 2 at 1.00pm UK time, WFD will host members of parliament and civil society to explore this recent phenomenon and share examples of how parliamentarians and civil society have worked together to fight for their voices to be heard. The first part of the webinar will address the question of how civic space has been affected by the pandemic and the role of parliaments and parties in avoiding major backsliding of democratic practices. The second part will focus on concrete examples of members of parliament and civil society organisations in Kenya and Kyrgyzstan in defending these democratic spaces.

First panel:

• Danny Kruger MP, House of Commons

• Mandeep Tiwana, Chief Programmes Officer, Civicus

• Elly Page, Senior Legal Advisor, International Center for Not-for-profit Law (ICNL)

• Julia Keutgen, Senior Transparency Advisor, WFD

Second panel:

• Nic Cheeseman, Professor of Democracy, University of Birmingham

• Kasanga Sylvia, Senator, Kenya (Chairperson of the ad hoc Committee on COVID-19, Vice-Chair of Departmental Committee on Public Works, Roads and Transport,  Member of Powers and Privileges committee, Member of Departmental Committee on Lands and Natural Resources)

• Caroline Gaita, Executive Director, Mzalendo Trust, Kenya

• Klara Sooronkulova, presidential candidate, Kyrgyzstan

German Marshall Fund: ‘China and Geopolitics in the Indo-Pacific after COVID-19’ - 26 February 2021, 9.00-10.30 (CET)

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Join two Lowy Institute experts, Richard McGregor and Hervé Lemahieu, to discuss China’s post-coronavirus outlook, its troubled relationship with Australia, and the geopolitics in the region. Richard McGregor is an award-winning author on China’s political system, whose most recent book, Xi Jinping: The Backlash, outlines how President Xi has transformed the country’s one-party state and how in turn this has sparked a backlash at home and abroad. Hervé Lemahieu will outline China’s strengths and weaknesses from the data-driven perspective of the Lowy Institute Asia Power Index. The index provides a comprehensive assessment of the changing balance of power in the Indo-Pacific and of the geopolitical consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.

RECONNECT: ‘Backsliding: Democratic Regress in the Contemporary World’ - 26 February 2021, 16.00 (CET)

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The RECONNECT project is pleased to announce the first lecture of our new Global Webinar Series: Democratic and Rule of Law Backsliding. Causes, Consequences and Prospects from around the World. This new series will take stock of major developments in specific countries and regions around the world with regard to rule of law and democracy backsliding.

In this first lecture, Prof. Haggard and Prof. Kaufman give insights on recent developments based on their newly published book: Backsliding: Democratic Regress in the Contemporary World. Prof. Stephan Haggard and Prof. Robert Kaufman are the authors of The Political Economy of Democratic Transitions (1995); Development, Democracy and Welfare States: Latin America, East Asia and Eastern Europe (2008) and Dictators and Democrats: Elites, Masses and Regime Change (2016).

Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication & New York Southeast Asia Network: ‘The Global Pandemic and Press Freedom in Southeast Asia’ - 23 February 2021, 17.30-18.30 (EST)

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Join us for a panel discussion on the effects of the global pandemic and press freedom in Southeast Asia. On the panel will be James Gomez, Executive Director, of the Asia Center in Bangkok, Thailand; Gayathry Venkiteswaran, former media activist and Assistant Professor at University of Nottingham in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Adrian Ayalin, senior reporter with ABS-CBN, Manila, the Philippines.

The three panelist will speak on how the pandemic has affected press freedom in the region and more specifically in their own countries. There will a Q&A session following the presentation. The event will be moderated by Janet Steele, Director of IPDGC.

Model United Nations at the University of Michigan's (MUNUM) Conference: ‘Pandemic Populism: Does Covid-19 Boost Democratic Backsliding and Authoritarian Regimes?’ - 21 February 2021, 19.00-20.00 (ET)

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This year, Model United Nations at the University of Michigan's (MUNUM) conference is virtual and we are offering programming opportunities in addition to our traditional conference. One such event is a panel titled Pandemic Populism: Does Covid-19 Boost Democratic Backsliding and Authoritarian Regimes?

Panelists:

• Professor Dan Slater - Ronald and Eileen Weiser Professor of Emerging Democracies and Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies Director; Professor of Political Science

• Professor Joshua Cole - Professor of History

• Professor Mary Gallagher - Amy and Alan Lowenstein Professor in Democracy, Democratization, and Human Rights

• Professor Charlotte Cavaille (Chair) - Assistant Professor of Public Policy

There is no registration for the event. Here is the Zoom Webinar information: https://umich.zoom.us/s/94038244458
Webinar ID: 940 3824 4458
Passcode: 179925

Observatory of Political Alternatives in Southeast Asia, Altersea: ‘Alternative Solutions in Facing Covid-19 Across Southeast Asia’ - 18 February 2021, 15.00-16.30 (ICT)

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In the past two decades, Southeast Asia endured the appearance of three new zoonotic infectious diseases in the form of coronaviruses. Among them, COVID-19 has the most critical impact in terms of health and economy, linked to the increasing density and mobility of the human and animal populations as well as the regional rapid market integration. In addition, the virus poses political and social consequences. Coupled with the unequal distribution of economic growth, low levels of social protection, and authoritarian tendencies in the regional governments’ responses, the pandemic reinforces existing inequalities faced by vulnerable populations, particularly women, informal workers, migrant people, and persons disabled by the circumstances and social organization.

The lockdown measures that urged millions of citizens to stay at home put a halt to the 2019 wave of mass citizens’ protests for democracy and social justice. However, in a context where the state of emergency has become the normal condition and where the implementation of extraordinary security measures involve suspending life to protect it (Agamben 2020), less visible resistance, engagements, and solidarities mushroom and organize themselves. Social activists and ordinary citizens denounce the weight of inequalities in facing the virus, set up mutual aid groups, inform their fellow citizens in popular education campaigns, and monitor national policies (Pleyers 2020: 13).

Then, the COVID-19 outbreak engages a struggle over the meaning of the crisis in a context of increased polarization between authoritarian-style neoliberalism, which sickness shows through the current rise of identarian and reactionary activism (Bayart 2017), and alternative propositions striving to reconnect health issues with their fundamental social, cultural, political and environmental determinants. This conference will examine these trends by including our analysis in the perspective of the reactions to the pandemic, situated at a “global moment” and contextualizing the analysis nationally and locally. This event gathers social science researchers and prominent social militant figures to contemplate alternative solutions for Southeast Asia through study cases in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

This event is supported by Fiskom, Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana (Salatiga, Indonesia); SEA-Junction (Bangkok, Thailand); and the Centre Asie du Sud-Est (Paris, France).

Verfassungsblog: ‘Power and the Covid-19 Pandemic’ - 24 February 2021, 14.00-15.30 (CET)

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One year on how has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the law, and the way states govern? Should we be concerned about the ongoing use of emergency powers? How can we look forward to what lies ahead?

Marking the launch of the 2021 "Power and the COVID-19 Pandemic" Symposium, this webinar will bring together five contributors to discuss the impact of the pandemic on legal systems globally, and offer initial assessments for the rule of law, democracy, and human rights:

• Fionnuala Ní Aoláin - Regents Professor University of Minnesota Law School; Professor of Law, Queens University Belfast; UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms while Countering Terrorism

• Martin Scheinin - British Academy Global Professor, Bonavero Institute of Human Rights, University of Oxford; part-time Professor, European University Institute, Florence; Collaborator of the PluriCourts Centre of Excellence, University of Oslo; Member of the Scientific Committee of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency

• Thomas Bustamante - Professor of Legal Theory at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil; Research Productivity Fellow of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development

• Thulasi K. Raj - Advocate, Supreme Court and Kerala High Court; Equality Fellow, Centre for Law & Policy Research, Bangalore

• Jakub Jaraczewski - Legal Officer, Democracy Reporting International

The webinar will be chaired by Joelle Grogan (Middlesex University London) who is the convenor of the Symposium.

The Power and the COVID-19 Pandemic Symposium beginning on 22 February 2021 is hosted by the Verfassungsblog and supported by Democracy Reporting International, RECONNECT, and the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law. The Symposium brings together experts from over 70 countries to reflect on how legal and political systems have adapted to ongoing challenges presented by the pandemic to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, and to offer recommendations on the future of good governance.

International IDEA: ‘Supporting civil society to protect civic space in South-East Asia’ - 24 February 2021, 10.00-11.30 (CET)

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In many countries, emergency measures that were introduced following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic have further concentrated power in governments and weakened civil society organizations (CSOs). Although it is still too early to draw final conclusions, leading thinkers have argued that those countries that seem to have responded better to the pandemic overall are those where robust government measures and a vibrant civil society have gone hand-in-hand. Yet, whereas support to civic space is often mentioned as a key international concern, less attention exists for strengthening the relationship between governments and civil society. Post-pandemic, the question therefore emerges how to increase accountability and transparency between government and civil society; where are the obstacles and hurdles?

In its Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2024, adopted in November 2020, the EU prioritises protecting civic space, and highlights the importance of promoting an enabling environment for civil society. Australia has also recently increased its focus on supporting civil society among its development cooperation priorities. Meanwhile, new donors to civil society have emerged, such as China, thus changing the context in which to support civil society. This seminar will explore the need to protect civic space in South-East Asia as well as the role of civil society in its own right and their relationship to government institutions. The seminar will seek to address the question “how to increase accountability and transparency between government and civil society?”,  broken down into a number of sub-questions:

• What challenges and opportunities have emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic from a civil space point of view?

• How to enhance the link between governments and civil society in rural and urban areas, as well as among CSOs?

• How can actors like Australia and the EU help to bridge these relationships?

• What is the role of new donors to CSOs in the region, such as China?

Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies: ‘Testing Europe’s Democratic Legitimacy in the Covid-19 Crisis’ - 16 February 2021, 9.15 (CEST)

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The Covid-19 crisis has challenged democracy in Europe, including in the European Union (EU) and its member states. Political leaders have made contested decisions that restrain civil liberties. For instance, they have closed borders, implemented significant limitations to economic life and approved financial assistance for heavily impacted economies.

The EU has been pressured internally and externally to prove that it is an effective actor in addressing the public health threat and ensuing economic crisis. Leaders of the EU have established a historic recovery and resilience fund to help the economies of member states; however, the crisis has also highlighted existing cleavages within the EU regarding, for example, questions of democratic norms and the rule of law.

Manifold deliberation and contestation processes have accompanied all levels of decision-making during the Covid-19 crisis. Parliamentary institutions have struggled to keep pace with executive decisions, while pandemic restrictions have often prevented Members of Parliament and Members of the European Parliament from physically attending parliamentary sessions.

This workshop explores the extent to which Europe’s democratic processes and institutions have been compromised or have demonstrated resilience during the Covid-19 crisis. To this end, it interrogates whether support for European institutions and policies has been altered and how the EU’s actorness and legitimacy has been framed by elites and citizens during the crisis. Contributions investigate how different European representative institutions have approached decision-making during the crisis and if European policies have been able to provide output legitimacy for Europe’s political systems.

Contributions to the workshop derive chiefly - but not exclusively - from the EU and Covid-19 projects hosted by the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced-Studies’ European Politics and Governance Programme.

OpenDemocracy: ‘Vaccine fear: how conspiracy theories and 'alternative facts' make us sick’ - 4 February 2021, 12.00 (EST)

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Why does disinformation around COVID and vaccines spread so easily? Is there a link between anti-vax movements and the far Right? And how can the media ensure that the public gets accurate information? openDemocracy is hosting a live discussion with experts trying to work out what really lies behind the fear of vaccines. Join us for this free event on 4 February at 5pm UK time/12pm EST.

Panelists:

Chamila Liyanage - Specialist on terrorism and political violence, Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right

Tim Nguyen - Head of unit in the global infectious hazard preparedness department of the WHO health emergencies programme

Jon Roozenbeek - Postdoctoral fellow at the department of psychology at the University of Cambridge

Mary Fitzgerald (Chair) - Editor-in-chief, openDemocracy

Chatham House: ‘Ethiopia’s Elections: Context, Challenges and Prospects for Pluralism’ - 3 February 2021, 13.00-14.30 (GMT)

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Ethiopia is scheduled to hold general elections on 5 June 2021, to appoint members of the House of Peoples’ Representatives and regional state councils, following the postponement of the August 2020 date by the National Election Board (NEBE) due to COVID-19. This will be the first major electoral test for the ruling Prosperity Party, led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, since its establishment in 2019, when the coalition split with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front. The conflict in the Tigray region provides a difficult backdrop to national election preparations, adding to the challenges of insecurity and significant political shifts since 2018, which have recently been compounded by the twin shocks of the pandemic and a devastating locust invasion.

At this virtual event, panellists will discuss preparations for the polls, whether the Federal Government will be able to deliver secure, free and fair elections under the current conditions, and the priority issues likely to be raised during the campaign period. They will also reflect on the long-term trajectory of Ethiopia’s democratic transition.

Panelists:

Birtukan Mideksa - Head, National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE)

Dr Gedion Timothewos - Attorney General, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

Professor Berhanu Nega - Chairman, Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice (EZEMA)

Professor Beyene Petros - Chairman, Ethiopian Social Democratic Party (ESDP)

Bob Dewar (Chair) - Associate Fellow, Africa Programme, Chatham House

Foreign Policy & International Republican Institute (IRI): ‘China and the Global Fight for Democracy’ - 3 February 2021, 15.00-16.15 (EST)

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Over the past two decades, China’s rise has allowed it to assert an increasing sway over international relations, expanding and deepening its presence – especially with targeted partners across the developing world. Now, the global pandemic has provided further openings for Chinese foreign influence strategies: Information operations around the COVID-19 crisis have demonstrated the CCP’s growing willingness to employ a suite of tactics to interfere in vulnerable democracies, according to a recently commissioned IRI study. The research found that China’s increasingly potent foreign influence campaigns are exploiting the openness of democratic systems to advance its strategic interests and position itself as a responsible world leader by projecting power, prosperity and stability. To what extent is Beijing exploiting and exacerbating illiberal trends across the globe, how is it undermining democratic processes and values, and what does it mean for the future of budding and established democracies?

Tune in for a thought-provoking conversation featuring U.S. lawmakers and international experts on CCP influence worldwide as we share new insights on the mechanisms of Beijing’s information campaigns. We will examine the impact of foreign influence in open societies and ways to strengthen democratic resilience to confront it.

RECONNECT: ‘Towards a Stronger EU: Democratic Resilience & Rule of Law’ - 2 February 2021, 11.00-12.00 (CET)

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2020 has been transformative for our societies, and democracy is no exception. The pandemic has accelerated and transformed the challenges of disinformation and the growing polarisation of society, which erode the rule of law and other fundamental values on which our democratic societies are based. For our democracies to survive and our societies to remain cohesive we need to proactively address actions from those who would use the democratic system to attack democracy itself, which is why the Commission has enlarged its toolbox for the protection of our founding values.