«The people of Ukraine want peace more than anyone else». Oleksandra Matviichuk at the Future Forum by Salzburg Global Seminar

On August 23, the Future Forum organized by the Salzburg Global Seminar took place in Salzburg. The head of the Center for Civil Liberties, Oleksandra Matviichuk, along with two other Nobel Prize laureates, attended the event to discuss the state as well as the future of today’s democracies.

“Democracies have many problems, such as social inequality, populism, or corruption. Therefore, I understand why people are currently angry. However, we are facing two tasks: we must improve our imperfect democracy and we must protect it. Our world is turbulent. Eighty percent of humanity live in societies that are either not free or only partly free. Meanwhile, the alternative to our, even if not flawless, democracy is authoritarian hell,” noted Oleksandra.

The meeting was held at Leopoldskron Castle, where Oleksandra Matviichuk was joined by Nobel Prize laureate in Economics Erik Maskin and Nobel Prize laureate in Physics Brian Schmidt, while the president of the seminar, Martin Weiss, welcomed the participants. This year’s forum theme was “Mapping the Future, Today,” which sparked reflections on the future of transatlantic relations, global competition, environmental issues, technological challenges, as well as the future of humanity as a whole.

“The people of Ukraine want peace more than anyone else. But there will be no peace if a country whose territories have been seized stops its resistance. That will not be peace, but Russian occupation. This will not reduce the people’s suffering but will signify the continuation of further forced disappearances, torture, rapes, suppression of nation, forced adoption of children, and mass burials. That is why it is crucial not to confuse the terms ‘peace’ and ‘occupation.’ Russia, or more specifically, Putin, does not want peace. He wants to achieve his war goals: to destroy the entire country and then move forward to the West. He dreams of leaving a ‘historic legacy’ and does not care how many Russians will die for it,” added Oleksandra Matviichuk.

The Salzburg Global Seminar is an independent non-profit organization founded in 1947, dedicated to providing both current and future leaders with the opportunity to discuss and shape a better world. In addition to its forums, the organization also offers three-month internship programs that help interns and trainees develop their professional skills.