Library

The Attraction of the Big Man

Voters in a number of countries around the world have enthusiastically backed authoritarian

leaders. Many reasons for this are evidently at play: a longing for stability, corruption, a sense of

estrangement from the political process, and ignorance about democracy. Are established

democracies right to condemn these tendencies, or are they a valid democratic choice?

Democracy and Business

Is democracy good for business, and is business good for democracy? Do the inclusive

institutions of democracy promote entrepreneurship, leading to more growth and job creation, or

do they constrain it? Are entrepreneurs a natural constituency for democratic change, or do they

use their power and influence to shape the rules of the game in their favor?

Is Liberal Democracy Compatible with Religion?

The time-honored principles in liberal democracies on the separation of church and state and on

freedom of worship is challenged by devout believers who disagree with civic dress codes, or

same-sex marriage, or military duty

Student Debate: "Democracy is Dead"

Six international teams compete and debate on the topic of “Democracy is Dead”

Business Ethics, Anti-corruption and transparency

Is Liberal Democracy Universal?

It is a matter of gospel truth in Western democracies that our model of participatory democracy is universally applicable. But countries like China and Russia have formed functional societies in which a majority of people seem to reject the Western model.

Who is right?

Gap between rich and poor

President Obama described the widening gap between the very rich and everyone else as "the defining challenge of our time."

Is it? Why is it happening? Does it matter? How does it impact on how people are ruled?

Islamist ideology

Islamist extremists have proclaimed Western democracies as their mortal enemy, and have devised new weapons to impose their ideology and to draw recruits.

The beheadings of ISIS, the slaughter at Charlie Hebdo, the allure of Jihad: how has this happened? What can be done about it?

The Challenge of Cybersecurity

The digital age has put our lives out on the marketplace, and we have begun to push back.

Where is the line between privacy and cybersecurity? Who decides how much access governments should have to our data? Who owns the information about us that is out there forever?

Keynote Speech

The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson. Former Governor General of Canada delivers a speech on the refugee crisis, her history as a refugee, and the importance of democracy and democratic values in providing opportunities to those fleeing their countries in search of a better life, and how they enrich the communities and countries that take them in.