Liberty Week 2023
Dates: November 6th to November 12th, 2023
Location: University of San Francisco de Quito - Santiago Gangotena Campus
Wind of Change
The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 marked a historic moment in which physical and symbolic barriers that divided people and nations were eliminated. Today, we live in an increasingly connected world, thanks to technology and global connectivity, but various types of walls continue to be erected. In this Sixth Edition of the 'Liberty Week, Wind of Change,' we will analyze how individuals seek freedom but also allow it to be violated without considering the high cost of losing it.
All events are free and open to the public at the USFQ campus. Limited seating.
Monday, November 6th, 2023
USFQ WALL
Main Hall USFQ
Monday, November 6th, Tuesday, November 7th, Wednesday, November 8th, and Thursday, November 9th, 11:30 AM – 3:00 PM
Thursday, November 9th, 1:00 PM, the wall is torn down.
Can you imagine a wall being built that separates Quito and Cumbayá? Our families would be separated; our friends, far away and with no permission to see them; shops and businesses, only on one side of this wall; universities, inaccessible, and hospitals, restricted. This and more happened in Berlin when on August 12, 1961, the Berlin Wall was built, a wall approximately five meters high. By 1975, it was already a 45-kilometer-long concrete wall that radically divided East and West Germany.
For 28 years, Germany was divided by two opposing political ideologies that kept families apart, thousands detained for attempting to cross to the other side, and many lives lost trying to cross the 'wall of shame.' Demands for freedom circulating in the GDR and the opening of borders between Austria and Hungary allowed East Germans to enter the Western sector with fewer restrictions. Finally, on November 9, 1989, the border between the two sectors of Germany was declared open, and the wall was torn down. The fall of the Berlin Wall is a memorable moment in 20th-century history, in which Soviet socialism fell, and the inalienable freedoms of expression and movement of Germans were respected.
In commemoration of this momentous event in the struggle for our freedoms, join us in building the USFQ WALL and expressing your reflections and opinions on it during Monday, November 6th, Tuesday, November 7th, and Wednesday, November 8th. Then, join us once again to tear down those walls that limit our fundamental rights and freedoms. We await you on Thursday, November 9th, at 1:00 PM, to tear it down together.
PANEL: 'Freedom and the Art of Creation'
Blue Room, 11:30 AM-1:00 PM
Panelists:
- Jaime Costales
-
Xavier “Bonil” Bonilla
What is the creative process like? How do ideas emerge? What does creation represent? Artists create and develop art, and people seek beauty. The search for that balance allows us to appreciate what can be achieved in freedom and how restrictions lead art in other directions. It is important how the path taken to create a creative proposal drives human potential.
PANEL: 'Social Media, Information Usage, and Digital Walls'
Blue Room, 4:00 PM-5:30 PM
Panelists:
- Alejandro Varas
- Gabriela Guerrero, "La Politeka"
- Luciana Musello
Moderator: Eric Samson
With the fall of the Berlin Wall, we began to tear down the barriers that have divided territories and ideas. We have increasingly sought more freedoms and fewer walls. However, nowadays we have witnessed that while physical walls have crumbled, new digital walls have emerged, as seen on social networks and interactions within them. It is important to discuss the impact of social media on bringing people together, how social media and digital platforms have contributed to connecting people from different cultures and regions, allowing ideas, information, and messages to spread quickly. We will also analyze how the digital revolution has reduced distances and enabled transnational collaboration in different sectors."
Tuesday, November 7th, 2023
USFQ WALL
Main Hall USFQ
Monday, November 6th, Tuesday, November 7th, Wednesday, November 8th, and Thursday, November 9th, 11:30 AM – 3:00 PM
Thursday, November 9th, 1:00 PM, the wall is torn down.
OPEN LECTURE: 'Germany and the Allies: Their Historical Role in the Cause of Freedom'
Blue Room, 11:30 AM
Panelist: Pablo Medina
The fall of the Berlin Wall marked a historic milestone symbolizing the victory of freedom over oppression. In this political drama, Germany played a central, significant, and multifaceted role, while the Allies played a fundamental role in creating the context that ultimately led to the fall of the Wall. This iconic event became a living testament to people's determination for democracy and unity, changing the course of world history.
PANEL: 'When Did I Value Freedom?'
Blue Room, 4:00 PM-5:30 PM
Panelists:
- Diego Quiroga
- Lothar Ranft
- Eduardo Alba
- Luis Daniel Luengo
Moderator: Tatiana Macías
What is it to live in freedom? Do we value freedom when we have it? As a society, we often take principles for granted, and consequently, we stop defending what defines us, such as freedom in all its expressions: the freedom to be, think, act, and decide. Sometimes, societies where individuals survive despite the lack of institutions and violations of their essence are seen as distant examples. When human action is restricted, it pushes us to the limit, even beyond our own standards of behavior. In this forum, the panelists will share their experiences of what they have had to go through to be free.
OUTDOOR CINEMA 'LIBRE'
Treasury Hall, 5:30 PM
(Popcorn - Pizza - Soft Drinks)
Panelists:
- Javier Arano
- Santiago José Gangotena
Hosted by: Film Club
Freedom is a principle that connects with every aspect of our surroundings, even with art and entertainment. Outdoor Cinema is a space for the analysis of film productions from economic, rights, arts, and other perspectives. On this occasion, we will dissect material from the standpoint of artistic production and its connection with the foundational principles of USFQ."
Wednesday, November 8th, 2023
USFQ WALL
Main Hall USFQ
Monday, November 6th, Tuesday, November 7th, Wednesday, November 8th, and Thursday, November 9th, 11:30 AM – 3:00 PM
Thursday, November 9th, 1:00 PM, the wall is torn down.
OPEN LECTURE: 'Security and Freedom'
Shakespeare Theater Hall, 11:30 AM-1:00 PM
Panelists:
- Juan Pablo Aguilar
- James Keeble
The phrase 'my rights begin where others' end,' commonly used but seldom analyzed in detail, emphasizes the importance of balancing individual freedoms with the responsibility not to harm or interfere with the rights of others. This principle is fundamental for peaceful coexistence and citizen security in a democratic society, as it ensures that individual freedoms are exercised responsibly and within the necessary legal limits to protect the rights of all citizens. In this lecture, the speakers will explore from various perspectives how this plays a fundamental role in individual and societal development.
OPEN LECTURE: 'What is Freedom?'
Shakespeare Theater Hall, 2:30 PM-4:00 PM
Panelist: Carlos Montúfar
Ideas and science only thrive in freedom: 'The human mind has two windows: emotions and reason, so the first educational part must be emotional through the art of communication, and communication is precisely the essence of education and of the human being. In the process of knowledge transmission, it is where youth must begin to doubt, analyze, and convince themselves, not just accept information, as we live in a society where opinion is more important than facts, and it is precisely through doubt that we can acquire greater knowledge. Education has one purpose: freedom.'
OPEN LECTURE
Keynote Speaker: 'Institutions in Society and the Institutional Quality Index'
Tribute to Santiago Gangotena
Shakespeare Theater, 6:00 PM
Closing with a special event
Keynote Speaker: Martin Krause
Why are some countries richer than others? How did Germany recover after everything it went through with the Berlin Wall?
Institutions are structures and organizations that play essential roles in society to ensure its orderly, fair, and equitable functioning, as well as to promote the well-being and development of its members. The ICI (Institutional Quality Index) is a tool that compares eight indicators from international organizations and assigns a score to 216 countries to measure the quality of institutions, and it is published every year. A higher score indicates higher institutional quality, resulting in greater security for the protection of the rights of its inhabitants. Let's analyze why this topic is of utmost relevance because the lack of strong autonomous institutions has been the key problem in the history of Latin America.
'The ability of countries to rebuild after a catastrophe depends on the quality of their institutions. There lies the resilience of a democratic system, in having strong foundations on which to return to the path of progress even after an international crisis has made us lose everything.'"
Thursday, November 9th, 2023
USFQ WALL FALL
IN-PERSON EVENT
Main Hall USFQ
Thursday, November 9th at 1:00 PM, the wall is torn down.
Live Music and Food Trucks
Friday, November 10th to Sunday, November 12th, 2023
UNIVERSIDAD EL CATO-USFQ
Exclusive event for applicants accepted before October 10th.
Friday, November 17th, 2023 - Guayaquil
Freedom Day
LECTURE: 'Implications of Economic Freedom in Today's World'
USFQ Costa Office, Plaza Lagos-Samborondón. 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Targeted at business leaders
Panelists:
- Alberto Acosta Burneo
- Pablo Medina-Pérez
What is freedom? What are the implications of economic freedom in today's world? In a constantly evolving world, understanding the impact of economic freedom - and its absence - on your business and society at large is essential.
Economic freedom and the institutions that promote it have a significant impact on society, politics, and the economy, but this effect becomes more pronounced when they are absent. During this lecture, prominent experts will discuss how economic freedom can drive growth, innovation, and competitiveness in a society.
WORKSHOP: 'Principles of Freedom: Effects of the Fall of the Berlin Wall on Modern History'
USFQ Costa Office, Plaza Lagos-Samborondón. 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Targeted at school teachers and department heads
Panelists:
- Tatiana Macías Muentes
- Pablo Medina-Pérez
This workshop aims to analyze the historical lessons - in terms of social, economic, and political aspects - of the Fall of the Berlin Wall. The workshop will enrich the understanding of this historical milestone and its importance in today's classroom for the current generations, providing tools and knowledge that can be applied in teaching. The panelists will propose a historical review of key events and the implications that are still relevant today.
The construction and fall of the Berlin Wall is an event that marks a turning point in the defense of this principle and serves as a reminder to assess the high cost of losing freedom and not taking it for granted.
NOTE: This event is free and open to the public, but prior registration at tsmacias@usfq.edu.ec is required.
