NYU | PIDEC | Past Events | 2007

 

• 30 November, 2007
  

CONFERENCE: RESPEKT: MEDIA FREEDOM AND RESPONSIBILITY IN THE AGE OF TERRORISM OF GLOBAL REACH

The murder of Theo van Gogh and bombings in Madrid and London ought to remind
Europeans of a truly inconvenient truth: although many of us would like to pretend that the“War on Terror” is an invention of the White House, its battles are being fought
worldwide. How should the European media report on a war that is as unpopular as it is real?

The conference “Respekt: Media Freedom and Responsibility in the Age of Terrorism of the Global Reach” gave reporters, security experts and academics the chance to consider some of the most complex issues of the War on Terrorism. We looked at the principle of the freedom of the media, and examined the circumstances when it's legitimate to curtail them.

The conference addressed these issues from different perspectives. The first panel was a discussion among experts on the Islamic world, media and security and their
perspective on western media reporting on it. Does the perspective on media freedom and security change when it moves to Central Europe? To answer this question was the task for experts and journalists from Central Europe. Both perspectives were confronted in the third session, when the experts of both previous panels joined the audience for discussion.

CONFERENCE PROGRAM

Session 1 (10:00 – 12:00)
Authoritarianism, civil society and democracy in the Middle East
Resentment and conspiracy theories in Anti-Americanism
The principle of the freedom of the media. Are there circumstances when it's legitimate to curtail them?

Moderator: Jiri Schneider , Prague Security Studies Institute

Panelists:
Farhad Kazemi, New York University, New York (US)
Husain Haqqani , Boston University, Massachusetts (US)
Chandler Rosenberger, Boston University, Massachusetts (US)
Richard Danbury, BBC, Fellow at the Hudson Institute, Oxford University (GB)

Lunch break (12:00 – 13.00)

Session 2 (13:00 – 15:00)
Freedom or security? Are they in conflict?
Why should we train Iraqi journalists? A project of People in Need.
Is Europe capable of defending the freedom of the media? The influence of terrorism on freedom of the media in different European countries. Media in the Middle East and incitement to the violence.

Moderator: Jan Machacek, Hospodarske noviny Daily

Panelists:
Tomas Vrba , New York University in Prague
Jan Urban, New York University in Prague
Jan Ruml, Respekt Publishing
Bretislav Turecek, Czech Public Radio

Coffee Break (15:00 – 15:20)

Session 3 (15:20 – 17:30)
Join session of all panelists.

Moderator:  Jiří Pehe, New York University in Prague

Guest Speaker Joyce M. Davis, Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty

 

Closing Remarks 17:30

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

31 October - 2 November

• COMMUNICATION IN THE AGE OF TERRORISM
  

From 31 October to 2 November, PIDEC, in cooperation with the Prague Security Studies Institute (PSSI), organized an international conference  on Communication in the Age of Terrorism. The conference participants included distinguished scholars from the US and several European countries, brought together to brainstorm efficient measures to counter successful propaganda of terrorist networks. Former President Vaclav Havel delivered opening remarks. Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg also addressed the conference.

 

• • March 16, 2007, The Polish Institute
    

THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF NYU’S PRAGUE INSTITUTE FOR DEMOCRACY, ECONOMY, AND CULTURE

On 16 March, the PIDEC held its annual conference, titled “Democracy: Global Challenges and Opportunities.” The event was organized in cooperation with the Forum 2000 Foundation and the Polish Institute in Prague.

As in the past, the conference was attended by a group of student scholars from NYU’s College of Art and Sciences, who visit Prague during their spring break. Czech scholars, students, and foreign diplomats also attended. The keynote speech was delivered by Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg.

The proceedings of the conference can be found on this web page in the form of an audio recording.

 

CONFERENCE PROGRAM

9.00 am – 9.10 am

Welcome speeches by

 

Jiří Pehe, Director of New York University in Prague, and Oldřich Černý, Director, Forum 2000 Foundation 

 

Keynote Speech

9.10-9.30 am

Karel Schwarzenberg, Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs
First Panel  listen
9.30 am – 12.30  Democracy, Media and Lobbyism

 

(Is political democracy as a “serious business” compatible with modern media, which increasingly determine the political agenda of each state? How influenced are democratic politicians by lobbying? Is the democratic process a hostage of money?)

 

Moderator: Tomáš Klvaňa, New York University in Prague

 

Panelists:

Thomas E. Patterson, Harvard University, JFK School of Government
Allison Stanger

,Rohatyn Institute for International Affairs, USA

 Richard Y. W. Yeoh

, Transparency International, Malaysia

 Josef Jařab

, Palacky University, Olomouc, and former Chairman of the Media Committee of the Council of Europe

Farhad Kazemi, Politics Department, New York University

 

Second Panel  listen
2.00 pm – 5.00 pm  Democracy, Globalization, and Multiculturalism

Is democracy as a concept born in the nation state applicable on a global level? Is democracy in nation states threatened by the process of globalization? Which are the options for global governance? Has the concept of multiculturalism, based on collective rights of minority groups eroded democracy? Can democracy, as a system invented in the West, survive if we accept that culture determines how “universal” values, such as human rights, are interpreted?

 

Moderator: Jiří Pehe, New York University, Prague

 

Panelists:

Ted Magder, Culture and Communication Studies, Steinhardt School, NYU
Jiří Přibáň

, Cardiff Law School,  University of Wales

 Dusan I. Bjelic,

University of Southern Maine

 Michael J. Gilligan, Politics Department, New York University

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 13, 2007, NYU in Prague 

• • Fast and Furious: The Influence of Media Wire Services on Global Opinion in the Internet Age

 

Alan Crosby, Reuters, Bureau Chief, Czech Republic

Jiří Chrast, Deputy Editor in Chief, Czech News Agency

Douglas Lytle, European Economics Editor, Bloomberg News
Ondřej Hejma, veteran correspondent for Associated Press and host of the first Czech Superstar competition

The panel moderated by:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

January 31, 2007, NYU in Prague

U. S. Media vs. Czech Media: Are they really so different?

Jaroslav Plesl, deputy editor, Lidové noviny

Jan Rybář, international reporter, Mlada Fronta Dnes

Erik Best, founder and publisher, The Fleet Sheet