We invite you at CADI, Friday, 28th January at 1800 to take part in a discussion concerning secrecy and transparency, starting from American professor Dennis F. Thompson’s article “Democratic Secrecy”.

“The conflict is not primarily between secrecy and democracy but arises within the idea of the democratic process itself. Some of the best reasons for secrecy rest on the very same democratic values that argue against secrecy. “

The Wikileaks phenomenon seems to make the process of finding a solution to the governmental transparency limits issue into an urgent problem. Have the governments the right to keep secrets from their citizens? Any government that has secrets represents a danger to freedom, or, on the contrary, the existence of some areas that escape the absolute transparency exigency is a precondition for protecting freedom? If there are secrets that, once disclosed, will put the life of some innocent people into danger, or will endanger important diplomatic talks, or will prevent the normal law administration, isn’t in, perhaps, limiting the transparency justified?

Program:

18:00 Tudor Gladeanu presents

18:15 Discussions

To read:

Dennis F. Thompson (1999). „Democratic Secrecy”. Political Science Quarterly 114(2), pp. 181-193

http://cadi.ro/docs/workshop/2011-01-28-Thompson.pdf