Dossiers Archive | Page 14 of 20

Dossiers

Today, the compromises that once allowed democracy to coexist with a well-regulated capitalism no longer seem to work. On the contrary, politics is becoming increasingly incapable of offering effective responses to the dissatisfaction and marginalization felt by large segments of the population — the old middle class, precarious and underpaid workers — while capitalist developments, beginning with the new digital economy, are deepening inequality, concentrating wealth and power to a remarkable degree, and showing signs of a retreat from territorial roots. This process of patrimonialization and neo-feudalization combines with autocratic tendencies in political power. The phenomenon is particularly evident in the United States, but it is far from unknown elsewhere, in countries both small (such as Hungary) and large (such as Russia). How should we rethink the relationship between capitalism and democracy? Can liberal democracy survive in an age of stagnation and widening inequality? What held the welfare state and the free market together in the postwar years—was it a unique historical interlude or a model that can be replicated? Has globalization now made the mechanisms of financial capitalism incompatible with national democratic processes? Are liberal elites to blame for failing to manage the economic transformations—globalization, offshoring, automation—that have fueled populism and authoritarianism? And is it still possible to correct course within the existing system, or does the moment demand a radical reconfiguration—and if so, how?

Schools and religions. How can they coexist?
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Last April 26th Berliners voted ‘no’ in a referendum that proposed to make religious instruction compulsory in schools, like the courses on ethics introduced in 2006. The majority of European countries provide religious instruction, but in twelve of them it is multi-religious. Is it possible for respect of secularism and the need to know the history and values of religions – that in recent decades have returned to dominate the public sphere – to coexist?
Ramin Jahanbegloo: «An outcome with no hope for Iran»

«The Iranian elections have been an astonishingly surprising experience, first of all because there has been immense participation. The outcome is a negative one for many of us and for many young Iranians, a result with no hope. There is an open clash within the nomenclature, and the government has started to solve it using violence.» In an exclusive video-interview with Resetdoc, the Iranian philosopher Ramin Jahanbegloo comments the results of the recent Iranian elections and addresses some future issues to be faced by the Iranian government and society.
Tariq Ramadan: «Muslims must learn to be self-critical»

During the Resetdoc Istanbul Seminars (May 30th – June 4th) prominent Muslim intellectual Tariq Ramadan reacted positively to Giuliano Amato’s call to support the women demonstrating against the Shia Family Law in Afghanistan. Ramadan has been emphasising the issue of self-criticism for Muslim scholars and has himself been critical of a literal implementation of Shar’ia: «Giuliano Amato is right. We Muslims need to take a stand – he says in an exclusive video-interview with Resetdoc – I have been doing this for the last twenty years stating that we cannot accept the literal implementation and a dogmatic interpretation of Islam. We need a sense of humility within dialogue».
The day that changed China
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Twenty years after the massacre in Tiananmen Square, the regime has still not made known the number of victims and does all it can to ensure those events are forgotten in spite of the profound consequences on China’s social and political evolution. «In the West memories of Tiananmen are fading,» says Andrew J. Nathan, a professor of Political Science at Columbia University and co-author of The Tiananmen Papers, talking to Reset Doc. «The USA as well as Europe will be more secure when other political systems are open and stable. And the Chinese regime also in various direct and indirect ways encourages the persistence of authoritarian regimes elsewhere.»
Abu Zayd: “Why Muhammad wouldn’t have signed the Afghan Family Law”
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When the Afghan parliament approved the "Family Law for Shiites" effectively legitimising rape against women, our website published Emma Bonino’s appeal and petition to the Afghan government. Former Italian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato signed the petition and on the newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore asked why moderate Muslims such as Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd and Tariq Ramadan, two reference points for European Islam, remained silent. Abu Zayd has chosen Resetdoc to clarify his positions. Ramadan has not yet responded, but will certainly do so at the next Resetdoc Istanbul Seminars, where he will discuss the East-West relations together with other influential Arab, Israeli, American and European intellectuals.
Iran, the Reformist Challenge
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These are the most important elections for the world held this year, or at least for a dialogue between the West and the Islamic world. On June 12th Iranian citizens will elect their new President. Two competing factions are divided and the result is uncertain. Will we have the controversial outgoing President Ahmadinejad for another four years, or will one of the two reformist candidates, Mousavi or Karoubi, win the day?
India’s Future
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This year’s general election in India is numerically the largest ever held in history, with 714 million citizens (41 million more than in 2004) being called upon to vote and choose their representatives from over one thousand political parties. This is a phenomenal event that will last four weeks, until May 13th. A sign of democratic vivacity that seems, however, destined to result yet again in an unstable government, marked by opportunistic post-electoral alliances. Historian Ramachandra Guha explains why regional parties are so successful.
What (Arab) Women Want
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The veil makes them more visible than their men and hence exposes them to racism. Traditions and prejudices do not help them and are often the first obstacles they must overcome. How is the condition of Muslim women evolving in Europe and in the Arab-Islamic world? How is Family Law changing in Arab countries? A journey at the centre of a debate that goes well beyond the female body and closely affects relations between Islam, democracy and the West.
Religion and identity
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“The veil appears as a regression only if we assume progress to be teleological and linearly moving towards secularization”. Yale political philosopher Seyla Benhabib has discussed in Genoa the struggles over cultural identity in the scenario of contemporary Europe. In occasion of her lecture, we propose here a conversation with the Editor in chief of Reset Giancarlo Bosetti.
Lord of Algeria
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The winner of the Algerian presidential elections to be held on April 9th is already known. He is the outgoing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who had the constitution changed so he could run for a third consecutive term. In the last ten years this country has at last seen the end of the civil war, but has not yet been capable of finding the path to modernity. The political system remains tragically closed, with “pluralist” elections that, however, do not indicate any opportunities for change. As a protest against the president’s coup de main, the main opposition groups have in fact boycotted this election.