ONLINE DISCUSSION

200 Years of Greek Independence, 1821-2021

From Democratic Ideal to Democratic Practice, Then and Now

on the occasion of the historical anniversary of 200 years since the Greek Revolution

[session in English]

[με διερμηνεία στα ελληνικά]

This year’s historical anniversary of 200 years since the Greek Revolution is an occasion to rethink the very essence of the historical events of 1821 and their importance for Greece and the world. The Cultural Society of Entrepreneurs of Northern Greece is taking part in the commemoration with two online discussions, where prominent speakers will analyse the manifold dimensions of the Revolution through the prism of its era, as well as of its importance to the present – both on a national and an international level.

The Revolution of 1821 was an international event for its time, an extension of the American and the French Revolution which carried the torch of the ideas of the Enlightenment around freedom, democracy, human rights, the self-determination of the people and progress to eastern Europe and in the Middle East. At the same time, it constituted a landmark for the establishment of the modern Hellenic State, which pioneered the consolidation of these ideals in the wider region of eastern Europe and in the Middle East.

The first event will take place on Wednesday, May 26 at 11:00am-12:30pm EDT (18:00-19:30 EET), with the title 200 Years of Greek Independence, 1821-2021: From Democratic Ideal to Democratic Practice, Then and Now and featuring Daniel Ziblatt, Eaton Professor of the Science of Government at Harvard University and writer of the prominent 2018 book How Democracies Die as keynote speaker. Analysing the democratic idea from the early 19^th century through to the challenges of the 21^st century, the prominent American thinker meets and converses with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in an unusual meeting of two representatives of political theory and political action respectively. Preceding them and defining the framework of the commemoration are former Deputy Prime Minister and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Professor Evangelos Venizelos and Dean of Panteion University Christina Koulouri in a discussion about the position of the Greek Revolution on the global stage, historically and in present times; its importance for the world then and now.

Also taking part in the online discussion is Elaine Papoulias, Executive Director of the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies at Harvard University, while its moderator is Member of the Parliament and International Relations Professor at Panteion, Dimitris Keridis.

In June will follow the second themed event on the two-century trajectory of the new Hellenic state, with discussion around the achievements and failures of the past and the challenges of the future.

The event will be broadcast live on the Cultural Society’s website, www.culturalsociety.gr, and its Facebook page, @PolitistikiEtaireia, with simultaneous interpretation from Greek and English.

EVENT INFO
Wednesday 26.5.2021 | 18:00-19:30

200 Years of Greek Independence, 1821-2021:
From Democratic Ideal to Democratic Practice, Then and Now

Daniel Ziblatt | Eaton Professor of the Science of Government, Harvard University
Kyriakos Mitsotakis | Prime Minister of Greece

INTERLOCUTORS
Evangelos Venizelos | former Deputy Prime Minister of Greece & Professor, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Christina Koulouri | Dean, Panteion University

PARTICIPANT
Elaine Papoulias | Executive Director, Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University

MODERATOR
Dimitris Keridis | Member of the Hellenic Parliament & Professor, Panteion University

Broadcast on: www.culturalsociety.gr | Facebook @PolitistikiEtaireia
Interpretation: into English and into Greek

Registration (optional): https://www.culturalsociety.gr/alles-draseis/eggrafi/

GUEST SPEAKER

Daniel Ziblatt is Eaton Professor of the Science of Government at Harvard University and since October 2020 the new director of the Department Transformations of Democracy. He has been awarded the 2019 Berlin Prize by the American Academy in Berlin and was Karl W. Deutsch Visiting Professor at the WZB from 2019 to 2020. His book “How Democracies Die” (with Steven Levitsky, Crown, 2018), a New York Times bestseller, has been translated into over fifteen languages. His book “Conservative Parties and the Birth of Democracy” (Cambridge University Press, 2017), an account of Europe’s historical democratization, won the American Political Science Association’s 2018 Woodrow Wilson Prize for the best book in government and international relations and three other prizes including the American Sociological Association’s 2018 Barrington Moore Award for the best book in comparative historical sociology.
[Source: https://www.wzb.eu/en/persons/daniel-ziblatt]