Foro La Toja - Eurostars Gran Hotel La Toja

An event that has achieved to become a benchmark on its very first edition

View 2020 edition

Declaration

Welcome to a benchmark event for intellectual and academic discussion

A forum focussed on Excellence and Diversity

A unique meeting guided by the excellence of its speakers and guests.
A benchmark event for intellectual and academic discussion.
A space to encourage the exchange of ideas and experiences.

Why an Atlantic discussion forum?

The phenomenon of globalization and the appearance of new powers with a strong focus on being in the spotlight have transformed the classical geostrategic equilibriums. New areas of influence have burst with economic and political strengths which present a clear challenge to western countries and the values they have defended throughout history.

Western civilization is being challenged by new political and economic models. However, the Atlantic axis maintains its status as a reference space in the world order. Beyond conjunctural circumstances, the two shores of the Atlantic constitute a community with a homogeneous cultural model that has defined our societies on both sides of the ocean. A humanistic model that protects the human being conceived as a unique being and whose rights and freedoms must be protected and preserved.

Our history is Atlantic, as it is our reality and will necessarily be our future. Not only is this accurate from the geographical point of view, but also culturally and economically. Despite competition from other areas of the planet, the Atlantic space continues to be an area integrated by economically, politically and socially developed countries, in an overwhelming majority.

Foro Atlántico "La Toja" is created as a space for dialogue between both sides of the Atlantic, an invitation to look together at the challenges we share, the problems we have to face and the possibility of doing it together. This is a major opportunity to look to the future from our common roots and our shared interests.

A vocation of excellence and plurality

Unlike other events, Foro Atlántico “La Toja” is posed as a singular meeting which is guided only by the excellence of speakers and guests. The forum is not meant to be a crowded date, but a benchmark for intellectual and academic debate. The guests will have the opportunity to listen to experts talking about their respective fields and to chat with them in an atmosphere specially designed to promote that exchange of ideas and experiences.

The independence of the criterion, plurality and excellence are the approach that will define the organization of the forum, which has no economic or business interests. It is guaranteed a balanced representation of the countries that form the Atlantic area to ensure the different visions and contributions of both seashores and hemispheres.

In defense of liberal democracy

Liberal democracy is one of the elements that have defined the value system of our western civilization. Nowadays this model, based on the limitation of political power through institutions, in open deliberation and respect for minorities, seems to be suffering a profound crisis that appears in many different ways: the rise of excluding nationalisms, the delegitimization of the representative system, the accession to power of messianic and authoritarian leaders, the attacks on the separation of powers or the press freedom, etc.

Populisms of all kinds, conceived as a way of subverting democratic institutions from within democracy, represent a clear threat to our current model of society. Our political systems must reconnect with citizens to rebuild the bonds of trust on which to articulate the representative systems. It is necessary that open societies are able to give effective answers to problems such as inequality and social exclusion, insecurity or migratory flows that foster disaffection.

Beyond the purely academic or political debate, it is also important to pay attention to the influence that this phenomenon is exerting on other aspects of reality such as the economy, the rights of individuals or the geostrategic situation. The rise of protectionism, the manoeuvres of internal destabilization as a new form of confrontation between countries or the growing risk of massive disinformation are some of the symptoms and consequences of this new paradigm.

All these elements are a subject for discussion and reflection at Foro Atlántico “La Toja”, always based on an unequivocal commitment to the values of liberal democracy and its achievements throughout history.

The location

Galicia, a land with an atlantic spirit

Galicia is the most Atlantic of the Spanish regions, thanks to its location in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula and to its character, always related to the sea.

The history of Galicia offers multitude of references that connect with the organization of a project of this nature in its territory. Galicia constituted a forum of attraction and cultural mixing thanks to the pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela, a phenomenon that undoubtedly contributed to build the current European identity and, by extension, the occidental culture.

The proximity – even with the language – between Galicia and Portugal brings to the forum the Iberian character. The celebration of this kind of meeting outside the common locations as Madrid and Barcelona also contributes to offer a more plural and balanced image of the Spanish reality.

Gran Hotel de La Toja, an iconic establishment

With over 100 years of history, Eurostars Gran Hotel La Toja 5* is truly iconic.

Opened in 1907 and built by the architect Vázquez-Gulías, this famous hotel is situated in an exceptional area which offers views to the sea. During its more than a hundred years of history, the hotel has accommodated renowned people as Ortega y Gasset or Gabriel García Márquez, becoming a perfect place to have a relaxing experience. In fact, Eurostars Gran Hotel La Toja offers the only 5* wellness centre in Galicia. It is a unique opportunity to discover its sophisticated facilities and let yourself be indulged by the thermal benefits of the spring waters.