SAVE THE DATE! 11TH OPEN SOCIETY FORUM “SOCIAL CAPITAL IN A WORLD IN FLUX”

The Open Estonia Foundation (OEF) would like to invite you to the 11th Open Society Forum to be held in Tallinn on May 26, 2006.

11th Open Society Forum “Social Capital in a World in Flux” concentrates on the topics related to social capital.

We witnessed the victory of democracy in the Eastern European countries by the end of 20th century; the beginning of a new Millennium has shown their accession to the European Union that is fully committed to democratic principles of governance. Today, democratic political institutions have a stronger base than ever before on the European continent.

There is, however, clear evidence that democratic institutions can only function effectively when they are a part of a wider civic community characterized by sufficient social capital, for example solidarity and trust creating readiness for collective action. Social capital is being built up and accumulated over time – it is a process that requires basic social stability. This, again, has not been characteristic of Europe (and many other parts of the world) during the past decade.

Today, we live in a world in flux. The international situation as well as the sphere governed by the modern nation-state and the immediate environment that people encounter in the workplace, community and family life is less predictable than before. This could undermine all efforts of building and sustaining social capital and lead to major crises of legitimacy. This has already been observed through the Western world, for example in declining public engagement in institutional politics in Europe and the U.S.

The changed circumstance, on the other hand, means mobility. People have new technological tools and competencies that allow them to develop different solidarities, even if more short-term and narrower in focus, but still efficient.

One is to wonder, if the new solidarities are compatible with the institutionalized forms of modern political democracy? Or do the ‘post-modern’ forms of solidarity call for ‘post-democratic’ politics? Is there a new kind of civil society emerging?

These and related issues will be discussed at the upcoming Open Society Forum.

The keynote speaker of the 11th Open Society Forum is Robert D. Putnam, Malkin Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University. His books include Better Together: Restoring the American Community (2003); Democracies in Flux: The Evolution of Social Capital in Contemporary Society (2002); Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community (2000), Disaffected Democracies: What’s Troubling the Trilateral Countries? (2000), Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy (1993); Double-Edged Diplomacy: International Bargaining and Domestic Politics (1993), and Hanging Together: The Seven-Power Summits (1984).

Other speakers of this year’s Open Society Forum are Rein Raud, rector-elect of the Tallinn University, Aet Annist, PhD Candidate at the Department of Anthropology, University College London and Mikko Lagerspetz, Professor of Sociology, Director of the Centre for Civil Society Studies and Development, Tallinn University.

11th Open Society Forum is moderated by Linnar Viik who is a lecturer and member of the board at the Estonian Information Technology College.

The forum’s participants will include scholars, politicians, NGO leaders, government officials and journalists.

Should you be interested in participating in the 11th Open Society Forum or you would like to have more information, please contact Ms. Kelly Grossthal (kelly@oef.org.ee), phone: + 372 631 37 91, www.oef.org.ee  

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In 1996 the Board of Directors of the Open Estonia Foundation decided to establish the tradition of open society forums to discuss questions that on one hand affect the Estonian society and on the other, are global in essence. Over the course of years open society forums have focused on issues like values of open societies, tolerance and trust, public policy and civil society, globalization, etc. Speakers of the forum have been well-known figures both from Estonia and abroad, e.g. Mr. Sergei Kovaljov, a well-known advocate for human rights in Russia, Finnish writer and politician, Prof. Guy Peters, Ms. Susan George, author of the well-known Lugano Report, Mr. Jörn Donner, Professor of Political Science from Pittsburgh University, Prof. Mark Notturno from the Central European University and Mr. Jeremy Rifkin, best-selling author of The End of Work, The Biotech Century, The Age of Access, and The Hydrogen Economy.