Politics

The Israeli Presidential Conference 2011  Facing Tomorrow  June 21-23, 2011  Jerusalem

 Our forefathers instructed us that we are bound to live between two poles: on the one hand, “all is foreseen,” and yet on the other hand, “freedom of choice is given.” The power afforded man to determine his fate—for better or for worse—has never before been as far-reaching as today. Will we know how to pose the right questions and make the crucial decisions that will allow us to chart a course to a new and exhilarating tomorrow? There is today no more compelling human task.

--President of the State of Israel Mr. Shimon Peres

Facing Tomorrow, the third annual Conference under the auspices of President Shimon Peres, will take place in Jerusalem on June 21-23, 2011.

Fate has ordained us to live in an era in which human choice can herald either global prosperity or unprecedented devastation. Never before has humanity held such immense power to influence and shape the future - for better or for worse. Fateful decisions confront us - as individuals, as citizens, as members both of humanity and of particular nations, and as dwellers in the “global village” itself.

The present is laden with enormous challenges. Among them are the rise and fall of economic and geopolitical power centers; the proliferation of non-conventional weapons; wars, terrorism, and fundamentalism; instability in the Middle East; global warming and depletion of natural resources; drastic demographic shifts; unprecedented technological advances; problems of poverty, unemployment, hunger and the re-distribution of wealth; novel dilemmas of ethics, identity, education, self-fulfillment, and much more. Will we have the wherewithal to pose the proper questions? To make the right decisions? To involve the appropriate groups and individuals and to recruit the resources needed to realize those decisions and turn them into reality?

These integral issues, and many more, stand at the heart of the 2011 Israeli Presidential Conference. The 2011 Israeli Presidential Conference will focus on the vital issues, initiatives and decisions that must be made today in order to guarantee a better tomorrow for the world, for the Jewish people, and for the State of Israel.

As in prior Conferences, this year’s Conference assembles heads of state, thinkers and men of action, poets and scientists, artists and clergy, businessmen and entrepreneurs, as well as representatives of the next generation of leaders - promising young people with immense talent and originality. The deliberations of this select group of the world’s best minds will take place in the Conference’s plenary meetings and within a remarkably diverse array of panels dedicated to a wide range of significant issues.

The exhortations of the prophets of Israel, echoing throughout the generations, sometimes fell on deaf ears, but their faith in a world of peace and social justice has lit the way for us today. Their ardent faith has encouraged us to shape a better tomorrow and an inspiring future, and has instilled in us a firm commitment to achieving that future. In that spirit, and with due modesty, Facing Tomorrow will address the challenges - and opportunities -the future has in store for us.

President Peres remains deeply committed to the success of Facing Tomorrow and will be personally engaged in the Conference throughout its proceedings.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is our partner in bringing this Conference to fruition and is providing its excellent intellectual and research resources toward developing the Conference content.

The Israeli Presidential Conference Steering Committee is at your disposal at:

Tel.:  +972-2-6202338

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.