Our days fly quickly by…
According to the latest statistics, there are nearly 60 million refugees and displaced persons in the world today.
For many, it was the last year of their life: it is hard to say, how many people fell victim to terrorist attacks, wars, and other conflicts.
I think, therefore, that the theme of our upcoming meeting scheduled for October 19-22 in Sochi, War and Peace, is more than relevant – no less so than in the 19th century, when Leo Tolstoy produced his famous novel.
However, it would be too pessimistic to assess this period, which has taught humanity many new lessons, solely in negative terms. On the contrary, we should think over and discuss them. After all, the Valdai Club in general and our future conference in particular are intended for understanding what these lessons and the existing situation are all about.
In fact, can we rely on people’s reason and self-preservation instinct? Can we be sure that economics and diplomacy, communications and interdependence are capable of averting disastrous conflicts and large-scale military clashes? Will the art of politics and reasonable use of force put the world at least in relative order that will make it possible for the absolute majority of mankind to live in peace and develop?
But I don’t want to get ahead of myself. Hopefully, the conference will give us a better understanding of problems at hand and possibly suggest some ways of solving them. Naturally, the Valdai Club has not been inactive during the past year. We held a conference on energy in Berlin, which, as I see it, had an impact on Eurasian energy security discussions. The Valdai session at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum in June this year was rather informative. I’d like to note in particular the Eurasian vector in the Valdai Club’s research. An extensive report was devoted to the New Silk Road Economic Belt; several workshops and meetings were held on Eurasian themes – economic, cultural and social. What is Eurasia? Is there a Eurasian identity, and if not, can it possibly take shape? This idea engrossed European – and Russian – minds more than a hundred years ago. Andrei Bely wrote in his famous novel St. Petersburg in the early 20th century that the place where Europe and Asia would meet could prove to be the center of the world.
Aside from investigating Eurasian issues, the Valdai intellectuals did other things as well. For example, they tried to figure out the meaning of the state in the modern world. They also clarified the relationship between the regional and global processes, a burning theme in the context of certain recent events, such as the emergence of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the mooted creation of an identical trans-Atlantic organization. Alternative societal and state models are yet another focal point for Valdai. Is liberal capitalism the only model, considering its rather vague and indeterminate nature? There is no question of suggesting new ideological principles, of course, but it is still of interest to fantasize about a brave new world. Isaac Asimov’s futuristic novels thrilled many a perceptive mind. In the near future, we hope to go on with our work and even expand the range of our investigations. For example, a discussion on the role of communications in shaping the world political situation may prove more than essential.
The year since the last big Valdai conference was extremely difficult and worrisome. But it was also fruitful and filled with the striving to respond to very serious challenges.
For many, it was the last year of their life: it is hard to say, how many people fell victim to terrorist attacks, wars, and other conflicts.
I think, therefore, that the theme of our upcoming meeting scheduled for October 19-22 in Sochi, War and Peace, is more than relevant – no less so than in the 19th century, when Leo Tolstoy produced his famous novel.
However, it would be too pessimistic to assess this period, which has taught humanity many new lessons, solely in negative terms. On the contrary, we should think over and discuss them. After all, the Valdai Club in general and our future conference in particular are intended for understanding what these lessons and the existing situation are all about.
In fact, can we rely on people’s reason and self-preservation instinct? Can we be sure that economics and diplomacy, communications and interdependence are capable of averting disastrous conflicts and large-scale military clashes? Will the art of politics and reasonable use of force put the world at least in relative order that will make it possible for the absolute majority of mankind to live in peace and develop?
But I don’t want to get ahead of myself. Hopefully, the conference will give us a better understanding of problems at hand and possibly suggest some ways of solving them. Naturally, the Valdai Club has not been inactive during the past year. We held a conference on energy in Berlin, which, as I see it, had an impact on Eurasian energy security discussions. The Valdai session at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum in June this year was rather informative. I’d like to note in particular the Eurasian vector in the Valdai Club’s research. An extensive report was devoted to the New Silk Road Economic Belt; several workshops and meetings were held on Eurasian themes – economic, cultural and social. What is Eurasia? Is there a Eurasian identity, and if not, can it possibly take shape? This idea engrossed European – and Russian – minds more than a hundred years ago. Andrei Bely wrote in his famous novel St. Petersburg in the early 20th century that the place where Europe and Asia would meet could prove to be the center of the world.
Aside from investigating Eurasian issues, the Valdai intellectuals did other things as well. For example, they tried to figure out the meaning of the state in the modern world. They also clarified the relationship between the regional and global processes, a burning theme in the context of certain recent events, such as the emergence of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the mooted creation of an identical trans-Atlantic organization. Alternative societal and state models are yet another focal point for Valdai. Is liberal capitalism the only model, considering its rather vague and indeterminate nature? There is no question of suggesting new ideological principles, of course, but it is still of interest to fantasize about a brave new world. Isaac Asimov’s futuristic novels thrilled many a perceptive mind. In the near future, we hope to go on with our work and even expand the range of our investigations. For example, a discussion on the role of communications in shaping the world political situation may prove more than essential.
The year since the last big Valdai conference was extremely difficult and worrisome. But it was also fruitful and filled with the striving to respond to very serious challenges.
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