Forum 2017 - Russia and Ibero-America in a Turbulent World: History and Perspectives

III International Forum

October 2-4, 2017 Saint Petersburg State University announces the III International Forum "Russia and Iberoamerica in a globalizing world: history and modernity". The Forum is the most representative and remarkable event in Russia, dedicated to the discussion of the socio-political and economic processes in Latin America, as well as its history and culture. The Forum in St. Petersburg, marked by the participation of notable scientists, politicians and journalists, traditionally attracts great attention of the mass-media, that confirms the special role of the Saint Petersburg State University as one of the high profile centers of Latin American studies in Russia.

The Forum’s objectives for 2017:

1. To make a contribution to the formation of Russian-Latin American relations in the context of the transit from a bipolar to a multipolar world

2. To formulate new approaches with in Latin American studies

The Forum provides a modern expert discussion platform for defining the guidelines for the development of Latin America in the globalizing world, as well as the Russian-Latin American cooperation prospects. The organizers aim to create opportunities for critical reflection and dialogue within the main areas of social sciences in order to improve an understanding of the social, political, economic and cultural realities of Latin America in the contemporary multipolar world.

The III International Forum "Russia and Iberoamerica in the globalizing world: history and modernity" continues the tradition of conferences and forums dedicated to Latin American studies, organized by Saint Petersburg State University, the Institute of Latin America, the Bering-Bellingshausen Institute for the Americas with the support of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Government of St. Petersburg in 2003, 2013 and 2015, and it will be mainly devoted to the mechanisms of the formation of a multipolar world and the role of BRICS in particular. The other main theme of the Forum will be the issue of contemporary regional political and economic integration(from the Mercosur to the Pacific Alliance, and participation of Ibero-American countries in TPP).

Latin America is one of the most dynamically developing regions of the world. Political and socio-economic developments on the continent have their great influence on global processes and the whole formation of a multipolar world. Latin America is becoming a key vector in the foreign policy of many world actors and emerging centers of power. Latin America itself is becoming a bridge between Europe, Asia and Africa. This complex of the aspects makes essential a critical rethinking of the history of the region, including the revolutionary processes of the XXth century, the Cold War and the modern processes of the formation of a multipolar world.

This year the Forum will coincide with the centennial anniversary of the Great Russian Revolution (October Revolution). This historical event not only determined the vector of development of the Russian society for decades, but also influenced considerably on the countries of Europe and Iberoamerica. The Organizing Committee would like to highlight this remarkable date. During the Forum it is planned to evaluate diverse aspects of such influence (various models of the development of societies aimed at both, the attempted repetition of ideas and experience of the Russian Revolution, as well as the opposition to it in Latin America and Iberoamerica in general). This discussion is closely linked to the issue of broad participation of society in the implementation of the guidelines routes for the positive change in Latin America.

The fact that the Forum is convened in Russia presupposes discussion on the evolution and current Russian-Iberoamerican relations. At the same time the Organizing Committee sees this issue in the broader context, considering it necessary to pay particular attention to the growing influence of extra-hemispheric actors in Latin America and also to non-European ties of Spain and Portugal.

The Forum will include thematic sections on history, culture, economy and politics of Ibero-American countries; round tables; presentations of academic publications; public lectures of leading scientists, politicians and diplomats. We hope that during the Forum not only critical discussion of past, present and future of the Ibero-American world will arise, but also the state and prospects of Ibero-American studies themselves. Thus, the dialogue between academics and experts will promote the enrichment of knowledge about the region and the creation of new approaches to research.

The major activities of the Forum - in addition to the thematic sessions - are:

- The round table and a series of thematic workshops dedicated to the issue of BRICS.

- The round table with participation of diplomats dedicated to Russian-Latin American relations.

- The round table of media involved with the issues of Iberoamerican studies.

- The number of thematic sections devoted to the 100th anniversary of the Revolution of 1917 and its impact on Ibero-American countries.

- The meeting of Russian and Ibero-American parliamentarians to discuss the problems of the modern world and the cooperation of Russia and Latin American countries.

Programme

Now we are preparing the programme of Forum. Programee will be ready in August of 2017.

Magistral conferences:

Dr. Jose Antonio Ocampo, co-director of the Bank of the Republic, Colombia, "Latin America: from boom to crisis" (organized with the support of the Egor Gaidar Foundation)

Jorge Castañeda Gutman, former Minister of International Relations of Mexico, "Mexico in the Globalizing World in the 21st Century"

Dr. Jussi Pakkasvirta, Professor at the University of Helsinki, President of the European Council for Social Research in Latin America, "Latin America, the United States and New Forms of Nationalism"

Dr. Manuel Alcantara Saez, professor of the University of Salamanca, "The cycles in Latin American politics in the last forty years"

Dr. Pablo Gentili, president of CLACSO "Structural Inequality and Kidnapping of Democracy in Latin America".

Ernesto Samper, former secretary general of UNASUR

Dr. Detlef Nolte, German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), Germany

Aldo Panfichi Huaman (Peru), Presidente de LASA.

Andres Serbin, CRIES, Argentina. "Latin America and New Global Order"

Round Tables:

Round table "Eurasia - Latin America"

Round table of journalists (with the participation of Ignacio Ramonet, Dr. Serguei Brilev, Fyodor Lukyanov)

Round table of editors of scientific journals on Latin America (with the participation of Vladimit Travkin, Dr. Hernan Camarero, Dr. Mauricio Archila Neira, Dr. Manuel Loyola, Dr. Pablo Yankelevich, Dr. Katarzyna Dembicz, Dr. Andres Rivarola, Dr. Alexis Dantas, Dr. Maria Teresa Toribio Brittes Lemos, Anatoly Borobkov)

Round table "Farewell to arms: the experience of the negotiations on peace and national reconciliation in Colombia" with the participation of Lucas Carvajal (FARC).

Panel discussion:

Russia, India, China and Brazil: modern growth experience and opportunities for future cooperation

Books presentations:

Nerina Visakovsky, "Nerina Visakovsky, "Argentines, Jews and Comrades, After the Socialist Utopia" (2016)

Ernesto Samper, DRUGS: PROHIBITION OR LEGALIZATION (2013) (2013)

Martha Ardila, "New multilateralism in Latin America? Conceptions and actors in conflict" (2016)

Pablo Stefanoni, Martin Baña "All you need to know about Russian Revolution" (2017).

Oscar Barbosa Lysano/Alexis Toribio Dantas /Katarzyna Dembicz – New Forms of Cooperation in Infrastructures, Environment and Society of Central America and the Caribbean Basin

Maria Teresa Toribio Brittes Lemos –Rio de Janeiro -450 Years of History - A tribute & aggravate; Carioca city.

Economics and politics of Colombia at the beginning of the 21st century: from Uribe to Santos and postconflict. Editores: Bruce M. Bagley, Jonathan D. Rosen (Universidad Icesi)