Francis Fukuyama‘s widely misinterpreted 1992 book, “The End of History and the Last Man,” was assumed to be a statement of fact rather than the description of a process, Joe Klein writes for The New York Times. Marxist collectivism wasn’t the “end” of history. Liberal democracy was. But now ….

There are serious threats from right-wing populism and left-wing identity politics. Illiberal democracy — autocracy — is on the rise, Klein writes in a review of Francis Fukuyama’s Liberalism and Its Discontents and The Great Experiment: Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endure by Yascha Mounk:

The advocates of enlightened liberalism may not be noisy. But, as the people of Ukraine are proving, they can be stubborn..…We can only hope that Fukuyama was right the first time: that humanity is stumbling — against its worst instincts — toward a modest state of grace, a society that seeks the balance between economic freedom and inequality, that secures individual rights while promoting justice for all. It will not be easy; an active, engaged citizenry will be necessary. But any other fate is unimaginable.

A GLOBAL TURNING POINT FOR DEMOCRACY? A CELEBRATION OF LARRY DIAMOND

AGENDA

4:00 – 4:10 pm: Welcome and Introduction

     Damon Wilson, President & CEO, National Endowment for Democracy

4:10 – 4:45 pm: “Larry Diamond and the Study of Democracy”

     Will Dobson, co-editor, Journal of Democracy
     Larry Diamond, former co-editor Journal of Democracy. Senior Fellow at Stanford University
     Tarek Masoud, co-editor Journal of Democracy, Professor of Democracy & Governance, Harvard University

4:45 – 5:40 pm: “A Global Turning Point for Democracy”

     E. Gyimah Boadi, Chairman and Cofounder, Afrobarometer
     Francis Fukuyama, Senior Fellow, Stanford University
     Carl Gershman, Former President, National Endowment for Democracy
     Alina Mungiu-Pippidi, Professor of Governance Studies, Hertie School of Governance
     Christopher Walker, Vice President for Studies & Analysis, National Endowment for Democracy

5:40 – 6:00 pm: Democracy Service Medal Presentation honoring Larry Diamond

     Damon Wilson, President & CEO, National Endowment for Democracy
     Marc F. Plattner, Member of the Board of Directors, National Endowment for Democracy
     Kenneth Wollack, Chairman of the Board of Directors, National Endowment for Democracy

This webinar will be held virtually via NED’s YouTube channel. All participants must register in advance to attend and will receive login instructions by email prior to the event. This webinar discussion will be held virtually via NED’s YouTube channel. All participants must register in advance to attend and will receive login instructions by email prior to the event.