Event

The Democratic Imaginary in the Era of Globalization

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Taking as their point of departure the democratic revolutions that are presently convulsing the Arab countries, the Academy of Latinity and the CCCB offer this occasion for reflection on the tremendous challenges confronting democracy and pluralism in an increasingly globalized world. The temptations of populism, the new alignments of cultural identities, the resurgence of fundamentalism and the crisis of political representation are among the issues that intellectuals from around the world will be discussing when they meet in Barcelona to participate in this conference.

The Academy of Latinity is an international organisation that aims to strengthen solidarity and promote intercultural and scientific exchanges among the countries and peoples of Latin culture. Among its activities, the Academy organises a large biannual debate bringing together some of the most outstanding intellectuals on the international scene. This time, the CCCB has joined the Academy of Latinity in organising the colloquium in the city of Barcelona.



Thursday 26 May


10 a.m. Opening Session

Mario Soares, a former president of the Republic of Portugal (1986-1996), he is vice-president of the Academy of Latinity.
Jorge Sampaio, United Nations High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations and former president of the Republic of Portugal (1996-2006).
Josep Ramoneda, director of the CCCB.
Cândido Mendes, Vice-Chancellor of the Cândido Mendes University (Rio de Janeiro), he is secretary-general of the Academy of Latinity.


11.30 a.m. Democracy and Identity Awakening in the Mediterranean Space (I)

«The Urge of Deep Democracy»
Arjun Appadurai, Goddard Professor of Media, Culture and Communication at the New York University.  Cancelled

«The Place of Democracy in the Post-Colonial Islamic World»
Juan Cole, Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History at the University of Michigan.

«Turkey and the New Mediterranean»
Nilüfer Göle, sociologist, Director of Studies at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales of Paris.


4.30 p.m. Democracy and Identity Awakening in the Mediterranean Space (II)

«Algeria and the Enigma of the Islamic Violence»
Luis Martínez, political scientist and researcher at the Centre d’Études et de Recherches Internationales in Paris and Rabat.

«Reconstructing Lybia: From Jamahiriyya to Democracy?»
Dirk J. Vandewalle, Associate Professor of Government at Dartmouth College (USA).

«Tunisia and the Deflagration of the Arab Revolution»
Hélé Béji, writer and president of the International College of Tunis.



Friday 27 May


10 a.m. Post-National Collective Subjectivity

«The Observing Society»
Daniel Innerarity, Professor of Social and Political Philosophy at the University of Zaragoza.

«The Prospective Acculturation»
Abdulrahman Al Salmi, editor of the Omani cultural review Al Tasamoh (Tolerance).

«Nightmares of the Present: Turbulence and the Politics of the Place in Bolivia»
Javier Sanjinés, Associate Professor of Latin American Literature and Cultural Studies at the University of Michigan.

«Identity and Resctrictive Pluralism»
Xavier Rubert de Ventós, philosophers and politician, Aesthetics professor at the Escuela de Arquitectura de Barcelona.


«Education, Consciousness Awakening and Sustainable Development»
Cristovam Buarque, a member of the Brazilian Senate and professor at the Centre of Sustainable development at the University of Brasilia.


4.30 p.m. Mass Mediation and the Crisis of Representation

«Parody and Sincerity in Western Political Culture»
Dominic Boyer, Associate Professor of Anthropology at Rice University (USA).

«Beyond the Centre-Periphery Contradiction»
Renato Lessa, Professor of Political Theory at the Fluminense Federal University (Brazil).

«Beyond Cultural Exception»
Enrique Rodríguez Larreta, director of the Institute of Cultural Pluralism at the Cândido Mendes University in Rio de Janeiro.

«Language, Identity and the Pragmatics of Communication: The Case of Creole»
Mario Lúcio Sousa, musician, writer, painter and Minister of Culture for Cape Verde.



Saturday 28 May


10 a.m. The West and Defensive Globalization

«The European Multiculturalism in Question(s)»
François L’Yvonnet, Professor of Philosophy and editor.

«The Fundamentalist Resurgence»
Jean Michel Blanquer, Director-General of School Education for the Government of France.

«The Gift of the Past»
Susan Buck-Morss, Professor of Political Philosophy and Social Theory at Cornell University.

«Can Politics Be Non-Democratic?»
Renato Janine Ribeiro, Professor of Ethics and Political Philosophy at the University of São Paulo.


4.30 p.m. Emerging Democratic Forces in Globalization. Pluralism under Dialectical Impasse

«The "Political Work of Time". Temporality, Democracy and Transitional Justice in Bicentenarian Latin America»
Gerardo Caetano, historian and political analyst, professor at the University of the Republic (Uruguay).

«Democracy and the Populist Challenge» Cancelled
Fernando Coronil, Presidential Professor of Anthropology at City University, New York.

«The Democracy Readings» Cancelled
Wang Ning, Professor of English Language and Director of the Centre of Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies, Tsinghua University (Beijing).

«Marginality, Political Access and Deep Democracy in Brazil»
Cândido Mendes, President of the Cândido Mendes University and Secretary-General of the Academy of Latinity.

«Evil or How to Think of Democracy a contrario»
Michel Wieviorka, sociologist and Director of Studies at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Paris.

«Democracy and Hermeneutics» This conference took place on May 26
Gianni Vattimo, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Turin and Member of the European Parliament.

«The Virtual Tidal Wave: Popular Mobilization and Youth Spring»
Federico Mayor Zaragoza, former Director-General of UNESCO (1987-1999) and president of the Foundation for a Culture of Peace. He is president of the Academy of Latinity.