MFJMCE Conference: Democratic Values & Civic Participation in Europe and Beyond

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Venue:FIU-MMC-SIPA I, Room 260

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Democratic Values & Civic Participation in Europe and Beyond
A Conference of the Miami-Florida Jean Monnet Center of Excellence
March 10-11, 2025

Florida International University - Modesto A. Maidique Campus - 11200 SW 8th Street - Miami, FL 33199

  • Monday, March 10 | 5:00 PM–6:30 PM | Keynote Address | FIU MMC | MARC Pavilion
  • March 11 | 9:00 AM–4:00 PM | Conference | FIU MMC | SIPA II – Room 260

The year 2024 was a “super election” year. In many European elections, including those for the European Parliament, as well as in the United States, governments changed, sparking a broader debate about democratic values and civic participation. This conference explores issues of inclusion and diversity, with a focus on democratic governance and resilience, and political participation by individuals and civic groups. What challenges do established democracies face in this regard, and how can they be addressed collectively? What can be done to combat apathy and polarization, which are fueled by misinformation and slow consensus-building in increasingly diverse societies? These questions have emerged prominently in both the U.S. and the EU, but they also require reflection on the broader geopolitical contexts in which democratic backsliding and polarization are taking place.

This two-day conference is free and open to FIU students and the public.

PROGRAMME

Monday, March 10 | 5:00 - 6:30 pm | MARC Building - MARC Pavilion

5:00 p.m. | Welcome & Opening Remarks

Shlomi Dinar, Ph.D.
Dean, Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs
Florida International University

5:15-6:30 p.m. | Keynote Address

Walter Goetz, Ph.D.
Head of the Office
European Parliament Liaison Office in Washington D.C.

The European Parliament’s role in upholding transatlantic democratic values

6.30-8:00 p.m. | reception (by invitation only)

Biography

ImageWalter Goetz, Ph.D.
Head of the European Parliament Liaison Office, Washington D.C.

Walter Goetz was appointed as the Head of the European Parliament Liaison Office in Washington DC on September 1, 2023. He previously served as the Head of Cabinet of Transport Commissioner Adina Vălean. Goetz also worked as a civil servant in the Secretary General of the European Parliament in Brussels. From April to November 2019, he was Head of the Secretariat of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), and from April 2012 to March 2019 he was the Head of the Secretariat of the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN). From October 2009 to July 2011, he was the Head of the Secretariat of the Special Committee on the Financial, Economic and Social Crisis (CRIS). Walter Goetz joined the European Parliament`s administration as an Administrator in the ITRE Secretariat in 2006 and later served in the Transatlantic Relations Unit of the European Parliament. From April 2003 to December 2005, he worked as an Administrator in the European Commission, where he was in charge of financial services in the Securities Market and Investment Services Provides Unit of DG MARKT. His career began in the German Federal Ministry of Finance in Bonn and Berlin in the years 1998 to 2003, where he held various positions as a desk officer in customs, fiscal policy and legal departments. He studied Law and Administrative Science in Konstanz and Speyer, Germany, and holds a PhD from the Faculty of Law of the University of Konstanz, Germany.

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Tuesday, March 11 | 9:00 am - 4:00 pm |Conference | SIPA II - Room 260

  • 9:00 am Welcome & Opening Remarks
  • 9:15 - 10:45 am Panel I: Democratic values & Civic Participation: contexts and issues
    This panel introduces the concepts of democratic values & civic participation, and highlights their relevance for pluralistic, liberal democracies. What are the historical, normative and contextual foundations for vibrant democratic political cultures?

  • 10:55 a.m. – 11:55 a.m. Consular roundtable on comparative gender equality policies

  • 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Panel II: Democratic resilience and participation in a transatlantic comparison
    This panel takes a closer look at the challenges of established democracies on both sides of the Atlantic, such as polarization and populism as well as diversity and inequality, and explores to what degree democratic resilience can be achieved or maintained.

  • 1:30 - 2:45 pm: Lunch (by invitation only)

  • 2:45 pm - 4:00 pm: Panel III: From Local to global, from Miami to the world: possibilities & linkages
    This conversational panel highlights the local-global connections that are fundamental for vibrant democratic political cultures, as they are reflected in Miami/Florida and beyond.

  • 4:00 pm - 6:00 p.m. Concluding reception (by invitation only)

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► Detailed program, click here and HERE

► Bios Panelists, click here

► To view flyer, click here (TBA)

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► Registration on Eventbrite, click here

For more information, please contact Christine I. Caly-Sanchez at calyc@fiu.edu

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► For Driving Directions, Map and Parking Information to MARC Building-MARC Pavilion on March 10, click here

► For Driving Directions, Map and Parking Information to SIPA II Building on March 11, click here

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Sponsored and presented by the Miami-Florida Jean Monnet Center of Excellence

Co-sponsors : Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs • The Green School's Dorothea Green Lecture Series • Ruth K. and Shepard Broad Distinguished Lecture Series • European & Eurasian Studies Program • Maurice A. Ferré Institute for Civic Leadership • The Jorge M. Pérez Metropolitan Center • The Wolfsonian Public Humanities Lab • iWitness: IPC Institute of Visual Journalism • Department of Politics and International Relations • SIPA's Vaclav Havel Program for Human Rights and Diplomacy • #EUintheUS

ImageMade possible through generous support from the European Commission.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. The European Union cannot be held responsible for them


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