Discussion “Dis-empowered Citizen and the Crisis of Global Leadership“ with Marty A. Linsky

Discussion “Dis-empowered Citizen and the Crisis of Global Leadership“ with Marty A. Linsky

Participants

Martin Linsky
Moderator: prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas

Institute invites to the discussion about the state of Western democracy and political leadership “Dis-empowered Citizen and the Crisis of Global Leadership“ with Harvard Kennedy School lecturer Marty A. Linsky. Event will take place on September 20th, 11:30, room 402.

About the discussion

Individuals are empowered by changes in technology that make it easier for them to gather information, communicate and organize. At the same time, individuals, civil society groups, social movements and local communities feel increasingly excluded from meaningful participation in traditional decision-making processes and disempowered in terms of their ability to influence and be heard by institutions and sources of power. At the same time we see the clear trend of growing populism all over the world.

Why do we see a rise in the popularity of populists in many democracies these days? Is it because traditional elites proved unable to exercise leadership in undertaking needed but unpopular reforms for too long and the reality has hit back? Or is this a sign of failing democratic institutions? If politicians did not try to tell the voters what they want to hear, how can they be elected and get to power positions to exercise leadership in order to adapt to the changing world for the benefit of their society? These and other question will be discussed together with adjunct lecturer Marty A. Linsky and the director of IIRPS VU, prof. Ramūnas Vilpišauskas, who will moderate the discussion.

Marty Linsky, Adjunct Lecturer at Harvard University, has been teaching at Harvard Kennedy School for more than 30 years. He is an author of 10 books on leadership and is one of co-authors of adaptive leadership concept. It is his second visit to Lithuania and to the Institute of International Relations and Political Science, organized in cooperation with Ambassador Rytis Paulauskas and organizers of the TIPPING POINT 2016 conference.