NYU, democracy and dissent across the globe

FLORENCE, ITALY – From Madrid to Cairo, Tel Aviv, Rome and New York, protests have erupted across the globe against economic instability, political unaccountability and corruption, and characterized by a prevailing sense of disillusionment. What are the defining characteristics of these movements? Where are the ideas coming from and how are they being expressed? How influential is social media in their structure and philosophy? In what direction are they going?

A distinguished group of experts including – Alessandro Pizzorno, Donatella Della Porta, Nadia Urbinati, Daniela Coli, Alexander Trechsel, Augusto Valeriani, Claudia Vago, Camilo Cristancho, William Klein, Claudius Wagemann and Cristian Vaccari – will address these questions and will reflect on the potential outcomes for the demands for reform, ultimately questioning the role that dissent plays in contemporary democracies.

The programme: 10:15am Opening with Ellyn Toscano, Executive Director New York University Florence; 10:30am – 12:30pm Capitalism and the Crisis of Democracy with Alessandro Pizzorno, European University Institute, Nadia Urbinati, Columbia University, Moderated by William Klein, New York University Florence.

2:00-3:30 New Forms of Democracy: Old Wine in New Bottles? with Donatella Della Porta, European University Institute, Rocco Polin, Istituto Italiano di Scienze Umane, Daniel Ritter, European University Institute, Alexander H. Trechsel, European University Institute, Moderated by Claudius Wagemann, New York University Florence

3:45-5:15 Mass Media, Social Media and Dissenting Movements, Camilo Mantilla Cristancho, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Claudia Vago, Social Media Manager and Editor, Augusto Valeriani, University of Bologna, Moderated by Cristian Vaccari, New York University Florence.