The Republic of Ideas is organizing next May 8, 9 and 10, at the Maison de la Culture in Grenoble (MC2) A forum on the theme “ Reinvent democracy ». This forum brings together nearly one hundred researchers, journalists, intellectuals, politicians and associative managers. They will debate in round tables, controversies or during meetings with the public.
This event is organized with the city of Grenoble and the Rhône-Alpes region. The life of ideas,, The world,, The Nouvel ObservateurFrance Culture and the Institute of Political Studies in Grenoble are the partners.
Conference and debates program:
- Detailed program on the website of the Republic of ideas ;
- Program to download in PDF format.
Reservation on the site of the Maison de la Culture de Grenoble (MC2) – Free and free entry.
There could be a paradox today to want “ reinvent democracy ». Do we not know well what it is ? Didn’t she demonstrate in the history of her stability ? Didn’t she triumph over her enemies ?
On the contrary, there is an emergency. Emergency because if democracy triumphs in its principle, it seems weakened so much the power seems to be confiscated today and the functioning of fragile institutions. Emergency still because the economic crisis today threatens democratic solidarity and vitality. An emergency finally because it is not necessary that the remedies to this crisis further weaken democratic values.
Because they can generate even more social disaffiliation, increase in inequalities, hatred of the other, of distrust finally vis-à-vis governments which fail to meet the expectations of citizens. Our societies are already marked by inequalities and strong disparities between regions and territories, they tend to tense in identity folds and produce strong Xenophobia thrusts. Economic globalization, yesterday carrying hope for development, is now hampered by protectionist temptations. It is time to understand how one can think a democracy on a global scale without reproducing economic dominations.
In this context, reinventing democracy is defending it, deepening and extending it. This is the object of this forum, organized by the Republic of ideas.
Three themes will articulate reflections:
- The institutions and forms of democracy will be described and analyzed from the questions they are confronted with today (representation of minorities, parity, status of independent authorities, role of the Internet as “ democratic space ), But also from innovative experiences which, here and there, aim to give them a new vitality.
- Democratic society is a necessary condition for there to be a political democracy. We will wonder about what threatens it (inequalities between classes, between generations and between territories, new forms of suffering at work, the delegitimation of social democracy) and what allows it to be rebuilt (education and research, culture and integration of immigrants).
- Finally, a series of debates will be centered on transnational issues: sharing and common management of natural resources, democratization of international organizations, global governance. We will also stop on the questions posed today by the “ Chinese democratic transition And the democratization of certain African states. We will wonder about the American democratic system and the challenges he is trying to meet, and on the eve of the elections on the meaning to be given to European construction. We will also think about the problems posed by the export of the democratic model.
To reinvent democracy is also to do their entire part to the new forms of democratic expression and appropriation. Workshops will be organized so that everyone can take part in these experiments.