World Review Democracy 2020: an Opinion Section

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.. THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL EDITION SATURDAY-SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10-11, 2020 | S1 World Review Democracy 2020: An Opinion Section

A farewell to norms and a challenge for the future ILLUSTRATION BY BRIAN STAUFFER A pandemic has altered our lives and exposed our divisions. But democracy, never static, must evolve in order to flourish.

press as the enemy. BY SERGE SCHMEMANN There is no certainty of triumph on “These are the times that try men’s any of these fronts. Each is a battle that souls,” wrote Thomas Paine in the heat requires engagement, sacrifice and a of the American Revolution, and the willingness to change. Heraclitus, the temptation today might be to respond ancient Greek philosopher, is believed Serge Schmemann with a weary: “Tell me about it.” to have declared: “No man ever steps in is a member of the Despots flourish; dissidents are dis- the same river twice, for it’s not the New York Times membered or poisoned; the president editorial board and same river and he’s not the same man.” program director of of the world’s premier democracy is im- This continual change, he argued, was the Athens Democra- mune to shame or truth; infernos set the natural way of the world. What is cy Forum. off by a changing climate lay waste to unnatural is to resist change, to cling to the American West Coast; Hong the illusion that there is some safe, un- Kong’s freedoms are curtailed; and a changing world that we must forever lowly, spiked virus suddenly erupts defend. onto the world, sowing death and eco- That was the thinking behind the nomic destruction and radically alter- theme of this year’s Athens Democracy ing the most fundamental aspects of Forum, “The New Abnormal: Reimag- human behavior. ining Democracy,” and behind the arti- And yet, as Paine and many others cles on these pages. Whether it’s Farida who have commented on periods of Nabourema writing about resistance to hardship and suffering have argued, it the dictatorship in Togo, or Patrisse is trying times like these that most Cullors on the broad ramifications of clearly identify the wrongs in how the the Black Lives Matter movement, or world is run and separate the best from Nathan Law writing about the struggle the worst in our midst. in Hong Kong, these are testaments to The response to the Covid-19 pan- the determination and creativity of demic has clearly shown the difference people prepared to challenge forces between good leadership and lowly op- that appear indomitable and unyield- portunism; good science and quackery. ing. The response to the death of George Democracy is not a static concept Floyd, a Black man, beneath the knee but an ever-changing, ever-evolving of a white police officer has galvanized way of life that requires far more effort a tide of anguished outrage. Marchers and courage than the casting of an oc- in Belarus have demonstrated, once casional ballot or indulgence in the odd again, that there always comes a time rant about feckless politicians. These when people can take no more dictator- have been the watchwords of the annu- ship. al Athens Democracy Forum since its “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily con- inception, and it defined the agenda of quered,” Paine continued; “yet we have this year’s largely virtual eighth forum, this consolation with us, that the hard- which was held Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 and er the conflict, the more glorious the tri- whose highlights can be seen at umph.” It is a comforting thought, but athensdemocracyforum.org. not fully convincing when humankind The troubled waters we are passing is so radically divided on most any is- through may be far different from sue; when even something as elemen- Paine’s, and the people stepping in tal as wearing a mask during a pan- them have already come a long way, demic might provoke a violent con- but the choice is unchanged. “By perse- frontation; when authoritarian leaders verance and fortitude we have the openly champion “illiberal democra- prospect of a glorious issue,” Paine con- cy”; when President Trump routinely cluded; “by cowardice and submission, challenges science and treats a free the sad choice of a variety of evils.” .. S2 | SATURDAY-SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10-11, 2020 THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL EDITION World Review

Without the right to protest, America will fail

Black Americans have fought for our country, sure that all voices are heard. For our democratic experiment to survive, we must per- even when we’ve been denied our rights petually evolve our approach to demanding accountability and transparency from our governments and elected officials. Ameri- BY PATRISSE CULLORS ca’s political leaders, chosen by us, are re- sponsible — first and foremost — for listen- “To sin by silence, when we should protest, / ing and responding to our cries for hope, Makes cowards of men” sounds like a slogan freedom and liberation. On paper, this is from any of the innumerable Black Lives America’s deepest commitment to its peo- Matter marches that have erupted around ple. the world this year. A contemporary reading The Black Lives Matter movement has might be distilled to: #ProtestMatters. The deep roots in the past and a promising fu- quote’s source? The poet Ella Wheeler ture. The outsize international, national and Patrisse Cullors is a Wilcox, whose poem “Protest” was pub- state-level responses to weeks of peaceful co-founder of the lished in 1914. protests following the death of George Floyd Black Lives Matter Protest is the foundational variable of the — with demonstrations in Minneapolis and Global Network. American experiment. Every pivot point in London, Madrid and Seoul, Sydney and Rio the history of our country is rooted in it. de Janeiro — reinforced a truth we have al- From the Boston Tea Party of 1773 to the ways known: Protests matter, and they Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s immortal “I have the power to change both legislation Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Me- and the course of history. morial in 1963, a nation “of the people, by the Each day this summer, as the number of people” is only as robust and defensible as protesters grew around the world, I gained its protections of the right to protest. hope for our future. Hope for our country. Protests led by Black Americans, though Hope for our children, and for our world. Be- often unrecognized, have been particularly cause as our words and our work created a crucial to every great political movement in global groundswell, many of the crystalline this country. From Crispus Attucks (the first calls to action we directed at high-level lead- martyr of the Revolutionary War) to Ida B. ers were answered. Police budgets were Wells and the Black suffragists fighting for slashed. Chokeholds and tear gas were women’s right to vote, Black and brown peo- banned. Racist cops were suspended with- ple have always protested for comprehen- TODD HEISLER/THE NEW YORK TIMES out pay, fired and charged for their crimes. sive systemic change and freedom for all A new generation of protesters is adopting new approaches to highlight the urgency of their causes. Legislation was introduced to prohibit Americans, even when they’ve been denied states from buying military-grade equip- freedom themselves. ment from the federal government. Repara- There is a humorless irony here, and a po- tions to victims’ families were issued. tent reminder for every self-defined “pa- All such protests rely on a core assump- As the Black Lives Matter movement con- triot” who decries the “looting and rioting” tinues to grow, I ask that anyone proud to be Are calls for “nonviolence” seeking tion: that societies believe in — and univer- of this past summer. The ideals of life and sally agree to abide by — shared social con- part of (or hoping to join) our ever-evolving liberty that our nation holds dear — and the solutions or demanding silence? tracts. Thus, “(if) the violations of law by the country continue to educate themselves on landmark moments in our history that have white man in the slums over the years were both the roots of and the reasoning behind helped more fully to realize those ideals — calculated and compared with the lawbreak- calls for “nonviolence.” Are such calls seek- were shaped and won by the protests and emergent resistance movements. When Dr. the next generation of Black freedom fighting of a few days of riots,” Dr. King ulti- ing solutions, or are they demanding silence sacrifices of Black Americans. Protests and King famously reminded America that “a ers adopted new approaches to highlighting mately concluded, “the hardened criminal from protesters? sacrifices not so different from those being riot is the language of the unheard,” he was the urgency of their cause. But by then, Dr. would be the white man.” Dr. King recog- To our neighbors, our allies and our denounced today. acknowledging the depth of tension threat- King’s stance on riots had evolved. He char- nized, in other words, that the real looters elected officials: Take note of what matters Those unfamiliar with “no justice, no ening to further divide our nation — be- acterized their vehemence as a necessary were the people devaluing Black bodies. most to your communities. Remember that, peace,” the oft-used mantra of the protest tween the landmark successes of the nonvi- component within an overarching system of Then as today, the root of our nation’s resist- with each act of protest on behalf of Black movement that arose in 2020, should first olent civil rights movement he had become effective political protest and began calling ance to anything resembling “violence” ac- Americans, we are, as we have always been, look to the lineage and legacy of nonviolent the face of, and the ruinous social and eco- these riots “durable social phenomena.” In companying Black political expression lies protesting for your rights as much as for our protest in the United States. Many forget nomic inequalities that reigned supreme. this acquiescence, he redirected our atten- within a denial of America’s own violent past own. For your families. For your futures. For that, in his later career, Dr. King wrestled Dr. King’s concerns proved prescient. Fol- tion back to the logic underpinning nonvio- — as well as its complicit present. the true freedom that, as a common Ameri- deeply with the possibility of violence within lowing years of largely peaceful protests, lent protest. The primary purpose of protest is to en- can people, we all so richly deserve.

SIPHIWE SIBEKO/REUTERS Volunteers wait to be tested as part of a clinical vaccine trial in Johannesburg. The key to fixing capitalism It starts with finding a vaccine for Covid-19 that’s safe, effective — and free

BY MARIANA MAZZUCATO ing innovation, getting fair prices, preserv- ing supplies, ensuring that patents and com- Crises wake us up to harsh truths. Just as petition work effectively and using col- the wildfires raging across the West Coast in lective intelligence for a positive impact on September jolted our attention to the reali- public health. This is the intent behind the ties of climate change, the economic down- World Health Organization’s call for a patent fall and health disaster caused by Covid-19 pool. are forcing us to reckon with longstanding Most countries, however, are not invested problems in capitalism. in this goal, nor are they investing in global Mariana Mazzucato Even before the pandemic caused mil- health systems to get through the next wave is a professor at lions to lose their jobs, workers were strug- of the virus. While over 300 vaccine projects University College gling with the precariousness of work are underway, the nations leading those London and the caused by the rise of the gig economy and projects are competing instead of cooperat- author of “The Value the deterioration of their bargaining power. ing. The wealthiest countries are focused on of Everything: Mak- Decades of budget cuts have eroded public crossing regulatory finish lines, not devel- ing and Taking in the services. In many large businesses, the oping measures to make a vaccine equitably Global Economy.” practice of rewarding shareholders through available or guiding the broader health-in- stock-buyback schemes — instead of invest- novation system to focus on public health. ing in research and development and in Some countries are also failing to address wages and worker training — has stifled access issues for their own citizens. The long-term economic growth. An era of de- United States has no safeguards in place to regulation has allowed businesses to pursue ensure that Covid-19 treatments and vac- short-term returns, leading to disasters like cines will be affordable for all Americans, the 2008 financial crisis. even though the research and development Things must change. Governments can of those drugs is substantially funded with use the Covid-19 crisis to address flaws in taxpayers’ money. In June, the pharmaceu- our systems and structures. The race for a tical company Gilead Sciences announced vaccine is a good place to start. that it would charge privately insured pa- @ebrd The only way to end the pandemic is to de- tients $3,120 per treatment course for velop a Covid-19 vaccine and make it avail- remdesivir, a Covid-19 drug developed with able for free to every person in the world. To a contribution of at least $70 million from achieve this, the public sector needs to taxpayers. shape the drug-innovation process: steer- VACCINE, PAGE S7 .. THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL EDITION SATURDAY-SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10-11, 2020 | S3 World Review

Give Hong Kong the autonomy it was promised

The opposition has proved it does not lack allows them to exert social pressure, even when it’s all but impossible to stage in-per- the ability to rule — only the opportunity son demonstrations. One expression of this approach is the “yellow economic circle,” a system through which pro-democracy sup- BY NATHAN LAW KWUN CHUNG porters choose to patronize exclusively pro- democracy businesses and to boycott those It has been a devastating summer for most that support the police and are affiliated young people around the world. Because of with China’s Communist Party. the pandemic, concerts have been canceled, The ultimate goal of our sacrifice is clear: beaches closed and human interactions lim- We yearn for a Hong Kong that’s genuinely ited. ruled and run by Hong Kongers, free from It’s a bit different for the youth in Hong Chinese intervention. This “high degree of Kong, who face not only loneliness because autonomy” was precisely the promise Bei- Nathan Law Kwun of a lack of social contact, but also a period of jing made in 1984 with the signing of the Chung is a pro- White Terror that started with the imposi- Sino-British Joint Declaration, which set the democracy activist tion of a far-reaching national security law terms for the 1997 handover. from Hong Kong and by China. Since June 30, when it was intro- Given its vibrant civil society, long history was the city’s young- duced, the legislation has facilitated and ac- of direct elections — even though the legisla- est-ever elected celerated Beijing’s political prosecutions in ture isn’t itself fully democratic — and cos- legislator. response to ongoing pro-democracy pro- mopolitanism, Hong Kong is more than ca- tests in the semiautonomous territory. pable of self-governance. In fact, many The law confers to Beijing and the local iconic figures in the pro-democracy move- authorities reporting to it sweeping powers ment have served as legislators. And their to prosecute individuals who are accused of mandate is indisputable: The opposition committing acts of subversion, secession or camp has almost always won a majority of collusion with foreign forces. The specific votes for directly elected seats. terms used in the text of the legislation, The goal of the movement isn’t to destroy which are vague and left to the interpreta- the city; rather, it’s to preserve our tradi- tion of those in power, leave room for ma- tions and unique way of life in the face of Chi- nipulation and abuse, endangering our free- nese expansionism. dom of expression. Around the world, those in favor of “law The uproar in Hong Kong began in ISAAC LAWRENCE/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE — GETTY IMAGES and order” or maintaining the status quo earnest last summer, sparked by a proposed Agnes Chow, an activist, meets with the media outside the Tai Po police station in Hong Kong on Sept. 2. tend to correlate protests and uprisings with extradition agreement between the city and destruction and chaos. Contrary to what mainland China. More than one year on, the they believe, however, Hong Kong’s move- movement has evolved into an enduring ment more than passes the test for good fight against police brutality and for the gen- Most people now refrain from expressing governance and it has, time and again, dem- uine autonomy that Beijing promised Hong The Chinese government has not attempted their political views — in person and online onstrated unity, mobility, effectiveness and Kong following the territory’s handover — because of the potential repercussions. the ability to make progress. from Britain to China in 1997. to listen, let alone resolve the situation. Beijing continues to disqualify opposition Like many other protest movements, ours Regardless of the cause, the Chinese gov- candidates from running for office and in- is built on the empathy we have for one an- ernment has never attempted to listen, let visible self-censorship bubbles beneath the other. Those who are in power and obsessed alone resolve the situation by responding to colleague Agnes Chow and of Jimmy Lai, demic research, the electoral process and surface. with power can never comprehend that. the protesters’ legitimate demands. Rather, the famous pro-democracy media tycoon, more, is increasingly under threat in Hong This oppressive environment has become The values we uphold — freedom, democ- following its “wolf-like” style of diplomacy have been shocking instances of political re- Kong. The headquarters of the most vocal worse because of government-imposed pan- racy, human rights and the rule of law on the world stage and heavy-handed do- taliation. Earlier this year I fled to London, pro-democracy newspaper in town was demic restrictions, which ban all gather- among them — are universal. They have mestic policies, the Chinese Communist fearing that the new law would be used to raided by 200 police officers in early August. ings, political or otherwise. Yet Hong Kong’s been the cornerstones of Hong Kong’s suc- Party has decided to quash the protests in harm me or my family, and I, too, am now Professors self-censor and remove certain pro-democracy movement is very much cess in the past, enabling its rise to the sta- an extreme manner, taking away rights we allegedly on a wanted list for violating it. topics from their research proposals be- alive. It has just adopted more creative and tus of global city. But as the local govern- have long enjoyed. Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s Beijing-backed cause the content may be interpreted as subtle ways to circumvent Beijing’s shifting ment’s credibility and legitimacy plummet On an almost daily basis we read in the leader, has called opponents of the national breaching the new law. Protesters have standards in defining breaches of the na- to a low point, nothing short of fundamental news about protesters having their homes security law “enemies of the people.” been arrested for carrying flags or signs tional security law. and structural reform can save it. The oppo- raided or facing arrests on absurd charges. A broad range of freedoms, relating to as- that showed allegedly unacceptable slo- The protesters’ motto, “Be Water,” re- sition doesn’t lack the ability to rule, only an The recent arrests of my friend and former sembly, association, speech, the press, aca- gans. flects a tenacious and flexible strategy that opportunity.

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Paid for by Facebook - about.fb.com .. S4 | SATURDAY-SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10-11, 2020 THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL EDITION World Review

EXCERPTS FROM THE FORUM ‘Our democracies need to change’

Following are excerpts from a selection of democracy to what’s becoming a plutoc- panel discussions at the annual Athens racy, where the amount of money you have Democracy Forum on global policy, held in determines the outcomes that you get in association with The New York Times the society. And that’s why not it’s no earlier this month. The panel descriptions longer a government of the people, by the are from the forum’s program. All the ma- people, for the people — it’s a government terial has been edited and condensed. of the 1 percent, by the 1 percent, for the 1 percent. DEMOCRACY IN A TIME OF CRISIS THE STRONG AND THE WEAK The coronavirus pandemic and protests against racial inequality have tested leader- Thirty years after the Berlin Wall fell, a ship models around the world, and have new breed of strongmen has put up new brought unexpected changes. But it is not walls built on nationalism, intolerance and the first time, nor will it be the last, that fear. What is the antidote? democracy has collided with a crisis. This PANELISTS Andreas Bummel, executive discussion examined historical precedents director, Democracy Without Borders; as well as how various political models have Elhadj As Sy, chair of the Kofi Annan gained or lost legitimacy in the face of Foundation and former secretary general cataclysmic challenges. of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; Alison PANELISTS Dubravka Suica, vice president, European Commission, Democracy and Smale, journalist and former United Na- Demography; Kevin Casas-Zamora, secre- tions under secretary general for global tary general of International IDEA (Inter- communications and former executive national Institute for Democracy and editor of The International Herald Tribune. Electoral Assistance); Hind Ziane, founder ALISON SMALE On that joyous night in 1989, and chief executive, Génération Politique, when the Berlin Wall fell, I was there and a political strategy and public relations came through Checkpoint Charlie with the agency; and Kishore Mahbubani, distin- first East Germans to cross. I will never guished fellow, Asia Research Institute, view the joy of that evening as a mistake, National University of Singapore. but it definitely serves as a reminder that we all must always work hard if we want DUBRAVKA SUICA At the beginning of the year, none of us could have imagined the PHOTOGRAPHS BY STUDIO PANOULIS to produce good results. And there’s a multiple effects of Covid-19. So this crisis The Athens Democracy Forum included Andreas Bummel, executive director of Democracy Without Borders, who was on the panel about great deal of talk about togetherness now, has shown us what we should value most nationalism, and Clover Hogan, founder and executive director of Force of Nature, who took part in the panel on climate change. a great deal of talk about the need to work in our union, namely, the need for unity to preserve democracy. And it sounds and solidarity in difficult times. Also, we slightly sort of schoolmarmish to do this, will make every effort not to raise this but it definitely is something that takes a transformation. But they were guided by lot of work. And we can only really work crisis but rather to learn lessons. You know the gold standard of democracy, which is that the European Union blazes a trail A call to improve the ways governments against those who say they are strong but the United States of America. And the are, in fact, perhaps weak. And we can when it comes to the protection and deep- respond to the needs of their citizens. reason I highlight this is that in East Asia, ening of democratic values, and this goes reinforce those who appear weak so that what I see as the biggest threat to democ- they stay strong. . . . If there is a strong, hand in hand with human rights and the racy in East Asia, is how the gold standard rule of law. . . . It is true that democracy’s is that our democracies are not equipped survival of democracy are much better dare I say moral, belief in togetherness, of democracy has now become really then we have to be sure in not only being having a hard time these days. People feel to face that kind of huge, cataclysmic when [it proves] able to lower social un- corroded very badly. The United States, left behind. And what do they blame? They event. The second lesson that we’ve certainty to manageable levels. And that’s together, but being there to help the weak- which used to be a sort of a very high- est people. start blaming democracy itself. But democ- learned, and that we actually have been why robust welfare states, solid rule of law functioning state — sending a man to the racy is still the best invention; there is knowing for some time, is that our democ- and sustained fiscal prudence are so criti- moon, massive middle class — suddenly, ANDREAS BUMMEL I believe there is a grow- nothing better. Still, we need to improve racies need to change. They are not able to cal, because they reduce uncertainty. they’ve got all the attributes of a failed ing recognition of the fact that global collaboration is necessary. And not even the ways to respond to citizens’ needs. operate normally anymore. . . . This is a KISHORE MAHBUBANI The reason democracy state in some ways, with reduced life ex- only necessary, but actually not enough — HIND ZIANE The very first point that I would great opportunity for us as a system — as came to East Asia is because of the Ameri- pectancy, high infant mortality. I point out like to make is that we are in a time of a political system — to move forward and can model. South Korea went through this all these things to make the point that that next steps are necessary for demo- crisis. And I think this crisis that’s been to change. So I do see it as a golden oppor- remarkable transformation, Taiwan went something fundamentally is going wrong cratic institutions to actually be able to going on for months all over the world has tunity. through this remarkable transformation, here. And what I want to emphasize is that deliver. Because I guess that’s at the key been telling us two things. The first thing KEVIN CASAS-ZAMORA The odds for the Indonesia went through a remarkable the United States has gone from being a DEMOCRACIES, PAGE S5

Technology vs. Covid-19 Participants at the Athens Democracy Forum sounded the alarm about the power of tech over humankind

ATHENS

BY FARAH NAYERI The coronavirus pandemic is not just men- acing the lives and livelihoods of billions: It could also be paving the way for the global giants of technology to harvest ever higher Farah Nayeri is a quantities of data from humankind. regular contributor to That was one of the stark takeaways from The New York Times. the Athens Democracy Forum — an annual gathering of political and business leaders, thinkers and activists held in association with The New York Times. Because of virus- STUDIO PANOULIS related travel and crowd restrictions, this The Israeli historian and author Yuval Noah year’s forum on global politics was a hybrid, Harari, left, with Prime Minister Kyriakos with some speakers physically present in Mitsotakis of Greece, right. Greece and others participating remotely in livestreamed sessions that drew as many as tens of thousands of viewers. norms whereby “governments are not per- The event’s chief predictor of doom was mitted to attack the civilian infrastructure of Yuval Noah Harari, an Israeli historian and other countries just as they are not allowed author. Seated on the roof of an Athens hotel to attack civilians in a time of war.” with his back to the Parthenon, he had a The conference highlighted assaults on lively exchange with the Greek prime min- democracy beyond the Western world — ister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis. from Hong Kong and Ukraine to Togo and “My greatest fear is that, when people Venezuela. Speaking live from Caracas, look back in 40 years or 50 years at the Covid Venezuela’s opposition leader, Juan Guaidó, crisis, they will not remember the masks, denied that his support base had dimin- they will not remember the virus: They will ished, and again refused to run in December remember that this was the time when sur- elections as long as there were political pris- veillance really took over. This was the time oners, torture and an absence of electoral when democracy failed and authoritarian supervision in Venezuela. regimes took over,” Mr. Harari warned. “It’s “What we want is real elections to take still in our power to prevent this from hap- place, and not a legitimization of a dictator- pening, but that’s the main fear.” ship,” he said. “There is a lot of talk of hacking comput- The forum hosted a number of young ac- ers and smartphones and bank accounts, tivists who have taken the cause of democ- but the really big revolution we are living racy into their own hands and are bringing through is the emerging ability to hack peo- grass-roots solutions to national or global ple,” he added. “If you have enough data on a problems. One was the Palestinian-Canadi- person and you have enough computing an author and speaker Chaker Khazaal, who power, you can hack that person” and “com- grew up in a Palestinian refugee camp in pletely manipulate them.” Beirut, Lebanon, and is now an advocate for In his tirade against tech, Mr. Harari the rights of refugees. HOTELSTHATDEFINE found an unexpected ally: Brad Smith, the One major concern for young people is THEDESTINATION ™ president of Microsoft, who was also jobs — and Mr. Harari had another bleak present in Athens. prognosis on the subject. He said the corona- Democracy “is in a more precarious state virus pandemic was actually forcing entire ETERNALELEGANCE today than it has been perhaps since the industries to accelerate an automation Visit the landmark Hotel Grande Bretagne and receive the unique chance of a lifetime experience 1930s, and I think technology is one of the process that was previously going to take 10 through a collection of utmost accommodation services and indulging moments. reasons,” Mr. Smith told the forum. He pro- or 20 years. The mythical views and the history of Europe’s oldest capital, Athens, promise to compose vided a long list of threats — surveillance “A lot of the people who lose their jobs will an unsurpassed cultural journey through its indigenous sights and unique ﬂavors. and face-recognition technology (though he not have any job to return to, because the in-

EXPLORETHEDESTINATIONATGRANDEBRETAGNE.GR acknowledged that his own company manu- dustry has changed or moved,” he said, factured such technology); the “news warning of the potential emergence, espe- desert” created by the demise of the free cially in poor countries, of a “useless class” press and the death of local newspapers; the with unwanted skills.

2020 Marriott Inc. International, All Rights Reserved. All names, marks and logos are the trademarks of Marriott Inc., International, or its aﬃliates. attacks on Western politicians by groups lo- Greece’s prime minister, Mr. Mitsotakis, MH.T.E.: 0206K015A0021500 © cated in Russia, China and Iran; disinforma- agreed that Covid-19 was “a digital accelera- tion; and the vulnerability of voting systems tor.” But he said his government was re- that could be tampered with by a foreign thinking technical education, and encourag- power. ing young Greeks to pursue alternative ca- He proposed “guardrails around technol- reers by learning specific skills and crafts. ogy” to limit surveillance and political ad- “Maybe plumbers or electricians may not be vertising on social media, promote a healthy outsourced to robots before other jobs are,” free press, and introduce international he said. .. THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL EDITION SATURDAY-SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10-11, 2020 | S5 World Review

DEMOCRACIES, FROM PAGE S4 here. People are not dissatisfied with democracy as a principle of government. What they are dissatisfied with is the performance of actual democratic governments. That’s the point. And so we need to ask ourselves, why are they not able to deliver the outcomes that I expected? And I think that has a lot to do with globalizing forces — you know, influences from the global scale, deregulated markets and such — that actually undermine the ability of established democratic institutions to deliver and to actually be relevant. So that’s why what is needed is more partici- pation and better representation at the global scale. If we look at how the international system is run, you would have to acknowledge it’s completely undemocratic if it comes to the representation and par- ticipation of the citizens on the ground. ELHADJ AS SY I think that democracy and the situations that we experience in different parts of the world remind us of what really it is about. And speaking from [Athens] in a democratic forum, it’s some- times important to go back to the rules, which is about people. Democracy is not only about the system, it is not only about an ideology, it’s not about, you know, the West or East or the North and South; it’s about people. It’s about people’s lives, it’s about people’s well-being, it’s about people’s aspirations. And you can see throughout the globe, regardless of which states of economic development people are [at], they all aspire for something that all human beings have in common, which is the human dignity. So if democracy can develop on human dignity, if democracy can be the safe space where people’s voices count, and people themselves also count, it STUDIO PANOULIS is a universal ideal to which I would say The Information Wars panel at the forum. Orit Farkash-Hacohen, Israeli minister for strategic affairs, is onscreen with, from left, Liz Alderman, the moderator; Dan Shefet, a lawyer at the Paris Court of that everybody, you know, will be aspiring Appeal; and Wietse Van Ransbeeck, chief executive of CitizenLab. The problem of hate speech online “is something that a state, every state, cannot overlook,” Ms. Farkash-Hacohen said. to.

CLIMATE CHANGE, COVID-19 need to do on climate. Businesses have to we’re not only talking to people like us, but tell you that it is extremely difficult, even social media to be more clever than profes- AND HUMAN RIGHTS understand that 21st-century talent ex- that we can have conversations with peo- for the most trained judges, to decide sional judges in terms of defining whether When the world came grinding to a halt this pects that we can take on these big social ple who have different opinions. whether something is illicit speech or not. something is illicit speech or not, given, of year, climate change — and its causes — issues, not least climate change, and with- DAN SHEFET I’ve had the opportunity of There are many, many cases from these course, that once we do that, we mathe- were brought into stark relief. The panel out that, the pool of talent will not be avail- following almost all the cases before the high-level courts, where somebody is matically restrict not only free speech, but discussed the importance of climate change able, and no company would possibly International Criminal Court, the special either acquitted or convicted at the first we also impose upon these organizations as a global event with a global impact. survive or thrive. tribunal on [Rwanda], the special tribunal level, and that decision is overturned on accountability sanctions, which are not What lessons has the pandemic taught us on Yugoslavia and even the Nuremberg appeal. In other words, it’s extremely related to knowledge. And that, to me, is about what progress might be possible? INFORMATION WARS trials, dealing with incitement, and I can difficult. And I don’t see how we can oblige not possible from a legal point of view. And what are the implications for human In recent months, the multifront battle rights? between social media platforms, their users and the authorities who would regulate PANELISTS Aron Cramer, president and chief executive, BSR (Business for Social Re- them has accelerated even further. What sponsibility); Paul Polman, co-founder and role does, or should, government play in chairman, Imagine, a consulting firm fo- keeping platforms honest and their users cused on environmental responsibility; and safe? And what tools can help citizens be Clover Hogan, founder and executive more engaged? director of Force of Nature, which enlists PANELISTS Dan Shefet, lawyer, Paris Court young people to take action on climate of Appeal; Wietse Van Ransbeeck, co- change. founder and chief executive, CitizenLab, a citizen-engagement platform; and Orit CLOVER HOGAN The climate crisis is the symptom of broken systems, from the Farkash-Hacohen, Israeli minister for clothes I’m wearing to the food in my strategic affairs. fridge or how I got here from London. The ORIT FARKASH-HACOHEN Today there is no bedrock of these broken systems is a sys- doubt that social media has become a tem of capitalism based on limitless haven for fake news, for incitement, for growth, with finite resources, entrenched hate speech. What happens in my view is in a centuries-long history of the oppres- that in the name of, or on behalf of, free- sion of marginalized communities, of com- dom of speech, some groups spread fake munities of color, of women, of Indigenous news and violence around social media people, the custodians of our land. And it’s networks. And that is something that a also based on a millenniums-long history of state, every state, cannot overlook. As a the commodification of nature, valuing the minister, I started a process of engage- tree not for its ecosystem services and the ment with the social media networks in oxygen that enables us to breathe, but for Israel. We are conducting a round table the table it provides, or the palm oil going with social media because I think that we into one of our chocolate bars. Now, eco- can’t do it alone. Only enforcement and logical crises, of which the pandemic is one regulation will not do the trick. Social — the pandemic was caused by this ex- media networks must understand that ploitation of nature — show us not just how they have power, and with power comes broken these very systems are, but how responsibility and accountability. And the fragile and how ripe for disruption. We fact is that, at the end of the day, they have have an opportunity before us, as we’re the power to control the minds and to forced to press “pause” on our hypercon- corrupt minds. This cannot be overlooked. sumptive, globalized lives to think about So we’re implementing a program of four the future that we want to create, and to steps with the social media giants. We think about how each and every one of us want them to create relevant and clear — politicians, business leaders, concerned policies. They should enforce their policies moms and dads, students — can step up to without double standards. They should be become custodians, to rethink so much of transparent about the facts. And, lastly, how we live, breathe and exist in the 21st [they should] remove problematic content. century. And I believe that one of the most WIETSE VAN RANSBEECK So we [at Citizen- underutilized, and one of the most power- Lab] provide a digital democracy plat- ful, tools that we have is that of mind-set. form. There are of course many other PAUL POLMAN What we’ve seen in the Covid tools, or other platforms available. But crisis once more is the difficulty of global what we do is we help citizens have a say governance. Increasingly, the issues that in local policymaking within government we face — like the issues of the interde- projects, but also more from the bottom pendence of the financial markets, cyber- up, where citizens can bring up their pro- security, climate change and now also posals. What’s different, compared to pandemics — require, without any doubt, a social media, is that it actually starts from global response. These issues know no a broader question: How are we going to borders. And yet we’ve got about 86 coun- constitute the public sphere in the digital tries putting export restrictions in place era? And social media are not a means to around [personal protective equipment] have a constructive debate. We all know materials. We’ve seen a lack of cooperation about filter bubbles on social media net- between governments in terms of solidari- works, the echo chambers. So I think it’s ty. The developing markets have gotten also the responsibility of the government virtually zero support from the developed to rethink how we are going to create that markets. So global governance is, without digital democracy. And such [government- any doubt, at a low. And the reason it is at administered] platforms can be interesting a low is that most institutions were created because those platforms are owned by the 70 years ago. And, frankly, unlike busi- government; they are the data owners. So nesses that might have adjusted their when it comes to manipulation, the gov- strategies 10, 15, 20 times, global govern- ernment is in control. They can also, when ance has not evolved. they procure those platforms, design the platforms in a way that some democratic ARON CRAMER One of the reasons that some oil and gas companies have begun to move values are safeguarded, in the sense that on climate change more decisively is be- when we talk about transparency and cause they recognize that they can no openness, they can procure open-source longer attract the best and the brightest. platforms and make sure that the algo- They simply won’t have an employee base rithms are open and transparent, but at if they don’t contribute what’s needed in a the same time, when artificial intelligence very profound way on climate. It’s very is used, that it’s explained to the citizens in unlikely that Amazon would have moved what way it is used. So I believe that prob- on climate without a very public display ably the most important aspect is that from its employees — and, mostly, it’s those platforms can constitute a space younger employees — to demand quite where you have citizens from different publicly that the company adopt an ap- backgrounds deliberate and have conver- proach that is compatible with what we sations with each other. And that is essen- tial for democracy in the digital age, that .. S6 | SATURDAY-SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10-11, 2020 THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL EDITION World Review

A civil rights leader continues the fight

Her words became a slogan for a movement. make them transcend borders? I think it’s because of the people who are in- At 90, Dolores Huerta is still an advocate. volved. And this is the reason I, at the age of 90, continue to work. When people come together and take collective action, whether BY CARLOS ANDRES LÓPEZ it’s in a march, whether it’s in a union election or, most important, come together to When she was in her 20s, Dolores Huerta vote, this is how we make change. witnessed the aftermath of the “Bloody In the women’s suffrage movement, they Christmas” attacks in Los Angeles in 1951, in marched and marched. Marching and pro- which more than four dozen police officers testing are important. But I like to say to beat seven young men in their custody, five people who are protesting and marching of whom were Mexican-American. This and that until you put something into a law that other instances of police brutality against can be implemented, that can be enforced Dolores Huerta has people of color — she was herself assaulted and where people can be held accountable, advocated for the by police in 1988 at a protest in San Fran- we have to keep on marching right to the rights of farm work- cisco — in part propelled Ms. Huerta, 90, ballot box. We have to elect progressive peo- ers and marginalized into a life of activism. ple to our different public offices. Whether communities in the The images of Black men and women it’s the Congress, the presidency, our state United States for beaten or killed at the hands of police today, legislature, our city council, or our local more than 60 years. like the images of the Los Angeles episode school boards. Alongside César so many decades ago, are reminders of a Chávez, she orga- seemingly intractable problem in America. In your work in civil rights, you organized nized the Delano “I think the whole policing problem needs to ordinary people and overcame monumental boycott of California be solved because the police have been mili- odds. What sort of advice would you give to table grapes in the tarized,” Ms. Huerta said in a recent inter- young activists who are fighting for justice in 1960s and also view. “They are being trained like soldiers, the United States, or for democracy and co-founded the trained to kill, and that’s what they’re doing. human rights in places like Belarus or Hong National Farmwork- That’s crazy.” Kong? ers Association. Ms. Huerta is nevertheless optimistic that You said the word democracy — this is it. A Today she serves as recent demonstrations and grass-roots ef- democracy is an active sport. If the football president of the forts will lead to change. She has seen it hap- players don’t show up for the game, you Dolores Huerta pen before: It has been 50 years since the don’t have a football game. Democracy is Foundation. California grape strike resulted in a re- the same thing, if you don’t show up in terms sounding victory for farm workers’ rights of voting. And we have to go further than and became a flash point for racial and eco- that because we know that a lot of people are nomic justice in the nation. Ms. Huerta, not engaged. along with the labor activist César Chávez, CATHY MURPHY/GETTY IMAGES We have to say to all the young people out was at the center of that campaign, organ- Ms. Huerta on stage during a United Farm Workers rally in California, circa 1975 or 1976. there: You’ve got to get engaged, you’ve got izing a yearslong boycott of California table to organize. The way that you’ve organized grapes and wine that eventually drew sup- for these marches, organize for voting. port from millions of people in the United When people are organized, they can get States and other countries. to advance the economic welfare of farm la- U.F.W. there’s a lot of voter suppression going on, information. They can act collectively. Peo- Her words, “Sí, se puede” (“Yes, we can”), borers. As the U.F.W. made strides through We spoke to Ms. Huerta about today’s so- but we hope that people can overcome those ple are so much better informed when they became a slogan for a movement that ulti- boycotts, strikes and marches, Ms. Huerta cial movements, gender equality and her suppressive tactics, and vote. I think if ev- belong to an organization. And that’s why mately shielded farm workers from exploit- became one of the most vocal leaders of views on the state of American democracy. erybody votes, that definitely Kamala Har- unions are a critical part of the foundation of ative labor practices and won them fairer what she described as a cultural revolution The interview has been edited for length ris will be the first woman vice president our democracy. wages as well as collective bargaining for farm workers. She also stood out as the and clarity. elected in the United States. rights. only woman leading a movement dominated You have often called for comprehensive Born in New Mexico and raised in Califor- by men. Senator Kamala Harris, who you are close to, How do you feel about the state of the country immigration reform in the United States. What nia, Ms. Huerta ascended to the forefront of Today, Ms. Huerta continues to advocate is on the Democratic ticket with Joe Biden. Do right now? does an ideal immigration system look like? the American labor movement in the 1960s on behalf of Latino and farm-working com- you think this is the year that a woman will be The pandemic has hit us very, very hard. At We have passed legalization programs alongside Mr. Chávez. In 1962, they formed munities as the president of the Dolores elected vice president? the same time, it has highlighted so many of about every 20 years. Now we’re behind — the National Farm Workers Association — Huerta Foundation, which she founded in I certainly do. It’s going to be challenging the issues that we have had with us for so the last immigration reform bill we had was today known as the United Farm Workers — 2002, two years after her departure from the because of Covid-19, and we know that many decades: racism, income inequality, in 1986. And it’s time we just had another le- the way women are treated, our educational galization program, basically, and to stop de- system — which we know is lacking — our porting people. Here in the Central Valley of judicial system, our criminal justice system. California, the Trump administration has It’s really spotlighted a lot of the deficits that deported so many farm workers, yet they we have in our society and the things that want to bring in farm workers under an- need to be addressed. other umbrella program called the H2-A But young people are the ones out there program. So, of course, if they come under pushing the envelope right now with the the H2-A program, they don’t have any Black Lives Matter marches. And it’s not rights. They can’t organize into a union. just Black and brown people. I think that’s They can’t vote. And the way that some of really, really promising for the country. these H2-A workers are housed and treated, they don’t even know that we have labor Throughout your life, in addition to your work laws in the state of California. It’s hypocrisy with the labor movement, you’ve advocated to because while they’re doing this, the admin- increase the number of women in positions of istration is deporting the undocumented power. What are your thoughts on the people that have been here, many of them progress that America has made with regard for 20, 30 years. They have families here, to gender equality? they have children here. I would say that women, like the Black Lives Matter movement, have been pushing the How do we combat anti-immigrant views in envelope with the #MeToo movement — this country? and we see progress. Some 25 percent of the I think, again, with knowledge and information. Undocumented immigrants contribute billions of dollars to our Social Security system that they themselves will never be able to collect. They contribute with their spend- ing, and they contribute with the sweat of their labor. They contribute the food that we get on our tables every day. So many undocumented immigrants are working in con- struction, and in the service industry, in the health care industry, in the child care industry — so many of these people are undocumented. So they’re already here. Why don’t we just legalize them? And just stop spend- ing all this government money on deporta- tions and incarcerations. When I give lectures on this issue, I like to just point to one word: bananas. How many bananas do we eat every day in the United States? I just had one when my cereal this morning. Does the money that we spend on bananas go to Guatemala or El Salvador or Honduras, from where these immigrants are coming for asylum? No. The money that

LUKE SHARRETT FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES we spend on bananas goes to Chiquita or Dole — to corporations. The money never Ms. Huerta received the Presidential Medal of gets to the people on whose land the ba- Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2012. nanas are produced, or to the workers who do the work to bring us the bananas. This is another area where the United States of U.S. Congress is now women. In some America does have to take responsibility. states, like Nevada, women are a majority in We shouldn’t see our southern neighbors the state legislature. In California, I think we as people we can exploit, but as people we have like 38 women. So we do see that should support and help. Why would people there’s a lot of progress. want to leave their homes to come to the But considering that we’re commemorat- United States unless they were desperate ing 100 years of women’s right to vote this and hungry and had to come here? We need year and we’re still not at parity, we have to to do more in terms of our foreign relations keep pushing until we get to 50 percent. to see how we can help countries develop There are some places like Iceland that have their resources and not think that the re- mandated that a certain percentage of legis- sources of these countries really belong to lators be women; we in the United States the United States. are still behind in terms of getting women in political leadership. And look at the corpo- You celebrated your 90th birthday in April. rate world — it’s abysmal. We need to have What would you like to see accomplished in equal numbers of women, not only in gov- this new decade? ernment offices, but in public agencies and, I think that young people are the ones who of course, in the corporate and commercial are going to drag us into the 21st century world. And I like to say this: If you do not and to get rid of fossil fuels, create green en- have equal numbers of women on a board ergy jobs and to develop an economy that when decisions are being made, it’s going to will help everyone — not just a few. And I make the wrong decisions. can’t say exactly how we’re going to do that, Integrated programme for promoting Athens as a destination through B2B and B2C activities but I think that we are smart enough. We’ve You once said that, “the history of the world got to figure out a way to do away with this has always been made by mass movements of brutal capitalism that we have in the United the people.” That, of course, resonates today States, where you have 10 percent of the European Union with the Black Lives Matter movement, be- wealthy owning 90 percent of the wealth. European Regional Development Fund cause demonstrations against police brutality That is wrong. We have to stop the mass in- co-founded by Greece and the European Union have taken place not only here in the United carceration of people, put more money into States, but all over the world. And that made our educational systems and develop uni- me think of the grape boycott in California. versal child care and universal health care. I What is it about movements like these that think we can start there. .. THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL EDITION SATURDAY-SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10-11, 2020 | S7 World Review

Protest movements without a public face

Do today’s social struggles need traditional choice to remain leaderless is a deliberate challenge to “vertical” — that is, traditional leaders, or are they better off without them? and hierarchical — power structures. For a year, the Hong Kong protesters de- liberately avoided structured leadership, BY CELESTINE BOHLEN borrowing their rallying cry from a famous Bruce Lee quote: “Be formless, shapeless, For a movement without publicly identifi- like water.” This approach allowed them to able leaders or clearly articulated goals, be mobile, adaptable and to some extent France’s “Yellow Vests” have proved re- anonymous, dodging arrests with rapid markably durable. Since late 2018, their pro- messages transmitted over countless en- tests have surged periodically through the crypted Telegram channels. streets of Paris and other French cities, rep- But even this strategy was not enough to resenting a grab bag of character types and protect them from the Chinese govern- Celestine Bohlen is a social categories, a shifting list of demands ment’s draconian crackdown over the sum- former foreign corre- and tactics that have ranged from peaceable mer, which resulted in a wave of arrests. spondent for The marches to arson and vandalism. Some activists were even caught at sea try- New York Times, The Yellow Vests were back on Sept. 12, ing to flee to Taiwan. serving in Budapest, with a modest demonstration that gathered Other protest movements have local and Rome and twice in 8,500 protesters across the nation, including national organizers, but they remain mostly Moscow. 2,500 in Paris, according to official figures. on the sidelines, in the shadows or even out There were the usual mixed messages, of the country, as in the case of Stepan Svet- mostly reflecting fear of economic insecuri- lov, a 22-year-old Belarusian blogger now ty, and mix of participants, including about living in Poland who has helped mobilize the 50 discothèque owners and independent Minsk demonstrations. chauffeurs seeking to draw attention to their “It’s the people who are initiating this particular struggles during the coronavirus whole process against Lukashenko and the pandemic. regime,” Mr. Svetlov told The New York The amorphous Yellow Vest movement Times, referring to the Belarusian presi- fits a pattern seen around the world in re- dent, Aleksandr G. Lukashenko. “We are cent years — from the anti-government just helping them to achieve this.” The re- demonstrations during the Arab Spring of cent arrests and forced exile of locally based 2011 to those now recurring in the Bela- GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE — GETTY IMAGES opposition figures have so far not stopped rusian capital, Minsk, and the Russian city “Yellow Vest” protesters facing French police officers in riot gear in Paris in September. the weekly protests. of Khabarovsk; from the continuing Black There are definite drawbacks to these Lives Matter movement in the United States horizontal movements. A lack of control — to the London-based Extinction Rebellion, Leaderless protests are not new. What ist, in 1968. “That is not a discredit to him.” in many cases, such mass mobilizations not only over a movement’s followers but with its do-it-yourself campaign against cli- matters is the way they evolve. Few remem- Individuals who come to embody their work, at least in the short run: Both Presi- also its message — can lead to the kind of mate change. ber who led the Paris mob that stormed the crusades also make easy targets for govern- dent Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and President lawlessness and violence that have erupted There is something very 21st century Bastille on July 14, 1789; Robespierre, Dan- ments, which can try to undermine or crip- Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria were forced at the edges of demonstrations led by Black about “leaderless” movements, all of them ton and others were to appear later in the ple a movement by arresting or discrediting out of office. Lives Matter, the Hong Kong protests and propelled and amplified by the formidable French Revolution. Almost two centuries its most prominent public representatives. “If you want to express the fears and the Yellow Vest protests. power of social media, which can with a click later, violent street protests in Paris and The question for today’s leaderless move- hopes of a community — like in Tahrir — you “A lack of organization means that they of a button summon protesters to a given across France in May 1968 did not lead to im- ments is whether they can maintain their fo- don’t need a boss, you don’t need a face,” can’t say ‘This is not us,’” Mr. Mounk said. place at a given time, armed with a set of slo- mediate political reforms, but they did usher cus and effectiveness in the absence of a said Vincent Martigny, a professor of politi- “The same is true of issues.” gans. in enduring social and cultural changes. public face. Without a Ghandi or a King, cal science at the University of Nice and the To contain this lawlessness, movements These campaigns — some, like the Nor are history’s accolades always fair: without action plans, without internal disci- École Polytechnique. require traditional leaders. The problem, #MeToo movement, today exist almost en- Mahatma Gandhi and the Rev. Dr. Martin pline, can popular outrage — typically the “When the goals are negative, protest Mr. Martigny said, is that choosing them tirely online — still require coordination, de- Luther King Jr. get the credit for leading source of these disparate crusades — be movements can be effective,” said Yascha necessarily requires compromise, some- cision-making and communication skills in their movements, but there were many oth- translated into an agenda for change? Mounk, a political scientist and an associate thing that today’s protest movements tend the traditional sense, but nothing like the la- ers, mostly forgotten, who shared their Much depends on why these movements professor at Johns Hopkins University in to resist. borious organizing, sustained personal struggles and triumphs. “I think that, to be erupt in the first place. The demonstrators Baltimore. “All you want is to get the leader “If you want to propose something new, presence and charismatic individual leader- very honest, the movement made Martin who poured into Tahrir Square in Cairo in out.” the world is made in such a way that you ship that galvanized the American civil rather than Martin making the movement,” 2011, or the streets of Algeria in 2019, went It is still too early to talk about the success need faces,” Mr. Martigny said. “If you have rights movement in the 1950s and ’60s. said Ella Baker, a veteran civil rights activ- there to oppose existing governments. And of these “horizontal” movements, where the no one to propose, that makes it difficult.”

A free and universal vaccine Struggling with anxiety and depression? We are here to help.

CHANDAN KHANNA/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE — GETTY IMAGES A lab technician sorts blood samples for a COVID-19 vaccine study at Research Centers of America in Hollywood, Fla. Countries must move smartly to recalibrate the public-private relationship.

VACCINE, FROM PAGE S2 that funding toward building a more inclu- These mistakes are putting lives at risk sive, sustainable economy. We have to trans- while prolonging a global economic crisis. form, not just stimulate, the economy or we On an international level, governments risk repeating the mistakes of 2008 — when need to work collaboratively to set firm governments injected huge amounts of un- rules on intellectual property, pricing and conditional liquidity into the system, which manufacturing. They must reach a consen- drove up asset prices in financial markets but sus on the objective of making a vaccine uni- did little to help the real economy. versally available and accessible, as this will Conditions that protect public interests are affect how production of the vaccine is car- key. In the current crisis, the countries that ried out and governed. Governments also attached smart conditions to bailouts have need to write strong conditions into con- made the most headway in recalibrating the tracts to prevent pharmaceutical compa- public-private relationship. nies from charging outrageous prices for Austria, for example, made its airline-in- OVID-19 has been a challenging time for At Seleni, our mission is to strengthen families Covid-19 therapies and vaccines. This will dustry bailouts conditional on the adoption of ensure that the pricing reflects the public climate targets. France introduced a five- Cindividuals and families, especially young at such a vital time by helping mothers through contribution to the drugs’ creation. year target for increased production of elec- mothers having to cope with a number of life postpartum depression and anxiety. But the principles behind these changes tric and hybrid cars to lower carbon dioxide must apply beyond a Covid-19 vaccine. This emissions and committed to directing its 8- changes all at once. billion-euro stimulus package toward trans- During the pandemic our professional therapists forming its automobile industry to support a According to the World Health Organization can provide care through secure video appointments. green recovery. Denmark, France, Belgium This is not about punishing companies, and Poland introduced legislation to block as many as 13% of women experience anxiety or Our website oﬀers a host of advice and support for but building a stakeholder approach. companies linked to tax havens from access- depression after giving birth. Many do not receive families, free of charge. ing state aid, and the European Central Bank or even have access to proper treatment. urged banks not to pay dividends until 2021 is not about punishing companies, but about and to exercise “extreme moderation” with building a stakeholder approach — sharing regard to bonuses. In the United States, lead- both the risks and rewards of wealth and ers like Senator Elizabeth Warren have value creation and directing economic called for conditions such as a higher federal growth so all citizens benefit. minimum wage and the democratization of To seek help please visit www.seleni.org today. We need to improve worker conditions, corporate boards through worker and stake- rebalance public-private relationships and holder representation, as well as restrictions Or call 212-939-7200 to schedule a telehealth appointment. reduce the practice of using corporate prof- on dividends, stock buybacks and executive its to boost short-term gains in stock prices. bonuses. We can also foster a “green recovery,” mak- Now is the time to do things differently — ing both reductions to carbon dioxide emis- not only because Covid-19 poses a major sions and the creation of environmentally threat to our health and economy, but be- beneficial jobs central to economic recovery cause greater challenges lie ahead as our www.seleni.org | +1 212 939 7200 | [email protected] packages. planet continues to heat up. Unless we use The solution to our problems is not just to this crisis to change our ways, we’ll diminish drum up more stimulus funding; it is to steer our chances of overcoming the next one. .. S8 | SATURDAY-SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10-11, 2020 THE NEW YORK TIMES INTERNATIONAL EDITION World Review

In Togo, there is nowhere to hide

Africa’s oldest single-family autocracy has crime. However, multiple allegations have emerged that the governments in question, tightened its grip, and activists are in danger some of them with poor human rights records, have also used NSO spyware to target activists, journalists and other civil soci- BY FARIDA NABOUREMA ety leaders. NSO is essentially selling arms to authoritarian governments, fueling abuse In recent years a handful of African coun- and oppression as it puts profits before hu- tries, including Sudan and Algeria, have man dignity. said goodbye to longstanding authoritarian By late 2018, the Togolese regime had rulers, creating openings, however small, managed to consolidate power by repress- for democratic change. ing protests and by organizing parliamenta- The West African nation of Togo, however, ry elections under dubious conditions remains firmly under the thumb of a mili- (which the opposition boycotted). Farida Nabourema is tary-backed regime — that of the Gnass- As a result of the elections, President the executive direc- ingbé family, the longest-ruling dynasty on Gnassingbé gained the control he needed in tor of the Togolese the continent. In recent years, the regime Parliament to modify the constitution in his Civil League, a has fully embraced the tactics of digital re- favor: A law passed in 2019 reinstituted the nongovernmental pression to extend its longevity, outflanking term limits eliminated by his father, but it organization promot- (for now) an increasingly emboldened com- did so while ignoring the three terms Mr. ing democracy and munity of online activists. Gnassingbé had already served, potentially the rule of law in The citizens of Togo, a country of roughly allowing him to rule Togo until 2030. Togo. eight million people between Ghana to the When Mr. Gnassingbé ran for a fourth west and Benin to the east, have lived for term in February 2020, the opposition had more than 50 years under a brutal dictator- only a microscopic chance of winning. The ship. The nation’s military regime came to regime, which retained control of the legisla- power in 1967, with the installation of the ture, barred election monitoring groups army’s chief of staff, Gnassingbé Eyadéma, from operating in Togo and deployed securi- as president. Mr. Eyadéma died in 2005, ty forces across the country. Mr. Gnassingbé bringing to an end a ruthless 38-year reign declared victory with 72 percent of the vote, marked by widespread human rights LUC GNAGO/REUTERS surpassing his percentages in the 2005, 2010 abuses. In the months after Mr. Eyadéma’s Riot police escorted a man out of College Saint Joseph in Lomé, Togo, earlier this year. The drive for democracy in the nation remains strong. and 2015 elections, amid further allegations death, the military-backed candidacy of his of fraud made by the opposition. son, Faure Gnassingbé, proved victorious in Recent investigations by Citizen Lab and an election marred by serious fraud allega- ered in the years since Mr. Gnassingbé’s rise living in and outside the country. The Faure anonymity as online activists and putting others have revealed that yet more govern- tions. by the ability to denounce the government Must Go movement relied on decentralized our own security and that of our family ment critics in Togo, including prominent The generations of Togolese activists who — its corruption and gangsterism — on so- digital organizing, which helped many of us members in jeopardy. I was in contact with Catholic leaders, have been targeted by had fought the dictatorship of Gnassingbé cial media. (Mr. Gnassingbé was re-elected maintain our anonymity, protecting us from some of the imprisoned activists for NSO surveillance software. the First hoped his passing would bring an in 2010 and 2015 amid accusations of fraud direct physical repression by leaders. months; many were subsequently forced to The government seems to have suc- end to the nation’s tyranny. Instead, Mr. by Togo’s opposition.) Unfortunately, in re- However, the government’s response to flee the country or to go into hiding. ceeded at maintaining its grip on power in Eyadéma’s death, in February 2005, and the cent years it has become increasingly obvi- the 2017 protests made it clear that we were- Thanks to a 2018 investigation by Citizen the face of mass protests. election of his son in April led only to horrific ous that we underestimated the govern- n’t as secure as we had thought. In Septem- Lab, a cybersecurity research group based Yet the thirst for democracy in Togo is violence: Between 400 and 500 people were ment’s ability to adapt its repressive meth- ber, the regime shut down the internet for at the University of Toronto, we later discov- stronger than ever. The resistance must killed during those months, with thousands ods to the digital world. nine days. In the ensuing months, hundreds ered that a spyware program known as Peg- now go beyond holding authoritarian re- more wounded, according to a United Na- In the late summer of 2017, major protests of protesters were arrested and several asus was likely being used by the Togolese gimes accountable and demand that tech tions report. quickly spread across the country in sup- were killed. government to target smartphone users in companies like NSO also be held responsi- In response to the arrival of Gnassingbé port of the opposition’s demands that Presi- During this time, we received information the country. We believe the regime has used ble for the resources they provide to these the Second, a new generation of activists dent Gnassingbé resign and that term lim- suggesting that some activists had been ar- this program to attack the electronic devices governments. came to the fore. The internet was their its, abolished by his father in 2002, be re- rested and tortured by the government of Togolese dissidents. The Togolese regime is ignoring a crucial most powerful tool, and as internet penetra- instated. During the monthslong demon- based on evidence gleaned from private Pegasus is a product of the NSO Group, an truth: The internet has given the younger tion in Togo grew, so did the democratic re- strations, tens of thousands of protesters conversations that had taken place on Israeli company that has sold the surveil- generation a taste of freedom — and once sistance movement. chanted “Faure Must Go,” a slogan coined WhatsApp, the encrypted messaging app. lance technology to numerous governments people know what it feels like to be free, they I was one of those activists, and like many by an activist movement that I co-founded in This gave us a strong hint that the govern- around the world, solely, the company said, can no longer be held in bondage indefi- of my fellow dissidents I have felt empow- 2011 with other young Togolese dissidents ment was spying on us, thus destroying our to aid in the fight against terrorism and nitely.