Merton College, Oxford
5-13 April 2002
| Dr Ragnar Lofstedt | King's College London and Harvard School of Public Health |
Learning from the past
| Dr Michael Rogers | Group of Policy Advisers, European Commission |
Getting regulation right: the uses and limits of the precautionary principle
| Bill Durodié | New College, Oxford |
Managing risk amidst globalization: how is precaution paid for?
| Marie-Louise Rossi | CEO, International Underwriting Association, London |
The cultural nature of risk
| Professor Åsa Boholm | Göteborg University |
The consumer and the environment
| Robin Simpson | National Consumer Council, London |
Managing risk amidst globalization: the role of NGOs
| Professor Robin Grove-White | Centre for the Study of Environmental Change, University of Lancaster |
An economist's perspective on the global warming debate
| Dr Sally Kane | Senior Economist, Office of Global Programs, US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
Industry and risk communication: a case study of telecommunications
| Jo-Anne Basile | Vice President, External and Industry Relations, Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, Washington DC |
Communication and choice: the precautionary principle and democracy
| Dr Andrew Stirling | Science and Technology Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex |
Risk and Modern Life
| Professor Heinz Wolff | Brunel University |
Global warming: the politics of science
| Aubrey Meyer | Global Commons Institute |
| Richard D North | Media Fellow, Institute of Economic Affairs |
How the Precautionary Principle is viewed in different cultures
| Irah Borinaga | Director, Policy Studies Group, Philippines Senate |
| Elena Simakova | Formerly Public Information Officer, International Science and Technology Center, Moscow |
| Bertram Welker | Project Manager for Higher Education Reform, University of Greifswald, formerly Legislative Fellow for trade issues, Office of US Representative Tom Sawyer |
Do we live in a culture of fear?
| Dr Frank Furedi | University of Kent |
| Professor Robin Grove-White | Centre for the Study of Environmental Change, University of Lancaster |
Risk and reactions to 11 September
| Prof. John Adams | University College London |
| Dr Christopher Coker | London School of Economics |
Advertised Synopsis
As modern societies become increasingly aware of the possible benefits and costs involved in current lifestyles and the potential implications of scientific and economic innovation, the best way to manage the risks involved has become ever more disputed. This conference will look in particular at one potential solution to this difficulty, the Precautionary Principle, advanced especially by environmentalists. This concept, although its inherent caution holds appeal for many, does have complications: what exactly does it mean (over a dozen definitions exist), does it handcuff innovation, and is it as culturally specific an approach as any other? This latter will be a particular concern of the conference, because risk and regulation are inevitably international - actions in one state have environmental and other implications beyond its borders. Moreover, different cultures often approach risk differently, and resent the perceived outside imposition of excessive danger or caution. Another issue which the conference will address is the decline in public trust of institutions supposed to protect citizens, arising inter alia from often contradictory information about risks, and from certain high-profile failures of safety mechanisms - from BSE in Britain and elsewhere in Europe, through AIDS in the French blood supply to nuclear accidents in Japan. Restoring public trust - especially when risks are difficult to quantify - will be essential to the success of any regulatory system, as will finding the degree of public participation in this sometimes highly complex field, which appropriately balances safety, the possibility of beneficial innovation, and public acceptance.
Klingenthal Castle, near Strasbourg, France
12-18 May 2002
| Dr Christopher Coker | London School of Economics |
Securitisation and terrorism
| Professor Barry Buzan | University of Westminster |
Globalization: new coalitions, new oppositions
| Professor Zaki Laïdi | CERI, Paris |
The new networking of terrorism
| Dr Magnus Ranstorp | Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, University of St Andrews |
Policing, the New Prudentialism, and Civil Liberties: the domestic dimension
| Dr Les Johnston | University of Portsmouth |
Policing, the New Prudentialism, and Civil Liberties: the international dimension
| Dr Christopher Coker | Senior Fellow |
International law - its enforcement or its distortion?
| Professor Michael Schmitt | Director, Executive Program in International & Security Affairs, George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, Garmisch-Partenkirchen |
Developing World Reactions
| Professor Brahma Chellaney | Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi |
Advertised Synopsis
Shortly after the terrorist attack on the United States on September 11, former senator Gary Hart wrote that it marked the moment "the world crossed the threshold from war into crime". Such a view has profound implications not only for the counter-terrorist strategies of the future, but also for constitutional and legal norms, for policing, and for the interaction between government and society in general. This conference will discuss how terrorism and the fight against it may affect the exercise of freedom. It will begin by looking at the new terrorist networks that are part of our post-modern world and the extent to which globalization will continue to generate discontent and shape the strategies of the discontented. It will look at the problems posed for open societies in policing terrorism efficiently, particularly the extent to which 'securitisation', resorting to military means to deal with political challenges, may not always be the most effective way of meeting them. What are the immediate consequences for civil liberties of the 'new prudentialism' and 'preventative defence': the pro-active policing of the international order? How much will global counter-terrorist strategies distort international law and its enforcement? The conference will conclude by examining how the global coalition against terrorism is likely to hold up in the years ahead. Will policing the international order more effectively expose new cultural fault lines or divisions that may nullify what, to the surprise of many, has been the greatest example of international cooperation since 1945.
Villa Monastero, Lake Como, Italy
6-14 September 2002
| Lord Claus Moser | Chairman, British Museum Development Trust |
The value of the arts from a philosophical perspective: in what respects might they be seen as public goods or simply as commodities for private consumption?
| Professor Roger Scruton | Academic philosopher, journalist, political activist and composer |
What is the importance of the arts to national identities?
| Dr George Schöpflin | School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University of London |
What not to do with cultural policies in East and Central Europe: 'the case of the dead geese'
| Andras Török | Director, Hungarian Centre for Photography, formerly Deputy State Secretary for the Arts and Head of the National Cultural Fund of Hungary |
Arts and communities: how best do they enliven each other?
| Jennifer Williams | Centre for Creative Communities, London |
| Christine Coker (discussant) | National Foundation for Youth Music, London |
High culture and popular culture: which cultural activities merit public support in a post-modern world, and who should be entitled to judge?
| Richard Coles | Writer and broadcaster, formerly member of Bronski Beat and The Comunards |
A view from artists: what challenges lie ahead in the political and social context of the arts and how might the arts adapt?
| Michael Berkeley | Composer and broadcaster |
| Jude Kelly | Former Director of the West Yorkshire Playhouse |
| Tom Phillips | Painter, writer and composer |
Commerce and creativity: How business-like must the arts be? What is the impact on the arts of sponsorship by business?
| Russell Willis Taylor | Director, National Arts Stabilization, Baltimore |
Broadcasting: the impact of new technologies on public provision and national cultures
| Tim Souter | Head of Broadcasting Policy Division, Department of Culture, Media and Sport, London |
The growing economic importance of the creative industries, and the increasing significance of them for policy makers
| Lydia Kan | Independent consultant |
Film-making in Armenia
| Tigran Xmalian | Director of the Yerevan Documentary Film Centre |
The importance of the arts in urban regeneration
| Cezary Bednarski | Studio Bednarski, London |
Advertised Synopsis
Creativity in the arts and the nurturing of traditions are generally felt to be public goods. But in what ways should they be a concern of public policy? Amidst globalization and proliferating channels of communication, do national identities and heritages need protection or will government action only fossilize national cultures? Public subsidies of the arts are increasingly under question, especially in countries where there are attempts to roll back the state. In these circumstances subsidies are often justified as promoting access and greater public participation in the arts, or as public investment in cultural industries. Does such subsidy provide vital support for the arts, or does it inhibit risk-taking and innovation, and encourage 'dumbing down'? In the United States the arts depend more than in most countries on private patrons and foundations for support. How well does this model work and how far can it be imitated elsewhere? In particular, what is likely to be the effect if ever more of the arts worldwide are dependent on business sponsorship? Broadcasting and architecture are two especially controversial areas where commerce, the public interest and the arts come together. With new technologies and the proliferation of choice, how is public service broadcasting changing, and how should government regulation be brought to bear if at all? How far do governments have a right to oversee the content of the arts which are dependent on public funding? Is this unwarrantable censorship, or accountability to democratically elected representatives? Architecture is a highly sensitive case when it comes to regulation. How far should planners be making aesthetic judgments? Looking at these cases and the arts as a whole, in the post-modern world when high culture and canons of taste are challenged as legitimate categories, are any authorities, including governments, in a position to judge what is worthy of support and protection?
Madingley Hall, Cambridge
3-11 October 2002
| Sir Geoffrey Owen | Director of Business Policy Programme, London School of Economics |
The global importance of CSR
| Liz Padmore | Accenture |
Historical overview: why has CSR gained currency in the present climate?
| John Kay | London Business School |
Embedding sustainable development in corporate practice
| Noble Pepple | Shell International |
How do you audit the triple bottom line amidst a multiplicity of codes?
| Jeffrey Hantover | formerly Director, External Relations, Global Compliance, Gap Inc. |
An economist's critique of CSR
| David Henderson | Institute of Economic Affairs |
An activist critique of CSR
| Craig Bennett | Friends of the Earth |
Mediating between business and citizens: the role of shareholder activists, NGO's and international organisations
| Jane Nelson | International Business Leaders Forum |
CSR in practice: a case study from the pharmaceutical industry
| Kathleen Laya | GlaxoSmithKline |
| Jo Nicolls | OXFAM |
Corporate responsibility and shareholder value
| Edson Spencer | formerly President of Honeywell and Chairman of the Ford Foundation |
Applying universal standards in a diverse world: the dilemmas of transnationals in developing countries
| Percy Mistry | Chairman, Oxford International Group, Mumbai and Oxford |
Looking ahead: some key forces shaping CSR in the coming decades
| Richard O'Brien | Outsights |
| Professor Robert McCorquodale | University of Nottingham |
Advertised Synopsis
The broad and varied recent changes which are subsumed under the often ill-defined rubric of globalization have sparked numerous debates. Among the most heated is that surrounding the proper role of corporations, in particular large trans-national ones, in today's world. This conference will look at the theoretical issues involved and at some of the attempts in practice to broaden the concerns of business from the purely financial. Is the contribution of business to society to supply the goods and services people need efficiently, or are there multiple bottom lines? Is there a conflict between the maximisation of shareholder value over the long term and broader social interests? Are states encouraging corporate citizenship for the greater good of all or to shift responsibilities from themselves? If a corporation truly wishes to factor in human rights, environmental, and labour concerns, how does it apply its standards (especially in the latter two areas) in countries with vastly different legal regimes, levels of development, or sources of comparative advantage? Moreover, how can its performance best be measured? Finally, what is the appropriate role for shareholder activists, NGOs and international organizations, - such as the United Nations and its Global Compact - in mediating between business and citizens and how does the state fit into this dialogue?
Middle East Technical University, Ankara
25-27 October 2002
The United States, the War on Terror and implications for the region
| Steven Simon | Assistant Director, International Institute for Strategic Studies, London |
| Prof Ali Karaosmanoglu | Chair, Dept of International Relations, Bilkent University |
Turkey's defence budget and weapon structure in the region
| Lale Sariibrahimoglu | Turkey Correspondent, Jane's Defence Weekly |
Turkey and the Middle East: A State Bestriding the Faultlines
| Prof. Meliha Altunišik | Middle East Technical University, Ankara |
Dinner Speaker
| President Suleyman Demirel | Former President of Turkey |
Who speaks for Europe and What is the Message?: the roles of NATO, the EU, and European National Governments
| Bruce Clark | International Security Editor, The Economist |
| Prof Seyfi Tashan | President, Foreign Policy Institute, Bilkent University |
Finding the Right Problem to Fix: underlying causes of instability and terrorism in the region
| Dr Christopher Coker | London School of Economics |
| Prof Dr Ahmed Davudoglu | Beykent University, Istanbul |
Brief Description
The Middle East has been a flashpoint of conflict for over fifty years, a situation which looks unlikely to end soon. The events of September 11 and those which followed have only added to the region's uncertainty and its international importance. This conference will examine where the security situation might be headed, with a particular emphasis on the possible results, for good or ill, of the interplay between Western and local actors.
The Trust would like to express its thanks to Prof Huseyin Bagci and his team for all their help in organizing and running this conference, and to METU for hosting it.