October 20, 2017
9 am - 1 pm, room 1-G, Venice International University
A satellite event of the Council of Europe's World Forum for Democracy
VIU students and professors are invited to take part in a workshop on the “Personalization of Power”. Presentation proposals will be accepted until October 8, and should be sent to Prof. Luca Pes, luca.pes@univiu.org.
Why this topic? Because today there is a tendency for leaders in many of our countries to be very visible, finding legitimacy in a direct exclusive relationship with "their" people through the internet, social media and TV, setting aside procedures, political parties and organizations, often exhibiting provocative aggressive language, targeting élites, opponents and foreigners. To what extent, why and how? What are the effects? Should we try to limit this? How?
Through short presentations, discussion and an experimental theatre-game, the participants will focus on personalization and populism, how they are manifested and their disadvantages; on personalization in politics and in non-political institutions, and the role of the internet, social and other media.
The VIU workshop is an excellent opportunity for the participants to explore and discuss this issue with a participatory and interdisciplinary approach.
Professors and students of the Fall semester of the VIU Globalizaton Program will contribute, in particular:
- Federico Boschetti, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Digital Humanities
- Sara De Vido, Università Ca' Foscari, International Law
- Natalie Göltenboth, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet, Anthropology
- Gad Kaynar-Kissinger, Tel Aviv University, Theater studies
- Kevin Newmark, Boston College, English literature
- Hiroshi Nishihara, Waseda University, Constitutional Law
- Luca Pes, Venice International University, History (coordinator of the event).
- Dr. Bill Chafe, Alice Mary Baldwin Professor Emeritus of History at Duke University and author of Bill and Hillary: The Politics of the Personal will be a guest speaker.
The VIU Workshop is a satellite event of the World Forum for Democracy of the Council of Europe which will take place in Strasbourg, 8-10 November 2017.
The 2017 World Forum for Democracy will focus on the role of political parties and media in the context of rising populism.
A growing disconnect between citizens and political elites and dramatic changes in the media ecosystem are a challenge for democracy as we know it. New political and media actors and practices are emerging, offering opportunities for direct, unmediated engagement of the public, unbound by ethical or institutional safeguards. How can pluralism, freedom of expression, and fair and evidence-based public debate be safeguarded in these new conditions? How to nourish political culture which embraces a long-term perspective and resists the excesses of populism?
