Václav Havel European Dialogues: Information and democracy, Prague
- Where: Modrá posluchárna, Univerzita Karlova, Celetná 20, Praha 1
- When: May 10, 2022, 18:00 – 20:00
Never in history has so much information spread in such a short time among so many people. But it still feels like getting to the truth has never been so difficult. Alongside factual information, there is a vast amount of inaccuracies, false information, myths and deliberate untruths out there. For many people it is hard, if not impossible, to distinguish in this mess between that which is true or likely and that which is untrue and false. But can a state assume the role of guardian of the truth without irreparably violating civil rights and freedoms? What role should the EU play in this area? And in what kind of cases may it do so? Should classic and digital media bear responsibility for the veracity of the information they spread? Or is intensive, long-term education in neglected fields, such as logic, cognitive thinking and the philosophy of science, the only answer?
17.30 – 18.00 Registration
18.00 – 18.20 Opening: Tomáš Karásek, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, CU, Michael Žantovský, Director of the Václav Havel Library
18.20 – 18.30 Opening address: Věra Jourová, Vice-President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency
Opening address: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya – Belarusian politician and activist, the main opposition candidate in the 2020 Belarusian presidential elections
18.30 – 19.55 Debate
Guests:
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya – Belarusian politician and activist, the main opposition candidate in the 2020 Belarusian presidential elections
Pavla Holcová – investigative journalist, founder of investigace.cz and recipient of many domestic and international awards including the Pulitzer Prize
Chair: Alice Němcová Tejkalová, journalist and academic, Faculty of Social Sciences, CU
19.55 – 20.00 Closing address: Michael Žantovský, Director of the Václav Havel Library
* The programme will take place in English and Czech with simultaneous interpretation into both languages. Free admission until the capacity of the hall is reached.
Václav Havel European Dialogues
● Dates: May 10 and 12, 2022
● Venues: Prague, Brno, Plzeň
● Organisers: The Václav Havel Library in cooperation with the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University, the Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, and the Faculty of Education at the University of West Bohemia in Plzeň
● Partner: Representation of the European Commission in the Czech Republic
Václav Havel European Dialogues is an international project that aims to initiate and stimulate a discussion about issues determining the direction of contemporary Europe while referring to the European spiritual legacy of Václav Havel. The project is conceived as long-term and takes place in cooperation with partners in various cities in the Czech Republic and the European Union. The meetings take the form of a debate and are targeted primarily at secondary and third-level students, as well as experts and members of the public interested in European affairs.