On Monday, December 6, 2004, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the Embassy of Canada will inaugurate an important new forum for discourse on democracy and its progress worldwide: the Seymour Martin Lipset Lecture on Democracy in the World. The lecture will be delivered by former President of Brazil Fernando Henrique Cardoso.
The lecture, which will be held at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC, is named for one of the great scholars of democracy and public intellectuals of the twentieth century. “Marty Lipset’s scholarship on themes like the conditions for democracy, political parties, voting behavior and public opinion constitutes one of the most prolific and insightful bodies of work on democracy ever produced by a single author,” said NED President Carl Gershman.
Lipset has also been one of the most important comparative analysts of the two great democracies of North America, and a strong advocate for US-Canadian cooperation. The joint US-Canadian sponsorship of the Lipset Lecture will provide an opportunity for influential audiences in both countries to hear and discuss a major intellectual statement on democracy each year and will serve as a catalyst for further cooperation between Canada and the United States in the promotion of democracy and democratic ideas around the world.
“We are honoured to host the first annual Seymour Martin Lipset Lecture on Democracy in the World with remarks by former Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso,” said Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. Michael F. Kergin. “Dr. Lipset has had a distinguished academic career that has included major contributions to the study of Canadian society and Canada-U.S. relations. I am delighted that we can host the inaugural Lecture.”
The lecture, which is also cosponsored with the Munk Centre for International Relations of the University of Toronto, will in future years will be delivered in both the US and Canada. It will be an intellectual platform for men and women who, like Lipset, have made important contributions to our thinking about key issues of democracy through their writings and other accomplishments.
For more information on the National Endowment for Democracy, please visit www.ned.org.
For more information on the Embassy of Canada, please visit www.canadianembassy.org.
This event is open to the media.
What: First Annual Seymour Martin Lipset Lecture on Democracy in the World
Where: Embassy of Canada, 501 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
When: 5:30 p.m. – 6:45 p.m. Cameras preset by 3:30 p.m.
Contact: Jane Jacobsen (202) 293-9072; jane@ned.org
