• Krysztof Michalski (Institute for Human Science) – Bio

Speakers:

• Seyla Benhabib ( Political Science and Philosophy, Yale University) – Bio
• Giuliano Amato (former Prime Minister and  Interior Minister of Italy) – Bio
• Armin Laschet (Minister for Intergenerational Affairs, Family, Women and Integration of North Rhine-Westphalia) – Bio
• Roger Köppel (Editor-in-Chief of the Swiss weekly Die Weltwoche) – Bio

United in Diversity – this is the motto of the European Union. It used to stand for the idea of forming an alliance of European countries while respecting the diversity of national cultures. In recent years, however, Europe no longer has to deal with the differences in its 27 member states only. It has turned from a continent of emigration to a preferred destination of the global flows of migration. Each year, more than 700.000 people take up residence in the member states of the EU. In spite of those numbers of immigrants, Europe refuses to perceive itself as a continent of immigration. People from countries outside the EU keep on facing tough asylum, residence and labour restrictions, xenophobia and right-wing violence. Apparently, Europe lacks diversity politics which regard cultural differences as a societal resource.

After the initial debate “Obama and the Europeans” on February 28, European immigration and integration politics is the focal point of the second debate “The Others Among Us: The Opportunities and Dangers of Immigration” on March 21st . On stage at the Vienna Burgtheater: former Italian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato, American political scientist Seyla Benhabib, Roger Köppel, editor-in-chief of the Swiss weekly Die Weltwoche and the Minister for Integration of North Rhine-Westphalia Armin Laschet. Krzysztof Michalski, Rector of the IWM will chair the discussion on the question where Europe is heading: diversity management or fortress Europe (http://www.iwm.at/)

The Series Europa im Diskurs / Debating Europe is a cooperation of the Institute for Human Sciences, Der Standard, the ERSTE Stiftung and Burgtheater.

• Alexandra Föderl-Schmid (Editor-in-Chief, Der Standard) – Bio

Speakers:

• Stanley Greenberg (Political scientist) – Bio
• Robert Kagan (US publicist and columnist, The Washington Post) – Bio
• Karel Schwarzenberg (former Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic; former President of the European Council) – Bio
• Michael Spindelegger (Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria) – Bio
• Ivan Vejvoda (Executive Director, Balkan Trust for Democracy) – Bio

Debating Europe/Europa im Diskurs

“Yes, we can!” Barack Obama triumphally exclaimed as the new US President elect in November 2008. With “change” as the keyword of his electoral campaign he had become the symbol of hope for millions to both sides of the Atlantic. Little more than a year later, many ask, “Can he?” With such problematic issues as the reform of US health care, the closing down of Guantánamo, battling the economic crisis, solving the Middle East conflict and global climate protection on his To Do list, it is a debatable point if he “can”. Upon being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize after only nine months in office even Barack Obama himself doubted that he deserved it, emphasising that he considered the award a call to action.

Vienna’s Burgtheater is the stage where US policy adviser Stanley Greenberg, Washington Post columnist Robert Kagan, Austria’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Michael Spindelegger, Czech politician Karel Schwarzenberg and Ivan Vejvoda from the German Marshall Fund discuss about “Obama and the Europeans – what has changed?”

(Presstext: http://www.iwm.at/)