How academia can prepare future political leaders to navigate a divided world and how forging unconventional coalitions can drive more effective governance are some of the topics Ngaire Woods, dean of the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford, will address during her visit to Chile.
The expert is in the country as the keynote speaker at the “Global Paths: Seeking Common Ground” conference organized by Luksic Scholars, an initiative of the Luksic Foundation, scheduled for January 9th. (REGISTER HERE)
In an interview with El Mercurio, the dean and global economic governance scholar discussed various challenges facing democracies worldwide today. In particular, she addressed the difficulty of growing polarization in society, the questioning of government institutions, and the use of referendums and plebiscites as an “alternative” to representative democracy.
Regarding the latter point, she pointed out that “when politicians are elected to take on responsibilities but instead turn around and say they want to hear our voices individually, what they are saying is that they are looking for shortcuts to representative democracy. This is true in Chile, regarding the Constitution, in Australia regarding Aboriginal issues, or in the case of Brexit.” The problem, according to the expert, is that plebiscites “exacerbate polarization. They further divide society.”
In this regard, specifically about the three constitutional plebiscites held in Chile, the dean stated that “constitutions are not magic solutions. Many governments are trying to change electoral systems through constitutions. There is an idea that this can improve problems. It is true that constitutions can often solve things, but at the same time, if they don’t go well, they can crystallize the status quo.”
International Conference: “Global Paths: Seeking Common Ground”
The dean is the main invited speaker at the “Global Paths: Seeking Common Ground” event, scheduled for January 9th at 18:30. During the event, the academic will deliver a keynote address to delve into improving organizational governance, the challenges of globalization, development, and the role of international institutions in global economic governance.
Following the keynote, there will be a panel discussion with experts with extensive experience in the public and private sectors, including former Undersecretary of Public Health in Chile, Paula Daza; economist and former president of the board of CODELCO, Oscar Landerretche; professor at the Faculty of Government of the University of Chile and former Undersecretary of Higher Education, Verónica Figueroa; and Chilean lawyer and academic, Sebastián Soto.
The event will be livestreamed on the website www.caminosglobales.cl. For more information, please contact [email protected].
