31 марта 2015
On 31March2015, the Gorbachev Foundation and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s Moscow Office co-hosted a seminar themed “What Is Democracy?” and attended by Moscow-based undergraduateand post-graduate university students.
The term “democracy” is derived from the Greek word “demos” (“people”) and in a most general sense means a state where supreme power belongs to the people. Despite the wide use of the term “democracy” we should admit that it is often misused or misinterpreted.
With the spread of democratic values and principles, many countries have developed their own visions of democracy and chosen a certain path towards a democratic state. Arguably, some states have made breakthroughs in this area. At the same time, let's keep in mind that by no means all attempts at implementing democratic ideas in practice were successful and led to the triumph of democratic values in a given society.
The first seminar of the series“What Is Democracy?”discussed the ideas and principles of democracy, their origins and evolution, as well as forms of government in Russia and Germany. The second seminar in the “Dialogues about Democracy” series will focus on the analysis of values of modern democracy. The third seminar will explore the specifics of democratic processes in Russia and Germany.
This series of seminars involving experts– political and social scientists – targets young people taking interest in political science and problems facing modern society, as well as university students majoring in international relations and political science.
Programme of the seminar “What Is Democracy?”
31March2015
Opening of the Seminar
Olga Zdravomyslova, Executive Director of the Gorbachev Foundation
Claudia Crawford,Director of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s Moscow Office
Discussion: “What Is Democracy?” Host: Claudia Crawford
Discussion: “Political systems: Experience of Russia and Germany”
Presentations:
“Parliamentary democracy in Germany”
Tobias Zech,member of Bundestag
“Presidential republic and the role of parliament in Russia”
Vladimir Ryzhkov,politician, leader of Russia’s Choice public movement, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma (1997-1999), leader of parliamentary faction Our Home – Russia (1999).
Discussion of presentations. Host: Olga Zdravomyslova
Chronicle of M.S. Gorbachev`s activity
Describes the time from the moment of Mikhail Gorbachev`s election to the post of General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU, until his resignation from the post of President of the USSR
Events
May 20, 2018
The Round Table: "From the Prague Spring to Perestroika"
October 27, 2017
Round Table “The 1917 Russian Revolution for Our Country and the World: 100 Years’ Retrospect”
October 5, 2017
The Expertise Round Table. Perception of Russia across the East and West: Memory, Identity and Conflicts. International Study of Images of Russia across Eurasia: Results and Discussion