Public discussion Slovakia, Europe and the world: half-century after August 1968 took place in Prešov on August 15, 2018. Event was organized in the framework of the project “Country at the Crossroad” focused on the debate on current problems related to societal development of the Slovak Republic by the Institute for Public Affairs (IVO) in cooperation with bookshop Artforum Prešov and Wave ~ Center of Independent Culture with support of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS).
Discussion was held in the premises of Wave on Hlavná ulica (Main Street), with high public attendance. Martin Bútora (sociologist and diplomat, honorary president of IVO), Grigorij Meseznikov (political scientist, president of IVO) and Mário Nicolini (security analyst, project leader of Sebavedomé Slovensko – sebavedome.sk) took part in the discussion. Event was moderated by Tomáš Fedorko (Artforum Prešov).
The accompanying part of the event was the exhibition of the paintings by Fero Guldan titled “Exodus”, co-organized by the civic association Krásny Spiš, whose representative Miroslav Pollák delivered a short address.
Participants of discussion focused on the main messages and lessons from August 1968 – both for political actors and the population, especially in terms of links that are being made within the international groupings in which the Slovak Republic is a member state as well as on fundamental changes that have taken place in Europe and the world over the past half-century, on current challenges ahead of Slovakia, the Visegrad Four, the European Union, the North Atlantic Alliance, and the international political and security system.
The discussants pointed out that character of some challenges predetermines domestic and external actors to react to them in close cooperation and coordination, in accordance with the value basis of the current socio-political order of the Slovak Republic, with the principles of European integration and interest in the reproduction and strengthening of the democratic system and freedom in our country, in Central European region, in Europe and in the world.
Invitation (in PDF)
