Four thematic days spread over two weekends, complemented by the innovative format of three collective meetings, will be offered by this year's Inspiration Forum at Ji.hlava IDFF. Experts, as well as global and Czech personalities of philosophical or ecological thought, will present the topics that represent the greatest challenges to civilization today. The first resounding name in global thinking that IF is now publishing is British environmental philosopher Timothy Morton. At the festival, he will present his latest book Hell, in which he develops his object-based philosophy that removes humans from a privileged status over non-human objects, a critique of the concept of nature and, this time, the return of a religious perspective in dealing with the climate crisis.
The first weekend will be marked by the relationship between new technologies and leisure. The topic of the debate and the keynote lecture will open up the question of how, and if at all, the rise of new technologies can help us to achieve the age-old goal associated with technological progress – to have less work and more leisure time. How would we deal with the new and greater amount of free time? Is there a way to finally get rid of housework, which is still subject to strong gender division? And can we still procrastinate? The topic will be opened by famous Canadian-British critical theory duo, economist and philosopher Nick Srnicek and prominent feminist theorist Helen Hester, who this year have published their long-awaited book After Work, which examines the impact of technology and gender division in domestic work.
On Sunday, you can come "into the forest" with us. Even though we have a wealth of knowledge about how crucial the planet's lungs are for the survival of humanity and ecosystems and biodiversity, we still continue to destroy them. Understanding forests in their complexity is key to formulating sustainable environmental management strategies. What are the latest tools in forest ecosystem management? And what are all the "connections" that the forest allows us to make even though the signal is not always there?
On Monday, we will introduce the new Inspirational Meetings programme, which will open up a space for collective reflection and discussion of previous topics three times during the festival, all led by experienced facilitators from the NaZemi organisation. Everyone can participate and propose topics to the visitors and attendees. All three sessions will ask: How do we live a better life in worse times?
The second weekend of the festival will start with the topic of immunity, a concept whose understanding is dynamically changing due to the influence of new technologies. Can seeing immunity in a new light, as "more than just a defense mechanism", be a source of new imagination in other areas of life, understanding history, relationships and political systems?
Sunday's final theme will focus on the phenomenon of war and the new perspectives we can take on it. Technological advances have not rid us of war, they have only transformed the way we wage it. Can we break the seemingly eternal bond between civilization and warfare?
The Inspiration Forum is part of Ji.hlava IDFF, and admission to its programme is included in the festival accreditation. More information about prices and conditions can be found here.