Slovenian President receives participants of International Writers' Meeting

Bled, 24.3.2010  |  press release

The President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Danilo Türk, today hosted a reception on the occasion of the 42nd Bled International Writers' Meeting, the central topic of which was the influence of globalisation on culture. In his address, President Türk recalled that at one time there had been a mistaken belief that globalisation would solve all the world's problems and that technological progress would provide conditions for lasting peace and stability in global terms. He further noted that in spite of technical innovations, man remains a tragic being, caught in eternal ethical problems and the inability to enduringly deal with the world in an equitable manner. At its present stage, globalisation is affecting many more people than ever before. However, the recognition has already prevailed that the distribution of its effects across the planet is quite unjust.

President Türk emphasised that globalisation generates problems that one needs to comprehend at the ethical level and in terms of their existential complexity. This task can only be accomplished by well-conceived, responsible and thoughtful discussion. It is, therefore, quite important that increasing globalisation be accompanied by strengthening real freedom of thought and expression, which is critical to finding a way out of the economic recession, added Dr Türk. Wishing the writers attending this international meeting at Bled every success in their consideration of these topics, the Slovenian President expressed his expectation that their work would contribute to a more humane and equitable process of globalisation.