1989 | Commemorating the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War, Reflecting upon our Political Present

What can we learn from the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Peaceful Revolutions of 1989, and how can we apply these lessons to contemporary politics in Germany, Europe, and the U.S.?

The Friedrich Ebert Foundation and the BMW Center for German and European Studies at Georgetown University are pleased to host a conference on November 9, 2019 entitled 

1989 : Commemorating the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War, Reflecting upon our Political Present

Register here   Full Program and Agenda available to download here

The end of the Cold War, the resulting geopolitical tensions, and the narrative of "The End of History" have had direct consequences and present political challenges to the United States and Europe. What lessons can we learn from 1989, and how can we use these lessons to combat right-wing populism in Germany, Europe, and the United States? Among contemporary political actors, social movements and political organizations, can any of them have comparable power to the Peaceful Revolution of 1989? These questions are not only timely at the 30th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, but also of vital importance in our current crises of international order.

Conference Agenda

9:30am - Conference Opening

9:45 -11:15am - Keynote Series : The Memory of Radiant Hope and the Reality of Light and Shadow

In our contemporary political moment, the memory of promise from the end of the Cold War seems to be fading amid the crises of contemporary politics. What errors have contributed to the loss of the great international vision of 1989? Additionally, what can we learn from 1989 that we can apply to our current situation, where Big Power politics and confrontations once again govern the world stage?

The Honorable Chuck Hagel, 24th Untied States Secretary of Defense (confirmed)

Aleksander Kwaśniewski, former president of the Republic of Poland (1995-2005) (confirmed)

Moderator

Anja Bröker, Reporter and Correspondent for ARD German Television (confirmed)

11:15 -11:30am - Coffee break

11:30am -1:00pm - Panel I: The Delusion of the ‘End of History’: Liberal Political Visions and new Nationalisms

There was no “end of history” – the triumph of liberal democracy is no longer a foregone conclusion but something apparently in danger on both sides of the Atlantic. How do the consequences of recent history – of landmarks, events, caesuras, and crises – manifest themselves in political developments?

Speakers:

Hope M. Harrison, Associate Professor of History and International Affairs, George Washington University; Senior Fellow with the History and Public Policy Program and the Cold War International History Project at the Wilson Center. (confirmed)

Joyce Mushaben, College of Arts and Sciences Professor of Global Studies, Curator’s Professor of Comparative Politics and Gender Policies, University of Missouri – St. Louis. (confirmed)

Aviel Roshwald, Professor and Interim Director of the Georgetown Institute for Global History, Georgetown University. (confirmed)

Helga Welsh, Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Wake Forest University. (confirmed)

Moderator

Jeffrey Anderson, Professor, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service and the Department of Government, Georgetown University. (confirmed)

1:00-2:00pm - Lunch break (a light lunch will be served)

2:00- 3:30pm - Panel II: Liberal Political Visions and Narratives against Nationalism

Which political visions should we as democrats be championing in the face of growing fascination with populism, nationalism, and fascism? What can we do to combat authoritarian movements and parties in our own countries?

Speakers:

Jill Dougherty, Centennial Fellow at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, and Global Fellow at the Kennan Institute (confirmed)

Ambassador Ivan Korčok, Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to the United States. (confirmed)

Alina Polyakova, David M. Rubenstein Fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe and Security and Strategy team at the Brookings Institution; adjunct professor of European studies at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University. (confirmed)

Angela Stent, Director of the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies and Professor of Government and Foreign Service at Georgetown University; Senior Fellow (non-resident) at the Brookings Institution. (confirmed)

Moderator

Kim Dozier, CNN Global Affairs Analyst and contributor to The Daily Beast. (confirmed)

3:30-3:45 - Coffee break

3:45-5:15pm - Panel III: Steady Feet on Shaky Ground? Democratic Resilience and the Populist Temptation

What are the perspectives and visions of the free and just world order which we are working towards?

Speakers:

Charles Kupchan, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and Professor of international affairs in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service and the Department of Government, Georgetown University. (confirmed)

MdB Susann Rüthrich, (SPD) representative for Meissen in the German Bundestag (confirmed)

Natalie Samarasinghe, Office of the Special Adviser on the Preparations for the Commemoration of the Seventy-Fifth Anniversary of the United Nations (confirmed)

Liz Watson, Executive Director, Congressional Progressive Caucus Center (confirmed)

Moderator

Anja Bröker, Reporter and Correspondent for ARD German Television (confirmed) 

5:15-5:30pm - Concluding Remarks

5:30-7:00pm - Public reception hosted by Deputy Chief of Mission of the German Embassy Ricklef Beutin.