Three decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall the world is more divided than ever, and the international framework and institutions that govern today’s world are under increasing strain. The challenge for this year’s Rhodes Forum, which begins today on the Greek island of Rhodes, is to seek possible ways forward to a peaceful and inclusive future. The Dialogue of Civilizations Research Institute (DOC), which convenes the ideas-driven global affairs conference, believes can this only be done through dialogue between the developed and the rising worlds.
The 2019 Rhodes Forum will welcome one of the biggest audiences in the 17-year history of the event, both in number and geographical reach, including delegations from Europe, China, India, America, Argentina and Africa. This year the DOC welcomes partners from all over the world, and as far afield as Australia. The Forum will be livestreamed on the DOC’s Facebook page and can be followed on Twitter and LinkedIn.
The DOC is delighted to welcome the President of Niger as a keynote speaker. Mahamadou Issoufou currently chairs the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and has played a major role in establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area. The Africa summit is now a key feature of the Rhodes Forum and demonstrates the DOC’s contribution in the region. The Forum aims to address current debates around Africa’s future as a pillar of the global order and driver of economic growth.
Other keynote speakers at the Forum include distinguished names such as Gabriela Ramos, Chief of Staff at the OECD; Bruno Macaes, bestselling author of “The Dawn of Eurasia” and former Europe Minister of Portugal; and Martin Schulz, former President of the European Parliament.
DOC CEO Jean-Christophe Bas has a vision for this year’s Rhodes Forum to encompass the four I’s – inclusive, innovative, interactive and inspiring. Interactivity is at the heart of this year’s Forum, which is designed to encourage not only discussion, but constructive dialogue in a non-confrontational spirit.
This year the DOC also hosts its first philanthropy panel, with a number of major foundations taking part to discuss philanthropy’s role in addressing social issues on local and global levels.
Earlier this month, the DOC published the inaugural Rhodes Report, an evaluation of the current state of world (dis)order in a time of growing populism and nationalism. The author of the report, Professor Richard Higgott of the Institute of European studies at the Vrije Universiteit Brussels, gave an interview to Euronews about the report ahead of the Rhodes Forum: https://www.euronews.com/2019/09/27/populists-bring-them-into-the-tent
The DOC thanks all of its partners and sponsors, and is grateful for the support of the Greek authorities and the island of Rhodes for their support and hospitality.
The 17th edition of the Rhodes Forum – titled “Global (dis)order: Towards dialogue-based worldviews” – takes place on the Greek island of Rhodes on 11-12 October 2019.
For more information, please visit www.rhodesforum.org
For all enquiries and accreditation, please contact media@doc-research.org.
The Rhodes Forum thanks its sponsors and partners:
About the DOC
The Dialogue of Civilizations Research Institute is an independent non-partisan think tank based in Berlin. The DOC’s mission is to be an independent platform for dialogue that brings together perspectives from the developed and developing worlds in a non-confrontational and constructive spirit. The goals of the DOC are to forge shared worldviews through dialogue and to contribute to a fair, sustainable, and peaceful world. In view of these goals, the DOC believes that globalization should have humanity, culture, and civilization at its heart.
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