"The problem doesn't come from outside": the best moments from the first day of Focus: the ARA Solutions Forum

Against fatalism, dialogue and thought. This is the guiding principle of the Focus: The Solutions Forum of the ARA newspaper. It arose in response to a time of political fatigue, social disorientation, and a sense of stagnation. The aim of the conference is to stimulate debate and reflection in order to find concrete answers or solutions to major current challenges. Below, we present some of the highlights from the first session, held this past Friday afternoon at a sold-out Centre for Contemporary Culture in Barcelona. If you were unable to attend, you can watch the recording of the debate. hereFurthermore, you still have time to attend the Saturday's sessionwith new sessions dedicated to key issues such as the climate crisis, housing, and new ways of relating to one another.

The opening conversation with the former editor of 'Le Monde'

Esther Vera, director of the ARA, began the Focus program with an interview with Sylvie Kauffmann, former director of Le MondeThe French journalist painted a picture of a fragile international landscape, with multilateralism in retreat and liberal democracy increasingly questioned, especially in Europe. Kauffmann challenged the ARA community: "Do we want what's happening in the United States to happen here? No, honestly, no!" she answered herself. But what can be done in the face of this situation? What civic response can we offer? Kauffmann encouraged the audience to be "firm in our values." "We must mobilize at all levels, starting with schools and children," she insisted, to strengthen a more cohesive and effective Europe. Faced with growing disinterest in politics, she called for greater collective courage: "We must close ranks, help politicians defend democratic values, and convince everyone that what is at stake is essential." Watch it here The full interview with Sylvie Kauffmann.

"I'm afraid of this possibility."

One of the most compelling moments of the day came with the dialogue between Carme Colomina, journalist and columnist for ARA, and the American historian Mark Bray, author of the book AntifaBray, exiled from the United States due to threats from the Trumpist far right, has warned of an increasingly visible authoritarian drift, with repressive practices that particularly affect migrant communities. However, he emphasized the capacity for social resistance: "If change has already happened once, it can happen again." Donald Trump was the name most frequently mentioned in the conversation between the CIDOB researcher and the American historian. Bray noted that now "Trump's power is weak" and that it will only last if he manages to "strengthen his position." In this regard, he warned that history shows that "leaders with dictatorial aspirations" often resort to extreme strategies to consolidate their power, such as "creating an internal crisis or starting a war." If he doesn't, "he will lose." "I fear that possibility," he admitted.

"The problem doesn't come only from outside"

This is how the philosopher expressed herself Blanca Garcés at the round table discussion "Let's Focus on Europe and the World Order." Along with Cristina Gallach, Xavier Vives And Toni Roldán, agreed on the need to strengthen European cooperation in a context dominated by the logic of force. "The problem isn't just Putin and Trump. We're facing more structural changes, not temporary ones. They're related to the crisis of democratic capitalism," Garcés emphasized. We highly recommend that you revisit this entire conversation moderated by Carme Colomina, which offered analysis and, above all, solutions.

The need to focus

Josep Ramoneda He was in charge of closing the first day of Enfoquem. The journalist and philosopher used his time to get down to business regarding the purpose of the forum. "We must concentrate on a focal point. And, by extension, we must properly focus on the issue. It's the first step to being able to address it," he stated. Ramoneda championed Enfoquem as a tool to "open cracks in the growing pessimism" and place the debate in the always uncomfortable but necessary "what now?"