Glenn Greenwald

Alexis Ohanian

Michael Hayden

Alan M. Dershowitz

Rudyard Griffiths

"Does government surveillance make us safer? The thirteenth Munk Debate, held in Toronto on Friday, May 2, 2014, pitted Michael Hayden and Alan Dershowitz against Glenn Greenwald and Alexis Ohanian to debate whether state surveillance is a legitimate defence of our freedom — the democratic issue of the moment. In a risk-filled world, democracies are increasingly turning to large-scale state surveillance, at home and abroad, to fight complex and unconventional threats — but is it justified? For some, the threats more than justify the current surveillance system, and the laws and institutions of democracies are more than capable of balancing the needs of individual privacy with collective security. But for others, we are in peril of sacrificing to a vast and unaccountable state surveillance apparatus the civil liberties that guarantee citizens’ basic freedoms and our democratic way of life."--

the Munk Debate on mass surveillance

Does state spying make us safer?

Fareed Zakaria

Charles Krauthammer

Amos Yadlin

In this edition of the Munk Debates, four of the world’s leading thinkers square off to debate one of the most important geopolitical issues of the time: are Iran’s nuclear ambitions a global threat? The Munk Debates are Canada’s premier public policy event. Held semi-annually, the debates provide leading thinkers with a global forum to discuss the major public policy issues facing the world and Canada. Each event takes place in Toronto in front of a live audience, and the proceedings are covered by domestic and international media. Participants in recent Munk Debates include Tony Blair, John Bolton, Niall Ferguson, Rick Hillier, Christopher Hitchens, Richard Holbrooke, Henry Kissinger, Charles Krauthammer, Paul Krugman, Stephen Lewis, Dambisa Moyo, Samantha Power, Lawrence Summers, and Fareed Zakaria. The Munk Debates are a project of the Aurea Foundation, a charitable organization established in 2006 by philanthropists Peter and Melanie Munk to promote public policy research and discussion. For more information visit www.munkdebates.com.

The Munk Debate on Iran

Can the World Tolerate an Iran with Nuclear Weapons?

Faced with yet another minority government, Canadians clearly cannot decide who we want as a leader. In Who We Are: A Citizen's Manifesto, Rudyard Griffiths injects a welcomed passion into the future of Canadian politics and what it means to be Canadian. He explains the notion of a national identity at a time when Canadian nationalism and unity are a government priority, following the Harper government's creation of a sub-ministerial cabinet portfolio with the title Canadian Identity. Clearly and thoughtfully, Griffiths addresses global warming, immigration and an aging population, and argues that the "Canada lite" model leads to a dead end: irrelevancy on the world stage and divisive strife at home. He reminds us of who we are, what we've accomplished and why a loyalty beyond the local and personal is essential for Canada's survival.

A Citizen's Manifesto

Who We are

Patrick Luciani

The Munk Debates is Canada's premier international debate series, a highly anticipated cultural event and feast of ideas. Launched in 2008 by philanthropists Peter and Melanie Munk, these debates bring together some of the world's greatest thinkers to discuss the most pressing political, social, and cultural issues that are shaping the course of world events. This volume includes an Introduction by Peter Munk and the first five debates in the series: British historian and bestselling author Niall Ferguson, top-ranking American diplomat Richard Holbrooke, Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer, and human rights scholar and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Samantha Power discuss global security and the 2008 U.S. presidential election, Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, former Foreign Minister of the Australian Parliament and President and Chief Executive of the International Crisis Group Gareth Evans, actor and humanitarian Mia Farrow, and former Chief of the Defence Staff of the Canadian Forces General Rick Hillier debate the pros and cons of humanitarian intervention. Professor of Economics Paul Collier, economist Hernando De Soto, former UN Secretary-General Stephen Lewis, and bestselling author of Dead Aid Dambisa Moyo explore the opportunities and hazards of foreign aid. Former British politician and bestselling author Lord Nigel Lawson, adjunct professor at the Copenhagen Business School and bestselling author Bjørn Lomborg, environmental activist and Leader of the Green Party of Canada Elizabeth May, and journalist and bestselling author George Monbiot tackle one of the great public policy questions of our time: how should the world respond to climate change? Intelligent, informative, and entertaining, The Munk Debates is a lively forum of ideas and opinions that aims to reinvigorate public discourse and civic dialogue, and captures the prevailing moods, clashing opinions, and most imperative issues of our time.

The Munk Debates

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Bret Stephens

Robert Kagan

The fourteenth semi-annual Munk Debate, which will be held in Toronto on November 5, 2014, pits Bret Stephens and Robert Kagan against Fareed Zakaria and Anne-Marie Slaughter to debate the legacy of President Obama. From Ukraine to the Middle East to China, the United States is redefining its role in international affairs. Alliance building, public diplomacy, and eschewing traditional warfare in favour of the focused use of hard power such as drones and special forces are all hallmarks of the so-called Obama Doctrine. Is this a farsighted foreign policy for the United States and the world in the twenty-first century -- one that acknowledges and embraces the increasing diffusion of power among states and non-state actors? Or, is an America "leading from behind" a boon for the nations and blocs who want to roll back economic globalization, international law, and the spread of democracy and human rights? In this edition of the Munk Debates, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Bret Stephens and famed historian and foreign policy commentator Robert Kagan square off against CNN's Fareed Zakaria and noted academic and political commentator Anne-Marie Slaughter to debate the legacy of President Obama. With ISIS looking to reshape the Middle East, Russia increasingly at odds with the rest of the West, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at a standstill, the Munk Debate on Foreign Policy asks: Has Obama's foreign policy taken the U.S. in the right direction?

Has Obama Made the World a More Dangerous Place?: The Munk Debate on U.S. Foreign Policy

The Munk Debates is Canada's premier international debate series, a highly anticipated cultural event and feast of ideas. Launched in 2008 by philanthropists Peter and Melanie Munk, these debates bring together some of the world's greatest thinkers to discuss the most pressing political, social, and cultural issues that are shaping the course of world events. This volume includes the first five debates in the series: British historian and bestselling author Niall Ferguson, top-ranking American diplomat Richard Holbrooke, Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer, and human rights scholar and Pulitzer Prize–winning author Samantha Power discuss global security and the 2008 U.S. presidential election Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, former Foreign Minister of the Australian Parliament and President and Chief Executive of the International Crisis Group Gareth Evans, actor and humanitarian Mia Farrow, and former Chief of the Defence Staff of the Canadian Forces General Rick Hillier debate the pros and cons of humanitarian intervention Professor of Economics Paul Collier, economist Hernando De Soto, former UN Secretary-General Stephen Lewis, and bestselling author of Dead Aid Dambisa Moyo explore the opportunities and hazards of foreign aid Former British politician and bestselling author Lord Nigel Lawson, adjunct professor at the Copenhagen Business School and bestselling author Bjørn Lomborg, environmental activist and Leader of the Green Party of Canada Elizabeth May, and journalist and bestselling author George Monbiot tackle one of the great public policy questions of our time: how should the world respond to climate change? Governor Howard Dean, President and CEO of University Health Network (UHN) Dr. Robert Bell, Professor of Business and Medicine Dr. William Frist, and physician and award-winning author Dr. David Gratzer cover the controversial issue of health care. Intelligent, informative, and entertaining, The Munk Debates is a lively forum of ideas and opinions that aims to reinvigorate public discourse and civic dialogue, and captures the prevailing moods, clashing opinions, and most imperative issues of our time.

In Western societies, the capitalist system is facing a level of distrust not seen in decades. Economic inequality is rampant. Life expectancy is falling. The environment is being destroyed for profit. Political power is wielded by wealthy elites and big business. For capitalism's critics, it is clear that the system is not designed to help average people. Their solution is a top-to-bottom reform of the "free market" along more socialist and democratic lines. For proponents of capitalism, however, this system has been the greatest engine of economic and social progress in history. Not only has capitalism made all of us materially better off, its ideals are responsible for everything from women's rights to a cleaner environment to political freedoms. The answer to society's current ills is more capitalism, more economic freedom, and more free markets. The twenty-fifth semi-annual Munk Debate, held on December 4, 2019, pits editorial director and publisher of the Nation Katrina vanden Heuvel and former finance minister of Greece Yanis Varoufakis against Harvard professor Arthur C. Brooks and New York Times columnist David Brooks to debate whether the capitalist system is broken.

The Future of Capitalism

The Munk Debate on Europe

Has the European Experiment Failed?

Munk Debate Fall 2020

The twenty-fourth semi-annual Munk Debate, held on May 9, 2019, pits former Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs H. R. McMaster and Director for Chinese Strategy at the D.C.-based Hudson Institute think tank Michael Pillsbury against former President of the United Nations Security Council Kishore Mahbubani and president of one of China’s top independent think tanks, the Center for China Globalization, Huiyao Wang to debate the threat of China to the liberal international order. Increasingly in the West, China is being characterized as a threat to the liberal international order, one that must be overcome through economic, political, technological, and even military means. For those who believe that the policies of the Chinese Communist Party pose a threat to free and open societies, the U.S. and like-minded nations must band together to preserve a rules-based international order. For others, this approach spells disaster; it ignores the history and dynamics propelling China’s rise to superpower status. Rather than threatening the post-war order, China is its best, and maybe only, guarantor in an era of declining U.S. leadership, increased regional instability, and slowing global growth.

China and the West

From the world-renowned Munk Debates comes a collection of dialogues by leading intellectuals envisioning our post-pandemic future. During this time of social distancing, the acclaimed Munk Debates series have been reimagined into a series of dialogues by leading intellectuals who examine the geopolitical, economic, technological, and historical angles of this unprecedented new era. How will the world look after COVID-19? What is the future for the international economy and institutions? Will the global balance of power shift? Can technology save us? These are the questions that have occupied the best minds since the beginning of the pandemic. In a series of one-on-one conversations with moderator Rudyard Griffiths, renowned author Malcolm Gladwell, journalist Fareed Zakaria, and New York Times columnist David Brooks, along with six other thinkers, dissect what brought us here and what comes next.

Rudyard Griffiths

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