A taste of democracy in action with a distinctly French flavour, “Democracy and its Challenges” is a French-Israel Forum organized by the French Embassy in Israel in cooperation with Haaretz. The event will be hosted by the Suzanne Dellal Centre in Neve Tzedek, May 30 – June 1, 2010. Bringing together leading politicians, philosophers, writers, architects, journalists, academics and French film makers for three days of lively debates, the intriguing program offers a unique cultural experience.
The highly regarded French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy will open the first day of the forum with a meet with Minister of Culture and Sport Limor Livnat where they will discuss the current state of democracy and the power of the ruling parties when faced with the voice of the individual. The event will be moderated by Ari Shavit of Haaretz. On the following day, Bernard-Henri Lévy will debate with the head of the opposition Tzipi Livni to discuss leadership in a global society.
Each seat of the forum will be simultaneously translated into Hebrew and French. The public are invited free of charge to the debates and will be encouraged to participate in the discussions and vote during the forum.
The forum will adopt the structure of the traditional French academic salon style and will include social meetings, conversations, debates and panelled exchanges of opinion that will all address the issue of the role of democracy and the new challenges it faces in various social fields.
The participants arriving from France will include: philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy; writer and journalist Pierre Assouline; Pascal Bruckner; the Deputy-Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo; actor Stéphane Freiss; Christine Ockrent, COO of the French Television and Radio World Service; renowned architects and leaders of the metropolitan project “Grand Paris” Antoine Grumbach and Roland Castro; Special Representative for the peace process for the Middle East as delegated by Nicholas Sarkozy, Valérie Hoffenberg; Laurent Joffrin, Editor in Chief of Libération; Alain Frachon (Le Monde); and Beatrice Vallaeys, (Libération).
Among the Israeli participants will be: Gideon Sa’ar, Minister of Education, writer Etgar Keret, actress Yael Abecassis, Minister of Culture and Sport Limor Livnat, Member of the Knesset Nitsan Horowitz, Leader of the Opposition Tzipi Livni, Haaretz Newspaper Editor in chief Dov Alfon, journalists Eran Tifenbrum and Avirama Golan, Head of the School of Architecture Betsalel Zvi Efrat, Director of Israel Film Fund Katriel Schory, and blogger Ayelet Nof.
Forum initiator, Cultural Counsellor of the French Embassy Annette Levy-Willard: “Democracy is a principal that is based on human rights. It is also a complex of actions and applications that needs to be in constant flux to adapt with the developments in society. Israel and France alike are deliberating fundamental question of the borders of democracy and its future in the 21st century. The “Talking Democracy” forums will deal with the contemporary concerns and questions surrounding common issues that concern the two nations for example freedom of the press, the role of women in politics and the ideological role of the internet and much more.”
Participation is free and open to the public; however, advance registration is required. Register online at the “Talking Democracy” forum website, or call: 03-7968031.
