PAST EDITIONS

With more than 300 speakers, more than 9000 attendees from more than 70 countries, the Estoril Conferences were always driven by the willingness to being an educational project and a pedagogical tool to create impact in the society.

Believing in the extraordinary role of people to change the course of history, the Estoril Conferences were an instrument of action to allow people to change the world.

The previous editions of the Estoril Conferences were turning around one main overall theme being “Global Challenges, Local Answers”.

For each edition, from 2009 to 2019, the main theme was taking shape through precise topics and elements of discussion such as: globalisation, migration, human security, human rights, the economic and financial crisis, democracy, global justice, and many more!

Since 2009, Estoril Conferences has been the international stage for the past six successful editions. Several Nobel prize winners, Heads of State and high-level leaders have traveled to Portugal, for an open and impactful dialogue on global challenges.

2019

Empowering Humanity: From Local to Global Justice

The XX century was filled with tragic events, but it also gave humanity the opportunity to rebuild its dignity from the ashes. In a world where information circulates at the speed of light, local problems have become global. And with a continuous flow of ideas connecting people all over the world, it is now inconceivable for a nation to project its future in isolation. More than focusing on the relationship between States, a global approach to justice must largely focus on individuals – not only their inalienable rights but also their binding duties towards one another. Our purpose will be to unveil what lies at the core of human interactions of any kind, including state-level obligations, within countries and beyond borders.

To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Estoril Conferences, the 2019 edition yearns to synthesize and bridge the dominant challenges posed by globalization in the last decade, revisiting the way we have approached them through the years. Thus, the Estoril Conferences promoted the dialogue between theory and praxis, ethics and politics, past and future, seniors and youngsters.

Aminata Touré

Prime Minister of Senegal 2013-2014

BERNARD KOUCHNER

Co-Founder of Médecins Sans Frontières and Médecins du Monde & 1999 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

Catarina de Albuquerque

Lawyer and Human rights activist

Denis Mukwege

2018 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

Edmund Phelps

2006 Nobel Prize Laureate in Economics

Garrett McNamara

Professional Surfer & Environmental Activist

Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović

President of the Republic of Croatia & Member of the International Advisory Board for the Estoril Conferences 2019

Sergio Moro

Former Minister of Justice and Public Security of Brazil

2017

Global Migration – Leaving home in a globalized world

The fifth edition of the Estoril Conferences happened between May 29 and May 31, 2017, and was exclusively dedicated to the theme of Global Migration.

People migrate. From our predecessor Homo Erectus, who moved out of Africa across Europe more than a million years ago, followed by the known expansions of Homo Sapiens, to the more recent example of States that have virtually been built upon immigration, humans have always been on the move. Yet, migration is often perceived as a threat or unique burden with which polities are faced.

Two major topics were addressed: firstly, the question of migration as a challenge per se. The goal was to reflect upon migration outside a crisis conjuncture – what challenges does regular migration bring to the world and to the States?

Secondly, we addressed challenges that are brought by a scenario of migration crises, as the refugees’ crisis of 2015 – and that place higher demands not only on transit and host countries but also on the global level.

Arie Kacowicz

Professor Hebrew University of Jerusalem

EDWARD SNOWDEN

Intelligence contractor; Systems Administrator; activist

FAREEDA KHALAF

Author, student

Jody WIlliams

1997 Nobel Peace Prize and political activist

MADELEINE ALBRIGHT

Chair of Albright Stonebridge Group and Albright Capital, 64th Secretary of State of the United States

MARCELO REBELO DE SOUSA

President of the Portuguese Republic

Sofana Dalhan

Lawyer and social entrepreneur

Yannis Behrakis

Photojournalist and a Senior editor with Reuters

2015

Global challenges, local answers

The fourth edition of the Estoril Conferences took place between May 20^th and May 22^nd 2015 and was focusing on the overall theme of “Global Challenges, Local Answers”, giving importance this year to 3 main topics:

Special Forum on Education: The Millennials, the Future of Work and Education
Economy, Business and Society
Democracy, Security and Global Dialogue

CARLOS LOPES

Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa

FRANCIS FUKUYAMA

Political scientist, political economist, and writer

GEORGIOS ANDREAS PAPANDREOU

Former prime minister of Greece

Jack Healey

Founder of the Human Rights Action Center, former director of Amnesty International

JOHN STEWART

Head of Green School in Bali, Indonesia

Rickard Falkvinge

Founder of the Pirate Party in Sweden and campaigns for sensible information policy

TASHMIA ISMAIL

Fellow at UNU Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology

VANDANA SHIVA

Foundations of Quantum Theory on the topic “Hidden Variables and Non Locality in Quantum Theory”

2013

Global challenges, local answers

The third edition of the Estoril Conferences took place between April 30^th and May 3^rd 2013, with several presentations and panels by global leaders and thinkers. Other events included a round Table with Overseas Ambassadors and the Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs on “Portugal and Globalisation”, the Estoril Youth Summit, Glotalks (inspirational presentations by invited guests), bilateral meetings throughout the whole program, a Gala Award Ceremony and Dinner.

Bunker Roy

Founder and director of Barefoot college

Estela Barbot

Former Counselor at the International Monetary Fund

Frederik Willem de Klerk

Former President of South Africa, Nobel Peace Prize in 1993

George Yip

Co-Director of China-Europe International Business School

John Burton

Former prime minister of Ireland

Pedro Passos Coelho

Former prime minister of Portugal

Shirin Ebadi

Human rights activist and founder of Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran

Viktor Orban

Hungarian Prime Minister

2011

Global challenges, local answers

The second edition of the Estoril Conferences on Global Challenges, Local Answers took place between 4 and 6 May at the Estoril Congress Centre. The conference gathered distinguished speakers who discussed current issues of globalisation throughout the course of four thematic panels: the architecture of global governance; the consequences of the economic and financial crisis; the major challenges to human security; and the impact of globalisation on domestic policies.

This edition gave a particular emphasis on the political and social transformations that was taking place in the Maghreb and the Middle East. Special attention was also paid to the euro crisis and its impact on European integration.

Dominique de Villepin

Former Prime-Minister of France

Francis Fukuyama

Senior Fellow at Stanford University’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies

GEORGES LANDAU

President of Prismax Consulting

Howard Dean

Former Governor of Vermont and former President of the Democratic National Committee

Larry King

CNN journalist, television and radio host

Mohamed ElBaradei

Nobel Laureate for Peace and Former Vice-President of Egypt

Pauline van der Meer Mohr

Chair of the Supervisory Board of EY Netherlands LLP, Deputy-Chair of the Supervisory Board of Royal DSM N.V. and independent non-executive director of Viatris, Inc

Petra Laurentien

UNESCO Special Envoy on Literacy for Development

2009

Global challenges, local answers

The first Estoril Conferences meeting, entitled “Global Challenges, Local Answers” was held on 7-9 May 2009 at the Estoril Congress Centre.

The Estoril Conferences were organized using a “problem-solving” approach to globalization and were based on the need of finding both global and local solutions while global challenges were rising, having as target audience Government officials, politicians, CEOs and managers, scholar, students, journalists and opinion makers.

The Estoril Conferences were jointly organized by the Municipality of Cascais, the DNA Cascais and the Institute for Strategic and International Studies.