Ethosphere has prepared the report Five ethical debates for the future of Spainwhich will be presented with the strategic support of PROA at an event on 2 June at 19:00 at the Círculo de Bellas Artes.
The report, which is based on an exercise of reflection and ethical deliberation, gathers the opinions of a group of more than 30 experts from the senior state administration, business and civil society on a series of critical issues for the future of liberal democracy as a system of government and the values of classical humanism that underpin it.
The erosion of institutions, increasing economic inequality, the absence of rational dialogue and the growing distrust of the ruling classes have challenged liberal democracy. Business is also undergoing a paradigm shift in the understanding of its purpose, which is no longer limited exclusively to profit maximisation, but to the defence of certain human rights and the pursuit of social justice. The suspension of business activity by multinationals in response to the unjustified Russian invasion of Ukraine is a clear example of this.
In this redefinition of business and the state, in which society demands a higher ethical commitment and greater transparency from organisations, Ethosfera invites us to reflect on the role of the public-private sphere in the face of the challenges facing Spanish society.
The event will be opened by Valerio Roccodirector of the Círculo de Bellas Artes, and will include the participation of Andrés Sendagorta MacDonellThe newly appointed president of the Instituto de la Empresa Familiar, who will give a lecture on the ethical commitment of companies in democracy. Elena Herrero-Beaumontdirector of Ethosfera, and Diego S. GarrochoThe report will be presented by the Chair of the Ethosphere Board.
In addition, there will be a round table discussion moderated by the journalist Marta Peirano on the ethical leadership of Spanish leaders, in which the following will take part Adela CortinaProfessor Emeritus of Ethics and Political Philosophy at the University of Valencia; Alberto S. NavalpotroCEO of Inbonis and Acumen Fellow; José Luis BlancoDirector General of the Instituto de la Empresa Familiar, and Juan María SáinzInforma, CEO of Informa.
The event will be closed by Diana MorantMinister for Science and Innovation, and where Paz GuzmanThe European Commission's economic adviser in Spain will moderate a dialogue with the minister on the risks that innovation poses to liberal democracy and how to continue to safeguard the European Union's ethical values in the face of the threat of populism and autocracies.
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Ethosfera is a think tank for research, training and reflection, linked to the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and the Círculo de Bellas Artes, which seeks to catalyse private virtue at the service of the public interest and to combat the risks that threaten democracy in the digital age. It also seeks a solid institutional and democratic development through an exemplary civil society with a transformative vocation, strong moral commitment and capacity to influence.