The REFSA Future of Democracy Lecture 2017
Delivered by Mustafa Akyol
IS DEMOCRACY STILL RELEVANT?
The experience of Malaysia, Turkey and other nations
Tickets are free, register here to confirm your attendance.
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Background:
The emergence of Donald Trump as the American president has shocked the world, especially for those who believe in democracy, freedom and human rights. For a nation that talks a lot about such values, it is a farce to see that the United States now is seeing the emergence of right-wing extremism, racism and religious bigotry.
Besides the United States, the rise of racism, religious violence and bigotry is also happening in many parts of the world. To make things worse, the erosion of democracy in a number of countries occurs with the sanction of the government of the day. Many of these were elected governments but they have decided to abuse the very same democracy that puts them in power.
While direct violence has yet to hit Malaysia, we too are facing similar backsliding of democracy. Racism, religious bigotry, discriminatory practices are putting democracy at risk. Does this mean democracy is no longer relevant?
The Future of Democracy Lecture:
REFSA as a progressive, not-for-profit research institute providing relevant and reliable analysis on social, economic and political issues is proud to organise a special lecture to address this issue.
While the topic is global in nature, it is still part of REFSA’s role to deal with the issue as it also affects Malaysians. It is REFSA’s duty to promote open and constructive discussions that result in effective policies and good governance to address those issues.
About the speaker:
The REFSA Future of Democracy Lecture will feature Mustafa Akyol, renowned Turkish writer and acclaimed journalist. He is the author of Islam without Extremes: A Muslim Case for Liberty and a number of other books. He is also a columnist for the International New York Times and the Hurriyet Daily News.
With his wide and vast experience, Mustafa Akyol will discuss issues relevant to the topic of this lecture. With his Islamic and liberal democratic background, he will share his views as well as to clear misunderstandings surrounding the problem and complexities of modern democracy.
PROGRAMME
7:00 pm-8:00pm Dinner
8:00 pm-8:15pm Introduction & Welcome Address
Liew Chin Tong, REFSA Chairman
8:15pm-8:30pm Opening remarks
Dr Syed Azman Syed Ahmad Nawawi
8:30pm-9:30pm “Is Democracy Still Relevant?”
Speaker: Mustafa Akyol
9:30pm -10:00pm Q & A session
Moderator: Wan Hamidi Hamid
