democracia participativa y derechos humanos / participatory democracy & human rights

An independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization gathering as a forum and a network for military and government leaders, businessmen, academia, and the media to work together to meet emerging security threats and discuss pressing global issues

Jan. 14 (DP.net).─ The Halifax International Security Forum was created in 2009 with the strong enthusiastic support of the Canadian Government to an initiative of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. The first Forum took place in Halifax, Nova Scotia, taking the place of this first meeting as its name.

Thbe second conference in November 2010 confirmed Halifax Inteernational Security Form 's prominent place as the natural meeting place for informed leaders from the government, military, business, academia and the media.

In addtion, it associated with the magazine Foreign Affairs as its Media Partner.

The 2011 meeting took place again last November with 300 participants, including cabinet ministers, senior government officials, generals, supreme court justices, legislators, business leaders, journalists, writers, academics, community leaders and NGOs officials, from 44 countries all over the World. Notably, Ehud Barak, Minister of Defense and Deputy Prime Minister of Israel, was among the speakers, and he was among the spectators listening to the speech of Said Abd Al-Rahman Ahmad Abu-Ali, Minister of the Interior, of the Palestinian National Authority . Condoleeza Rice and John McCain were also present.

The main issues discussed were the Arab Spring, the global financial crisis, and the evolution of international security. Participants met during off-the-record morning and evening sessions to address subjects including climate change, the rise of China, cyber conflict and the future of nuclear power.

The agenda included the following concrete topics:

• What's changed since 9/11?: Our enemies? Ourselves? The World?
• The Chinese Century: Do We Prepare? Or Can We Prevent?
• Beyond Borders: Transnational Trafficking and Crime
• What is the responsibility to protect: When? Where? Whom?
• Spring forward, fall back: revolutions and their remains
• It's the Economy, Dumb Eggs
• The United States in 2012: Super Power, Super Enabler or Stay at Home Parent?
• Can we afford it? Smart secutiry in the age of less
• China: As Told By Its Neighbors
• Federal Europe or Failed Europe
• Friendship First: North America in the World
• Fukushima Follow-up: The Future of Nuclear Power
• Insights From Israel
• Iraq: Mission Accomplished (?)
• Northern Exposure: What's at Stake in the Arctic
• Perfume Not Poppies: Investing in Post-Conflict Societies
• Protecting Information: Too much (Cyber)Security or Too Much (Cyber)Space
• Putin Part 2: The Empire Strikes Back
• Texting for Change: Rise of Non-Governmental Actors
• Today's Technologies, Tomorrow's Battles, and the Laws that (Try To) Govern Them
• Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Etc.
• Pakistan: Serial Proliferator or Serious Partner?
• Fixing the Fixable: Middle East Peace
• Hemispherics: The Americas in the World
• My kind of NATO?
• Sharing global responsibility

"The discussions held here in Halifax produced insights and ideas that will inform the thinking and decisions of key leaders around the world," said the Honorable Peter MacKay, Canada's Minister of National Defence. "Now comes the work of putting those ideas into action. We will move forward with a new spirit of cooperation, and a renewed commitment to creating a more secure world for all."

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