“Democracy is all of you”
Kenneth Roth © EPFL CDH
On March 1, The College of Humanities (CDH) recognized the 12 best student posters from the 2021 Global Issues course with a special ceremony at the SwissTech Convention center. Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth gave a timely and inspirational keynote address on the future of democracy.
Nearly 2,000 EPFL students participate annually in the Global Issues course in CDH’s Social and Human Sciences (SHS) program. Classes are distributed over six interdisciplinary tracks: health, climate, food, energy, communication, and mobility. Students work in teams to produce final project posters, and 12 posters from the 2021 course were selected for special recognition.
This year’s Global Issues ceremony was organized with a hybrid in-person and livestreaming format, and moderated by CDH Journalist Anne Laure Gannac. It began with a word of congratulations from EPFL Associate Vice President of Education Pierre Dillenbourg, who called on the 12 student teams to harness their educations to tackle society’s grand challenges. The laureates were called to the stage by CDH Dean Béla Kapossy to receive congratulations and chocolate, in addition to which, each will receive CHF200. Three teams from the climate, health, and mobility tracks were also invited to present their posters live during the ceremony (see Box 1).
Democracy in decline?
The evening’s highlight was the keynote or ‘Grand Témoin’ address, given by Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth. He was introduced by life sciences engineering student Margot Romelli, winner of EPFL’s 2021 Model UN public speaking contest.
“I supposed my life has been devoted to being a ‘Grand Témoin’…The Human Rights Watch could be called ‘Human Rights Witness’. But it’s important not to just be a witness, but do something about what we see,” Roth said to a hushed crowd.
He immediately referenced the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, noting that the conflict appears to support conventional wisdom that democracy is in decline. However, he said that he actually sees evidence of a global pro-democratic trend. “Around the world, people are taking to the streets in favor of democracy, even though they risk being shot or imprisoned,” he said, citing the examples of Myanmar, Thailand, Sudan, Belarus, Poland, Nicaragua, and Cuba, in addition to Ukraine.
However, Roth stressed that while autocrats are struggling to maintain their legitimacy through media suppression and political manipulation, much important work remains to be done to support democracy, especially when it comes to managing climate change, pandemics, and ethical challenges posed by artificial intelligence and other digital technologies.
“Winston Churchill said that democracy is just the least bad system of government, but even so, it still needs to deliver. Democratic governments need help if they are going to be better than the autocrats. Democracy is not just out there; it is all of you.”
Projects in bold were presented live at the STCC on March 1st.
Food A
« La Palme d’or: L’huile de palme peut-elle être durable ? » (“The golden palm : can palm oil be sustainable?”). Nieves Clavien, Cindy Isoz, Alisa Lekaj, Alizée Oechsner de Coninck, Marianne Scoglio.
Food B
« Quoi dans mon assiette en 2030 ? » (“What will be on my plate in 2030?”). Moritz Käser-Gustav Lucas, Franck Ducotterd, Filipp Sekatski, Julie Bron.
Climate A
« Surproduction de soja : La déforestation dans notre assiette » (“Soybean overproduction: deforestation on our plate”). Aude Choné, Briana-Stefania Prelicz, Vincent Ellenrieder, Niels Jullien, et Paul Duquesne.
Climate B
« Des bactéries méthanotrophes pour rendre durable la production du lait suisse » (“Methanotrophic bacteria for sustainable Swiss milk production”). Emilien Ancey, Selena Comelli, Paul Cousi, Afanasy Svet, Jean Rauber.
Communication A
« Les algorithmes de recommandation » (“Recommendation algorithms”). Diego Tavares De Vasconcelos Bellay, Caspar Henking, Amaury George, Matthieu Decotignie, Pierre Mercier.
Communication B
“Cancel culture : positive social change or online harassment ?” Asma Belhaj Jrad, Alexandre Macher, Alexandre Mazuir, Hadrien Saigot, Felix Schmeding.
Energy A
« Le dernier kilomètre » (“The last kilometer”). Alessio Zazo, Vadim Blain, Luis Rodriguez, Chloé Voirol, Paul Richard, Lisa Schneider.
Energy B
« Smart Cities : Villes du Futur ? » (“Smart Cities : Cities of the Future?”). Elisabeth Charlet, Edouard Paupe, Tomás Miravete, Tom Rathjens, Mathis Meyer.
Mobility A
« Utopie en ville de Lausanne : une fois les voitures supprimées, que fait-on ?» (Utopia in the city of Lausanne: once cars are removed, what’s next ?”). Eric Butty, Erik Grenacher, Océane Kundert, Marko Mitric, Maxime Reol.
Mobility B
“Aerial and underground alternatives against congestion in major cities”. Riccardo Carpineto, Edgar Clément, Ivalu Flachaire de Roustan, Valentin Piquerez, Noé Zaabi.
Health A
« L’exposition périnatale aux perturbateurs endocriniens » (“Perinatal exposure to endocrine disruptors”). Maud Dupont-Roc, Abigail Ingster, Mohamed Lahlou, Hortense Liaras, Mehdi Mekki Barrada.
Health B
« En quoi la vaccination contre le SARS-CoV-2 représente-t-elle un enjeu mondial ? » (“How does vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 represent a global issue?”). Romane Gauthier Jacques, Alexandre Brun d’Arre, Elsa Heitz, Céleste Broqua, Océane Voland.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international NGO for the defense of human rights. Prior to joining HRW in 1987, Kenneth Roth served as a federal prosecutor in New York and for the Iran-Contra investigation in Washington, DC. A graduate of Yale Law School and Brown University, Roth has conducted numerous human rights investigations and missions around the world. He has written extensively on a wide range of human rights abuses, devoting special attention to issues of international justice, counterterrorism, the foreign policies of the major powers, and the work of the United Nations.
