PAST EVENTS
Freedom on Fire Screening
Freedom on Fire depicts the harsh truth of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The film explores the resilience of the Ukrainians while sharing the views and insights of the Ukrainians about the ongoing conflict in their country.
Freedom Under Fire
Exclusive Screening, Discussion,
and Members-Only Reception
Tuesday, November 29th, 2022, 6:00-8:00 pm ET
Cinema Village, 22 E. 12th St, New York, NY 10003
Acclaimed director Evgeny Afineevsky has been on the ground covering the conflict in Ukraine, finding the best and worst humanity has to offer during this war that has rocked Europe. The Common Good is honored to present an exclusive screening of the groundbreaking Freedom Under Fire documentary at New York’s iconic Village Cinema followed by a post-screening discussion with the director.
Members of the Common Good are invited to attend an exclusive reception hosted by Julia Haart after the event.
About the Film and its Director:
Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom had its world premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival, where it was recognized with the Kineo Award, It was selected for screenings at film festivals around the world, and has received numerous awards and honors, including at the Hamptons International Film Festival, where it was awarded the Brizzolara Family Foundation Award for Films of Conflict & Resolution.
Born in Russia, the director, Evgeny Afineevsky, is an Israeli-American film director, producer and cinematographer who is Oscar and Emmy nominated for his documentary Winter on Fire. He has filmed extensively in conflict zones in Ukraine and Syria, creating moving documentaries about the human toll and the political manipulations that fuel these conflicts. Afineevsky built his filmmaking career on providing a first-hand account of conflict, even if it means putting his own life in danger. Afineevsky's tenacity in his storytelling ultimately attracted the unwanted attention of Russian intelligence agents, who continue to track him and his work. Come meet him at our exclusive screening November 29th.
Born in Russia, the director, Evgeny Afineevsky, is an Israeli-American film director, producer and cinematographer who is Oscar and Emmy nominated for his documentary Winter on Fire. He has filmed extensively in conflict zones in Ukraine and Syria, creating moving documentaries about the human toll and the political manipulations that fuel these conflicts. Afineevsky built his filmmaking career on providing a first-hand account of conflict, even if it means putting his own life in danger. Afineevsky's tenacity in his storytelling ultimately attracted the unwanted attention of Russian intelligence agents, who continue to track him and his work. Come meet him at our exclusive screening November 29th.
Athens Democracy Forum
Members of The Common Good had the special opportunity to attend the Athens Democracy Forum, a pivotal conference addressing the impact of the current feeble state of democracy on our world and on businesses alike.
The Athens Democracy Forum was hosted by New York Times Op-Ed columnist Roger Cohen and programmed by editorial board member Serge Schmemann, and was held by the Democracy and Culture Foundation, an independent nonprofit entity, in association with The New York Times. The conference coincides with the Arraiolos Group meeting, bringing together various European Union heads of state in Athens.
Members of The Common Good had the special opportunity to attend the Athens Democracy Forum, a pivotal conference addressing the impact of the current feeble state of democracy on our world and on businesses alike.
The Athens Democracy Forum was hosted by New York Times Op-Ed columnist Roger Cohen and programmed by editorial board member Serge Schmemann, and was held by the Democracy and Culture Foundation, an independent nonprofit entity, in association with The New York Times. The conference coincides with the Arraiolos Group meeting, bringing together various European Union heads of state in Athens.
The theme was “Reinventing Democracy: New Models for Our Changing World”.
The key topics that were discussed include:
We and Them: The Tectonic Plates of Nationalism and Multiculturalism
The Echo Chamber and the Agora: The Use and Abuse of New and Social Media
The Cost of Inequality: Where Has All the Money Gone?
Back to Basics: What Must Be Done to Restore Faith in Democracy
The 2019 Athens Democracy Forum gathered acclaimed speakers including:
Prokopios Pavlopoulos, President of Greece
Michael Higgins, President of Ireland
Juan Manuel Santos, Former President, Republic of Colombia
Bernard-Henri Levy, French Philosopher
Margrethe Vestager, EU Commissioner
Wole Soyinka, Poet and Nobel Literature Laureate
Eleni Kounalakis, Lieutenant Governor, State of California
HE Laura Chinchilla, Former President of Costa Rica
Margot Wallstrom, Foreign Minister of Sweden
Ivan Krastev, Centre for Liberal Studies
Maria Schmidt, Advisor to PM Victor Orban
George Papandreou, Former Prime Minister of Greece
Jay Weatherill, Industry Professor, University of South Australia
Kassem Eid, Palestinian-Syrian Refugee
Sergei Karaganov, Russian Council of Foreign Policy
Anna Diamantopoulou, Former EU Commissioner
Katharina Schulze, Leader of the Alliance ‘90/The Greens in Germany
Ory Okolloh, Activist & Managing Director, Luminate Africa
Jayathma Wickramanayake, UN Youth Envoy
Paul Polman, Former C.E.O., Unilever and Co-Founder & Chair, Imagine
Kostas Bakoyannis, Mayor of Athens
Annika Savill, Executive Head UNDEF
Interested in attending future events?
The Assault on Intelligence: American National Security in an Age of Lies: General Michael Hayden
Hayden spoke about current US perils – from a nuclear North Korea, an emboldened Russia, a rising China, among others—and the effect of the assaults on the American intelligence agencies meant to defend us and on our democratic institutions.
The only person ever to lead both the CIA and NSA, General (Ret.) Michael Hayden, warns that the American intelligence community is being threatened by a breach in trust and the politicization of their work. Hayden spoke about current US perils – from a nuclear North Korea, an emboldened Russia, a rising China, among others—and the effect of the assaults on the American intelligence agencies meant to defend us and on our democratic institutions.
In the face of a President who lobs accusations without facts, evidence, or logic, truth tellers are under attack. Meanwhile, the world order is teetering on the brink. North Korea is on the verge of having a nuclear weapon that could reach all of the United States, Russians have mastered a new form of information warfare that undercuts democracy, and the role of China in the global community remains unclear. There will always be value to experience and expertise, devotion to facts, humility in the face of complexity, and a respect for ideas, but in this moment they seem more important, and more endangered, than they've ever been. American Intelligence--the ultimate truth teller--has a responsibility in a post-truth world beyond merely warning of external dangers, and in The Assault on Intelligence, General Michael Hayden takes up that urgent work with profound passion, insight and authority.
General Michael Hayden is a retired four-star general who served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency. Hayden is currently a principal at the Chertoff Group and a distinguished visiting professor at the George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government. (1)
Interested in attending future events?
(1) Material from The Chertoff Group website.
Special Discussion with Michael Morell - March 1, 2018
The Common Good was pleased to present an important off-the-record conversation with Michael Morell, former Acting Director and Deputy Director of the CIA, with Jeh Johnson, former Security of Homeland Security. Morell discussed the most worrying dangers to national security and how current US policy does not align well to meet these perils.
The Common Good was pleased to present an important off-the-record conversation with Michael Morell, former Acting Director and Deputy Director of the CIA, with Jeh Johnson, former Security of Homeland Security.
Morell discussed the most worrying dangers to national security and how current US policy does not align well to meet these perils. He will cover global conflict zones from China, North Korea, Russia and Middle East with particular emphasis on the rising threats from the Pacific Rim area.
Michael Morell is the former CIA Acting Director and Deputy Director, has a great depth of experience in intelligence and foreign policy with over three decades in the CIA. He has receiver the Distinguished Intelligence Medal, the Agency’s highest honor, for his role in the successful operation to take down Osama bin Laden, and authored the New York Times best-seller The Great War Of Our Time. He is also a Senior National Security Contributor for CBS News and a regular op-ed writer on foreign policy, as well as a member of the council on Foreign Relations and American Economic Association.
Interested in attending future events?
The Common Good has been hosting events since 2006 that cover important issues of today, highlighting speakers who have worked to bolster our democracy and can provide great insight on the issues that matter.