“Beirut Talks Freedom” Debates Political And Social Challenges Worldwide

Our world today is facing overlapping crises that pose a serious threat to the state of democracy, freedoms, and human rights on a global scale. From the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the surging tensions between the US and China, the rise of right-wing populism in Europe, and the deteriorating conditions of freedoms in the Arab world, the challenges are paramount and the world seems to be heading towards an era of instability.

In light of these recent global developments, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) is organizing the “Beirut Talks Freedom” (BTF) conference on 17 November 2022 in KED Beirut; a one-day conference that aims to tackle, analyze, and reflect on these everyday political and social challenges in Lebanon, the region, and the world at large.

It will gather renowned local and international experts from academic, policy, and activist circles – including Nasser Saidi, Alia Moubayed, Monika Borgmann, Lina Khatib, and Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, among many other brilliant minds – to provide a multi-faceted approach to the topics that will be tackled. BTF is open to the public and anyone can attend by registering on the following link.

The conference will consist of four different panels:

The first panel will dive into Lebanon’s deepening economic crisis, now caught in hyperinflation, decreasing government revenues and increasing debts. This panel will primarily reflect on the kind of economic system that could lead the way out of the crisis and towards a better future for the country.

The second panel will examine ways to safeguard individual freedoms in Lebanon and the region, in view of the mounting anti–LGBTQI+ sentiment and the increased censorship and crackdown on press and media freedom.

The third panel will discuss the fight for democratic change in the Middle East, in the wake of a decade of uprisings, turmoil, and the reconfiguration of the region’s political landscape. It will also examine how a change in Iran could reshape the region and what can the future of democracy in the Middle East look like.

The fourth panel will look at the changing world order and the newly reinforced alliances following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It will analyze how the international geopolitical system will be shaped in the near future, and the consequences to be drawn in regards to security and defense policy as well as the impending effects on democracy and human rights.

Hurry up and register to attend BTF on 17 November 2022 at KED Beirut, from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm. For the agenda and the full list of speakers, head to their website. The event will be held in English, with simultaneous interpretation available in Arabic.