⚖️🌐 The universality of values: is it possible or is it just an illusion?
Traditionally, within the framework of the Westphalian model of the world, the interests of states were regulated by international law. Interstate treaties made it possible to fix the achieved interests and put a barrier in the way of too-ambitious interests which were unacceptable to others. One of these interests, shared by many countries, is, for example, the legal principle of non-interference in internal affairs, enshrined in the UN Charter.
At the same time, the established international law often became an obstacle precisely in the way of the realisation of values, since the task of promoting values abroad presupposes, first of all, the need for intervention in the affairs of other states and societies, directly or indirectly.
As a result, a discussion unfolded that "the laws of 1945" are out-dated with respect to the value challenges of the 21st century, that the out-dated right contradicts morality and therefore must be replaced and supplanted by morality. The notion that there is a moral duty to protect values has become an argument that legalises interference in the affairs of others, even if the law does not allow it.
👉 It seems that this trend will continue to develop, writes Oleg Barabanov, programme director of the Valdai Discussion Club.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/values-and-interests-in-world-politics/
#Morality_and_Law
@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
Traditionally, within the framework of the Westphalian model of the world, the interests of states were regulated by international law. Interstate treaties made it possible to fix the achieved interests and put a barrier in the way of too-ambitious interests which were unacceptable to others. One of these interests, shared by many countries, is, for example, the legal principle of non-interference in internal affairs, enshrined in the UN Charter.
At the same time, the established international law often became an obstacle precisely in the way of the realisation of values, since the task of promoting values abroad presupposes, first of all, the need for intervention in the affairs of other states and societies, directly or indirectly.
As a result, a discussion unfolded that "the laws of 1945" are out-dated with respect to the value challenges of the 21st century, that the out-dated right contradicts morality and therefore must be replaced and supplanted by morality. The notion that there is a moral duty to protect values has become an argument that legalises interference in the affairs of others, even if the law does not allow it.
👉 It seems that this trend will continue to develop, writes Oleg Barabanov, programme director of the Valdai Discussion Club.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/values-and-interests-in-world-politics/
#Morality_and_Law
@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
Valdai Club
Values and Interests in World Politics
There is not only one-way traffic between values and interests. Not only values as a basic category define interests as a more applied category. On the contrary, interests also influence values; they shape and reform them. Sometimes they completely alter…
👥🌐 Migration and migrants are now widely perceived as risks.
In many countries, anti-migration sentiments and xenophobia had for long been on the rise. This spurred a securitisation of migration and the pandemic added concerns over health security to this already strong trend.
This is fuelled by the climate crisis which has already been raising doubts over the future of extensive driving, flying and traveling as is so typical for our hyper-mobile era; the pandemic further accelerated this trend.
Also the rise of authoritarian ruling had been noticed in many parts of the world and the pandemic only spurred this trend.
It is remarkable that liberal and authoritarian states around the globe alike turned to ultra-radical policy measures and largely outlawed fundamental liberties including the right to leave one’s country, city or even home, at least temporarily, not seen since the exceptional times of martial law, the Chinese Hukou system or the Soviet era, writes Franck Düvell, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies, Osnabrück University.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/the-pandemic-and-international-migration/
#Morality_and_Law #migration #migrants #pandemic
@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
In many countries, anti-migration sentiments and xenophobia had for long been on the rise. This spurred a securitisation of migration and the pandemic added concerns over health security to this already strong trend.
This is fuelled by the climate crisis which has already been raising doubts over the future of extensive driving, flying and traveling as is so typical for our hyper-mobile era; the pandemic further accelerated this trend.
Also the rise of authoritarian ruling had been noticed in many parts of the world and the pandemic only spurred this trend.
It is remarkable that liberal and authoritarian states around the globe alike turned to ultra-radical policy measures and largely outlawed fundamental liberties including the right to leave one’s country, city or even home, at least temporarily, not seen since the exceptional times of martial law, the Chinese Hukou system or the Soviet era, writes Franck Düvell, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies, Osnabrück University.
https://valdaiclub.com/a/highlights/the-pandemic-and-international-migration/
#Morality_and_Law #migration #migrants #pandemic
@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
Valdai Club
The Pandemic and International Migration: Exploiting the Healthcare Crisis to Reform Mobility Governance
It is remarkable that liberal and authoritarian states around the globe alike turned to ultra-radical policy measures and largely outlawed fundamental liberties including the right to leave one’s country, city or even home, at least temporarily, not seen…
🎓🌐 One of the major issues in today’s global social dynamics is the brain drain.
It existed earlier, but in the era of globalisation and with the creation of a cross-border labour market, it acquired a special dimension. The problem of the brain drain is of great importance for Russia as well.
There is an obvious paradox that states need the brains of intellectuals, but the intellectuals are more difficult to be kept under control.
And the reaction to it can be manifested in various methods of social engineering, one of which can be called a strategy of lumpenisation, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Oleg Barabanov.
🔗 Brain Drain and Higher Education Abroad
#Morality_and_Law #braindrain #highereducation
📷 © Reuters
@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
It existed earlier, but in the era of globalisation and with the creation of a cross-border labour market, it acquired a special dimension. The problem of the brain drain is of great importance for Russia as well.
There is an obvious paradox that states need the brains of intellectuals, but the intellectuals are more difficult to be kept under control.
And the reaction to it can be manifested in various methods of social engineering, one of which can be called a strategy of lumpenisation, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Oleg Barabanov.
🔗 Brain Drain and Higher Education Abroad
#Morality_and_Law #braindrain #highereducation
📷 © Reuters
@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
💬🌐 Joe Biden's widely announced Summit for Democracy is scheduled for the end of the year. It is not difficult to assume that China and Russia will become the main targets for criticism there.
Therefore, an attempt to carry out counterplay in this field looks quite natural. It also reveals the broader context of the creation and consolidation of a kind of united front of China and Russia in the face of growing pressure from the United States. This united front can be called anti-Western or, if you will, anti-imperialist, although the terms are debatable.
If such a united front is taken as a given of modern world politics, then it is logical that China and Russia should form their own coordinated value and ideological narrative, including the issues of democracy (why not), in spite of the implicit paradox of this approach. In addition, the recent failure of the United States to promote democracy in Afghanistan provides additional evidence for this.
The plus for Russia and China is that they do not ask the presidents of other countries questions about how their elections were held, how they observe freedom of speech and how they treat their domestic political opponents. This means non-interference in internal affairs: a principle that has not yet been erased from the UN Charter and international law.
❓ How do the values of democracy affect the sovereignty of states and what are the limits of sovereignty in the context of a global value policy?
❓ Can non-Western (and actively criticised by the West) countries conduct a discourse on democracy?
👉 Oleg Barabanov, Programme Director of the Valdai Club, writes about this.
🔗 Non-Western Democracy and Its Interpretation
#Morality_and_Law #democracy #West #China #Russia
@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
Therefore, an attempt to carry out counterplay in this field looks quite natural. It also reveals the broader context of the creation and consolidation of a kind of united front of China and Russia in the face of growing pressure from the United States. This united front can be called anti-Western or, if you will, anti-imperialist, although the terms are debatable.
If such a united front is taken as a given of modern world politics, then it is logical that China and Russia should form their own coordinated value and ideological narrative, including the issues of democracy (why not), in spite of the implicit paradox of this approach. In addition, the recent failure of the United States to promote democracy in Afghanistan provides additional evidence for this.
The plus for Russia and China is that they do not ask the presidents of other countries questions about how their elections were held, how they observe freedom of speech and how they treat their domestic political opponents. This means non-interference in internal affairs: a principle that has not yet been erased from the UN Charter and international law.
❓ How do the values of democracy affect the sovereignty of states and what are the limits of sovereignty in the context of a global value policy?
❓ Can non-Western (and actively criticised by the West) countries conduct a discourse on democracy?
👉 Oleg Barabanov, Programme Director of the Valdai Club, writes about this.
🔗 Non-Western Democracy and Its Interpretation
#Morality_and_Law #democracy #West #China #Russia
@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
Valdai Club
Non-Western Democracy and Its Interpretation
The issues of democracy and its interpretation are now among the most acute in international relations. They are closely related to the issue of values and value policy. The key disagreement revolves around whether or not the perception of democracy should…
👑 We live on the ruins of two empires — the Russian Empire and the USSR, writes Valdai Club expert Alexei Miller.
November 2, 2021, marked 300 years since the day when Peter I proclaimed himself emperor, and Russia — an empire. In the same years, the concept of “nation” entered the Russian language and began its varied adventures. In Peter the Great’s time, the word “nation” was used almost as a synonym for empire, as a designation for sovereign polity. In this sense, there was no tension between these concepts.
we can say that in the next 300 years, the concepts of empire and nation had a very complex relationship and were used to discuss several important topics for Russia, which in many ways remain relevant today. First, this concerns the topic of relations between Russia and Europe.
In Europe, Peter’s Russia was viewed as a “barbarian at the gates” or as an “apprentice”. Russian elites easily agreed with the status of a student until they realised that they were going to be kept in this status forever, with the Europeans always being “mentors”. Then they began to listen with interest to arguments about the “decline of Europe”.
🔗 The 300th Anniversary of the Russian Empire
#Morality_and_Law #RussianEmpire #history
@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
November 2, 2021, marked 300 years since the day when Peter I proclaimed himself emperor, and Russia — an empire. In the same years, the concept of “nation” entered the Russian language and began its varied adventures. In Peter the Great’s time, the word “nation” was used almost as a synonym for empire, as a designation for sovereign polity. In this sense, there was no tension between these concepts.
we can say that in the next 300 years, the concepts of empire and nation had a very complex relationship and were used to discuss several important topics for Russia, which in many ways remain relevant today. First, this concerns the topic of relations between Russia and Europe.
In Europe, Peter’s Russia was viewed as a “barbarian at the gates” or as an “apprentice”. Russian elites easily agreed with the status of a student until they realised that they were going to be kept in this status forever, with the Europeans always being “mentors”. Then they began to listen with interest to arguments about the “decline of Europe”.
🔗 The 300th Anniversary of the Russian Empire
#Morality_and_Law #RussianEmpire #history
@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
Valdai Club
The 300th Anniversary of the Russian Empire
We live on the ruins of two empires — the Russian Empire and the USSR, writes Valdai Club expert Alexei Miller. We have inherited, as the pillars of our collective identity, an unyielding desire to preserve our sovereignty and great power status. From the…
❓💬 Is tolerance possible for all?
Since 1995, the International Day for Tolerance has been observed on November 16. On that day, UNESCO issued a declaration establishing the holiday, and over the past years, it has become sufficiently rooted in international practice. At the same time, it would hardly be an exaggeration to admit that the Day for Tolerance has by no means become a significant public holiday. Why? Writes Oleg Barabanov, Valdai Club Programme Director.
🔗 Day for Tolerance: Is Tolerance Possible for All?
#Morality_and_Law #tolerance #society
📷 ©Reuters
@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
Since 1995, the International Day for Tolerance has been observed on November 16. On that day, UNESCO issued a declaration establishing the holiday, and over the past years, it has become sufficiently rooted in international practice. At the same time, it would hardly be an exaggeration to admit that the Day for Tolerance has by no means become a significant public holiday. Why? Writes Oleg Barabanov, Valdai Club Programme Director.
🔗 Day for Tolerance: Is Tolerance Possible for All?
#Morality_and_Law #tolerance #society
📷 ©Reuters
@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
🇪🇺🧩A glance at a map of Europe is enough to allow one to grasp how two enclaves, a cluster of Balkan countries and Switzerland, stand out within European Union’s borders.
Behind these anomalies are two different stories:
👉 Switzerland is deeply integrated into the European Union; not a member state because at the last referendum, membership was rejected through the resolute vote of farmers fearful of losing the privileges afforded them by the Swiss Confederation.
👉 The situation in the Balkan countries is different. There are historic legacies, as well as religious and political problems. Some Balkan states see NATO membership as an essential condition guaranteeing their defence.
The enlargement of the European Union to all the Balkan countries offers an opportunity. Without a great plan, enlargement could prove to be a failure and fuel tensions, including military ones, writes Dario Velo, Full Professor of Pavia University.
🔗 The Enlargement of the European Union to the Balkan Countrie: An Opportunity for a Great Plan Between Russia and Europe
#Morality_and_Law #Europe #Balkans #EU
@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
Behind these anomalies are two different stories:
👉 Switzerland is deeply integrated into the European Union; not a member state because at the last referendum, membership was rejected through the resolute vote of farmers fearful of losing the privileges afforded them by the Swiss Confederation.
👉 The situation in the Balkan countries is different. There are historic legacies, as well as religious and political problems. Some Balkan states see NATO membership as an essential condition guaranteeing their defence.
The enlargement of the European Union to all the Balkan countries offers an opportunity. Without a great plan, enlargement could prove to be a failure and fuel tensions, including military ones, writes Dario Velo, Full Professor of Pavia University.
🔗 The Enlargement of the European Union to the Balkan Countrie: An Opportunity for a Great Plan Between Russia and Europe
#Morality_and_Law #Europe #Balkans #EU
@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
Valdai Club
The Enlargement of the European Union to the Balkan Countrie: An Opportunity for a Great Plan Between Russia and Europe
The enlargement of the European Union to all the Balkan countries offers an opportunity. Without a great plan, enlargement could prove to be a failure and fuel tensions, including military ones, writes Dario Velo, Full Professor of Pavia University.
💸⛔️ Bureaucratic formalism in the fight against corruption has a number of negative effects.
One of them is presumption of indiscriminate guilt against all civil servants. Despite the fact that most of them are doing their duty with complete honesty, all of them are essentially under suspicion.
The control mechanisms established by anti-corruption laws in many countries in relation to civil servants, especially at the lower rungs of the career ladder, can sometimes be frankly redundant, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Oleg Barabanov.
🔗 International Anti-Corruption Day: Reality or Imitation
#Morality_and_Law #corruption
📷 ©Reuters
@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
One of them is presumption of indiscriminate guilt against all civil servants. Despite the fact that most of them are doing their duty with complete honesty, all of them are essentially under suspicion.
The control mechanisms established by anti-corruption laws in many countries in relation to civil servants, especially at the lower rungs of the career ladder, can sometimes be frankly redundant, writes Valdai Club Programme Director Oleg Barabanov.
🔗 International Anti-Corruption Day: Reality or Imitation
#Morality_and_Law #corruption
📷 ©Reuters
@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
⚖️🌐 In 2021, the coronavirus pandemic continued to be one of the most important events.
Naturally, its influence on world politics and society remained the main focus of the Valdai Discussion Club experts.
In addition to the pandemic, the climate agenda has become the most important event of 2021. The COP-26 Summit in Glasgow in October-November was at the centre of global interest, sparking a heated debate in the world regarding the strategy and pace of green transformation.
A separate large topic of the Club’s work was the impact of the pandemic on international migration, on the value and ethical perception of global migrants, and on the dynamics of migrant phobia in host societies.
The politics of historical memory in recent years has become one of the key topics in the expert work of the Club. Its analysis was continued this year as well.
👉 All these topics (the pandemic, climate and history) directly affect the evolution of values and moral norms in today’s global society, writes Oleg Barabanov, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club.
🔗 Pandemic and Climate, History and Values: Results of the Valdai Club Expert Programme
#Morality_and_Law #Valdai_WrapUp2021 #pandemic #climatechange #migration
@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
Naturally, its influence on world politics and society remained the main focus of the Valdai Discussion Club experts.
In addition to the pandemic, the climate agenda has become the most important event of 2021. The COP-26 Summit in Glasgow in October-November was at the centre of global interest, sparking a heated debate in the world regarding the strategy and pace of green transformation.
A separate large topic of the Club’s work was the impact of the pandemic on international migration, on the value and ethical perception of global migrants, and on the dynamics of migrant phobia in host societies.
The politics of historical memory in recent years has become one of the key topics in the expert work of the Club. Its analysis was continued this year as well.
👉 All these topics (the pandemic, climate and history) directly affect the evolution of values and moral norms in today’s global society, writes Oleg Barabanov, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club.
🔗 Pandemic and Climate, History and Values: Results of the Valdai Club Expert Programme
#Morality_and_Law #Valdai_WrapUp2021 #pandemic #climatechange #migration
@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
Valdai Club
Pandemic and Climate, History and Values: Results of the Valdai Club Expert Programme
In 2021, the coronavirus pandemic continued to be one of the most important events. Naturally, its influence on world politics and society remained the main focus of the Valdai Discussion Club experts.
🇩🇪🌐 The German “traffic light” coalition government assumed its duties last month, entering a highly volatile international security and arms control landscape.
Though the coalition agreement is only a first starting point for Germany’s future foreign policy, the contours of Berlin’s approach to nuclear arms control appear fairly clear: While the new government will support legacy initiatives to bolster nuclear disarmament, and plans to observe the upcoming Meeting of States Parties (MSP) of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), U.S.-Russian bilateral talks continue to be viewed as the principal vehicle for reducing non-strategic nuclear weapons (NSNW) in Europe.
Scaremongers predicting abrupt departures in Berlin’s approach to nuclear arms control and deterrence got it wrong. The government’s coalition agreement emphasizes continuity over change, writes Valdai Club expert Hanna Notte.
#Morality_and_Law #Germany
🔗 Berlin Continues to Look to Moscow and Washington for Major Strides in Nuclear Arms Control
@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
Though the coalition agreement is only a first starting point for Germany’s future foreign policy, the contours of Berlin’s approach to nuclear arms control appear fairly clear: While the new government will support legacy initiatives to bolster nuclear disarmament, and plans to observe the upcoming Meeting of States Parties (MSP) of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), U.S.-Russian bilateral talks continue to be viewed as the principal vehicle for reducing non-strategic nuclear weapons (NSNW) in Europe.
Scaremongers predicting abrupt departures in Berlin’s approach to nuclear arms control and deterrence got it wrong. The government’s coalition agreement emphasizes continuity over change, writes Valdai Club expert Hanna Notte.
#Morality_and_Law #Germany
🔗 Berlin Continues to Look to Moscow and Washington for Major Strides in Nuclear Arms Control
@valdai_club — The Valdai Discussion Club
Valdai Club
Berlin Continues to Look to Moscow and Washington for Major Strides in Nuclear Arms Control
Scaremongers predicting abrupt departures in Berlin’s approach to nuclear arms control and deterrence got it wrong. The government’s coalition agreement emphasizes continuity over change, writes Valdai Club expert Hanna Notte.