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One Year After an Empty Chair in Oslo - Democracy and Human Rights in Asia |
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Posted 12/9/2011 at 4:20 PM by Adam B |
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Democracy and Human Rights in Asia - Forum 2000
Democracy and Human Rights in Asia
One Year After an Empty Chair in Oslo
Sunday, December 11, 2011, 10.00–12.00
Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague, Large Hall
On Sunday, December 11, 2011 at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague, a roundtable focused on the current state of democracy and human rights in Asia will be held in commemoration of the first anniversary of the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo. The discussion is loosely linked to the “Peace, Democracy and Human Rights in Asia” conference that was organized by the Forum 2000 Foundation in 2009.
Aimed primarily at students and members of the professional public, the event is closed to the public and is by invitation only. You can watch a live broadcast on our website in the Web TV section in addition to a video recording of the proceedings which will be available shortly thereafter. The discussion will be held in English.
Participants
Václav Havel, Former President, Czech Republic
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Spiritual Leader, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Tibet
Shirin Ebadi, Lawyer, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Iran
Jianli Yang, Dissident, President and Founder, Initiatives for China, USA/China
Stéphane Hessel, Diplomat, Co-drafter of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, France
Bernard Kouchner, Former Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, France
Moderator: Jan Urban, Journalist, Czech Republic
Theme
Human rights are universal. China, Myanmar (Burma) and other Asian countries are members of the United Nations and are therefore bound by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In fact, one of the declaration’s authors, Peng Chun Chang from China, based many of the declaration’s principles on Confucian and other Eastern teachings. Nonetheless, the human rights situation in parts of the region is a cause for grave concern. The empty chair at the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony remains a sad symbol of this.
Despite appearances, the full development of China or Burma’s huge potential will not be possible without liberating individual creativity, allowing free expression and free access to information, nor without ensuring full transparency and government accountability through functioning democracy and the rule of law.
What is the current state of democracy and human rights in Asia?
What are the various perspectives?
How should the international community approach these issues?
Public Talk by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
In Prague, His Holiness the Dalai Lama will also give a public talk entitled “Searching for Happiness in a Troubled World” which will be held at the Prague Congress Centre on Sunday, December 11, 2011. The talk will be broadcast live on our website. More information can be found here.
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