The words extremism and radicalism are widely used in today’s political discourse. Both terms, however, refer to an attitude towards someone or something. The first denotes being at the edge or periphery, while the second derives from the Latin word radix, meaning root. Thus, radicalism signifies an attitude that seeks to delve into the root cause or origin. In this sense, the two concepts are opposites. Yet, they are often conflated.
It is worth asking what makes individuals susceptible to extreme ideas and radical actions. What have governments done wrong to lead to a growing number of people denying the need to protect human rights? Could such a situation in democracies, in turn, be exploited by major powers that disregard human rights?
Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise moderated the first panel discussion of the conference, engaging in a conversation with President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and civil activist Tarmo Jüristo to seek answers to these questions.
Watch the discussion recording
Annual Human Rights Conference 2020
