How is the work of pro-democracy activists defending human rights and promoting reform being restricted? How can U.S. policy and programs best support their efforts? These are some of the questions to be addressed at The Mark Palmer [left] Forum for the Advancement of Democracy annual conference organized by Freedom House.
Conference Program
12:00 p.m. – Registration and Lunch
12:30 p.m. – Welcoming Remarks
Mark P. Lagon, President of Freedom House
12:40 p.m. – Keynote Address
Hon. Antony J. Blinken, Deputy Secretary of State
1:30 p.m. – Panel Discussion: Frontline Perspectives on U.S. Democracy Support
Pro-democracy activists assess the greatest challenges they face in their countries and the effectiveness of outside support: How is their work defending human rights and promoting reform being restricted? How can U.S. policy and programs best support their efforts? What forms and methods of assistance are effective today and which are not?
Panelists:
Yoseph Badwaza [right], Program Officer at Freedom House and former Program Director of the Ethiopian Human Rights Council
Oleksandra Matviychuk, Director of the Centre for Civil Liberties (Ukraine)
Alfredo Romero, President of Foro Penal (Venezuela)
Moderator:
Goli Ameri, President of the Center for Global Engagement, and Freedom House Trustee
2:25 p.m. Break
2:45 p.m. Panel Discussion: Priorities for the Next Administration
U.S. foreign policy experts discuss alternative approaches to advance democracy in the years ahead: How should democracy support fit into the priorities of the next President’s foreign policy? How can the next administration most effectively counteract growing restrictions on fundamental freedoms and assist democratic progress abroad?
Panelists:
Elliott Abrams, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations [and board member of the National Endowment for Democracy]
Paula Dobriansky [left], Senior Fellow, Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science & International Affairs
Suzanne Nossel, Executive Director of PEN America Center
Eric Schwartz, University of Minnesota’s Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs
Moderator:
Daniel Calingaert, Executive Vice President of Freedom House
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Freedom House
1850 M Street NW
Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20036
