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Schedule
 

Opening Session

Shikha Dalmia, President, ISMA

Thursday, July 11

4:00 PM - 4:10 PM

Keynote Session: Liberalism for the 21st Century

Yevgenia Albats, Editor, The New Times (Russia)

4:15 PM - 5:15 PM

Liberalism Beyond the West

Critics of liberalism often seek to undermine its legitimacy by claiming that it is a guise for the continued imposition of Western ideas in a post-imperial era. But liberalism, if its claim to offer universal principles is to be taken seriously, undergirds free societies well beyond the West. Far too often, non-Western liberal voices are lost in this discussion. This panel will highlight perspectives from beyond the West, making the case for liberalism's universal value and indispensable role in preserving the conditions for human freedom and flourishing globally.

with Azar Nafisi, Henri Barkey, and Anne Applebaum, moderated by Zack Beauchamp.

This panel is sponsored by Vox.

5:15 PM - 6:30 PM

Subject to Change

Postliberal Critiques: A Response

Only by considering seriously its challengers can liberalism compete against increasingly prominent alternatives. This panel will directly respond to critiques of liberalism from its detractors, explaining what such critiques miss and how liberalism can fight and win in the marketplace of ideas.

with Mark Lilla, William Galston, and David French, moderated by Jacob Levy.

This panel is sponsored by the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University.

Friday, July 12

9:00 - 10:30 AM

Electoral Systems for a Diverse Liberal Democracy

As we navigate the current threat to liberalism worldwide, scholars and advocates agree that protecting liberalism means ensuring the defense of the right kinds of democratic institutions. This in turn means paying particular attention to a country's electoral systems—how votes are translated into legislative seats. As we transition from more homogeneous societies toward multiracial ones, we need modern electoral systems that can accommodate diverse democracies.

with John Carey, Lee Drutman, and Tova Wang, moderated by Ian Bassin (Protect Democracy).

11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Lunch

12:30 PM - 2:00 PM

Breakout //

Fighting Misinformation without Censorship

How will technological advances, especially the widespread use of AI, impact censorship, misinformation, and the way citizens engage with their governments? How does this shift bear on liberal concepts of freedom and society? And what can liberalism offer in managing this shift?

with Katie Harbath, Renée DiResta, and Berin Szóka, moderated by Jonathan Rauch.

2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Breakout //

Climate Change: Liberal Solutions

How can liberal societies respond quickly enough, and at the scale needed, to address the climate crisis? What are the strongest arguments against an embrace of illiberal forms of action in the name of environmental activism?

with Jonathan Adler, Nils Gilman, and Joseph Majkut, moderated by Matt Yglesias.

2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Breakout // 

Economic Populism: Left and Right

Economic populism has typically been a province of the left concerned about economic inequality, animating many a populist movement in Latin America, from Chavez in Venezuela to Morales in Bolivia. But now the right has also embraced its own form of economic populism that, in addition to "elites," also targets immigrants as well as Jews and other minorities. What is the nature of these populist threats to liberalism and how should liberal polities respond?

With León Krauze, Dalibor Rohac, and M. Steven Fish, moderated by Sheri Berman.

This panel is sponsored by the Institute for Humane Studies.


 

2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Breakout // 

Liberalism and its Implications for Social Justice

The implications of liberalism (or its demise) for minority groups—broadly defined to include religious, ethnic, racial, and gender minorities—are immense. What role has liberalism historically played in advancing social justice causes? Conversely, what role do minority groups play in shaping the liberal conception of society?

with Eve Fairbanks, Keidrick Roy, and James Davison Hunter, moderated by Stephen Macedo.

2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

A New Theory of Liberal Internationalism

What lessons have proponents of a liberal internationalism learned from the past twenty-five years? And what does a coherent, moral, and practical theory of liberal internationalism look like in an era of great power conflict and diminished support for the post-WWII rules-based international order?

with Anne-Marie Slaughter, Samuel Moyn, and Max Boot, moderated by David Miliband.

3:45 PM - 5:15 PM

Closing Conversation

Francis Fukuyama and Pratap Bhanu Mehta

5:30 PM - 6:30 PM

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