Held at the site where the seeds of democracy were planted 2,500 years ago, the Athens Democracy Forum will reflect on the state of liberal democracies and the major challenges they face in the world today. The event will coincide with International Democracy Day and is presented in cooperation with the United Nations Democracy Fund and the City of Athens.
The 2015 Forum will focus on four of the most difficult democratic challenges: one is the rise of regimes in states like China and Russia which reject the universality of liberal democracy. Another is the growing concentration of wealth and income inequality, and the impact this is having on governance. The third is the rise of Islamic extremism and its vision of Western democracies as mortal enemies. The fourth is the rapid rise of new technologies; the great opportunities they present and dangers they face. To assess these challenges and what they mean for democracy, the Athens Democracy Forum will convene scholars, diplomats, politicians, experts and journalists from around the world in ancient Agora, where statesmen, philosophers, artists and orators first proclaimed that people must be the ultimate source of governing power.
In addition to the conference, this year the Athens Democracy Forum will include a programme of affiliated enrichment events spread throughout the city.